Israel launches scores of airstrikes into Gaza

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel bombarded the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip with nearly 200 airstrikes early Saturday, the military said, widening a blistering assault on Gaza rocket operations to include the prime minister's headquarters, a police compound and a vast network of smuggling tunnels.The new attacks, which Gaza officials say left 10 dead, followed an unprecedented rocket strike aimed at...

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Land mine kills 17 Afghans traveling to a wedding

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A roadside bomb in western Afghanistan killed 17 civilians traveling to a wedding Friday, an Afghan official said.Abdul Rahman Zhuwandai, a spokesman for Farah province, said the civilians were riding in a bus that hit the bomb in Pusht Rod district.At least 10 people were wounded in the explosion in what is a relatively peaceful part of the country.Afghan President Hamid...

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Jason Mraz to make historic appearance in Myanmar

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jason Mraz will make history next month when he performs in Myanmar to raise awareness about human trafficking.Mraz will headline a free outdoor concert on Dec. 16 at People's Square in Yangon, at the base of Shwedagon Pagoda.The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is believed to be the first international artist to perform an open-air concert in the country. The show includes...

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Curtains for Rice's State hopes?

By Walter ShapiroBefore the initials CIA came to stand for Covert Intimate Affairs, the battle over the next secretary of state would have been the main event of post-election November. Normally, it doesn’t get better than a brand-name Washington struggle pitting the newly reelected president against the Republican senator he defeated in 2008 over filling the Cabinet post soon to be vacated by an...

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Parents slam Irish abortion laws after woman dies

NEW DELHI (AP) — The parents of an Indian woman who suffered a miscarriage and died after being refused an abortion in an Irish hospital slammed Ireland's abortion laws Thursday.Savita Halappanavar was 17 weeks pregnant when she miscarried and died last month. Ireland's government confirmed Wednesday that Halappanavar suffered from blood poisoning and died after being denied an abortion, reigniting...

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In UK, Twitter, Facebook rants land some in jail

LONDON (AP) — One teenager made offensive comments about a murdered child on Twitter. Another young man wrote on Facebook that British soldiers should “go to hell.” A third posted a picture of a burning paper poppy, symbol of remembrance of war dead.All were arrested, two convicted, and one jailed — and they’re not the only ones. In Britain, hundreds of...

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2 more books coming from 'Gone Girl' author

NEW YORK (AP) — "Gone Girl" novelist Gillian Flynn is sticking around.The million-selling author has agreed to write two more books for Random House Inc. The publisher announced Thursday that she will write a novel and a young adult novel. The books currently are untitled and publication dates have not been set."Gone Girl" has been among the top sellers of 2012, with sales approaching 2 million copies....

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Booze calories nearly equal soda's for US adults

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans get too many calories from soda. But what about alcohol? It turns out adults get almost as many empty calories from booze as from soft drinks, a government study found.Soda and other sweetened drinks — the focus of obesity-fighting public health campaigns — are the source of about 6 percent of the calories adults consume, on average. Alcoholic beverages account for about...

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Rubio: ‘My trip to Iowa has nothing to do with 2016′

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at the 2012 Republican National Convention (Getty)On Thursday in Washington, D.C., Florida Sen. Marco Rubio sounded very much like he's embracing his role as a rising star in the Republican Party, but he dismissed the notion that an upcoming visit to Iowa puts him on the presidential grid for 2016."My trip to Iowa has nothing to do with 2016," Rubio said during a wide-ranging...

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Vietnam may evict bears from 'protected' park land

TAM DAO, Vietnam (AP) — Bears, some of them blinded or maimed, play behind tall green fences like children at school recess. Rescued from Asia's bear bile trade, they were brought to live in this lush national park, but now they may need saving once more.The future of the bears' sanctuary has been in doubt since July, when a vice defense minister ordered the nonprofit group operating the $2 million...

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