ROME (AP) Claudio Abbado, a star in the great generation of Italian conductors who was revered by musicians in the world’s leading orchestras for developing a strong rapport with them while still allowing them their independence, died Monday. He was
Lawmakers in Missouri and Wyoming are proposing firing squads as a more humane way of executing criminals condemned to death. According to the Associated Press, lawmakers began reconsidering firing squads after an Ohio man “[gasped] several times and took more
BANNU, Pakistan (AP) A Taliban bombing inside an army compound in northwest Pakistan killed at least 20 troops Sunday, officials and militants said, in one of the deadliest attacks to target the country’s forces as they battle insurgents in its
MOSCOW (AP) — A gay Russian protester has been detained for unfurling a rainbow flag during the Olympic torch relay as it passed through his hometown of Voronezh, 560 miles (910 kilometers) north of Sochi, where the games will begin
The Taliban yesterday killed up to 21 people, including 13 foreigners, in a suicide bomb and small arms attack on a Kabul restaurant frequented by expatriates. U.S. Air Force Maj. Cathleen Snow, a spokeswoman for the U.S./NATO-led International Security Assistance
(AP) S Sudan: ‘Horrifying human rights disaster’By ILYA GRIDNEFFAssociated PressJUBA, South SudanThe United Nations has evidence of the use of child soldiers and mass atrocities committed by both sides warring in South Sudan, a “horrifying human rights disaster” that has
(AP) Ebert documentary to premiere at Sundance festivalBy CARYN ROUSSEAUAssociated PressCHICAGOWhen “Life Itself” debuts Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival, it will be the first time Roger Ebert’s widow will see the full documentary about her late husband’s life. Ebert
(AP) Google contact lens could be option for diabeticsBy MARTHA MENDOZAAP National WriterMOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.Brian Otis gingerly holds what looks like a typical contact lens on his index finger. Look closer. Sandwiched in this lens are two twinkling glitter-specks loaded
By ERIC TUCKERAssociated PressWASHINGTONAn eccentric German man who pretended to be an Iraqi army general and often boasted of his political and diplomatic connections was convicted Thursday of killing his 91-year-old socialite and journalist wife. A jury deliberated for about
(AP) Olympic workers fall from roof while clearing snowSOCHI, RussiaSix workers fell off a roof Thursday at the bobsled center for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi when the snow they were clearing slid to the ground. Associated Press technicians
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart said New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez’s PED regimen was “probably the most potent and sophisticated drug program developed for an athlete that we’ve ever seen.” “At the end of the day,” Tygart told
(AP) Mass. monks brewing beer like European brothersBy DAVE MARTINAssociated PressSPENCER, Mass.For more than a century, Catholic Cistercian monks known as Trappists have been brewing and selling what many beer lovers consider some of the best in the world. Eight
(AP) AP source: Kershaw, Dodgers agree to $215M dealBy BETH HARRISAP Sports WriterLOS ANGELESClayton Kershaw agreed Wednesday to a $215 million, seven-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, a deal
Just days after Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) was sworn into office, Virginia Democratic lawmakers announced their plans to push more gun control in 2014. The Associated Press reports the proposals include the expanded background checks which McAuliffe supported during his gubernatorial
(AP) Protests at abortion clinics back at high courtBy MARK SHERMANAssociated PressWASHINGTONThe regulation of protests outside abortion clinics returns to the Supreme Court for the first time since 2000 to find the justices seemingly more protective of speech and less
(AP) Heroin and pill abuse stir a battle cry in VermontBy WILSON RINGAssociated PressMONTPELIER, Vt.Behind the facade of pristine ski slopes, craft beer, quaint village greens and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, Vermont is grappling with
(AP) House ready to OK government-wide $1.1T budgetBy ALAN FRAMAssociated PressWASHINGTONShunning the turmoil of recent budget clashes, Congress is ready to approve a massive $1.1 trillion spending bill for this year, a compromise financing everything from airports to war costs
(AP) Judge: $765M might not cover NFL concussion claimsBy MARYCLAIRE DALEAssociated PressPHILADELPHIAA federal judge is slowing down the proposed $765 million settlement of NFL concussion claims, questioning if there’s enough money to cover 20,000 retired players. U.S. District Judge Anita
(AP) Obama honors Miami Heat for 2nd straight NBA titleBy DARLENE SUPERVILLEAssociated PressWASHINGTONPresident Barack Obama has congratulated the NBA champion Miami Heat for showing the “heart and determination” it takes to sit atop the league. It was a return visit
(AP) Basketball star Farmer gets 2-plus years in prisonBy BRETT BARROUQUEREAssociated PressFRANKFORT, Ky.Former University of Kentucky basketball star Richie Farmer was sentenced Tuesday to more than two years in prison for abusing his power as the state’s agriculture commissioner. Farmer
(AP) Emotions flow as Calif. police acquitted in deathBy GILLIAN FLACCUSAssociated PressSANTA ANA, Calif.By the time all four verdicts were read clearing two California officers of killing a homeless man, people on both sides of the gallery were sobbing.In the
(AP) Christie to address scandal in speech, aide saysBy ANGELA DELLI SANTIAssociated PressTRENTON, N.J.Faced with a widening political scandal that threatens to undermine his second term and a possible 2016 presidential run, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will address the
(AP) French president admits to private life problemsBy SYLVIE CORBETAssociated PressPARISFrench President Francois Hollande said Tuesday he is going through “painful moments” in his personal life after a magazine report that he is having a secret affair with an actress.
(AP) Christie proposes longer school day amid scandalBy ANGELA DELLI SANTIAssociated PressTRENTON, N.J.New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will propose extending the public school calendar and lengthening the school day in a speech he hopes will help him rebound from an
(AP) Wyo. lawmaker proposes firing squads for executionBy BEN NEARYAssociated PressCHEYENNE, Wyo.A Wyoming lawmaker is pushing to allow use of the firing squad to execute condemned state inmates if constitutional problems or other issues ever prevented the state from using
(AP) Judge gives go-ahead to release A-Rod decisionBy RONALD BLUM and LARRY NEUMEISTERAssociated PressNEW YORKAlex Rodriguez’s lawyers were given the go-ahead by a federal judge to make public the arbitrator’s decision that led to the season-long suspension of the New
California state senator Kevin de Leon (D) wants to expand “background checks” and firearm registration to include “homemade guns.” According to the Associated Press, de Leon wants to “preempt the spread of undetectable guns” by including 3-D printed guns and
By BETH HARRISAssociated PressPASADENA, Calif.Jack Bauer is back, and he’s on the run in London. Kiefer Sutherland returns as the intrepid counter-terrorist in a 12-episode run of “24: Live Another Day,” debuting with a two-hour show May 5 on Fox.
(AP) Italian charged with killing Irishman in chess rowBy SHAWN POGATCHNIKAssociated PressDUBLINAn Italian man allegedly cut open his Dublin landlord’s chest and tried to eat his heart following a fight over a chess match. Saverio Bellante, 34, was charged Monday
(AP) Text of statements on A-Rod ’60 Minutes’ segmentBy The Associated PressText of statements made in reaction to “60 Minutes” segment on the suspension of Alex Rodriguez: _From Major League Baseball Players Association: ___ _From Major League Baseball: ___ _From
By ANGELA DELLI SANTIAssociated PressTRENTON, N.J.A Democratic mayor of a New Jersey town at the center of a traffic jam scandal says he wants to believe Republican Gov. Chris Christie had no involvement but is having a difficult time buying
By RUSSELL CONTRERAS and KELLI KENNEDYAssociated PressALBUQUERQUE, N.M.Mirroring problems with the federal health care website, people around the nation attempting to navigate the Spanish version have discovered their own set of difficulties. The site, CuidadoDeSalud.gov, launched more than two months
By EDUARDO VERDUGOAssociated PressNUEVA ITALIA, MexicoGunfire has erupted in the western Mexico in an ongoing battle between community self-defense groups and the Knights Templar drug cartel as the vigilantes advance on the town of Nueva Italia. Members of the so-called
By LORI HINNANTAssociated PressPARISThe woman considered France’s first lady has been hospitalized after a report the president is having an affair with an actress. Valerie Trierweiler’s chief of staff, Patrice Biancone, confirmed Sunday the 48-year-old journalist who lives with President
By LOLITA C. BALDORAssociated PressCAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.Navy Cmdr. Valerie Overstreet wanted to start a family. But her job as a Navy pilot and the fact that she and her husband, also a naval officer, were stationed in different parts of
Healthcare insurance companies are announcing that they are having trouble getting paid by the thousands of new policy holders who signed up through the new healthcare exchanges, resulting in far fewer enrollees than expected. Despite this news, Obama’s former campaign
(AP) Fire destroys ancient Tibetan town in SW ChinaBy DIDI TANGAssociated PressBEIJINGA fire that raged for nearly 10 hours Saturday razed an ancient Tibetan town in southwest China that’s popular with tourists, burning down hundreds of buildings as fire engines
(AP) Iraq: At least 60 killed in 2 weeks Anbar violenceBy SAMEER N. YACOUBAssociated PressBAGHDADFighting between security forces and al-Qaida-linked militants in Iraq’s Sunni-dominated Anbar province has killed at least 60 people over the past two weeks, an official said
(AP) Chinese biz to put plant at former Ohio GM siteBy ANN SANNERAssociated PressCOLUMBUS, OhioA Chinese company will build an automotive glass-making plant in southwest Ohio, creating about 800 jobs and revitalizing a former General Motors factory site, officials said
(AP) Despite Dem wins, Va. still a two-party battleBy BILL BARROWAssociated PressTerry McAuliffe’s inauguration as governor of Virginia on Saturday will highlight a notable Democratic winning streak in one of the nation’s most competitive states, but both Democrats and Republicans
