BAGHDAD — A U.S. soldier pleaded not guilty today to charges of killing Iraqis and trying to cover it up by planting weapons on their bodies.

Spc. Jorge G. Sandoval, of Laredo, Texas, has been charged with premeditated murder, wrongfully placing weapons with the remains of the Iraqis and obstructing justice. He faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted.

Military prosecutors said the deaths occurred separately between April and June near Iskandariyah, a mostly Sunni Arab city 30 miles south of Baghdad.

YANGON, Myanmar — Security forces fired warning shots and tear gas canisters while hauling Buddhist monks away in trucks today as authorities tried to stop anti-government demonstrations, the first mass arrests since protests erupted last month.About 300 monks and activists were arrested across Yangon, according to an exile dissident group, and reporters saw a number of monks — who are highly revered in Myanmar — being dragged into trucks.The junta had banned all public gatherings of more than five people and imposed a nighttime curfew following eight days of anti-government marches led by monks.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — This dessert may be a little too rich for you, but you're probably not rich enough for it.A Sri Lankan resort is charging $14,500 for what it calls the world's most expensive dessert, a fruit-infused confection complete with a chocolate sculpture and a gigantic gemstone."The Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence" was created to give visitors at The Fortress resort in the coastal city of Galle a one-of-a-kind experience, said the hotel's public relations manager, Shalini Perera.The dessert is a gold leaf Italian cassata flavored with Irish cream, served with a mango and pomegranate compote and a champagne sabayon enlighten. It's decorated with a chocolate carving of a fisherman clinging to a stilt — an age-old local fishing practice — and an 80-carat aquamarine stone.