WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday promised an extraordinarily thorough springtime review of President Barack Obama’s historic health care overhaul — more than five hours of argument,...

ROME — Economist Mario Monti accepted the task Sunday of trying to form a new government that can rescue Italy from financial ruin, expressing confidence that the nation can prevail if its people...

RIO DE JANEIRO — More than 3,000 police and soldiers backed by armored personnel carriers raced into Brazil’s biggest slum before dawn Sunday, gaining control of a slum long ruled by a drug...

HONOLULU — Pacific Rim leaders gathered for an annual summit in Hawaii pledged Saturday to work together to keep world growth on track, as President Barack Obama announced the broad outlines of a...

ATHENS, Greece — Europe’s financial crisis eased Thursday as Greece installed a respected economist to replace its prime minister and Italy appeared poised to do the same — both hoping...

SANAA, Yemen — Gunmen in civilians clothes opened fire on anti-government protesters in Yemen’s capital, and tanks shelled residential neighborhoods in another major city, killing a 13-year-old...

LOS ANGELES — Just over half of American pet owners will buy gifts for their pets this holiday season, and they’ll spend an average of $46 on their animals, with toys and treats topping the...

NEW YORK — Despite all the worries about online bullying, more than two-thirds of teenagers on social-networking sites say their peers are mostly kind, a new study from the Pew Internet and American...

ROCHESTER, Mich. — Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry says he would eliminate three federal agencies. Just don’t ask him to name them. “Commerce, Education and the — what’s...

MEXICO — Police say the naked bodies of six men and a woman have been found on an outdoor basketball court in northern Mexico. Police say the bodies, which bore signs of violence, were found in...

BANGKOK — Every year when the moon is full and the rainy season draws to an end, Thailand’s waterways fill with millions of floating lotus-shaped lanterns — a symbolic, centuries-old...

KULA, Hawaii — A rodeo bull in Hawaii has been freed from a giant tire that was stuck on his head for about 20 hours. The bull, named Skywalker, couldn’t eat or drink after he got his head...

WACO — An AWOL soldier planned to detonate bombs in a restaurant filled with Fort Hood troops and then shoot those who survived, federal authorities said in a new six-count indictment returned against...

Support for keeping Joe Paterno in his job coaching Penn State football is eroding among the board of trustees, threatening to end the 84-year-old coach’s career amid a child sex abuse scandal involving...

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A human rights group said Tuesday it has filed claims with the United Nations seeking damages on behalf of more than 5,000 Haitian cholera victims and their families. The...

Silvio Berlusconi survived sex scandals and corruption trials. Tawdry accounts of sexy “bunga bunga” parties turned him into an international laughing stock. Prosecutors pursued him over a...

Posters depicting women have become rare in the streets of Israel’s capital. In some areas women have been shunted onto separate sidewalks, and buses and health clinics have been gender-segregated....

JACKSON, Miss. — The State Department put a freeze Monday on expansion of a program that lines up summer jobs in the U.S. for foreign college students, citing persistent complaints about young people...

MONROVIA, Liberia — Violence broke out at opposition headquarters, killing at least one person hours before Liberia’s presidential runoff on Tuesday, a vote that tests the West African nation’s...

BOGOTA, Colombia — Rescuers are searching for signs of life amid mud and rubble after a rain-fueled landslide buried homes in northwestern Colombia, killing at least 21 people. Red Cross rescue...

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia’s main rebel group has acknowledged the death in combat of its leader, Alfonso Cano, and has declared illusory any notions it means the end of their 47-year-old...

WASHINGTON — Thousands of protesters gathered in Lafayette Square across from the White House on Sunday to oppose a plan for a transnational oil pipeline they fear could harm the environment. At...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Among the alliances of convenience in the Middle East, one is so unusual that the partners can barely hint about it publicly: Israel and the Gulf Arab states’...

SPARKS, Okla. — Clouds of dust belched from the corners of almost every room in Joe Reneau’s house as the biggest earthquake in Oklahoma history rocked the two-story building. A roar that...

AUSTIN — For several years, Texas lacked a power back who could pound defenses into submission. Now the Longhorns seem to have them everywhere. Freshman Joe Bergeron ran for 191 yards and scored...

BAGHDAD — U.S. plans to station troops across the Mideast after withdrawing from Iraq amount to occupying other Islamic countries, Iraq’s most outspoken anti-American cleric said in an interview...

UNITED NATIONS — The Palestinians urged the U.N. Security Council on Thursday to take action against Israel for accelerating settlement construction and “illegally hijacking” Palestinian...

MORELIA, Mexico — The mayor of La Piedad had already seen his police chief killed when he too was fatally ambushed by gunmen as he campaigned for President Felipe Calderon’s sister and other...

ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s prime minister abandons his explosive plan to put a European rescue deal to a popular vote and opens emergency talks with his opponents, who demand his resignation...

ARLINGTON, Texas — Visiting managers will soon have an unobstructed view into their bullpen at Rangers Ballpark. A reconfigured bullpen is among nearly $12 million in stadium upgrades the Rangers...

SHANGHAI — PGA champion Keegan Bradley cares more about counting birdies than votes. He flew halfway around the world with the intention of winning a World Golf Championship, not any kind of an award. Whatever...

HOUSTON — Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak hasn’t ruled out wide receiver Andre Johnson for Sunday’s game against Cleveland after the star wide receiver missed his second straight day...

HOUSTON — NCAA President Mark Emmert says university leaders across the country are “adamant” about never allowing student-athletes to be paid for playing. Emmert spoke Thursday to the...

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Robinson Cano doubled in a run in the seventh inning to help an MLB All-Star team beat Taiwan’s national team 5-3 Thursday in the second game of a five-game series. The New...

OAKLAND, Calif. — Occupy Wall Street protesters had just a few hours to celebrate what they saw as their biggest victory so far: the peaceful shutdown of the nation’s fifth-busiest port. Then...

NEW YORK More than 50 Occupy Wall Street protesters are headed toward a trial on disorderly conduct charges after they refused prosecutors’ offers to dismiss the charges if they stay out of trouble...

NEW YORK — Everyone wants flawless skin, flat abs and a fab rear. But men don’t always admit it. So, companies that sell products promising to help guys lose weight, conceal bloat and enhance...

ATLANTA — Republican candidate Newt Gingrich is decrying media coverage of the sexual harassment claims against rival Herman Cain and says that Cain’s tax plans deserve more attention. Gingrich...

DHAKA, Bangladesh — A government official says Bangladesh and Russia have signed a cooperation deal to build a nuclear power plant in the energy-starved South Asian nation. Bangladesh’s junior...

MEXICO CITY — One of the world’s most secretive movements is taking aim at a just as clandestine mafia, right out in the open. Bloggers and tweeters claiming to belong to the hacker movement...

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday defended his decision to expand construction in east Jerusalem, saying it was Israel’s “right” and “duty”...

WASHINGTON — Thousands of Japanese-Americans who fought in the fiercest battles of World War II and became some of the most decorated soldiers in the nation’s history were given an overdue...

HOUSTON — Injured Texans outside linebacker Mario Williams says he’s healing “extremely fast” in his recovery from a torn chest muscle that will sideline him the rest of this season. The...

ATHENS, Greece — The Greek government teeters and markets around the world plunge after the prime minister’s stunning decision to put a hard-fought European debt deal up for a risky public...

CAIRO — Growing in confidence after eight months in power, Egypt’s military generals appear more determined than ever to crush the protest movement that ousted Hosni Mubarak and has turned...

LONDON — The Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral quit Monday, the second high-profile clergy member to step down over anti-capitalist protests that have spilled across the historic church’s...

PHOENIX — Arizona authorities have disrupted a Mexican drug cartel’s distribution network, arresting dozens of smugglers in dismantling a ring responsible for carrying more than $33 million...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A new round of violence between Israel and Palestinian militants has Gaza’s Hamas rulers caught between reluctance to take on Israel and discomfort with reining in fellow...

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. — When winter’s white mixes with autumn’s orange and gold, nature gets ugly. A freak October nor’easter knocked out power to more than 3 million homes and...

ST. LOUIS — David Freese homered to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals forced the World Series to a Game 7 by rallying from two-run deficits against the Texas Rangers...

MIAMI — There’s a new routine these days whenever Amber Mullaney goes out to eat at a restaurant. While waiting to be seated, she asks her husband to get the phone ready to hand over to their...

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Iraq War veteran injured during a clash between police and anti-Wall Street protesters wasn’t taking part in the demonstrations out of economic want. Scott Olsen, 24,...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia named a new crown prince late Thursday: the tough-talking interior minister who is known for cracking down on Islamic militants and resisting moves toward greater...

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said a new European plan to tackle the continent’s debt crisis would have an impact on the U.S. economy, but he stopped short of saying whether it would...

ST. LOUIS — Game 6 of the World Series was postponed Wednesday because of a wet forecast, delaying the Texas Rangers’ bid to clinch their first championship. Major League Baseball announced...

SANTIAGO, Chile — Chile’s government has issued a red alert and ordered the evacuation of residents living within 25 miles of a rumbling volcano. Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter says 97...

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.  — Road workers found themselves plowing pulp after a truck dumped a load of pumpkins on a Detroit-area freeway. Hundreds of pumpkins were scattered Wednesday across...

DETROIT — Jim Arrighi last saw Petey, his 4-year-old Jack Russell terrier, in the backyard of his home in Erin, Tenn. That was in July, and the 73-year-old retired electrician had nearly given...

OAKLAND, Calif. — The display of police force in Oakland, Calif., and Atlanta has unnerved some anti-Wall Street protesters. While demonstrators in other cities have built a working relationship...

Officials testify that operations in Africa would only last for months WASHINGTON — The U.S. military operation against the Lord’s Resistance Army in Africa is a short-term deployment, Obama...

NEW YORK — Americans say they feel worse about the economy than they have since the depths of the Great Recession. And it’s a bad time for a bad mood because households are starting to make...

The Big 12 has a replacement lined up for Missouri before it even leaves the conference. The Big East, meanwhile, is in danger of losing another school before replacing the three that already have bailed...

CENTER — The district attorney in a Texas county with a well-known drug-trafficking route repeatedly allowed suspected drug runners and money launderers to receive light sentences — or escape...

ERCIS, Turkey — After 48 hours, a miracle emerged from the rubble: a 2-week-old baby girl brought out half-naked but alive from the wreckage of an apartment building toppled by Turkey’s devastating...

GRAY COURT, S.C. — Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry proposed dramatic tax and spending changes Tuesday, saying he would let Americans choose between a 20 percent flat tax and the current...

AMARILLO — A Texas death row inmate just weeks from execution asked a federal court Monday to keep his civil rights lawsuit alive while his attorneys try to get knives and other evidence turned over...

NEW YORK — Forget style, quality and customer service. This holiday season, all that matters is price. A week before Halloween and two full months before Christmas, stores are desperately trying...

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A 15-year-old student was shot in the neck with what appeared to be a small-caliber bullet during a lunch period outside a North Carolina high school Monday, and police have...

NEW YORK — Give me your tired, your poor — your Internet-connected masses yearning to see. Lady Liberty is getting high-tech gifts for her 125th birthday: webcams on her torch that will let...

ARLINGTON — Mike Napoli hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth inning against Marc Rzepczynski, and the Texas Rangers rallied from a two-run deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on...

LONDON — An animal shelter has been inundated with offers of help after it requested a home for a pair of Great Danes — one of which is blind and totally dependent on the other. Louise Campbell,...

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The top U.N. official in Haiti says the government’s plan to restore the army will require a new agreement with the world body. Head of U.N. Mission Mariano Fernandez...

MISRATA, Libya — The bodies of Moammar Gadhafi, his son Muatassim and a former aide have been moved from a commercial freezer in a warehouse area of Misrata in anticipation of burial, a security...

NEW YORK — Stock indexes closed Monday at the highest point since the U.S. debt limit showdown in August. The market was driven higher by a round of big corporate takeovers and reports that Europe’s...

CAIRO — Thousands of Egyptian police launched a nationwide strike on Monday to demand better salaries and a purge of former regime officials from senior security posts. About 3,000 lower ranking...

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Derek Holland kept Albert Pujols in the ballpark and the Texas Rangers in this World Series. In a title matchup that’s getting more interesting with every game, Holland...

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Yale sophomore Andrew Hendricks has gotten used to receiving strange looks when he crosses the Ivy League campus in his Air Force uniform. Hendricks, the only Air Force cadet...

ANKARA, Turkey — Cries of panic and horror filled the air as a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey, killing at least 138 people as buildings pancaked and crumpled into rubble. Tens of...

ST. LOUIS — Josh Hamilton and the Texas hitters looked lost. They chased pitches that bounced, broke their bats and seemed totally overmatched. Hamilton, the reigning AL MVP seemed to be wearing...

ATHENS, Greece— Clouds of tear gas choked central Athens as rival demonstrators fought with stones and firebombs outside parliament Thursday, leaving one man dead and dozens injured. Inside, the...

SIRTE, Libya — Dragged from hiding in a drainage pipe, a wounded Moammar Gadhafi raised his hands and begged revolutionary fighters: “Don’t kill me, my sons.” Within an hour, he...

TRIPOLI, Libya -- During nearly 42 years in power in Libya, Moammar Gadhafi was one of the world's most eccentric dictators, so mercurial that he was both condemned and courted by the West, while he...

LAS VEGAS — Working to distinguish himself from rival Mitt Romney, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday that he wants to scrap America’s current tax laws and impose a flat tax. Perry told...

 NEW YORK — Retailers are so desperate this holiday season that they’re willing to lose money to get you to spend yours. Take online jeweler Stauer. It’s offering a $249 amethyst...

 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Growing up in South Texas, Kiko Torres saw the Day of the Dead as an obscure holiday celebrated in southern Mexico. Few people dared to discuss it in his small but strong...

ST. LOUIS — Nelson Cruz sprinted over to the foul line, desperately trying to run down Allen Craig’s tailing liner. The right fielder came up just short, and so did the Texas Rangers. Craig’s...

LAS VEGAS — Talk about nasty. The bitter, face-to-face sniping at this week’s Republican debate was just a prelude to the coming weeks as Mitt Romney’s rivals seek to tear him down before...

CRAYS HILL, England — British police used sledgehammers, crowbars and a cherry picker Wednesday to clear the way for the eviction of Irish Travelers from a site where they have lived illegally for...

The quest for the world’s first malaria vaccine appears to have taken a big step. The first results from a late-stage test in seven African countries were released on Tuesday. They show the experimental...

BANI WALID, Libya — Libyan fighters celebrated the fall of this stubborn former regime stronghold by firing weapons in the air and hanging revolutionary flags on buildings on Tuesday, while in another...

BEIJING — The ruling Communist Party approved a program Tuesday to enhance its popularity at home and China’s image abroad at a time when the leadership is struggling with domestic unrest and...

MOSCOW — Prime Minister Vladimir Putin lauded himself Monday as Russia’s hardest-working leader since World War II, putting himself above Communist-era titans like Stalin and Khrushchev in...

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has proposed giving hundreds of women who live like nuns within the troubled Legion of Christ order greater autonomy after a Holy See investigation found serious problems...

SEATTLE — Fabio Heuring was standing outside a Seattle nightclub on a Saturday night with a friend when a man bolting from a bouncer ran into them. The enraged man ripped off his shirt in the middle...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady got the offense going just in time to lead the New England Patriots to the winning touchdown in the final minute of a 20-16 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Brady...

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Job prospects in Cory May’s native eastern Ohio were grim — even for a hard-working Marine reservist willing to work hard or relocate. “It’s either that...

ROME — Italian riot police fired tear gas and water cannons in Rome on Saturday as violent protesters hijacked a peaceful demonstration against corporate greed, smashing bank windows, torching cars...

JERUSALEM — This week’s planned Mideast prisoner swap is unleashing deep anguish in Israel and widespread elation in the Palestinian territories, laying bare the chasm of perspective dividing...

AUSTIN — Caitlin Baker was 3 when her mother, Debra, was beaten to death and left naked in bed in her Austin home. Although the pain of the loss has faded in the 23 years since, her anger that her...

ST. LOUIS— Randy Wolf outfoxed the St. Louis Cardinals for seven innings to earn his first postseason win at age 35 and the Milwaukee Brewers got two more hits from Ryan Braun in a 4-2 victory Thursday...