Inquiry hears of wider Secret Service misbehavior

Washington— The lawmaker leading an inquiry into the Secret Service prostitution scandal reported dozens of "troubling" episodes of past misbehavior Wednesday and appealed to insiders to come forward with what they know as investigators try to determine whether a culture of misconduct took root in the storied agency.

Pakistan convicts doctor who helped find bin Laden

Peshawar, Pakistan— A Pakistani doctor who helped the U.S. track down Osama bin Laden was convicted of high treason Wednesday and sentenced to 33 years in prison, officials said, a verdict that is likely to further strain the country's relationship with Washington.

Library of Congress taps 25 sounds for registry

Washington — From rare audio interviews of former slaves to recordings by Donna Summer and the Grateful Dead, 25 sounds that shaped the American cultural landscape are being inducted into the National Recording Registry.

Iran is offered new plans to ease nuclear concerns

Baghdad— Diplomats from six world powers offered Iran new proposals Wednesday to ease international concerns about its nuclear program, but appeared to reject Tehran's appeals to ease economic sanctions to help move along talks.

Nancy Reagan recovering from broken ribs

Simi Valley, Calif.— Former first lady Nancy Reagan suffered broken ribs in a fall and is recovering slowly.

San Francisco city official consults Ouija board before vote

San Francisco— A San Francisco supervisor says he consulted a Ouija board before city leaders voted on whether to recommend naming a Navy ship after slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk.

Iran gives a little in nuke talks

Vienna — Despite some remaining differences, a deal has been reached with Iran that will allow the U.N. nuclear agency to restart a long-stalled probe into suspicions that Tehran has secretly worked on developing nuclear arms, the U.N. nuclear chief said Tuesday.

U.S. Army becomes selective in recruiting

Washington — Uncle Sam may not want you after all. In sharp contrast to the peak years of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the Army last year took in no recruits with misconduct convictions or drug or alcohol issues, according to internal documents obtained by the Associated Press.

Egypt holds 1st free presidential vote in 60 years

Cairo — Sixty years after their country came under military dictatorship, Egyptians are for the first time freely electing their president.

Briefs: N.C.-bound jet diverted over security concern

Bangor, Maine — A US Airways jet traveling from Paris to North Carolina was diverted to Maine on Tuesday after a French passenger handed a note to a flight attendant mentioning that she had a surgically implanted device, raising security concerns, officials said.

Joplin remembers deadly tornado, 1 year later

Joplin, Mo.— A year after a massive tornado tore through Joplin, reminders of the storm's fury are plentiful — from the glaring absence of century-old trees in the city's central neighborhoods to the ghostly shell of St. John's Regional Medical Center.

Secret Service boss to publically discuss prostitute scandal for first time

Washington — The head of the Secret Service testifies for the first time Wednesday about the humiliating prostitution scandal in Colombia that tarnished his historic agency's image. Congress wants to know whether the incident was an isolated case or a pattern of bad behavior.

Mountain lion killed in downtown Santa Monica

Santa Monica, Calif.— A mountain lion found in the courtyard of an office building was shot and killed Tuesday after it tried to escape as authorities try to figure out how the large cat made its way into downtown Santa Monica.

U.N. nuclear chief : Deal with Iran reached on probe

Vienna — Despite some remaining differences, a deal has been reached with Iran that will allow the U.N. nuclear agency to restart a long-stalled probe ...

SpaceX supply ship rockets toward space station

Cape Canaveral, Fla.— Opening a new, entrepreneurial era in spaceflight, a ship built by a billionaire businessman sped toward the International Space ...

2010 census missed more than 1.5M minorities

Washington — The 2010 census missed more than 1.5 million minorities after struggling to count black Americans, Hispanics, renters and young men, but was ...

Gunmen open fire at rally in Pakistan, 5 dead

Islamabad — Police say gunmen have opened fire on a political rally in the Pakistani city of Karachi, killing five people and sparking rioting.

Boy rescued above waterfall not scared — at first

Snohomish, Wash.— A 13-year-old boy rescued at the top of a 270-foot waterfall in Washington state says he just wanted to cool off, but soon found ...

Man in stable condition after Niagara Falls plunge

Niagara Falls, N.Y. — A man who survived a plunge of at least 180 feet over Niagara Falls — only the third person known to have done so without a ...

Small plane crashes in front of home in Los Angeles suburb

Glendale, Calif.— A pilot was released early Tuesday from a hospital after suffering minor injuries when his single-engine plane crashed into a ...

North Korea threatens to keep building nuclear program

Pyongyang, North Korea— North Korea is warning that it will keep developing its nuclear program if the United States continues to "stifle" the country. ...

Jury at Edwards trial ends 3rd day of deliberation

Greensboro, N.C.— The jury deciding the fate of former presidential candidate John Edwards has finished a third day of deliberations without reaching a ...

Golden Gate Bridge celebrates 75th with help of engineers

San Francisco — The Golden Gate Bridge was heralded as an engineering marvel when it opened in 1937. It was the world’s longest suspension span and had been ...

Marriage equality a civil right, NAACP head says

Baltimore — NAACP President Benjamin Jealous said Monday he hopes the group’s resolution supporting same-sex marriage will encourage blacks to support marriage ...

Ex-student in Rutgers webcam case gets 30 days

New Brunswick, N.J. — A former Rutgers University student who used a webcam to spy on his gay roommate was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail — a punishment ...

NATO countries commit to 2-year Afghan war exit plan

Chicago — President Barack Obama and leaders around the globe locked in place an Afghanistan exit path Monday that will still keep their troops there for ...

Yemeni’s suicide blast kills 96 fellow soldiers

Sanaa, Yemen — A Yemeni soldier detonated a bomb hidden in his military uniform during a rehearsal for a military parade, killing 96 fellow soldiers and ...

Briefs: Controversial nuclear safety chief steps down

Washington — Healthy men shouldn’t get routine prostate cancer screenings, says updated advice from a government panel that found the PSA blood tests do more ...