LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Netflix CEO Reed Hastings' pay will double to $4 million next year, after he took a pay cut due to management missteps this year.
Hastings' annual salary will rise to $2 million in 2013 and he will get $2 million in stock options, according to a securities filing Friday.
That's up from a salary of $500,000 and $1.5 million in stock options for 2012.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's state TV is reporting the country's navy has begun maneuvers in the area of the Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world's oil passes.
It says the maneuvers began early Friday, involving warships, submarines jet fighters and hovercrafts.
The drills come as the West increases its pressure over Iran's nuclear program. The West suspects it may be aimed at producing nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Patrick Dempsey says he wants to rescue a coffee house chain and more than 500 jobs.
The "Grey's Anatomy" star said Wednesday he's leading a group attempting to buy Tully's Coffee. The Seattle-based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October.
Dempsey said he's excited about the chance to help hundreds of workers and give back to Seattle.
The actor has a strong TV tie to the city: He plays Dr. Derek Shepherd on "Grey's Anatomy," the ABC drama set at fictional Seattle Grace Hospital.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- For years, Republicans have adhered fiercely to their bedrock conservative principles, resisting Democratic calls for tax hikes, comprehensive immigration reform and gun control. Now, seven weeks after an electoral drubbing, some party leaders and rank-and-file alike are signaling a willingness to bend on all three issues.
What long has been a nonstarter for Republicans - raising tax rates on wealthy Americans - is now backed by GOP House Speaker John Boehner in his negotiations with President Barack Obama to avert a potential fiscal crisis. Party luminaries, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, have started calling for a wholesale shift in the GOP's approach to immigration after Hispanic voters shunned Republican candidates. And some Republicans who previously championed gun rights now are opening the door to restrictions following a schoolhouse shooting spree earlier this month.
Barack Obama cuts short holiday to tackle budget crisis as country faces breaching its $16.4tn debt limit
US Treasury secretary Tim Geithner warned on Wednesday he would have to take "extraordinary measures" to avoid a default on the US's legal obligations as the country is set to breach its $16.4tn (£10.16tn) debt limit.
In a letter to Congress, Geithner said the debt ceiling would be reached on 31 December and that the Treasury could raise $200bn (£124bn) to fund government spending as a stopgap measure. But he warned that the current impasse over the fiscal cliff budget crisis meant it was uncertain how long that money would last.
ATLANTA (AP) -- Three Atlanta-area counties have filed a lawsuit claiming that British bank HSBC cost them hundreds of millions of dollars in extra expenses and damage to their tax bases by aggressively signing minorities to housing loans that were likely to fail.
The Georgia counties' failure or success with the relatively novel strategy could help determine whether other local governments try to hold big banks accountable for losses in tax revenue based on what they claim are discriminatory or predatory lending practices. Similar lawsuits resulted in settlements this year worth millions of dollars for communities in Maryland and Tennessee.
Fulton, DeKalb and Cobb counties say in their lawsuit, which was filed in October, that the housing foreclosure crisis was the "foreseeable and inevitable result" of big banks, such as HSBC and its American subsidiaries, aggressively pushing irresponsible loans or loans that were destined to fail. The counties say that crisis has caused them tremendous damage.
President Mohamed Morsi wins support for measure amid growing fears for Egyptian economy
Egypt's electoral commission announced on Tuesday that voters had approved overwhelmingly the constitution drafted by President Mohamed Morsi's Islamist allies.
Final figures from the elections commission showed the constitution was backed by 63.8% of voters, giving Islamists their third straight victory at the polls since Hosni Mubarak was toppled in a 2011 revolution. The yes vote, on an official turnout of 32.9%, paves the way for a parliamentary election in about two months' time.
Morsi's leftist, liberal, secularist and Christian opponents had taken to the streets to protest, saying the new constitution would dangerously mix politics and religion, but the president insists it offers sufficient protection for minorities and is necessary to end two years of turmoil and political uncertainty that has wrecked the economy. Standard and Poor's cut Egypt's long-term credit rating on Monday.
• Swansea defender hit Manchester United striker with ball
• Sir Alex Ferguson said Dutchman could have been killed
The Football Association will not take action against the Swansea City defender Ashley Williams for kicking a ball at the head of Manchester United's Robin van Persie.
United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, called on the FA to ban Williams for a long time, claiming Van Persie "could have been killed" by the incident.
But the governing body will not instigate disciplinary procedures against the Wales international, who denied malicious intent. Van Persie was struck on the back of the head from close range while lying on the ground after being fouled but was able to continue without treatment. Williams was booked at the time by the referee, Michael Oliver.
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and stories that will be talked about Monday:
1. `WE CAN'T LOSE CHRISTMAS TOO'
The community of Newtown, Conn., nurtures its holiday spirit in the face of overwhelming tragedy.
2. WHAT THE NRA THINKS ABOUT FIREARMS RESTRICTIONS
The gun-rights group argues that not a single new gun regulation would make children safer.
3. WHO MIGHT GET THE BLAME IF US GOES OFF `FISCAL CLIFF'
"If we allow that to happen it will be the most colossal consequential act of congressional irresponsibility in a long time," Sen. Joe Lieberman says.
One year after putting together the NFL's worst record, the Indianapolis Colts are headed to the playoffs.
Joining them on Sunday were the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Colts (10-5) equaled the 2008 Miami Dolphins as the only teams to win at least 10 games after losing 14 or more the previous season. Top overall draft pick Andrew Luck completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne late in the fourth quarter for a 20-13 victory at Kansas City.
Cincinnati qualified for a second straight postseason berth for only the second time in franchise history, edging archrival Pittsburgh 13-10. The Bengals have never gone to the playoffs in successive years that did not involve a strike-shortened season.
Number of overcrowded homes doubles in a decade with families in West Midlands and London worst hit, says charity
More than one in four households in some parts of the UK are officially overcrowded – with 400,000 more families being classified as cramped since 2010, according to an analysis of the latest census data.
Shelter, the homeless charity, found that 1.06m households in England – almost 5% of the population – were classed as overcrowded, with the West Midlands and London accounting for almost half of families living in congested conditions.
JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- They say cats have nine lives. Now a Chinese toad has joined that club of wily survivors.
South Africans are marveling at the endurance of a toad that got trapped in a cargo shipment from China to Cape Town after jumping into a porcelain candlestick that was made there. South African officials reportedly planned to put down the creature, fearing it would cause harm as an invasive species if it were let go in the wild.
But the toad got a last-minute reprieve. Mango Airlines, a South African airline, transported the toad on Friday to Johannesburg for delivery to an animal sanctuary after officials decided to find a way to let the globe-trotting toad live. The two-hour flight was a breeze compared to the trip from China, an odyssey of many weeks and thousands of kilometers (miles) across the Indian Ocean.
Capture of an Austrian man and Finnish couple highlight security dangers in capital city of the strife-torn country
The kidnap of three foreigners in broad daylight, in one of the busiest and most secure streets in Sana'a, is a sign of the growing lawlessness in Yemen's capital.
An Austrian man and a Finnish couple became on Friday the latest victims of abductions in the strife-torn country. Witnesses said the three were taken by masked gunmen as they made their way to a tailor's shop in central Tahrir Square at about 4pm, during the busy afternoon shopping period.
Mohammed Abdullah, who sells nuts and dried fruit from a small cart on the street, said that four armed men, their faces covered with scarves, jumped on the group of foreigners as they walked along the busy thoroughfare.
WHITE HOUSE — President Barack Obama has told U.S. congressional leaders to work out a stopgap deal that would prevent the U.S. economy from falling off the fiscal cliff of expiring tax cuts and mandatory government spending cuts.
Obama's appearance before reporters late Friday came amid sharply increased pessimism that a deal can be achieved, and after most members of Congress had left town for their Christmas break.
On Thursday, The Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, decided to bring an alternative tax plan to a vote in the House.
But he failed to gain enough Republican support for his proposal to raise tax rates on annual incomes above $1 million and was forced to withdraw the bill, a humiliating defeat.
CAPITOL HILL — U.S. lawmakers are heading home for the Christmas holidays without any agreement or even a clear path forward on a way to avoid a combination of massive tax increases and spending cuts known as the fiscal cliff. The entire process came to a standstill late Thursday, when the Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, was unable to muster enough votes in his own Republican caucus for a bill that would only have raised taxes on incomes of $1 million a year.
After suffering what most analysts viewed as a humiliating setback to his leadership Thursday, House Speaker Boehner sought to push responsibility onto the president and the Senate, even though the House of Representatives would also have to vote to approve any compromise agreement on taxes and spending.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Argentina's cash-strapped state energy company signed a partnership deal Wednesday with Chevron Corp. for a "massive development" of the South American country's vast nonconventional oil and gas resources.
YPF President Miguel Galuccio and Chevron's Latin America and Africa chief, Ali Moshiri, signed a letter of intent to start on a shale pilot project by drilling more than 100 wells within 12 months in the Vaca Muerta area of Patagonia. YPF hopes the effort will help it boost production to meet Argentina's growing energy demands.
The companies said the pilot project will cost a shared $1 billion, while it could take more than $15 billion for full development of the Vaca Muerta ("Dead Cow") formation that was discovered in Neuquen province in 2010.
SEOUL — In her initial appearance during her first day as president-elect, Park Geun-hye of the Saenuri (New Frontier) Party went to South Korea's national cemetery to pay tribute to three deceased presidents, including her father.
She burned incense at her parents' tomb. The moment marked a poignant transition for the 60-year-old democratically-elected president, finally stepping out of the shadow cast by her dictator father's legacy.
Park Chung-hee's long grip on power, that had begun with a military coup in 1961, ended in 1979 when he was murdered by his intelligence chief.
The president-elect also lost her mother in 1974 to an assassin's bullet. It was fired by a North Korean-backed agent.
WASHINGTON — Michelangelo is known worldwide as the great Italian Renaissance sculptor. Now, one of his more intriguing works is on loan to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, which has no other Michelangelo in its collection.
The white marble sculpture is graceful with curves. One knee is bent and the torso is twisted into what the Italians call “serpentinata” or Serpentine. Michelangelo’s mastery of sculpture makes the pose looks natural, fluid and easy. But that is not the case when gallery visitors try to mimic it.
Like many Michelangelos the sculpture appears unfinished. Andrew Cary was mesmerized by the chisel marks.
LONDON (AP) -- The last missing member of an NBC team that was kidnapped in Syria has been freed and is safely in Turkey, NBC News executives said Wednesday.
Ian Rivers was part of the NBC team led by the network's chief foreign correspondent, Richard Engel. They were kidnapped in Syria on Thursday, and Engel and several other members escaped unharmed on Monday.
"We're thrilled that he found his way to safety," said NBC News communications director Erika Masonhall.
In a brief amateur video made before he left Syria, Rivers said he and the others had been "blindfolded, handcuffed and roughed up a little bit" while being held by pro-regime militia groups.
He said he ended up getting released on his own "in the confusion of some type of handover."
NBC said in a statement that Rivers got separated from the other journalists as the other men escaped from captivity during a firefight between their captors and Syrian rebels.
British family of US school shooting victim Dylan Hockley, six, say they took comfort from knowing son died in the arms of teaching assistant
The British family of six-year-old Dylan Hockley, who was one of 20 children shot dead in a school shooting in Connecticut on Friday, have spoken of their gratitude for an outpouring of support from around the world.
In a moving statement Ian and Nicole Hockley, who moved to the US last year with their son Dylan and her older brother Jake, said they had been humbled by the overwhelming support from their "beautiful community" and around the world.
• Player aggrieved at £340,000 fine for missing games
• 22-year old says club breached established guidelines
Mario Balotelli's strained relationship with Manchester City will be paraded before a Premier League tribunal in London on Wednesday when the champions will insist he was guilty of unacceptable behaviour last season and in breach of contract.
The Italy international may appear before the independent two-man panel as he continues to fight his employers over the £340,000 fine imposed last season. City last month rejected the striker's appeal against the penalty of two week's wages for missing more than one-fifth of their matches during their title-winning campaign through suspension.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- A Facebook page purportedly created by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attracted nearly 10,000 followers on Tuesday although the site's content and style raise serious questions about its authenticity.
Iranian authorities had no immediate comment on the site, which apparently went online last week but only recently gained prominence among social media watchers. Despite the possibility that it is a hoax, the page has generated at least 170 comments - laudatory and derogatory, and nearly all in Farsi - that highlight the deep political divisions in Iran and possibly opposition fervor from expatriate Iranians.
More than a quarter of U.S. workers say their workplaces will close down during the holidays and even if they don't, employees are likely to take time off, according to a nationwide survey released on Monday.
The Working the Holiday poll commissioned by the Workforce Institute, a think tank established by the management solution company Kronos Inc, found more employees planning to take Christmas Eve and/or New Year's Eve off - 26 percent, compared with 18 percent in a similar study conducted in 2007.
Blue Boar inn rises again in model and digital form, recreated from detailed drawings found in Leicester family's archives
The medieval inn in Leicester where King Richard III slept before riding out to meet his fate at the battle of Bosworth has been recreated by the team of archaeologists and academics who dug up a local car park this summer searching for his bones.
News of their discovery of the remains of a man with a twisted spine and a gaping war wound, in the foundations of a long demolished abbey, created ripples of excitement around the world. Results of the scientific tests on the remains have not been announced, though there have been rumours that they proved inconclusive. Although DNA has been extracted from far older bones, the success of the technique depends on the quality of their preservation.
Constable from specialist Met police unit held after force received information on alleged leaking of information
An officer from Scotland Yard's diplomatic protection group, SO6, has been arrested in connection with the alleged leaking of information to the press about an incident at Downing Street in which Andrew Mitchell, the then chief whip, is said to have called officers "plebs".
The constable from the specialist Metropolitan police unit, which guards embassies as well as members of the government, was bailed on Sunday after his arrest the day before and has been suspended from duty.
The Met said in a statement on Sunday night that its directorate of professional standards (DPS) arrested him on suspicion of misconduct in a public office after the force received fresh information on Thursday regarding the alleged unauthorised disclosure of information.
HAVANA (AP) -- Retired Cuban leader Fidel Castro has been nominated for a seat in the country's parliament, authorities said Sunday.
The afternoon TV news announced "the leader of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro Ruz heads the list of 25 candidates to the Cuban parliament from the municipality of Santiago de Cuba, approved by the delegates of this state body."
Castro was also named as a delegate in 2008, when he officially retired as president. It's unclear whether he has played an active role in legislative duties in the years since.
The current session of parliament held its last gathering last week and is due to reconvene with new membership in February following elections. It's expected to rename to the presidency Castro's younger brother Raul, who was also nominated as a representative of the municipality of Segundo Frente.
• Former Coventry and Birmingham striker seriously hurt
• Peter Ndlovu involved in car crash in Zimbabwe
The former Sheffield United, Coventry City and Birmingham City forward Peter Ndlovu has been critically injured in a car accident in his native Zimbabwe.
Sheffield United confirmed the news in a statement on their official Twitter feed, which read: "Our thoughts are with former player Peter Ndlovu, who has been critically injured in a car accident in his native Zimbabwe."
Ndlovu moved to England in the summer of 1991 to join Coventry. He made 196 appearances in all competitions for the Sky Blues, scoring 43 goals.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- All Butler guard Alex Barlow saw Saturday was space and an opportunity to make a play.
So the unlikeliest player on the floor took a chance and made the biggest shot of the game.
When Indiana's defenders failed to converge on the 5-foot-11 walk-on, Barlow kept right on going through the lane, drove to the basket and hit a spinning 6-foot jumper with 2.4 seconds left in overtime Saturday to give the Bulldogs another stunning upset - 88-86 over No. 1 Indiana in the Crossroads Classic.
"The floater is a shot I work on a lot and I happened to get a lucky bounce," Barlow said. "It was a good feeling."
Luckily for the Bulldogs (8-2), Barlow was on the floor.
The kid who spurned college scholarship offers to play his best sport, baseball, and opted to come to Butler for only one reason - to learn how to coach basketball from Brad Stevens - showed everyone he can hoop it up, too.
Barack Obama calls for end to gun violence after shooting which claimed lives of 20 children and six adults
America was reeling on Saturday from one of the worst school shootings in its history as fresh details emerged about a massacre that claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults.
The shock of the tragedy that befell Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, has fuelled fresh national soul-searching about the role guns play in American life and prompted strong calls for greater controls.
In his weekly radio address on Saturday morning, President Barack Obama said that the US needed to take steps to curb the plague of gun violence after a year marked by mass shootings in Oregon, Colorado, Wisconsin and elsewhere.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. commanders are offering glowing reviews of their 2012 war campaign, upbeat assessments that could be interpreted as leeway for President Barack Obama to order another round of troop withdrawals next summer.
Obama faces a tension between calls by Democrats and even some Republicans to wind down the war more quickly and the military's desire to avoid a too-fast pullout that might squander hard-won sacrifices.
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has not yet recommended to Obama a specific pace of withdrawals for 2013. But during the Pentagon chief's two-day visit to the war zone this past week, commanders suggested that things are going better than is generally believed by an American public weary of war after 11 years.
U.S. President Barack Obama is signing legislation Friday that normalizes trade relations with Russia, while imposing sanctions on Russian officials accused of violating human rights.
The U.S. Senate passed the bill last week, about three weeks after it cleared the House of Representatives. The bill combines two separate measures into one. The first part lifts trade restrictions on Russia dating back to the Cold War era. It also normalizes trade with Moldova. The second part denies visas and freezes the U.S. bank assets of suspected Russian rights violators.
The bill is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a 37-year-old Russian anti-corruption lawyer who died in jail in 2009 after exposing what he called a criminal ring of officials who stole $250 million in tax money. The legislation is designed to target Russian officials involved in Magnitsky's detention, abuse or death.
VATICAN CITY (AP) -- The Christmas season kicked off Friday at the Vatican with the traditional lighting of the tree in St. Peter's Square - and a reminder from the pope about what happened when the "lights" of God were turned off in past atheistic regimes.
Benedict XVI, 85, occasionally refers to his experiences as a devout young Catholic in Nazi Germany in pressing his case for Europe to recover its Christian heritage and reassert its faith in everyday life.
In comments to a delegation from Italy's south-central Molise region, which donated the Vatican's main Christmas tree this year, Benedict said the tree lights that were being turned on at a ceremony early Friday evening represented "divine light."
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli security guards at the Western Wall on Friday searched women worshippers arriving at the holiest place where Jews can pray for a seemingly inoffensive object - the Jewish prayer shawl, which under the Orthodox tradition can be worn only by men.
Once the shawls were found, dozens of women had to deposit them before proceeding to pray in the section reserved for women. A few, who managed to sneak the shawls in under their coats and wrapped them around their shoulders, were promptly evicted or detained.
Similar scenes have played out almost a dozen times every year since the group known as Women of the Wall was first established nearly 25 years ago.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- European Central Bank officials say there is "no room for complacency" even though stresses from the debt crisis have eased on banks and financial markets.
The central bank for the 333 million people in the 17-country eurozone on Friday warned that failure by governments to reduce deficits and improve growth risked worsening the situation again.
And European leaders need to press on with building new rules and institutions to safeguard the euro, the bank added in its twice-yearly financial stability report.
"Key financial stability risks remain and there is no room for complacency," the bank said.
Europe is struggling with high levels of government debt in some countries, financially weak banks, and sluggish economic growth. Greece, Ireland and Portugal have needed government rescue loans, although Spain and Italy are now breathing easier after struggling to finance themselves over the summer.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) -- Members of the ruling party met behind closed doors, bartering all night for votes to depose four Supreme Court justices who had rejected the president's plan to weed out corrupt police. Ominously, soldiers and police surrounded the National Congress.
As the hours ticked by, representatives inside puffed on cigarettes in violation of their own anti-smoking laws and jokingly accused each other of vote-buying. Then shortly before dawn Wednesday, President Porfirio Lobo's National Party overwhelmingly and, many say illegally, approved the judges' dismissal.
That was a risky move.
"We don't know when we leave after the vote if there will be prosecutors waiting to detain us," admitted Sergio Castellanos of the Democratic Unification party, who voted with the majority. "Here you have to be ready for anything."
PARIS (AP) -- France's competition watchdog has slapped (EURO)183 million ($239 million) in fines on the country's two top mobile operators for anti-competitive pricing policies between 2005 and 2008.
The Autorite de Concurrence said Thursday that Orange and SFR had abused their dominant market positions and hurt the country's number three operator, Bouygues Telecom. Specifically the watchdog cited the policy of offering unlimited calls between subscribers of one network, which it said threw up an unjustified barrier to free competition among operators.
CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. (AP) -- Worlds away from the Shire, a stone cottage tucked into the Pennsylvania countryside would make Bilbo Baggins feel like he was back home with his Hobbit friends in Middle-earth.
Nestled in a part of Chester County dotted with picturesque barns and rolling fields surprisingly close to Philadelphia, this Hobbit house belongs to a lifelong fan of author J.R.R. Tolkien who wanted a worthy - and private - repository for the rare books and Tolkien-inspired memorabilia he has collected in 30 years of travel in the U.S. and abroad.
The 600-square foot building is a short walk from his main house, on a flat stone path and through an English-style garden.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Mo Williams' 3-pointer at the buzzer lifted the Utah Jazz to a 99-96 victory over San Antonio on Wednesday night, snapping the Spurs' five-game winning streak.
Paul Millsap led Utah with 24 points and 12 rebounds, Al Jefferson scored 21 points and Gordon Hayward added 19.
The Jazz trailed by eight with a little more than 4 minutes remaining but fought back. Williams' winning shot was his only 3 of the night and he finished with eight points on 3-for-9 shooting from the field.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Taylor Heinicke passed his way through the record books on his way to becoming an All-American.
Heinicke, the record-setting quarterback from Old Dominion, and fellow Payton Award finalists Eric Breitenstein from Wofford and Miguel Maysonet from Stony Brook were selected to The Associated Press FCS All-America team released Wednesday.
Heinicke had the most prolific passing season in the history of what used to be called Division I-AA. The sophomore from Atlanta passed for 5,076 yards, breaking the record set by the late Steve McNair when he was at Alcorn State in 1994. Heinicke finished with 5,546 yards of total offense, second only to McNair's 5,799.
"What Taylor did this year from an individual standpoint is nothing short of incredible," ODU coach Bobby Wilder said Wednesday.
CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's political crisis is threatening to plunge its ailing economy even deeper into distress after the government delayed a request for a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund that would have eased a ballooning budget deficit and reassured foreign investors.
Fear of stoking the street unrest over a disputed Islamist-oriented constitution led President Mohammed Morsi to suspend a package of tax hikes that were key to reducing that deficit - and his government may now have to renegotiate the loan deal that took more than a year to hammer out.
While the government said it wants to delay the request for only a month, the IMF the mentioned no timeframe in its statement on Tuesday, saying only that it stands ready to "consult with the authorities on the resumption of discussions."
DAKAR, SENEGAL — Mali's interim president has appointed a new prime minister. The move comes less than 24 hours after the former interim prime minister resigned following his arrest by soldiers loyal to the military junta that overthrew the elected government in March.
Mali's interim president, Dioncounda Traore, said Tuesday night on state television that he had accepted the resignation of now former prime minister Cheikh Modibo Diarra, but made no direct mention of his arrest.
Traore said he had received the formal resignation in writing and accepted it. He thanked Diarra for his service and said Mali would know its new prime minister within 24 hours and have a new government by the end of the week.
Despite concrete barricades and a heavy military presence in the Egyptian capital Cairo, opposition leaders say they will keep up the pressure on the president to cancel Saturday's constitutional referendum.
The opposition National Salvation Front, led by liberals including Mohamed ElBaradei and Amr Moussa, have called on their supporters to march on the presidential palace in Cairo on Tuesday.
In a statement late Sunday, a National Salvation Front spokesman said the draft constitution does not properly represent the Egyptian people. He said going ahead with a referendum on the document will lead to more confrontation in the country.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's plan to increase taxes on top earners would have only a small impact on the nation's economy, according to congressional budget experts. But don't tell that to small business owners facing a tax hike.
Obama's proposal would hit about 940,000 people who report business income on their individual or household returns, says the Joint Committee on Taxation, the official scorekeeper for Congress. That's only 3.5 percent of the people who report business income, but those business owners are projected to earn 53 percent of the $1.3 trillion in business income that will be reported on individual returns next year.
That, Republicans in Congress argue, makes those business owners an important engine for economic growth and job creation.
Sunday's rescue of an American doctor officials say was kidnapped in Afghanistan by the Taliban cost a U.S. service member his life.
A NATO spokesman on Monday discussed the rescue of Dr. Dilip Joseph from what he described as kidnappers "heavily armed" with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.
"The operation took part in eastern Afghanistan and very sadly one of the soldiers who was taking part in the rescue operations died, and our thoughts and condolences go to the families and to the friends of this individual," said Brigadier General Gunter Katz.
OSLO, Norway (AP) -- European leaders are in Norway to collect the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to the European Union for fostering peace on a continent ravaged by war.
Nobel committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland will present the prize, worth $1.2 million, at a ceremony in Oslo City Hall later Monday. Some 20 European government leaders are to attend the ceremonies and an evening banquet.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Just six blocks from the White House, the FBI's hulking headquarters overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue has long been the government building everyone loves to hate. The verdict: It's an ugly, crumbling concrete behemoth, an architectural mishap - all 2.4 million square feet of it.
But in this time of tight budgets, massive deficits and the "fiscal cliff," the 38-year-old FBI headquarters building has one big thing in its favor.
It sits atop very valuable real estate, an entire city block on America's Main Street, midway between the U.S. Capitol and the White House. Just how valuable? The General Services Administration intends to find out.
NEW YORK (AP) -- It sure didn't feel like a farewell.
The Rolling Stones - average age 68-plus, if you're counting - were in rollicking form as they rocked the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for 2 1/2 hours Saturday night, their first U.S. show on a mini-tour marking a mind-boggling 50 years as a rock band.
And although every time the Stones tour, the inevitable questions arise, - whether it's "The Last Time," to quote one of their songs - there was no sign that anything is ending anytime soon.
"People say, why do you keep doing this?" mused 69-year-old Mick Jagger, the band's impossibly energetic frontman, before launching into "Brown Sugar." "Why do you keep touring, coming back? The answer is, you're the reason we're doing this. Thank you for buying our records and coming to our shows for the last 50 years."
A leading eco-entrepreneur who took the Rolling Stones on a carbon neutral tour wants people around the world to lend their voices to save the planet.
Dan Morrell is co-founder of the CarbonNeutral company, which encourages governments, industries and individuals to offset their carbon emissions with environmentally beneficial, carbon-reducing actions.
Now Morrell has created a charitable organization called CHANT. It’s working to protect the environment by inviting you, and everyone else, into a kind of virtual global choir.
A new public opinion poll gives U.S. President Barack Obama his highest approval rating since the capture and killing of Osama Bin Laden in May of 2011.
The poll, released Friday, says Obama's approval rating stands at 57 percent. A similar survey conducted shortly before last month's presidential election put the president's approval rating at 52 percent.
The survey results on Obama's overall performance were mixed. When asked what kind of president did they think Obama had been so far, 37 percent of respondents said outstanding or above average, while 36 percent said below average or poor.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- Ben McLemore scored 24 points, Kevin Young added 16 points and eight rebounds and ninth-ranked Kansas rolled to a 90-54 victory over former Big 12 member Colorado on Saturday.
Elijah Johnson hit three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points, and Travis Releford added 10 points and six assists for the Jayhawks (7-1), who have won seven straight since losing to Michigan State early in the year.
Kansas used an 18-3 run in the opening minutes to silence a small but vocal section of Colorado fans, pushed the advantage to more than 20 by halftime and kept building on it throughout the second half. The lead surpassed 30 with 17 minutes left and reached the 40-point mark with about 8 minutes to go.
NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. military has detained more than 200 Afghan teenagers who were captured in the war for about a year at a time at a military prison next to Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, the United States has told the United Nations.
The U.S. State Department characterized the detainees held since 2008 as "enemy combatants" in a report sent every four years to the United Nations in Geneva updating U.S. compliance with the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The U.S. military had held them "to prevent a combatant from returning to the battlefield," the report said.
A few are still confined at the Detention Facility in Parwan, which will be turned over to the Afghan government, it said. "Many of them have been released or transferred to the Afghan government," said the report, distributed this week.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- No snow boots needed in Milwaukee. Chicago commuters aren't dodging knee-deep snow drifts frozen along city sidewalks. And children in Des Moines are settling for ice shavings dumped from a Zamboni.
Many cities in the Midwest haven't seen any decent snow this season - and some are even setting records for the number of days without it, in part because last winter was so mild and any precipitation that does fall gets soaked into the drought-parched land.
On Thursday, Des Moines matched a record set in 1889 when it hit its 277th consecutive day without measurable snowfall, according to the National Weather Service. Iowa's capital city is expecting clear skies Friday.
LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- For generations, Michigan was the ultimate labor stronghold - a state built by factory workers for whom a high school diploma and a union card were the ticket to a middle-class life.
Yet it took only hours for Republicans to tear down a key part of that tradition, the requirement that all employees in a union workplace pay dues.
The swift action was the result of a decisive governor who teamed up with a supermajority of GOP allies in the statehouse to win a prize long sought by conservatives. It also provided a window into how state governments might work in an era when they are increasingly run by a single party.
Gov. Rick Snyder, a venture capitalist and corporate executive before his successful run for governor in 2010, didn't bother with political niceties this week after dropping his previous objection to dealing with the right-to-work issue. He announced his support Thursday at a news conference.
BERLIN (AP) -- Germany's Cabinet on Thursday approved sending German Patriot air defense missiles to Turkey to protect the NATO member against possible attacks from Syria, in a major step toward a possible Western military role in the Syrian conflict.
Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters that two batteries with a total of 400 soldiers would be sent to the border area under NATO command for one year, although the deployment could be shortened.
The decision must be endorsed by the German Parliament, which is expected to take the matter up between Dec. 12 and 14, but approval is all but assured.
BANGKOK (AP) -- Investigators say they plan to file murder charges against Thailand's former prime minister and his deputy in the first prosecutions of officials for their roles in a deadly 2010 crackdown on anti-government protests.
The protests and crackdown left more than 90 people dead and about 1,800 injured in Thailand's worst political violence in decades. Former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrat Party, now in the opposition after being ousted in elections last year, and "red shirt" supporters of the ruling Pheu Thai Party have blamed each other for the bloodshed since.
Department of Special Investigation chief Tharit Phengdit said Thursday that investigators found Abhisit possibly culpable in the death of a taxi driver because he allowed troops to use war weapons and live ammunition against protesters.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Heads bowed, somber past and present Kansas City Chiefs players turned out Wednesday for a memorial service for teammate Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend and then himself over the weekend.
Belcher fatally shot 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins on Saturday at the Kansas City home they shared with their 3-month-old daughter, Zoey. He then drove to the Chiefs practice facility at Arrowhead Stadium, where coach Romeo Crennel, general manager Scott Pioli and defensive assistant Gary Gibbs witnessed Belcher commit suicide.
The team moved up its practice schedule so that players could attend Wednesday afternoon's service at the nearby Landmark International Deliverance and Worship Center, where Belcher and Perkins worshipped. The media wasn't allowed inside.
Games can be both a welcome and an annoying diversion on Facebook, the world's most popular online social network. This year, Facebook crossed a big milestone - reaching 1 billion active users. Game companies such as "FarmVille" creator Zynga Inc. and Rovio Entertainment Ltd. of "Angry Birds" fame seek to tap into that vast base of users to gain more players for their games.
This week, Facebook Inc. issued a list of the 25 top-rated games that launched on Facebook in 2012. The company says the rankings are based on user ratings and engagement with the games. It's the same methodology that Facebook uses to rank apps in its App Center.
LONDON (AP) -- Two Australian radio disc jockeys apologized Wednesday after impersonating Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles in a prank call and getting a London hospital to tell them all about Kate Middleton's condition.
The King Edward VII hospital in London acknowledged that the Australian radio station made the hoax call to the hospital in the early hours Tuesday - and that the hospital fell for it.
The 30-year-old Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant and is being treated at the hospital for severe morning sickness.
A woman using the often-mimicked voice of Britain's monarch asked after the duchess' health - and was told by a nurse that Kate "hasn't had any retching with me and she's been sleeping on and off."
HOUSTON (AP) -- Jack Brooks hounded government bureaucrats, drafted President Richard Nixon's articles of impeachment and supported civil rights bills in a congressional career spanning 42 years. But for most of the country the Southeast Texas politician is frozen in a photograph, standing over the left shoulder of Jacqueline Kennedy as Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as president.
Brooks, who died Tuesday at age 89, was in the Dallas motorcade on Nov. 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Hours later he stood behind the grief-stricken widow in the cabin of Air Force One as Johnson took the oath of office.
NEW YORK (AP) -- An NFL version of No. 1 vs. No. 2 is set for Monday night when the Houston Texans visit the New England Patriots.
The Texans remained first in the AP Pro32 power rankings Tuesday, while the Patriots inched up two spots into a second-place tie with the Atlanta Falcons.
Houston received eight first-place votes and 376 points in balloting by The Associated Press' panel of 12 media members who regularly cover the league. The Texans (11-1) are first for the fourth straight week.
New England (9-3) and Atlanta (11-1) each had 364 points; the Patriots received three first-place votes, the Falcons one.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Internet radio company Pandora Media Inc. said Tuesday that its third-quarter net profit more than tripled to $2 million as revenue rose slightly faster than costs. But it predicted a loss in the fourth quarter, a bad surprise for investors who sent shares tumbling.
CEO Joe Kennedy said in an interview that worries about the federal tax increases and government spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1 unless Congress acts -the so-called "fiscal cliff"- are affecting the advertising revenue outlook. That is especially true for January, when any tax increases could take effect. Pandora's fourth quarter ends at the end of January.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The latest round of appeal hearings in the NFL's bounty investigation concluded Monday evening following witness appearances by former Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress, Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt and linebacker Jonathan Vilma.
Now Vilma, Saints defensive end Will Smith and two other players await a ruling by former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue on whether player suspensions should be reduced. If they don't like how that turns out, they could still get relief from a federal judge in New Orleans who has been presiding over lawsuits challenging the way the league has handled the probe and resulting discipline.
Vilma sounded hopeful that Tagliabue, who has been appointed to oversee the players' latest appeals to the NFL, would bring the process to a fair resolution.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks closed little changed Tuesday on Wall Street as budget talks continued in Washington.
The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 13.82 points at 12,951.78 after trading in a narrow range of just 82 points. The Standard and Poor's 500 was down 2.41 points to 1,407.05. The Nasdaq composite was down 5.51 at 2,996.69.
Investors are waiting on developments from Washington in the budget talks, which are aimed at avoiding the "fiscal cliff." That refers to a series of sharp government spending cuts and tax increases that begin to kick in Jan. 1 and could eventually cause a recession.
President Barack Obama said Tuesday that a proposal by House Speaker John Boehner on Monday was "still out of balance." Obama, in an interview with Bloomberg Television, insisted on higher taxes for wealthy Americans.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's a decision President Barack Obama put off during the 2012 campaign, but now that he's won a second term, his next move on a proposed oil pipeline between the U.S. and Canada may signal how he will deal with climate and energy issues in the four years ahead.
Obama is facing increasing pressure to determine the fate of the $7 billion Keystone XL project, with environmental activists and oil producers each holding out hope that the president, freed from the political constraints of re-election, will side with them on this and countless other related issues down the road.
On its surface, it's a choice between the promise of jobs and economic growth and environmental concerns. But it's also become a proxy for a broader fight over American energy consumption and climate change, amplified by Superstorm Sandy and the conclusion of an election that was all about the economy.
NEW YORK (AP) -- A month after Sandy's floodwaters swept up his block, punched a hole in his foundation and drowned his furnace, John Frawley still has no electricity or heat in his dilapidated home on the Rockaway seashore.
The 57-year-old, who also lost his car and all his winter clothes in the flood, now spends his nights shivering in a pair of donated snow pants, worrying whether the cold might make his chronic heart condition worse.
"I've been coughing like crazy," said Frawley, a former commercial fisherman disabled by a spine injury. He said his family doesn't have the money to pay for even basic repairs. So far, he has avoided going to a shelter, saying he'd rather sleep in his own home.
"But I'm telling you, I can't stay here much longer," he said.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Talk of compromise on a broad budget deal greeted returning lawmakers Monday, but agreement still seemed distant as the White House and congressional Republicans ceded little ground on a key sticking point: whether to raise revenue through higher tax rates or by limiting tax breaks and deductions.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, pressed his case for revenue derived by reducing tax loopholes rather than raising tax rates on wealthy taxpayers, as President Barack Obama insists.
Boehner, voicing the Republican stance, said: "The American people support an approach that involves both major spending cuts and additional revenue via tax reform with lower tax rates."
At the White House, Obama spokesman Jay Carney reiterated the president's pledge not to sign legislation that extends current tax rates to the top 2 percent of income earners - households with incomes over $250,000. "That is a firm position," Carney said.
LITTLE FALLS, Minn. (AP) -- A Minnesota homeowner who shot two teenagers in the midst of an apparent Thanksgiving Day break-in told authorities he feared they had a weapon, but acknowledged firing "more shots than I needed to" and appeared to take pride in "a good clean finishing shot" for one teen, according to investigators.
Byron David Smith, 64, was charged Monday with two counts of second-degree murder in a criminal complaint that was chilling for the clinical way investigators said he described the shootings.
Smith told investigators he shot 18-year-old Haile Kifer several times as she descended a stairway into his basement, and his Mini 14 rifle jammed as he tried to shoot her again after she had tumbled down the steps.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- When the next Congress cranks up in January, there will be more women, many new faces and 11 fewer tea party-backed House Republicans from the class of 2010 who sought a second term.
Overriding those changes, though, is a thinning of pragmatic, centrist veterans in both parties. Among those leaving are some of the Senate's most pragmatic lawmakers, nearly half the House's centrist Blue Dog Democrats and several moderate House Republicans.
That could leave the parties more polarized even as President Barack Obama and congressional leaders talk up the cooperation needed to tackle complex, vexing problems such as curbing deficits, revamping tax laws and culling savings from Medicare and other costly, popular programs.
LONDON (AP) -- The verdict is in: The Rolling Stones are back. They may look old, but they still sound young.
That was the consensus Monday as Britain's rock critics responded to the Stones 50th anniversary bash Sunday night, the first of five shows to commemorate their half century of rhythm and blues-tinged rock. It was the band's first London performance in five years, and their own advancing years had led some to be skeptical that they could still perform at the highest level.
They were led by the seemingly ageless Mick Jagger, whose strutting style has not been dimmed, and backed by brilliant guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood and the energetic drumming of Charlie Watts, who is now past 70 but shows no sign of slowing down. There was a stunning guest appearance by former Stone Mick Taylor, who stole the show during a searing performance of "Midnight Rambler" and a brief visit from former bassist Bill Wyman.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Republicans still smarting from their poor showing among Hispanics in the presidential election are planning a vote next week on immigration legislation that would both expand visas for foreign science and technology students and make it easier for those with green cards to bring their immediate families to the U.S.
Republican leaders made it clear after the election that the party was ready to get serious about overhauling the nation's dysfunctional immigration system, a top priority for Hispanic communities. Taking up what is called the STEM Jobs Act during the lame-duck session could be seen as a first step in that direction.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Emboldened by rapid growth in e-commerce shipping, the cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service is moving aggressively this holiday season to start a premium service for the Internet shopper seeking the instant gratification of a store purchase: same-day package delivery.
Teaming up with major retailers, the post office will begin the expedited service in San Francisco on Dec. 12 at a price similar to its competitors. If things run smoothly, the program will quickly expand next year to other big cities such as Boston, Chicago and New York. It follows similar efforts by eBay, Amazon.com, and most recently Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which charges a $10 flat rate for same-day delivery.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- In the documentary "Shored Up," scientists warn that with a rising sea level, a major storm could put New Jersey's barrier islands underwater and create devastating storm surges. In other words, what happened last month when Superstorm Sandy slammed into New Jersey and New York.
For Ben Kalina, the Philadelphia filmmaker who was nearly finished putting together the documentary when the storm hit, it meant that the ideas in the film that may have sounded far-fetched - or at least, discussions of something that may happen sometime in the future - were suddenly immediate.
"Until Sandy, we were making a film about something much more meditative, really," Kalina said. "And now the stakes are suddenly much more real."
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- It took only 52 seconds for the New England Patriots to turn this into a laugher.
That's how long it took to score three touchdowns in the second quarter and thoroughly embarrass the bumbling New York Jets 49-19 on Thursday night.
Even Bill Belichick couldn't compare what he watched to any other regular-season game in which he has coached.
"I was unfortunately on the other side of that in a Pro Bowl where they scored on a fumble, then an interception," Belichick said. "It doesn't take a lot to score like that - defensive touchdowns, special teams, they can add up in a hurry.
"Nothing surprises me in the NFL."
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) -- As the Big East was being picked apart, Rutgers was looking for a way out and a new place to show off a football program that has been resurrected in the past decade.
Not only did Rutgers find that escape hatch, the Scarlet Knights ended up in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in college sports.
Rutgers joined the Big Ten on Tuesday, leaving the Big East behind and cashing in on the school's investment in a football team that only 10 years ago seemed incapable of competing at the highest level.
The move follows Maryland's announcement a day earlier that it was heading to the Big Ten in 2014. The additions give the Big Ten 14 schools and a presence in lucrative East Coast markets.
Rutgers announced its decision Tuesday at a campus news conference attended by Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany, Rutgers President Robert Barchi and athletic director Tim Pernetti.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Is there anything Ang Lee can't do?
The pithy answer might be: Large, angry, green men. Yes, Lee's "Hulk" was not well received. But in his incredibly varied filmography, Lee has steadily steered films that could very well have turned disastrous into box-office hits and Oscar bait.
Combining martial arts with drama? "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" became the highest grossing foreign language film ever, more than double any previous foreign film. A film about gay cowboys? "Brokeback Mountain" went on to be nominated for eight Oscars, winning three including best director.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Kyle Wiltjer's first 3-pointer gave him a feeling Friday would be a pretty good night.
His instincts were spot-on.
The sophomore forward sank a career-best seven 3-pointers for a game-high 23 points to lead No. 3 Kentucky to a 101-49 rout of Lafayette.
Wiltjer's shooting set the tone for an amazing offensive night for the Wildcats (2-1), who hit 40 of 62 attempts (65 percent), including 11 of 19 from behind the arc. He finished 7 of 11 on 3-pointers, including 5 of 8 in the second half.
DETROIT (AP) -- Two years after a wounded General Motors returned to the stock market, the symbol of American industrial might is thriving again.
Sunday marks the anniversary of GM's initial public stock offering in November 2010. The company has made money for 11 straight quarters, piling up more than $16 billion in profits. Its cars and trucks are selling for good prices. And sales are strong in China.
But there are signs of trouble. GM's U.S. sales, the prime driver of its profits, aren't rising as quickly as the overall market. There's been turmoil in the executive ranks, and the company is hemorrhaging cash in Europe.
Since the IPO, here are GM's achievements, struggles and question marks.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Pitcher Brandon McCarthy is ready for a normal offseason after being medically cleared this week to resume his regular routine, less than three months after being struck in the head by a line drive and undergoing emergency brain surgery.
"Everything's good," McCarthy said by telephone Thursday. "This last month I have taken the rest part very seriously. I have a couple little projects I've picked up, I read - I'm actually really good at being lazy. It kind of worked out well timing wise."
McCarthy, a free agent right-hander who was Oakland's opening-day starter last March in Tokyo, spent Monday and Tuesday undergoing extensive evaluations by renowned concussion expert, Dr. Michael Collins, at the University of Pittsburgh. He returned to his Dallas-area home Wednesday and was cleared by Collins to begin working out.
LONDON (AP) -- The 17-country eurozone has fallen back into recession for the first time in three years as the fallout from the region's financial crisis was felt from Amsterdam to Athens.
And with surveys pointing to increasingly depressed conditions across the 17-member group at a time of austerity and high unemployment, the recession is forecast to deepen, and make the debt crisis - which has been calmer of late - even more difficult to handle.
Official figures Thursday showed that the eurozone contracted by 0.1 percent in the July to September period from the quarter before as economies including Germany and the Netherlands suffer from falling demand.
The decline reported by Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, was in line with market expectations and follows on from the 0.2 percent fall recorded in the second quarter. As a result, the eurozone is technically in recession, commonly defined as two straight quarters of falling output.
No. 1 team in the nation, playing at home against a ranked divisional rival with two losses on its record and an elusive redshirt freshman quarterback directing its offense.
Sounds familiar.
Last week it was top-ranked Alabama losing to No. 15 Texas A&M to shake up the national championship race.
This week, new No. 1 Oregon hosts No. 14 Stanford, looking to avoid a repeat.
The Tide's loss has left the Ducks, second in the BCS, and No. 2 Kansas State, first in the BCS, on course to play for the national championship.
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Country music star Shania Twain arrived on horseback Wednesday for a two-year headline gig at Caesars Palace, parading up the Las Vegas Strip with a herd of 40 horses.
Promoters called the event a stampede, but hooves were kept to a steady, slow gait by nine wranglers who escorted Twain to a reception crowd of several hundred people in front of the famous Caesars fountains. Dozens more people watched from the sidewalk of the Flamingo resort across Las Vegas Boulevard.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A judge dealt a blow Wednesday to a California law meant to crack down on reckless driving by paparazzi by saying the statute is overly broad and should not be used against the first photographer charged under its provisions.
Superior Court Judge Thomas Rubinson dismissed counts filed under the law against Paul Raef, who was charged in July with being involved in a high-speed pursuit of Justin Bieber.
The 2010 law raised the penalty for those who drive dangerously in pursuit of photos for commercial gain.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Taking little time to celebrate, President Barack Obama is setting out to leverage his re-election into legislative success in an upcoming showdown with congressional Republicans over taxes, deficits and the impending "fiscal cliff." House Speaker John Boehner says Republicans are willing to consider some form of higher tax revenue as part of the solution - but only "under the right conditions."
All sides are setting out opening arguments for the negotiations to come.
Even before returning to Washington from his hometown of Chicago, Obama was on the phone Wednesday with the four top leaders of the House and Senate, including Boehner, to talk about the lame-duck Congress that convenes just one week after Election Day.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Many homes in AT&T Inc.'s local-phone service areas will see the company becoming more competitive with cable for broadband service under a new $14 billion investment plan the company revealed Wednesday. But in more outlying areas, the company will start shifting customers from regular phone lines to wireless service.
Like other phone companies, AT&T is having a hard time competing with cable broadband in much of its service area, because regular "DSL" broadband is now much slower than what cable companies offer. After reviewing its options, AT&T concluded that it won't sell off phone lines in outlying areas like Verizon Communications Inc. did. Instead, it will pursue a split strategy of upgrading some areas to higher speeds and abandoning phone lines in less dense areas in favor of wireless.
NEW YORK (AP) -- I was the first to cry.
Not my wife. Not our three kids.
I was standing in our pitch-black basement as water streamed through the broken windows like a waterfall. A bathtub drain gurgled, the slimy sewage quickly pooling in an ominous mess. Just eight weeks after we'd bought our dream house - three bedrooms, big kitchen, pool, white fence and a finished basement - Superstorm Sandy was ripping it apart with a fury that was hard to comprehend, along with the rest of our Staten Island neighborhood.
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EDITOR'S NOTE - AP Sports Writer Dennis Waszak and his family had moved into their Staten Island `dream house' just weeks before Superstorm Sandy devastated parts of the New York City borough. These are his recollections a week after the storm hit and upended life for Waszak, his wife and their three children.
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BREA, Calif. (AP) -- In a story Nov. 5 about American Suzuki Motor Corp. filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, The Associated Press reported that American Suzuki intends to honor all buyback agreements. The AP should have clarified that the automaker will honor all buyback agreements already in place with financial institutions.
An updated version of the story is below:
American Suzuki files for bankruptcy protection
American Suzuki Motor to cease selling cars, focus on motorcycles, ATVs in reorganization
BREA, Calif. (AP) - American Suzuki Motor Corp. on Monday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and said it will cease selling automobiles in the U.S. as part of a plan to restructure its business.
The company, based in Brea, Calif., is the sole distributor of Suzuki Motor Co. vehicles in the continental U.S.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Instagram, the photo-sharing app that was created for mobile phones, is expanding to the Web.
The service will launch Instagram profiles on the Web over the next few days. Previously, users' profiles existed only on Instagram's mobile applications accessed on the iPhone or Android devices. Now, users will have a website with a profile photo, bio and a selection of the snapshots they've recently shared on Instagram.
Instragram, which is owned by Facebook Inc., made its announcement in a blog post Monday.
The layout of the Web profiles is reminiscent of Facebook timelines, except with little text and no ads. Users will have a large cover image that's a collage of their old Instagram shots. Their profile photo is on the right side and their snapshots cascade down the page.
CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) -- The outer bands of Tropical Storm Rafael drenched the Caribbean's Northern Leeward Islands on Sunday as its center steadily moved over open ocean on a possible track toward Bermuda.
There were no immediate reports of any significant damage or injuries in the Caribbean islands as the center of the tropical storm churned toward the north-northwest at about 10 mph (17 kph). By late Sunday night, it was about 235 miles (380 kilometers) north-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was packing winds of roughly 70 mph (110 kph).
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bruce Springsteen will be back campaigning for President Barack Obama.
The musician will join former President Bill Clinton at a Thursday rally in Parma, Ohio, two days after the second presidential debate. Obama will not attend the rally.
Springsteen also will appear at a campaign event Thursday in Ames, Iowa.
Springsteen campaigned for Obama in 2008, but these will be his first political appearances of the 2012 cycle. Clinton is a prominent campaigner for Obama.
WESTMINSTER, Colo. (AP) -- The weeklong search for a 10-year-old Colorado girl became a murder investigation after authorities identified a body found in a suburban Denver park as that of fifth-grader Jessica Ridgeway.
"Our focus has changed from the search for Jessica to a mission of justice for Jessica," Westminster Police Chief Lee Birk said Friday. "We recognize there is a predator at large in our community."
Anxious parents kept close watch over their children. Fueling the frustration: The FBI again urged residents to report any suspicious activity by people they know.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Justice Department said Friday it is going to allow members of federally recognized Indian tribes to possess eagle feathers, although that's a federal crime.
This is a significant religious and cultural issue for many tribes, who were consulted in advance about the policy the department announced.
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and other federal wildlife laws criminalize the killing of eagles, which are listed as either endangered or threatened, and possession of feathers and bird parts, but the Constitution and federal laws also give tribes local sovereignty for self-government.
TORONTO (AP) -- Canada was in uproar Friday over a 15-year-old schoolgirl who was found dead, an apparent suicide, five weeks after she uploaded a video to YouTube describing years of bullying that drove her to drugs and alcohol.
Coroner Barb McLintock said Thursday night that preliminary indications suggest the British Columbia girl, Amanda Todd, killed herself. Her school district's spokeswoman, Cheryl Quinton, confirmed the girl in the video was her.
In the 9-minute video posted on Sept. 7, the 10th-grader and cheerleader didn't speak but told her story in haunting detail in a series of handwritten notes that she held up to the camera.
She said she was lured by a stranger to expose her breasts on a webcam and the picture ended up on a Facebook page made by the stranger, to which her friends were added.
CAIRO (AP) -- Thousands of supporters and opponents of Egypt's new Islamist president clashed in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday in the first such violence since Mohammed Morsi took office more than three months ago, as liberal and secular activists erupted with anger accusing the Muslim Brotherhood of trying to take over the country.
The two sides hurled stones and chunks of concrete and beat each other with sticks for several hours, leaving more than 100 injured, according to the state news agency. Two buses used by the Brotherhood to bring in supporters were set aflame behind the Egyptian Museum, the repository of the country's pharaonic antiquities, and thick black smoke billowed into the sky in scenes reminiscent of last year's clashes between protesters against the regime of then-leader Hosni Mubarak and his backers.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. authorities believe that Iranian-based hackers were responsible for cyberattacks that devastated Persian Gulf oil and gas companies, a former U.S. government official said. Just hours later, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the cyberthreat from Iran has grown, and he declared that the Pentagon is prepared to take action if American is threatened by a computer-based assault.
The former official, who is familiar with the investigation, said U.S. authorities believe the cyberattacks were likely supported by the Tehran government and came in retaliation for the latest round of American sanctions against Iran.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. authorities believe that Iranian-based hackers were responsible for cyberattacks that devastated Persian Gulf oil and gas companies, a former U.S. government official said. Just hours later, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the cyberthreat from Iran has grown, and he declared that the Pentagon is prepared to take action if American is threatened by a computer-based assault.
The former official, who is familiar with the investigation, said U.S. authorities believe the cyberattacks were likely supported by the Tehran government and came in retaliation for the latest round of American sanctions against Iran.
KENNEBUNK, Maine (AP) -- Residents in the Maine town of Kennebunk are waiting to see who's been issued summons for allegedly giving business to a 29-year-old fitness instructor charged with running a prostitution operation out of her Zumba fitness studio and a small office in town.
Alexis Wright has pleaded not guilty to prostitution, invasion of privacy and other charges for allegedly accepting money for sex and secretly videotaping her encounters. Her business partner has pleaded not guilty to 59 misdemeanor charges for his alleged role.
DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Vice President Joe Biden says Republican Mitt Romney's opposition to the auto bailout and government steps to prevent foreclosures "shouldn't be surprising" given his comments about the 47 percent of Americans who don't pay income tax.
Biden is referring to remarks Romney made to wealthy donors. In a secretly recorded video, Romney said 47 percent of Americans believe they are victims and entitled to government help.
Sitting alongside Romney running mate Paul Ryan, Biden says some of those people are senior citizens show are living off social security.
DALLAS (AP) -- Just weeks ago, American Airlines was working its way through bankruptcy court, on schedule for one of the fastest turnarounds in aviation history. Planes were full. Revenue was pouring in. Then seemingly overnight, American became the butt of jokes from Facebook to late-night TV.
A slowdown that American blamed on pilots caused massive delays and cancellations. Then rows of seats came loose on a few planes. Passengers wondered if they'd get where they were going on time - and in one piece.
"American Airlines has a new slogan," Jay Leno joked on NBC's "The Tonight Show." `'Your seat is free to move about the cabin."
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. trade deficit widened in August from July because exports fell to the lowest level in six months. The wider deficit likely dragged on already-weak economic growth.
The deficit grew 4.1 percent to $44.2 billion in August, the biggest gap since May, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
Exports dropped 1 percent to $181.3 billion. Demand for American-made cars and farm goods declined.
Imports edged down a slight 0.1 percent to $225.5 billion. Purchases of foreign-made autos, aircraft and heavy machinery fell. The cost of oil imports rose sharply.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea on Tuesday warned that the U.S. mainland is within range of its missiles, and said Washington's recent agreement to let Seoul possess missiles capable of hitting all of the North shows the allies are plotting to invade the country.
Seoul announced Sunday it reached a deal with Washington that would allow it to nearly triple the range of its missiles to better cope with North Korean missile and nuclear threats. On Tuesday, North Korea called the deal a "product of another conspiracy of the master and the stooge" to "ignite a war" against the North.
In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, an unidentified spokesman at the powerful National Defense Commission said the North will bolster its military preparedness.
MIAMI (AP) -- The winner of a roach-eating contest in South Florida died shortly after downing dozens of the live bugs as well as worms, authorities said Monday.
About 30 contestants ate the insects during Friday night's contest at Ben Siegel Reptile Store in Deerfield Beach about 40 miles north of Miami. The grand prize was a python.
Edward Archbold, 32, of West Palm Beach became ill shortly after the contest ended and collapsed in front of the store, according to a Broward Sheriff's Office statement released Monday. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Authorities were waiting for results of an autopsy to determine a cause of death.
CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's new president on Monday issued a decree pardoning all those charged with or convicted of acts "in support of the revolution" since the beginning of the popular uprising that forced his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, from power.
The move by Mohammed Morsi was long demanded by Egypt's youth groups behind the uprising. It could potentially benefit more than 1,000 protesters currently on trial following their arrests during demonstrations since the uprising against Mubarak erupted on Jan. 25, 2011 and until Morsi was sworn in on June 30.
Those already convicted for their role in the protests may also be pardoned. Most of those on trial or convicted were detained during the rule of the generals who took over after Mubarak stepped down in February 2011.
CAIRO (AP) -- In Egypt's restive Sinai, Bedouin leaders are pushing to take matters in their own hands and urging the government to arm their tribesmen by creating a local security force in the peninsula, where the state is struggling to impose its authority and uproot Islamic militants who have attacked Egyptian troops and neighboring Israel.
But the proposal, which the government says it is considering, raises fears that the Bedouin could become a new militia, only adding to the turmoil in the peninsula.
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- When the recession cost Jerry Krone his longtime accounting job several year ago, he turned to his hobby - making gourmet jam in his Fountainville kitchen. Now he's a fixture at Doylestown's weekly farmers market, selling his lilac jelly and rose petal jam for $4 and $8 a jar.
Ask him about the election, and he will tell you that neither President Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney truly understands what average families are going through. A registered Republican - but "that doesn't really mean anything," he said - the 58-year-old Krone voted for Obama in 2008, before his experience among the unemployed soured him.
CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's new president on Monday issued a decree pardoning all those charged with or convicted of acts "in support of the revolution" since the beginning of the popular uprising that forced his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, from power.
The move by Mohammed Morsi was long demanded by Egypt's youth groups behind the uprising. It could potentially benefit more than 1,000 protesters currently on trial following their arrests during demonstrations since the uprising against Mubarak erupted on Jan. 25, 2011 and until Morsi was sworn in on June 30.
Those already convicted for their role in the protests may also be pardoned. Most of those on trial or convicted were detained during the rule of the generals who took over after Mubarak stepped down in February 2011.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- A tentative roadmap to peace in the southern Philippines announced this week is the first major step in the latest attempt to end a long and bloody insurgency waged by minority Muslims in the predominantly Christian nation. It carries the risk of failure that has been the fate of similar peace agreements, but strong domestic and international backing could boost its chances of success. Here's a look at the background and the future of the deal:
SEEDS OF THE FIGHTING:
Muslims in Mindanao first took up arms decades ago to defend what they see as their traditional homeland under threat by Christians. Tens of thousands have died in ethnic clashes and massacres that sowed bad blood for generations.
BEIRUT (AP) -- Syria's military will "crush" armed rebels, President Bashar Assad's defense minister warned Saturday, as the regime shelled rebel positions in two cities and near the Lebanese border in a widening offensive.
Neighboring Turkey, meanwhile, set new rules of engagement after three shells from Syria hit Turkish territory Saturday. Turkey retaliated with artillery, as it has for the past four days, and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said this would now be the standard response.
Davutoglu insisted that "we haven't taken a step toward war," but Turkey's threat to fire back for each errant Syrian shell was bound to keep border tensions high. Turkey is one of Assad's harshest critics and a key supporter of Syria's opposition.
The latest Syria-Turkey crisis erupted earlier this week, after a Syrian shell killed five civilians in a Turkish border town.
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) -- The three victims who were pulled from a car hours after it plunged off a pier and landed on its roof in Newport Harbor were identified Saturday as a Rhode Island woman and two women from Europe, police said.
Part of the Hyundai Accent was sticking out of about 4 feet of water when it was discovered around 6:30 a.m. Friday at the Newport Shipyard, a privately owned marina near several of the tourist city's largest hotels and vacation condo complexes, Newport police Capt. Fred Gonsalves said. A fuel deliveryman saw the car and alerted authorities, Gonsalves said.
The driver apparently missed a right turn, police Lt. William Fitzgerald said. A dense fog advisory was in effect in Newport that morning.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court decided Friday it would hear arguments over whether states can keep out-of-staters from using their Freedom of Information Act laws to get government documents.
The high court on Friday agreed to hear an appeal from Mark J. McBurney of Rhode Island and Roger W. Hurlbert of California, two men who wanted to use the Virginia law to request public documents from state officials. Both were both denied because they are not Virginia citizens. Hurlbert was trying to get property assessment information for his business, Sage Information Services, and McBurney was trying to information from the Virginia Division of Child Support Enforcement in a child support enforcement case against his ex-wife.
LONDON (AP) -- Radical preacher Abu Hamza al-Masri and four other terror suspects who fought for years to avoid facing charges in the United States lost their grounds for appeal and were flown to the U.S. from Britain late Friday, officials said.
The U.S. Embassy said it was pleased with the ruling earlier Friday by Britain's High Court, and Scotland Yard said the five departed from an air force base in eastern England just before midnight on two jets bound for the U.S.
Judges John Thomas and Duncan Ouseley rejected last-ditch applications by al-Masri, Khaled al-Fawwaz, Babar Ahmad, Adel Abdul Bary and Syed Talha Ahsan, who had been battling extradition for between eight and 14 years.
NEW YORK (AP) -- In December 2008, two of Bernard Madoff's most loyal employees met on a Manhattan street corner and fretted over a closely held secret that the rest of the world would learn about eight days later: that their boss was a con man for the ages.
Frank DiPascali told JoAnn Crupi that Madoff had just confided that his investment firm was out of money and that client accounts - worth billions on paper - actually had no more value than Monopoly money, authorities say.
The pair then is alleged to have cooked up a cover story that quickly collapsed under the weight of the largest Ponzi scheme in history - one authorities say cost investors an estimated $17.3 billion.
CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) -- In a story Oct. 4 about a sex scandal involving teachers and students at a New Jersey high school, The Associated Press made multiple errors. The AP reported erroneously that a prosecutor said rape charges could not be brought against three defendants because the alleged victims were above the legal age of consent. One student with whom one of the defendants is alleged to have had sexual intercourse was under the age of consent, and a sexual assault charge was filed in that case. In addition, the AP erroneously paraphrased the comments of a prosecutor when he said the circumstances were unusual. The prosecutor did not characterize the situation as a case of three sexual assaults by teachers at one school. Only one of the cases involves a sexual assault charge.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Lending support to two companies struggling to make a comeback in smartphones, AT&T Inc. said Thursday it will be selling Nokia smartphones that run Windows Phone 8, Microsoft's upcoming software release.
The phones are a critical part of Nokia Corp.'s attempt to stem its rapid decline from the position as the world's largest maker of phones. The Finnish company's presence in the U.S. market has been very small in recent years, but AT&T and T-Mobile have been selling Nokia's earlier Windows Phones.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- One of the nation's top credit rating agencies said Friday that it expects more municipal bankruptcies and defaults in California, the nation's largest issuer of municipal bonds.
Moody's Investors Service said in a report that the growing fiscal distress in many California cities was putting bondholders at risk.
The service announced that it will undertake a wide-ranging review of municipal finances in the nation's most populous state because of what it sees as a growing threat of insolvency.
The report has both investors and government leaders worried.
Three California cities - Stockton, San Bernardino and Mammoth Lakes - have filed for bankruptcy so far this year. They are not likely to be the last, Moody's said.
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- All LeBron James has done so far this year is win the NBA's MVP award for the third time, an NBA Finals MVP trophy to go along with that one, his elusive first championship and a second Olympic gold medal.
Dwyane Wade thinks his Miami Heat teammate is just getting started.
With the start of Heat training camp now just six weeks away, Wade said on Friday that he expects James to be even better this coming season now that the will-he-ever-win-a-championship question has been forever put to rest.
"That monkey is off his back and now he's just playing basketball," Wade said while taking a break from his annual fantasy camp, where fans pay up to $12,500 to get a four-day luxury taste of NBA life. "I think we'll see a better LeBron James - scary to say, three-time MVP - than we've seen. And it's because all he has to do is play basketball now. He doesn't have to worry about what he hasn't done. It'll always be something, but he's got the biggest one off his back."
NEW YORK (AP) -- Apple's stock hit a new high Friday after a four-month swoon, as investors looked ahead to the release of a new iPhone and possibly a smaller iPad.
Already the world's most valuable company, Apple Inc. saw its stock hit $648.19 just before closing, before retreating to $648.11. That was up $11.77, or 1.9 percent, from Thursday's close.
The previous high for the stock was $644, hit on April 10.
Apple has a market value of about $608 billion, almost 50 percent higher than No. 2 Exxon Mobil Corp. at $408 billion.
Apple's stock fell last month after the company's earnings report for the April-June quarter showed the slowest growth in more than two years. It was only the second time in 10 years that Apple had missed analyst expectations.
LONDON (AP) -- The Olympics brought less tourist money to recession-hit Britain than businesses had hoped for, a trade group said Monday, with a majority of tourist companies reporting losses from last year.
A survey of more than 250 tour operators, hoteliers and visitor attractions found that tourist traffic fell all over Britain, not just London, said UKinbound, a leading trade association representing British tour operators and other businesses dependent on tourists.
"A lot of people thought London would be very busy and very expensive at this time," said Mary Rance, the group's chief executive. "We weren't completely surprised but we were a bit disappointed that (the Olympics) seem to have had an impact around the U.K., not just London."
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- A U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer was left with a gaping hole on one side after it collided with an oil tanker early Sunday just outside the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The collision left a breach about 10 feet by 10 feet (three by three meters) in the starboard side of USS Porter. No one was injured on either vessel, the U.S. Navy said in a statement.
The collision with the Panamanian-flagged and Japanese-owned bulk oil tanker M/V Otowasan happened about 1 a.m. local time. Photos released by the Navy showed workers standing amid twisted metal and other debris hanging down from the hole.
The cause of the incident is under investigation, the Navy said, though the collision was not "combat related." There were no reports of spills or leakages from either the USS Porter or the Otowasan, the Navy said.
Navy spokesman Greg Raelson said the destroyer now is in port in Jebel Ali, Dubai. "We're just happy there were no injuries," he said. "An investigation is under way."
LONDON (AP) -- Given the depths of his anguish, you might have thought Wu Jingbiao had lost a loved one. Heaving with shame, the double world champion weightlifter wept like a child in the arms of the TV reporter interviewing him.
"I let my country down," he sobbed. "I let the Chinese weightlifting team down. I let everyone who has cared about me down. I am sorry."
He had won the silver medal.
Organizers insist that the Olympic movement exalts individual achievement, not national pride or prowess. Look at the official Olympic website: There is no medal table. The International Olympic Committee doesn't keep count.
Yet nationalism has infused the Olympics - at its origins in ancient Greece, at its height during the Cold War and still strongly in London in 2012. So it's only natural that at this most global event unfolding in this most multinational of cities, questions of national identity and the very essence of nationhood arise.
Having built a big lead on the 4x100-meter relay anchor leg, Bolt knew he was about to earn his third gold medal in three events at the London Olympics.
What he really wanted Saturday night was a world record, the only thing missing from his 2012 Games. So the Jamaican dispensed with the sort of "Look at me!" stuff he's done at the end of races before - slapping his chest four years ago, putting a finger to his mouth to hush critics the other day - and focused on what he does better than anyone ever has.
Sprinting.
"Fans really enjoy a world record," Bolt said later with a smile, "so I think they'll forgive me for not posing."
Almost even with the last U.S. runner when he got the baton, Bolt pulled away down the stretch and capped his perfect Olympics by leading Jamaica to the relay victory in a world-record 36.84 seconds.
LONDON (AP) -- A new computer virus tied to some of the most sophisticated cyberweapons thus-far discovered has been found circulating in the Middle East, a Moscow-based computer security company said Thursday. If a link were confirmed, the find would expand the electronic arsenal reportedly deployed by the U.S. and Israel against their rivals in the region.
Kaspersky Lab ZAO said in a statement that the new virus, dubbed "Gauss," was aimed at stealing financial information from customers of a series of Lebanese banks.
The firm said that similarities in coding, structure, and operation meant it could say "with a high degree of certainty" that Gauss was related to "Flame," a sophisticated piece of spyware which prompted an Internet blackout across Iran's oil industry in April, and to "Stuxnet," an infrastructure-wrecking worm whose discovery revolutionized the cybersecurity field.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Fannie Mae earned $2.2 billion from April through June, its second quarterly gain in net income since being taken over by the government during the 2008 financial crisis.
The mortgage giant attributed the increase to improving home prices and fewer foreclosures.
Fannie said Wednesday that it paid a dividend of $2.9 billion to the Treasury Department and sought no additional aid.
Fannie's net income attributable to common shareholders was 37 cents per share in the second quarter. That compares with a net loss of $5.2 billion, or 90 cents per share, in the same period last year.
"We think home prices have stabilized," Fannie President and CEO Timothy Mayopoulos said in an interview on CNBC.
Fannie has reported gains in net income in both quarters this year. It earned $2.7 billion in the January-March quarter and paid a dividend of $2.8 billion to the Treasury.
LONDON (AP) -- The Bank of England criticized New York financial regulators Wednesday for unilaterally accusing Standard Chartered of illegally laundering oil money for Iran, while the chief executive of the embattled London bank denied claims of systematic sanctions-busting.
On Monday, the New York State Department of Financial Services accused Standard Chartered of laundering $250 billion of Iranian oil money over a decade in defiance of an American order prohibiting such transactions. The bank admits violations totaling $14 million.
Standard Chartered chief executive, Peter Sands, rejected the U.S. investigators' central accusation that bank officials had conspired with Iran to evade U.S. sanctions by systematically removing Iranian identification from wire transfers of Iranian cash cleared through its New York office.
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) -- The Cayman Islands is scrapping a plan to impose a direct income tax on thousands of expatriates working in the British Caribbean territory that is famed as a no-tax financial center.
Premier McKeeva Bush issued a terse statement late Monday saying that his proposed tax was "off the table and will not be implemented." He did not say what alternative revenues might replace it.
The islands' leader said only that his administration was "satisfied that many of the commitments from the private sector" will meet his demands for a new source of revenue for the government that won't hit the poorest citizens. He has been huddling with business leaders in recent days.
BEIJING (AP) -- Lenovo unveiled a lighter, quicker ThinkPad notebook computer on Monday to appeal to customers who like the convenience of tablets and smartphones.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon will go on sale later this month, the Chinese computer maker said.
Lenovo Group acquired the ThinkPad brand with IBM Corp.'s personal computer unit in 2005. Lenovo passed Dell Inc. last year to become the second-largest PC manufacturer after Hewlett-Packard Co.
The latest ThinkPad has third-generation wireless connectivity and other features inspired by tablets and smartphones, said Dilip Bhatia, vice president of the ThinkPad business unit. He said that was in response to demands by customers who want a tablet's convenience but need a notebook's wider range of functions.
"They want faster. They want thinner," Bhatia said.
CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) -- Good news, Jets fans. Santonio Holmes is OK.
X-rays on the New York wide receiver's ribs Saturday night were negative, easing concerns that Holmes might be sidelined a while. The team said Holmes is day-to-day after he was injured in the team's scrimmage.
That quelled the Jets' initial fears after coach Rex Ryan said that Holmes "might" have broken a rib. That would have been bad news for a team that lacks depth at the position because of other injuries.
"I'm sure he'll be fine, but we'll have to check on him later," Ryan said. "Other than that, he had a good day."
It is believed Holmes was injured on a third-down play when he was hit by cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who earlier in the week made some waves when he said he thought he was the team's second-best wide receiver - behind Holmes.
QUNU, South Africa (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited with Nelson Mandela at his home on Monday to pay her respects to the aging South African icon.
Clinton and a small group flew to the 94-year-old Mandela's home village of Qunu, where they reminisced and had a small private lunch.
Clinton and Mandela's wife, Graca Machel, talked as photographers snapped pictures and Mandela looked on smiling from his wingback chair.
BEIRUT (AP) -- Syria's prime minister defected on Monday, evidence that the widening cracks in President Bashar's Assad's regime have reached the highest echelons of government.
Riad Hijab - who planned the break for months, according to an aide - is the highest-level political figure to switch sides and is certain to encourage rebels after a string of military and diplomatic figures abandoned the regime. A Jordanian official and a rebel spokesman said he fled to Jordan.
Ahmad Kassim, a senior official with the Free Syrian Army, initially said Hijab defected along with three other ministers but later said only two other ministers had left. There has been no confirmation, however, from Syria or any other source on other ministers defecting.
A senior U.S. official said the defection is more evidence that the Assad regime "is crumbling." The official, traveling with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Johannesburg, urged other senior members of the government and military to break with Assad.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Kim Jong Un the marshal became Kim Jong Un the statesman as he met with Chinese political dignitaries in meetings that marked his first official foray into foreign affairs since becoming North Korea's leader.
Kim told Wang Jiarui, head of the Communist Party's international affairs office, that his government is focused on building the economy, and then invited the Chinese delegation to a banquet Thursday, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported. The Korean Central News Agency reported the meeting without details on their discussions.
The occasion was Kim's diplomatic debut as leader of North Korea, seven months after he took power following the December death of his father, longtime leader Kim Jong Il.
PORT ROYAL, Jamaica (AP) -- Tropical Storm Ernesto brushed past the Caribbean country's southern coast Sunday, causing heavy rains but few problems as it took a course expected to carry it by Honduras and across the Yucatan Peninsula into the Gulf of Mexico.
Forecasters at Jamaica's Meteorological Service said rain had tapered off by Sunday evening although light to moderate showers from squalls were still reported across most of the island, especially eastern areas.
In Jamaica's southern capital of Kingston, Ernesto dumped some rain but left no noticeable damage.
Island authorities urged people in flood-prone areas to stay on alert and urged fishermen on outlying cays and banks to remain in safe harbors on the main island.
As the storm's outer bands approached earlier, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller called on all Jamaicans to make the necessary preparations to ensure their safety.
"I urge you to especially consider the children, the sick, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and the most vulnerable in the society," she said.