Mining eras clash on Nevada's historic Comstock (AP) 14 Aug 2011, 3:36 am

AP - More than 150 years after the discovery of one of the world's richest silver veins touched off a mining frenzy that drew thousands of people west and made Virginia City a wealthy boomtown, a mining company wants to resume digging for riches in the dusty hills southeast of Reno.

Heavy clashes as Libyan rebels enter Zawiya (AP) 14 Aug 2011, 3:33 am

AP - Libyan rebels fought their way into the strategic city of Zawiya west of Tripoli on Saturday in their most significant advance in months, battling snipers on rooftops and heavy shelling from Moammar Gadhafi's forces holding the city.

Obama sets sights on rural America to talk jobs (AP) 14 Aug 2011, 3:31 am

AP - Trading Washington's hot house for states critical to his re-election prospects, President Barack Obama is headed to the Midwest after a summer of discontent over a protracted debt showdown with Republicans and the downgrade in the nation's credit rating.

Gunmen abduct US man in brazen raid in Pakistan (AP) 14 Aug 2011, 3:30 am

AP - Gunmen kidnapped an American development expert after tricking his guards and breaking into his house in Pakistan on Saturday, a brazen raid that alarmed aid workers, diplomats and other foreigners who already tread carefully in this country rife with Islamic militancy and anti-U.S. sentiment.

Cuba transgender wedding shows shifting attitudes (AP) 14 Aug 2011, 3:28 am

AP - A gay man and a woman whose sex-change operation was paid for by the state tied the knot Saturday in a first-of-its-kind wedding for Cuba, a sign of how much the country's attitude toward sexuality has changed since gays and transsexuals suffered persecution in the early years after the revolution.

2012 GOP race jolted with straw poll, Perry entry (AP) 14 Aug 2011, 3:24 am

AP - The 2012 Republican presidential race lurched into a new phase Saturday as Iowans weighed in for the first time on their expanding field of presidential hopefuls, picking Michele Bachmann as their top choice for the GOP nomination. Halfway across the country latecomer Texas Gov. Rick Perry formally entered the race, declaring: "America is not broken. Washington, D.C. is broken."

Boy Scout found after building tree-branch shelter (AP) 14 Aug 2011, 3:22 am

AP - He was scared, but the 12-year-old Boy Scout still knew what to do when he got lost during a Utah wilderness outing: He built a shelter made of tree branches and wood to get through a cold night and he covered himself in dirt to stay warm.

Michele Bachmann wins Iowa Republican poll (Reuters) 14 Aug 2011, 2:40 am

Reuters - Michele Bachmann won the Iowa straw poll on Saturday in the first big test of the 2012 Republican presidential race, as Texas Governor Rick Perry launched a White House bid that could reshape the race.

Cubs place Zambrano on disqualified list (AP) 14 Aug 2011, 2:03 am

AP - The Chicago Cubs placed Carlos Zambrano on the disqualified list Saturday and said the right-hander would receive no pay and have no part in team activities for 30 days.

Britain's top cop slams UK role for US crime guru (AP) 14 Aug 2011, 1:39 am

AP - Tensions between Britain's government and police leaders flared Saturday over Prime Minister David Cameron's recruitment of a veteran American police commander to advise him on how to combat gangs and prevent a repeat of the past week's riots.

American man kidnapped by assailants in Pakistan (Reuters) 14 Aug 2011, 1:18 am

Reuters - Several assailants broke into a house in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore in the pre-dawn hours Saturday, overcame security guards and kidnapped a U.S. man identified as an international development expert, police said.

Internet war of words breaks out in Miss. killing (AP) 14 Aug 2011, 1:11 am

AP - Authorities call it a hate crime by two white teens against a middle-aged black man, "murder by physically assaulting and purposefully using a 1998 Ford F-250 to run over James Craig Anderson."

Protests across Israel against high cost of living (Reuters) 13 Aug 2011, 11:22 pm

Reuters - Tens of thousands of people gathered across Israel Saturday to call for lower living costs in an effort to show the government their protest movement has countrywide support.

Analysis: Palin boosts political influence, buffers brand (Reuters) 13 Aug 2011, 11:11 pm

Reuters - Sarah Palin may not be officially seeking the Republican nomination for president, but she is making sure she stays within the party's public eye.

Texas Governor Rick Perry launches presidential bid (Reuters) 13 Aug 2011, 11:02 pm

Reuters - Republican Rick Perry, the conservative governor of Texas, on Saturday declared himself a candidate for president with a blistering attack on Democratic President Barack Obama.

Italy calls for euro bonds, UK backs fiscal union (Reuters) 13 Aug 2011, 8:19 pm

Syrian forces kill 3 as tanks enter coastal city (Reuters) 13 Aug 2011, 8:15 pm

Reuters - Syrian troops killed three people as tanks swept into a coastal city on Saturday, activists said, in a crackdown on protests against President Bashar al-Assad which drew criticism from an international Muslim group.

UK government says must tackle social problems after riots (Reuters) 13 Aug 2011, 5:07 pm

Reuters - Britain needs to tackle deep-seated social problems following riots and looting in English cities this week, the center-right government said on Saturday, and a U.S. street crime expert it has brought in said arrests alone would not solve the problem.

Clegg visits London riot site (AFP) 8 Aug 2011, 7:07 pm

AFP - British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg Monday visited homes and businesses burned down during riots in London, as fresh skirmishes broke out between police and youths in the east of the capital.

Debt crisis resists assault by ECB and global leaders (AFP) 8 Aug 2011, 7:06 pm

AFP - World leaders scrambled Monday to ensure financial and economic stability as the European Central Bank bought eurozone bonds to stem a spiralling debt crisis, but chronic doubts endured and battered markets tumbled again.