WASHINGTON - A woman in Texas called 911 and said she had strangled her two minor children to death because they were autistic.

Samajwadi Party leader shot dead in Uttar Pradesh

LUCKNOW - Samajwadi Party leader Anil Yadav, who was also the manager of a college, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district, police said Friday.

Mexico City, July 23 (IANS/EFE) At least 13 children and an adult were injured when a church near a Mexican port town collapsed, authorities said.

Oil holds gains above $79 in Asia as stocks rally, storm Bonnie threatens Gulf of Mexico

SINGAPORE — Oil prices held above $79 a barrel Friday in Asia as stock markets rallied and a storm threatened oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico.

Former Fiji PM Chaudhry questioned for tax evasion

WELLINGTON - Former Fiji prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry, who is of Indian-origin, was questioned for the third consecutive day Friday by police over allegations of tax evasion and money laundering, according to reports from the capital Suva.

FAA: 2 killed when medical helicopter crashes in field after leaving Okla. City medical center

Typhoon Chanthu lashes southern China with torrential rains, high winds, killing 2

BEIJING — Two people were killed as Typhoon Chanthu made landfall in southern China’s Guangdong province, sending debris flying through the air and bringing rain that could aggravate the country’s worst floods in a decade.

Police say owner of pitbulls that killed 2-year-old California boy has been arrested

Federal official orders key ships to evacuate spill site as Tropical Storm Bonnie approaches

Feds order ships to evacuate oil spill site as Tropical Storm Bonnie sweeps toward Gulf

Authorities seek cause of Central California bus crash that left 6 dead, 9 injured

2 dead, 1 injured in western Pa. zinc plant explosion; all other workers accounted for

NOAA reopens a third of all water closed by oil spill to fishing

Tropical Storm Bonnie drenches southern Bahamas, on track to hit oil spill in Gulf of Mexico

Searchers recover body of Grand Teton climber who fell 2,000 feet during thunderstorm

Cap on BP’s well to stay closed despite threat building in the tropics; no word on evacuation

Quake hits Japan

TOKYO - An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted Japan’s Chiba Prefecture early Friday, the meteorological agency said.

Tropical storm Bonnie forms with winds of 40 mph, on course for Gulf oil spill zone

Feds work to put a price tag on every oiled bird and crude-covered beach, and BP gets the bill

2 dead in western Pennsylvania zinc plant explosion, all other workers accounted for

MONACA, Pa. — A fire and explosion at a zinc smelting plant in western Pennsylvania has killed two people, Beaver County emergency dispatchers said Thursday.

Growing number of bird deaths reported on Gulf Coast; Bird conservation groups raise alarm

1 dead, 1 missing in western Pa. zinc plant explosion

19-year-old ‘Barefoot Bandit’ makes 1st federal court appearance in Seattle, doesn’t seek bail

Reports: Zinc plant in western Pennsylvania evacuated after explosion; no word on injuries

Copper continues rally as manufacturers raise outlooks; Russian drought supports wheat prices

19-year-old ‘Barefoot Bandit’ makes 1st federal court appearance in Seattle after 2-year run

Police investigate 5 deaths in NYC house fire as murder-suicide; 2 victims’ throats slashed

At least 1,113 US military deaths in Afghan region since 2001

Gov’t watchdog looking into allegations scientists were used improperly to justify moratorium

Five dead in Guatemala landslide

Guatemala City, July 23 (IANS/EFE) At least five people including three minors were killed in a landslide in Guatemala.

BP’s leaky oil well to stay corked during storm even if ships evacuate Gulf of Mexico

President Barack Obama speaks briefly on Afghanistan

US attorney: ‘Barefoot Bandit’ extreme flight risk and danger, should be jailed until trial

US attorney: hold ‘Barefoot Bandit’ until trial

BP’s leaky oil well to stay capped during storm even if ships evacuate Gulf of Mexico

BP’s leaky well to stay capped during storm

Obama, family going to Florida’s Gulf Coast on Aug. 14 for weekend vacation

Oil spill chief: Well to remain capped if ships evacuate Gulf because of tropical storm

BP’s leaky well to remain capped during storm

US soldier, two civilians killed in Iraq violence

BAGHDAD - An American soldier and two civilians were killed and four injured in separate incidents of violence in Iraq, police and US military said Thursday.

White House official: Obama, family going to Florida’s Gulf Coast Aug. 14 for weekend vacation

Protesters rally outside the White House

Feds order some oil spill cleanup vessels into port ahead of predicted storm in Gulf

Feds bring in some cleanup vessels ahead of storm

Senate Democrats give up on comprehensive energy bill, focus on Gulf oil spill response

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Searchers find body of missing climber in Grand Teton who fell during storm

Searchers find body of climber in Grand Teton

Narcotics officials caught accepting bribe

LUCKNOW - A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team Thursday caught red-handed two officials of the Lucknow zonal unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) while accepting Rs. 2 lakh bribe, sources said.

Nose wheel of Jet Airways plane collapses on landing

GANDHINAGAR - Passengers of a Jet Airways flight had a miraculous escape when the nose wheel of the aircraft collapsed on landing at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad Thursday night. The 57 passengers and four crew are safe.

AP Exclusive: Washington firefighter shares story about wildfire that overran truck

Firefighter talks about being overrun by flames

Four villagers killed by lightning

RAIPUR J - Three women were among four people killed by lightning while working in a field in Chhattisgarh, police said Thursday.

Kerala man ‘cheats’ US woman IT professional

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - A US woman was so taken in by the charms of a Kerala man that she gave up her job as an IT consultant in San Francisco and settled down in God’s Own Country. But the experience has left her shattered.

CID begins probe into Sainthia train tragedy

KOLKATA - The West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) sleuths Thursday began a probe into the Sainthia train tragedy that claimed 63 lives Monday.

6 dead, 9 hurt when Greyhound bus crashes on highway in California’s Central Valley

6 dead, 9 hurt in California Greyhound bus crash

Allahabad bomb blast accused sent to police custody

ALLAHABAD - A court in Uttar Pradesh’s Allahabad district Thursday sent four people accused of the July 12 bomb attack on a state minister to police custody, officials said.

Oil prices rise as tropical depression heads toward Gulf of Mexico; rising stocks boost crude

Oil prices rise on stormy forecast for Gulf

Tropical depression races toward oil spill, threatens deep-sea effort to plug ruptured well

Tropical depression races toward BP’s leaky well