Belgian Man: End of Coma Misdiagnosis Like Rebirth With a caretaker holding his hand, a Belgian man who was diagnosed as comatose for 23 years typed out a message Tuesday that he felt reborn after decades of loneliness and frustration. Raf Casert, AP NEWS - 7 minutes ago
Palin Heads to Fla. Town That Feted Her in 2008 Sarah Palin, who says the 2012 presidential election isn’t on her radar, took her “Going Rogue” book tour to the biggest of the battleground states Tuesday, including a stop in the retirement community where tens of thousands of people gave her star treatment in the 2008 presidential election. Brendan Farrington, AP NEWS - 10 minutes ago
Top 2 Booksellers Report Losses, Their Shares Fall Barnes & Noble Inc. and Borders Group Inc., the nation’s two largest brick-and-mortar book sellers, both posted quarterly losses Thursday and forecast a difficult holiday season, saying competition from discount chains and online retailers is stiffening. Mae Anderson, AP NEWS - 11 minutes ago
Fed Says Jobless Rate to Drop ‘Slowly’ The Federal Reserve expects the unfolding recovery will be gradual, as modest growth keeps the nation’s unemployment rate elevated over the next several years, according to a new forecast. Jeannine Aversa, AP NEWS - 11 minutes ago
Moody’s Upgrades Rent-A-Center Debt Moody’s Investors Service on Tuesday upgraded its corporate family debt rating on Rent-a-Center Inc. by one notch within junk territory, now that Rent-a-Center has paid down about $300 million in senior unsecured debt. Staff, AP NEWS - 12 minutes ago
Effort to Scrap Anti-Nuclear Law in Minn. Ramps Up A push to scrap a Minnesota law barring new nuclear power plants gained a pair of influential supporters Tuesday, adding intensity to a debate before a state Legislature that has narrowly resisted the change. Brian Bakst, AP NEWS - 12 minutes ago
Why Did Britain Go to War in Iraq? Exhaustive hearings into why Britain entered the Iraq war have just opened in London, but critics are already branding it a failure. Reuters Video, REUTERS NEWS VIDEO - 14 minutes ago
3 Airlines Fined in Minnesota Tarmac Stranding The government is imposing fines for the first time against airlines for stranding passengers on an airport tarmac, the Department of Transportation said Tuesday. Joan Lowy, AP NEWS - 19 minutes ago
Report: Iran Lifts Ban on Popular Newspaper An Iranian news agency reports that the judiciary has after just a day lifted its ban on a popular newspaper which ran a photo of a Baha'i temple. Staff, AP NEWS - 19 minutes ago
Banks Earn $2.8B in 3Q; FDIC Says Dangers Persist The apparent end of the recession and stabilizing financial markets have not cured the banking industry, as souring and past-due loans have reached the highest levels in 26 years, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Tuesday. Daniel Wagner, AP NEWS - 20 minutes ago
Verizon Opposes Sprint’s “Most Dependable” Claim A national advertising watchdog is asking Sprint Nextel Corp. to drop its ads calling itself “America’s most dependable 3G network.” Staff, AP NEWS - 20 minutes ago
NC Dad Defends Letting Mom Take Girl Later Slain The father of a North Carolina girl who was kidnapped and killed said Tuesday he made the best decision he could at the time when he let her live with her mother, who has since been charged with prostituting the child. Staff, AP NEWS - 22 minutes ago
Reports on Consumer Confidence, GDP Tug at Stocks Stocks retreated from 13-month highs after a lackluster reading on consumer confidence and a report showing slower economic growth sapped the market’s optimism. Stephen Bernard and Sara Lepro, AP NEWS - 24 minutes ago
A.R. Rahman, Jennifer Hudson Headline State Dinner It’s an all-star lineup for Tuesday’s first state dinner of the Obama White House: Oscar-winners Jennifer Hudson and A.R. Rahman headline the entertainment list. Staff, AP NEWS - 24 minutes ago
CPSC Chief Pledges Swift Action After Crib Recall The head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission promised swift action to get dangerous products off the market, after acknowledging Tuesday that it didn’t move quickly enough on a record recall of more than 2 million cribs linked to four deaths. C. Kerr, AP NEWS - 31 minutes ago
Investigators: Ky. Census Worker Committed Suicide A Kentucky census worker found naked, bound with duct tape and hanging from a tree with “fed” scrawled on his chest killed himself but staged his death to make it look like a homicide, authorities said Tuesday. Bruce Schreiner and Roger Alford, AP NEWS - 31 minutes ago
Uncle Follows Nephew to NYC Court for Terror Trial Khalid Sheik Mohammed has acknowledged doing what his nephew Ramzi Yousef couldn't: toppling the World Trade Center towers. Larry Neumeister and Devlin Barrett, AP NEWS - 34 minutes ago
New Blackout Hits Rio’s Glitzy Beach Neighborhoods Rio de Janeiro’s posh beach neighborhoods lost power for hours in sweltering summer weather Tuesday, prompting restaurants to toss out spoiled food and business owners to send their employees home. Alan Clendenning, AP NEWS - 35 minutes ago
Rare Economic Espionage Case Ends in Jury Deadlock Two men accused of the rare charge of economic espionage against the U.S. have been acquitted on two counts, but they could face a retrial on three other counts on which a jury deadlocked. Jordan Robertson, AP NEWS - 36 minutes ago
Chicago Club Owners Get Prison in 2003 Stampede A judge says two owners of a Chicago nightclub where 21 people were killed in a stampede down a stairwell six years ago must go to prison. Staff, AP NEWS - 36 minutes ago
Captain in NJ Jet Crash Faces Federal Charges The captain of a charter jet that crashed on takeoff at a New Jersey airport in 2005 has been indicted on charges of fraud and lying to investigators. Staff, AP NEWS - 36 minutes ago
Bolivia Police Bust 5 Cocaine Labs, 1 Officer Shot Bolivian police say they have busted five cocaine labs and arrested two people in a remote Indian village after a confrontation in which an officer was shot. Staff, AP NEWS - 36 minutes ago
Home Prices Up Slightly in September The summer’s trend of rising home prices faded at the end of the traditional home shopping season, two reports Tuesday showed. Alan Zibel, AP NEWS - 36 minutes ago
Obama Boosts Climate Deal Hopes, Report Shows Crisis US President Barack Obama boosted hopes on Tuesday of striking a landmark climate deal in Copenhagen, as a new report showed a deeper crisis than previously thought. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Jordan King Orders Electoral Law Reform Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday ordered his government to amend the country’s controversial election law and ensure a “transparent” vote, a day after he dissolved parliament. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Yemen Rebels Say Army Joining With Saudis to Attack Them Shiite rebels on Tuesday accused Yemen’s army of cooperating with Saudi forces to launch attacks against them, and also said they had defeated a multi-pronged Saudi assault from across the border. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Turkey, Israel Pledge to Mend Battered Ties Turkey and Israel Tuesday pledged commitment to improve ties as an Israeli minister held talks in Ankara, the first since the Jewish state’s war in Gaza poisoned ties between the two regional allies. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Obama Vows to ‘Finish the Job’ in Afghanistan President Barack Obama vowed Tuesday to “finish the job” in Afghanistan and promised to unveil a decision soon on sending tens of thousands more US troops to battle Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Medvedev Orders Probe of Lawyer’s Prison Death President Dmitry Medvedev ordered a probe into the prison death of a lawyer arrested in a high-profile tax case, the Kremlin said Tuesday, following allegations of “mediaeval” prison treatment in Russia. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Leterme to Return as Belgian PM Wednesday: Van Rompuy Belgium’s ex-prime minister Yves Leterme -- who quit amid a bank bailout scandal last year -- will bounce back as government chief within 24 hours, incumbent Herman Van Rompuy said Tuesday. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Rare Baudelaire Papers Up for Grabs Personal letters, first edition copies and even a suicide note penned by 19th century French poet Charles Baudelaire go on sale next week in Paris. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
US Airways Delays Delivery of 54 Airbus Aircraft US Airways said Tuesday it had delayed the delivery of 54 Airbus aircraft as part of spending cuts over the next three years aimed at returning the struggling airline to profitability. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
US Third Quarter Growth Revised Down to 2.8 Percent US economic growth in the third quarter was slower than initially estimated, the Commerce Department said Tuesday in cutting its estimate to a 2.8 percent annual pace of expansion. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Ireland Hit by Public Sector Strike Against Cuts Recession-hit Ireland was severely disrupted by a one-day strike Tuesday as about 250,000 public sector workers protested at planned austerity cuts in next month’s budget. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Merkel Waiting for ‘Thank-You Letter’ From GM German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday she was expecting a “comprehensive thank-you letter” from General Motors for huge loans to keep the auto maker’s Opel unit afloat, which she said had now been repaid. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
EU’s Top Executive Refuses to Rule Out Brussels Tax The European Union’s top executive on Tuesday refused to rule out a bloc-wide tax on its half-billion population, in remarks sure to raise eurosceptic hackles. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Darfur Peacekeepers Await News on Abducted Workers Three weeks have passed without news of two kidnapped civilians working for the joint United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur, a UNAMID spokesman said on Tuesday. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Trouser Woman Sneaks Out of Sudan Under Niqab Sudanese journalist Lubna Ahmed Hussein said Tuesday she had donned a full Islamic veil to sneak out of Sudan and travel to France, two months after she was freed from jail for wearing trousers. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Kadhafi and Erdogan Discuss Mideast, UN Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi on Tuesday held talks with visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the Middle East peace process and other “international issues,” news agency Jana said. Afp, AFP GLOBAL EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Del Potro Keeps Alive Tour Finals Tennis Challenge US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro kept alive his challenge at the ATP World Tour Finals with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/1) victory over Fernando Verdasco on Tuesday. Afp, AFP EUROPEAN EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Premier League Strugglers Portsmouth Sack Hart Paul Hart became the first English Premier League manager to lose his job this season after he was “relieved of his duties” by basement club Portsmouth on Tuesday. Afp, AFP EUROPEAN EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Premier League Strugglers Portsmouth Sack Hart Paul Hart has been “relieved of his duties as first-team manager” of Portsmouth, a statement issued by the English Premier League basement club said on Tuesday. Afp, AFP EUROPEAN EDITION - 37 minutes ago
Families Want Blair Answers as Iraq War Probe Begins The first full-scale inquiry into Britain’s role in the Iraq war opened Tuesday with families of soldiers killed in combat desperate to hear Tony Blair justify the decision to join the US-led invasion. Afp, AFP EUROPEAN EDITION - 37 minutes ago
W.Pa. Nuclear Reactor Stops After ‘Unusual Event’ The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says a leak was discovered at a western Pennsylvania reactor, but workers quickly resolved it and no radioactive release was reported. Staff, AP NEWS - 38 minutes ago
US Offers $5M Reward for Palestinian Bomb Maker The U.S. State Department is offering a reward of up to $5 million for a Palestinian bomb maker suspected of targeting commercial airliners and aiding the Iraq insurgency. Adam Goldman and Randy Herschaft, AP NEWS - 38 minutes ago
Prisoner Swap Could Win Release of Popular Leader At the top of the list of Palestinian prisoners likely to be freed in a possible swap for an Israeli soldier is a firebrand politician many Palestinians believe is a likely future president who can pull them out of their current political deadlock. Ben Hubbard, AP NEWS - 38 minutes ago
3 Generations of Wyeths to Be Sold in NYC Three generations of Wyeth artworks will be auctioned next month, including 14 original oil canvases by N.C. Wyeth that were used to lavishly illustrate the classic adventure tale of “Robinson Crusoe.” Ula Ilnytzky, AP NEWS - 39 minutes ago
Treasurys Rise on Good Results for 5-Year Auction Treasury prices rose Tuesday after solid results from an auction of five-year notes shored up the market’s confidence that demand for U.S. government debt would remain strong. Stephen Bernard, AP NEWS - 43 minutes ago
Fed Says Jobless Rate to Drop ‘Slowly’ The Federal Reserve says the unfolding recovery will probably be gradual, as modest growth keeps the nation’s unemployment rate elevated over the next several years. Jeannine Aversa, AP NEWS - 43 minutes ago
Shuttle, Station Crews Seal Hatches for Departure After nearly a week together, the crews of shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station said goodbye Tuesday and closed the hatches between them. Marcia Dunn, AP NEWS - 43 minutes ago
Senator Urges Adidas to Keep NBA Uniforms in USA The official uniforms for NBA players could soon be made in Asia, a move drawing sharp criticism from a prominent lawmaker in Congress. Sam Hananel, AP NEWS - 45 minutes ago
Crude Prices Sink Below $76 Per Barrel Oil prices fell below $76 a barrel Tuesday with new data showing a slow U.S. economic recovery and consumer confidence that remains lukewarm at best. Dirk Lammers, AP NEWS - 46 minutes ago
USDA: States Struggling to Administer Food Stamps With more Americans going hungry than ever before, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is concerned that dozens of states aren’t adequately administering food stamp programs designed to provide food to low-income Americans. Henry C. Jackson, AP NEWS - 46 minutes ago