KANEOHE, Hawaii – Teens looking to hook up with a friend on the popular Web community MySpace may bump into an unexpected buddy: the U.S. Marine Corps. So far, over 12,000 Web surfers have signed on as friends of the Corps in response to the latest military recruiting tactic. Other …

WASHINGTON – A federal appeals court on Wednesday temporarily delayed a Justice Department bribery investigation of a Louisiana congressman while he challenges the legality of an unprecedented FBI raid on his Capitol Hill office. The decision by two members of a three-judge panel means the Justice Department cannot begin a …

NEW YORK – A wall that suspects in a terrorist plot hoped to destroy to unleash a catastrophic flood in lower Manhattan was quietly put under 24-hour protection in recent weeks once details of the plot began to emerge, two law enforcement officials said. The suspects hoped to bring down …

UNITED NATIONS – Iran‘s foreign minister said Monday that talks between top Iranian and European negotiators on his country’s disputed nuclear program are “on track” and he believes a negotiated solution to the standoff is possible. CountryWatch: Iran Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told The Associated Press that he expects European …

GENEVA – U.N. human rights investigators criticized the United States on Thursday for failing to take steps to close the Guantanamo Bay military prison for terror suspects, which they say facilitates torture and violates international law. In the first U.N.-sanctioned inquiry into U.S. practices at Guantanamo, the rights experts also …

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) said Thursday it has agreed to buy high-end gaming PC maker Voodoo Computers Inc., giving the computer and printer company access to an elite group of hardcore hobbyists willing to shell out several thousand dollars for turbocharged customizable machines. Palo Alto-based HP did …

JERUSALEM – The Israeli pullout from Lebanon was unlikely to be completed before the weekend, a senior army officer said Wednesday. Israel’s Army Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, told lawmakers Tuesday that he hoped to bring the last soldier home before the start of the Jewish New Year, …

Kids under age two have 20 percent fewer painful ear infections now that pneumococcal vaccination is routine. Slime May Cause Chronic Ear Infections The finding comes from a Vanderbilt/CDC study that looked at data from kids’ visits to doctors’ offices, emergency rooms, and outpatient clinics. Carlos G. Grijalva, MD, MPH, …

CAIRO, Egypt – Efforts to form a Palestinian government acceptable to the West have gone “back to zero,” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday, a day after Hamas said a coalition government that recognizes Israel is unacceptable. The Islamic militant group has ruled alone since March, but this month agreed …

BANGKOK, Thailand – In the dead of night and without firing a shot, Thailand‘s military overthrew popularly elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday after mounting criticism that he had undermined democracy. The sudden, well-orchestrated coup — a throwback to an unsettled era in Thailand — was likely to spark …