BRUSSELS — European Union leaders formally made Serbia a candidate for membership in the bloc, in a remarkable turnaround for a country considered a pariah just over a decade ago. Serbia had been...

BELTSVILLE, Md. — Maryland became the eighth state to legalize gay marriage on Thursday, as opponents were already rallying voters to reverse the change this fall. The push will rely heavily on members...

SEOUL, South Korea — Surprise and skepticism met the announcement that North Korea would freeze most nuclear activities in exchange for food aid from the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary...

BEIRUT — The Syrian regime showed a new determination Wednesday to crush its opponents, vowing to “cleanse” a rebel-held district in the besieged central city of Homs after nearly four...

CHARDON, Ohio (AP) — Authorities say a teen who was hurt but survived a deadly shooting rampage at an Ohio high school has been released from the hospital. The Chardon police chief says authorities...

METHUEN, Mass. — School officials in a Massachusetts town are apologizing for sending home a lunch menu that listed KKK Chicken Tenders as an option. About 6,500 students in four Methuen (muh-THOO’-in)...

BRANSON, Mo. — Authorities say 10 people have been killed in southern Illinois by severe storms that slammed the Midwest. A spokeswoman for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency says the coroner’s...

HOUSTON — The Texas agency that oversees oil and gas drilling in the state has elected a new chairman who will oversee a thorough review ordered by the Legislature. Barry Smitherman was elected...

SAN ANTONIO — Private intelligence firm Stratfor was paid by Coca-Cola to gauge the threat of Olympic protesters, provided Dow Chemical information on environmental activists, and sells what clients...

ALBANY, N.Y. — Steve Panetta smoked for 34 years, the last 10 at a three-pack-a-day clip. He watched his father die from lung cancer and his stepfather struggle with emphysema. He tried quitting...