
The Bush administration plans to shift nearly $230 million to upgrading Pakistan’s F-16s, which critics say are not used in counterterrorism efforts.
House Passes Housing Bill After Bush Says He Will Sign ItCiting the need to restore confidence in the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the president said he would set aside his objections to the legislation.
China Presses Grieving Parents to Take Hush Money on QuakeLocal governments in Sichuan Province have begun a coordinated campaign to buy the silence of angry parents whose children died during the May earthquake.
The Caucus: Obama Visits the WallHe followed the tradition of placing a prayer note at the site. Then, the Democratic candidate left for Germany.
Is Afghanistan a Narco-State?The Taliban are not the only ones benefiting from the opium trade. Drug-related corruption pervades the Afghan government. A former Bush administration counternarcotics official explains the war within the war.
Going Down the Road: A State That Never Was in WyomingRetracing the routes of guides conceived as part of a 1930s jobs program reveals Wyoming’s frontier spirit.
Kremlin Rules: An Investment Gets Trapped in Kremlin’s ViseThe fall of one of Russia’s most prominent foreign investors points to the official corruption that afflicts the country.
The Energy Challenge: Gassing Up With GarbageAfter years of false starts, a new industry selling motor fuel made from waste is getting a big push in the U.S., with the first commercial sales possible within months.
Sudan’s President Goes on TourSudan’s president returned to the scene of his alleged Darfur genocide on an uncharacteristic charm offensive.
MSNBC.com is a leader in breaking news and original journalism.
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As violence in Afghanistan escalates, the U.S. is responding by scrambling to get in more troops. But it's far from clear how the strategy will work in the vast, rugged land, full of hiding places.
Authorities had feared the first hurricane to hit the U.S. since last September could produce up to 20 inches of rain in some areas, possibly breaching levees in the heavily populated Rio Grande Valley.
About 2 million Americans get a raise Thursday as the federal minimum wage rises 70 cents. The bad news: Higher gas and food prices are swallowing it up, and some small businesses will pass the cost of the wage hike to consumers.
NBC/WSJ poll: Obama keeps lead
The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds a majority of Americans think Barack Obama is a riskier choice for the presidency, but he's still leading Republican John McCain.
Microsoft Corp. says the executive in charge of its Windows and Web operations is leaving the company.
DNA ID's stolen Guatemalan babyAdoption officials said Wednesday that DNA tests indicate a Guatemalan baby reported stolen from her mother was being adopted by a U.S. couple.
Magnitude 6.8 quake hits Japan
A strong earthquake jolted northern Japan early on Thursday, injuring more than 100 people, trapping hundreds in halted trains and affecting production at some high-tech factories.
The World Trade Center site's owner has offered $20 million to acquire the 1,200-square-foot lot of a church destroyed on Sept. 11, freeing one more piece of land needed to rebuild every inch of ground zero.
The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff Wednesday: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer.
Brad Pitt's lawyers say they will take legal action against anyone publishing photos taken of the actor and his newly enlarged family at their French estate. Severa; Web sites removed the photos.
Syndicated columnist Robert Novak says he has been issued a $50 citation after hitting a pedestrian while driving in downtown Washington.
“Do you really know who people are?” That’s the slogan for pay site People Search's freshly launched (and totally free!) companion site, CriminalSearches.com. Do you want to know? Everybody has something to hide – so the cliché goes. That’s where CriminalSearches.com comes in.
Collision forces closure of Mississippi
The Coast Guard closed 29 miles of the Mississippi River at New Orleans after a 600-foot tanker and a barge loaded with fuel oil collided, breaking the barge in half.
The House has passed legislation that aims to help 400,000 strapped homeowners who are facing foreclosure and prevent troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from collapsing.
It was a hot lead for detectives on a cold case. People suddenly were getting salmonella at a Minnesota restaurant more than 1,000 miles from the center of the nation's outbreak.
The Republican presidential hopeful is crediting the recent drop in the price of oil to the president's lifting of a presidential ban on offshore drilling, which he has been advocating in his presidential campaign.
The Beijing Olympics may not look much different from previous games on TV but behind the studio sets, world broadcasters have been squaring off for months with Chinese officials over censorship.
Dozens of pairs of pantyhose have been left near a Milford school bus stop — causing sheer annoyance in the neighborhood.
Dump your lover directly on voice mail
The old song had it right: Breaking up is hard to do. But a free new phone service called Slydial might make it easier to get through that and other awkward moments — without actually having to talk to anyone.
A fundamentalist Muslim suspected by the U.S. of collaborating with al-Qaida has taken over as head of Somalia's exiled opposition movement.
No survivors in B-52 bomber crash off Guam
All six crew members aboard a B-52 bomber that crashed off Guam were killed, the Air Force said Wednesday.
Toyota sold more than 4.8 million vehicles worldwide in the first half, up 2 percent from the same period a year earlier, the Japanese automaker said Wednesday.
Obama: Iran nukes would pose 'grave threat'
U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama said on Wednesday a nuclear Iran would pose a "grave threat" and that the world must stop Tehran from obtaining an atomic weapon.
Many U.S. banks are unwittingly training their online customers to take risks with their passwords and other sensitive account information, leaving them more vulnerable to fraud, new research shows.
These are tough times for travelers
Whether it’s the frustration of flying or $4-per-gallon gas, the summer travel season is shaping up to be among the most challenging in years.
Two decades ago, Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa used his hands to pick vegetables for $22 a day; now he's one of the world's best brain surgeons. TODAY’s Bob Dotson reports on how a laborer went from a California field to a lab at Johns Hopkins Medical Center.
Sixty years after President Truman desegregated the military, senior black officers are still rare, particularly among the highest ranks.
CNN.com delivers up-to-the-minute news and information on the latest top stories, weather, entertainment, politics and more.
language: en-usA flurry of warnings were issued along the coasts of Texas and Mexico late Monday as Tropical Storm Dolly advanced across the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center said.
Former Bosnian Serb president Radovan Karadzic, accused of masterminding "ethnic cleansing" deportations and killings of Bosnian Muslims and Croats, has been arrested after more than a decade in hiding, a U.N. war crimes tribunal said Monday.
The New York Times has rejected an editorial that Sen. John McCain wrote defending his Iraq war policy.
Sen. Barack Obama said he found "a strong, emerging consensus" for the redeployment of U.S. combat forces from Iraq, with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki telling Obama he hoped American combat troops will be gone in two years.
Read full story for latest details.
A Fort Bliss, Texas, soldier reported missing and possibly in danger was located by authorities Sunday after she was kidnapped and assaulted by her husband, El Paso, Texas, police said Monday.
Investigators looking for the source of a months-long salmonella outbreak had a "significant break" when they found a jalapeo pepper contaminated with the bacteria at a Texas food supplier, authorities said today. The Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to avoid fresh jalapeos and products made with fresh jalapeos.
"Somebody killed two young girls," the caller cries to the 911 operator. "They are both down here dead. My granddaughter and her friend. ... Help me. Please!" Oklahoma officials played the frantic call today, hoping to stir new interest in the case of two girls shot dead on a remote rural road.
Oil prices rebounded strongly Monday, following the largest four-day slide in trading history, as investors focused on a break down of negotiations with Iran, as well as Tropical Storm Dolly, which is making its way into the Gulf of Mexico.
Read full story for latest details.
Visit BBC News for up-to-the-minute news, breaking news, video, audio and feature stories. BBC News provides trusted World and UK news as well as local and regional perspectives. Also entertainment, business, science, technology and health news.
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Prosecutors at The Hague say they expect the extradition of war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic to be delayed.
Housing rescue bill passed in USThe US House of Representatives passes a massive housing rescue bill after President Bush says he will not veto it.
Indonesian crash pilot on trialThe pilot of an Indonesian airliner that crashed last year, killing 21 people, goes on trial charged with negligence.
Adopted Guatemalan baby 'stolen'Officials in Guatemala say they have irrefutable proof that a child was stolen and put up for adoption in the state system.
Obama set for warm German welcomeUS presidential hopeful Barack Obama heads to Berlin, where big crowds are expected to hear a key speech.
Italy targets illegal immigrantsIllegal immigrants convicted of crime in Italy face longer jail sentences than those for Italians, under new laws.
MPs scrap France's 35-hour weekFrance's parliament passes a law which effectively ends the country's compulsory 35-hour working week.
Hurricane Dolly lashes Gulf CoastHurricane Dolly has reached the Mexico-Texas coast, bringing with it heavy rain and winds up to 100mph (161km/h).
New E Africa food crisis warningMore than 14m in the Horn of Africa need food aid because of drought and high prices.
President Bush explains the credit crunch: 'Wall Street got drunk'A secret recording shows US President George W Bush explaining the problems afflicting the US stock markets: "Wall Street got drunk."
Bhutan king coronation set for 'month of the earth male rat'A date is announced in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan for the long awaited coronation of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
Sastre takes over as Tour leaderSpain's Carlos Sastre takes the yellow jersey after winning a thrilling stage of the Tour de France but Cadel Evans is favourite for overall victory.
Sunderland sign versatile TainioSunderland announce the signing of Tottenham midfielder Teemu Tainio on a three-year deal.
Troops outUS scales down its military 'surge' in Iraq
Against the oddsLebanese Olympic shooter is no stranger to gunfire
Voters' viewsZimbabweans react to news of crisis talks
In picturesMillions are in need of food aid in drought-hit Ethiopia
Obama tourThe BBC follows the Democratic hopeful on his world trip
Relief and angerWitnesses describe impact of Jerusalem digger attack
Sudan president defiant in DarfurSudan's president defies accusations from the International Criminal Court during a rare visit to Darfur.
Nigeria oil giant 'paid rebels'The head of Nigeria's national oil company says it paid $12m in protection money to rebels.
Top aide quits Argentine cabinetA key aide to the Argentine president resigns days after the government suffered a blow to its tax plans.
Obama firm on Iran nuclear plansUS White House hopeful Barack Obama says the world must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Bomb kills three in PhilippinesA crudely-made bomb explodes on a bus in the southern Philippines, killing three people and injuring at least 10.
China 'to allow Olympic protests'China says it will allow demonstrations in three designated city parks during the Olympic Games in Beijing.
EU warns US of visa retaliationThe European Commission says that it may impose visas for US diplomats, in retaliation for a failure by the US to lift visa demands on some EU member states.
Fresh nuclear incident in FranceAbout 100 staff have been exposed to radiation in the latest incident to hit a French nuclear site, power firm EDF says.
Iran vows no nuclear concessionsIran will not "retreat one iota" in its nuclear activities, its president says, defying fresh international pressure.
Talabani denounces election lawIraq's president says he will not approve a draft provincial election law adopted by MPs despite a Kurdish walkout.
Pakistan seeks militancy 'debate'The Pakistani government says it aims to create greater national consensus to fight Islamic militancy.
Kashmir city curfew over land rowA curfew is imposed in Indian-administered Kashmir after what police say was the suicide of a land-row protester.
Pakistan's uneasy alliance with USBarbara Plett highlights the complicated relationship between "war on terror" allies Pakistan and the US.
Mexico's long forgotten dirty warDuncan Kennedy reports on efforts to find the corpses of Mexico's 'disappeared' in the 1970s and 80s.
Your sayWhat do you want the world to talk about?
Investing, Saving and Personal Finance
language: en-usActive ETFs are finally here, but proven mutual funds may be better -- and cheaper.
Biotech fund increases on news of $44 billion bid for Genentech.
The Dow's hot streak came to an end on a disappointing drug study and higher oil prices.
Street-beating profits and record revenues extend the rally in financials.
Those who place the right bets on solar energy could make a fortune but use caution.
Don't fall for these gas-savings deals until you read the fine print first.
A midsize distributor of dental supplies is trading at a tempting discount.
Fifth Third may have hit rock-bottom. That's when contrarians enter the picture.
These days, the dreaded refueling charge is nastier than ever. Here's how to avoid it.
It wasn't smooth sailing for stocks in the first half of 2008. Is it time to jump back in?
Free markets want nothing to do with the mortgage lenders. Neither should Uncle Sam.
With markets directionless, take a wait-and- see approach until new leaders emerge.
Some home improvements pay for themselves when you sell your home. Others don't.
Is now a good time to borrow against my 401(k) to pay off other loans?
Traders bet big that financial ETFs are finally due for a comeback.
Tech news and business reports by CNET News.com. Focused on information technology, core topics include computers, hardware, software, networking, and Internet media.
language: en-usCEO Steve Ballmer's message to Microsoft employees on the departure of senior executive Kevin Johnson and a divisional reorganization.
Nokia, Qualcomm settle patent disputeThe mobile phone giant and chipmaker enter into a 15-year licensing agreement that settles all patent litigation between the two companies.
Intel storage chips point to SoC futureThe world's largest chip company wants to build system-on-chips based on the x86 instruction set, and the first fruits of that project are set to be released.
Intel quad-core mobile chip coming: Is it overkill?Intel is slated to roll out it first quad-core mobile processor in August.
Marquiss Wind Power snaps up Cirrus TechnologiesA pair of start-ups specializing in small-scale wind turbines merge.
Click fraud harder to detect, but rate stays flatBogus clicks on ads, which can make money for Web sites but cost advertisers, were no more common in the second quarter. But click fraud is getting more sophisticated.
Pairing your cell with Bluetooth? Buyer bewareIf a new hands-free driving law has forced you to buy a Bluetooth mobile phone headset, this advice from the U.S. government can help protect against getting "bluesnarfed."
Google App Engine sort of getting Perl supportGoogle today supports only the Python language in Google App Engine. But one Googler is working on an unofficial--so far--expansion that could use Perl, too.
Kevin Johnson to leave Microsoft for JuniperNo successor has been named for Johnson, who has been president of Microsoft's Platforms and Services Division and is leaving to become CEO of Juniper Networks.
Defense asks for dismissal of MySpace caseLawyers for Lori Drew, a Missouri woman who allegedly harassed a 13-year-old neighbor who later killed herself, say prosecutors are using a flawed and vague law.
Accenture offers software to 'green' a businessAccenture's Green Technology Suite provides a diagnosis of a company's eco-friendliness.
Report: AMD will split into separate companiesCompany representative, however, says new CEO was misquoted. But the Statesman comment isn't necessarily inaccurate, says CNET Blog Network's Brooke Crothers.
Studies: Banking Web sites, corporate computers are insecureSeparate studies find widespread security design flaws in bank Web sites and internal threats to corporate networks, too.
Brainstorm Tech: Getting down to businessFortune's three-day Silicon Valley confab focuses on technological change and its effect--good and bad--on the business world.
iPhone vulnerable to phishing attacksResearcher cites "trusted" malicious links within Mail could open phishing sites in Safari.
XM-Sirius merger heads to home stretchFCC review process appears to be near a close, with a tentative deal reached between the parties, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
GreenRoad secures $3 million for driver-safety techGreenRoad Technologies provides a dashboard monitor and Web applications that tell drivers how to operate a car more safely and efficiently.
Report: Facebook growing faster than MySpaceMySpace still leads the U.S. social-networking market, but its more staid rival is rising fast, according to Hitwise.
Yahoo president 'looking forward' to meeting IcahnIn a CNBC interview, Sue Decker discusses her thoughts on working with investor activist Carl Icahn, following settlement over proxy fight.
Blogspot.com cited as the No. 1 host for malwareSophos research says the anonymity of setting up a blog site plus the ability to post malicious code links in the comments section makes Google's blog site a target.
Will Google destroy Digg or take it to the next level?Featured links from the CNET Blog Network
Will Google destroy Digg or take it to the next level?--If Google does indeed acquire the social news site, Digg, what will become of the popular service?
Does Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg have her ad numbers right?--Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg says that 90 percent of all advertising money spent is on brand awareness. Is that really true?
Five quick and useful Google Calendar tweaks--Keep events private, change your default view, add weather info, use keyboard shortcuts, and import specialty calendars.
Post-SP3 patch breaks Windows Update--I broke Windows Update on two XP machines.
Top Stories
language: en-us
AP - Hurricane Dolly slammed ashore and then loitered over deep south Texas as a tropical storm, dumping as much as a foot of rain in places and ripping roofs off buildings with 100 mph winds.
AP - From the solemnity of a Holocaust museum to a dusty village battered by Hamas rockets, Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama on Wednesday professed "an unshakable commitment to the security" of Israel, whether the threat comes from terrorists, Iran or elsewhere.
AP - Rescue legislation sailed through the House on Wednesday aimed at helping 400,000 strapped homeowners avoid foreclosure and preventing the collapse of troubled mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
AP - The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff Wednesday: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer.
AP - Republican John McCain pushed back on Wednesday against Democratic criticism that he misstated when the troop buildup ordered by President Bush began, saying elements were put in place before Bush announced the strategy in early 2007.
AP - About 2 million Americans get a raise Thursday as the federal minimum wage rises 70 cents. The bad news: Higher gas and food prices are swallowing it up, and some small businesses will pass the cost of the wage hike to consumers.
AP - Al-Qaida's foreign fighters who have for years bedeviled Iraq are increasingly going to Afghanistan to fight instead, the Iraqi ambassador to the United States said Wednesday.
AP - A woman mauled by a bear in a rural area of Southern California was recovering Wednesday as game wardens sought to trap and kill the animal.
AP - 50 Cent has sued Taco Bell, claiming the fast-food restaurant chain is using his name without permission in advertising that asks him to call himself 99 Cent.
AP - Swimmer Jessica Hardy's trip to the Beijing Olympics could be in jeopardy after she tested positive for a banned substance.
House passes housing bill; Bush lifts veto threat (Reuters)
Reuters - The House of Representatives passed
a massive housing rescue bill on Wednesday while the White
House dropped a threat to veto it, paving the way for measures
aimed at shoring up the worst U.S. housing market since the
Great Depression.
Reuters - Presidential candidate Barack Obama
travels to Berlin on Thursday to give the only public speech of
a week-long foreign tour, an outdoor address on transatlantic
ties that is likely to draw tens of thousands.
Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama has a 6-point
lead over Republican John McCain in the presidential race as a
growing percentage of Americans believe the country is headed
in the wrong direction, according to an NBC News/Wall Street
Journal poll released on Wednesday.
Reuters - Hurricane Dolly moved inland
after tearing into the South Texas coast on Wednesday with 95
mph (150 kph) winds, pouring torrential rain on the U.S.-Mexico
border area before being downgraded to a tropical storm.
Reuters - A
black-and-white interrogation video of Osama bin Laden's driver
showed Salim Hamdan denying under questioning in a dark cell
that he worked for al Qaeda.
Reuters - Israeli Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, on
his first visit to Washington as Israel's top military officer,
said on Wednesday it was crucial to block what he called
"Iranian aggression" in the Middle East.
Reuters - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
said on Thursday after talks with North Korea that she believed
Pyongyang was under no "illusions" it had to agree to a strong
mechanism to verify its nuclear activities.
Reuters - U.S. Attorney General Michael
Mukasey said on Wednesday he had rejected a request from
lawmakers that an outside special counsel investigate the case
of a Canadian taken off a plane in New York and sent to Syria,
where he says he was tortured.
AFP - Barack Obama headed for Europe Thursday after vowing to forge an "unshakeable" bond with Israel if elected the next US president and stressing the need to head off the "grave threat" of a nuclear Iran.
AFP - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday called for a peaceful resolution to a dangerous border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia as Asia's main security talks were held here.
Reuters.com is your source for breaking news, business, financial and investing news, including personal finance and stocks. Reuters is the leading global provider of news, financial information and technology solutions to the world's media, financial institutions, businesses and individuals.
language: en-usBELGRADE/SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Bosnian Serb wartime president Radovan Karadzic, wanted for planning and ordering Europe's worst atrocities since World War Two, has been arrested after 11 years on the run.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The deepening plight of the American consumer has started to take a big bite out of corporate earnings.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama met Iraqi leaders and U.S. military commanders in Baghdad on Monday in a visit overshadowed by the question of when U.S. troops should go home.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congress should explicitly declare a state of armed conflict with al Qaeda to make clear the United States can detain suspected members as long as the war on terrorism lasts, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey said on Monday.
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Monday signed a deal laying down the framework for formal talks on forming a power sharing government to end a deep political crisis.
GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden's driver went on trial at Guantanamo on Monday in the first U.S. war crimes trial since World War Two, nearly seven years after the September 11 attacks prompted U.S. President George W. Bush to declare war on terrorism.
ABU DHABI (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Iran on Monday that it faced more sanctions if it defied a two-week deadline to agree to curb its nuclear program.
MANILA (Reuters) - Two U.S. airmen were killed and four missing after their B-52 bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean shortly after take-off on Monday, while preparing to fly in a Liberation Day parade in the U.S. territory of Guam, officials said.
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Dolly churned toward southern Texas on Monday, and forecasters said they expected it to grow into a hurricane before hitting land near the Mexican border later this week.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc will appoint activist investor Carl Icahn and two of his nominees to its board, defusing a proxy battle showdown and making an immediate deal with Microsoft Corp less likely.
FOXBusiness | House Passes Housing Bill After Bush Says He Will Sign It New York Times - By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN WASHINGTON - The House approved far-reaching government assistance on Wednesday for the nation’s housing market, including broad authority for the Treasury Department to protect the nation’s two largest mortgage finance ... Video: House OKs Rescue for Homeowners, Freddie, Fannie US Senate to Take Up Fannie-Freddie Bill After House Approval |

FOXBusiness | House Passes Housing Bill After Bush Says He Will Sign It New York Times - By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN WASHINGTON - The House approved far-reaching government assistance on Wednesday for the nation’s housing market, including broad authority for the Treasury Department to protect the nation’s two largest mortgage finance ... Video: House OKs Rescue for Homeowners, Freddie, Fannie US Senate to Take Up Fannie-Freddie Bill After House Approval |