Insiders focus of US military chief's Afghan trip
The top US military officer Martin Dempsey flew Sunday to Afghanistan to hold talks with senior commanders amid a spate of attacks by Afghan soldiers on their NATO counterparts.
Nyad braves night of jellyfish on Cuba-Florida swim
US endurance swimmer Diana Nyad pressed on Sunday in her bid to swim from Cuba to Florida after a night of being swarmed and stung by jellyfish as she paddling through choppy seas.
Brazil faced with mounting public sector strikes
Already confronted with the impact of a global economic slowdown, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's government is now having to cope with its first major wave of public sector strikes.
Arizona governor limits immigrant benefits
On the day undocumented migrants lined up across the US to apply for deportation deferrals, Arizona's governor ordered state agencies to deny them driver's licenses and other benefits.
'Expendables 2' guns to top of N. America box office
All-star action romp "The Expendables 2" opened on top at the North American box office this week, pushing another sequel, "The Bourne Legacy," off the summit.
US army judge declines Fort Hood shooter's guilty plea
A US soldier accused of killing 13 people at a Texas army base on Wednesday tried to plead guilty, but the judge refused to accept it and the trial was unexpectedly adjourned until next week.
Limbless Frenchman swims between US, Russian islands
Quadruple amputee Philippe Croizon swam between islands in the icy Bering Strait Friday to cross from America to Asia in the final part of a quest to link all continents.
New spider family found in US caves
A team of amateur cave explorers and arachnologists has found a new family of spiders in caves and old-growth redwood forests in Oregon and California.
US men prefer beer, women love wine
US men like to drink beer, though wine is the beverage of choice for women and older adults, a poll showed Friday.
Australia 'preparing' for Assange extradition to US
Australia confirmed Saturday that its diplomatic post in Washington had been preparing for Julian Assange's possible extradition to the US but played it down as "contingency planning".
Arrests, breasts, chainsaws: Punk world backs Pussy Riot
A topless Ukrainian feminist felled a cross with a chainsaw, balaclava-clad New Yorkers braved arrest to picket an Orthodox church and Bulgarian punks re-decorated a war memorial.
U.S. share concerns of Kazakhstan authorities over activations of terrorists
We share the concern of the local authorities about these attacks: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Robert O. Blake.
New Dominican Republic president pushes anti-poverty fight
Economist Danilo Medina was sworn in as the Dominican Republic's new president Thursday and pushed for a pact against poverty as he assumed the post.
US Christian lobby blames law center over shooting
A US Christian conservative lobbying group on Thursday accused a civil rights organization of provoking the man who allegedly shot a security guard in its Washington headquarters.
Well-wishers donate $4.4 mn to US cinema shooting victims
Well-wishers from the US and around the world have donated $4.4 million to a fund for the victims of a mass shooting at a US movie theater.
'Hunger Games' dethrone Potter at Amazon.com
Amazon.com on Friday announced that "The Hunger Games" trilogy has replaced the "Harry Potter" saga as the online retail giant's best-selling series of books.
Manchester United shares fall below IPO price
Shares in legendary football club Manchester United closed below their IPO price for the first time Thursday, as apparent price support efforts gave out after five days of trade.
Deaths from landslides up to 10 times worse than thought
The death toll from landslides is 10 times higher than generally estimated, with most fatalities occurring in South Asia, China and Latin America.
New Yorkers against super-size soda ban
An overwhelming majority of New Yorkers oppose Mayor Michael Bloomberg's unprecedented proposal for banning super-sized sweet drinks and his support for breastfeeding.
Americans back guns, even after shootings: poll
An overwhelming majority of Americans, particularly whites, are adamant about the constitutional right to bear arms, a poll showed this week amid a rash of shootings across the US.