AP - The remnants of Hurricane Earl dumped wind-driven rain on Cape Cods gray-shingled cottages and fishing villages Friday night, but its close brush with the Northeast was less intense than feared only hours earlier.

AP - The security company Blackwater Worldwide formed a network of 30 shell companies and subsidiaries to try to get millions of dollars in government business after the company faced strong criticism for reckless conduct in Iraq, The New York Times ...

AP - BP PLC said the blowout preventer that failed to stop oil from spewing into the Gulf of Mexico was removed from the companys well on Friday afternoon.

AP - Searchers spotted the body of the son of Hall of Fame boxing promoter Bob Arum on a rugged Washington state mountainside Friday afternoon, five days after they began looking for him in North Cascades National Park, authorities said.

AP - Nine people have died after a light aircraft belonging to a skydiving company burst into flames and crashed Saturday near a popular tourist spot in New Zealands Southern Alps, police said.

AP - A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake damaged buildings, cut power and knocked fleeing residents off their feet on New Zealands South Island early Saturday, but there were so far no deaths and only two injuries reported.

AP - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sought to inject urgency into Israeli-Palestinian peace talks Friday, warning the negotiations may be the last chance for a very long time to reach an agreement.

AP - Gov. Jan Brewer rose to national fame defending the states immigration law and warning of rising violence along the U.S.-Mexico border, including a claim that headless bodies were turning up in the Arizona desert.

AP - Kara DioGuardi is following Ellen DeGeneres and Simon Cowell out the door at American Idol.

AP - Even Rafael Nadal felt compelled to applaud when his second-round opponent at the U.S. Open hit a spectacular, full-sprint winner and was left doing the splits at the net.

Reuters - Authorities declared a state of emergency after a major earthquake hit New Zealands second biggest city early on Saturday, bringing down power lines, ripping up roads and wrecking building facades, but authorities reported no deaths.

Reuters - The U.S. government is likely to take a loss on General Motors Co in the first offering of the automakers stock, six people familiar with preparations for the landmark IPO said.

Reuters - President Barack Obama said on Friday he would outline new measures next week to boost the U.S. economy, but analysts were skeptical he would be able to deliver a big enough package to lift growth significantly.

Reuters - Concerns over Israeli access to BlackBerry data, and the use of the device by the United States to spy on the United Arab Emirates are behind the Gulf states moves to curb the smartphone, Dubais police chief said.

Reuters - Hurricane Earl, which earlier in the week was a storm of major proportions that threatened the U.S. East Coast, weakened to a tropical storm on Friday as it swirled offshore toward Canada.

Reuters - A suicide bomber struck a rally in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday, killing at least 54 people in the second major attack this week and piling pressure on a U.S.-backed government overwhelmed by a flood crisis.

Reuters - U.S. government inspectors found no leaking oil at Mariner Energy Incs burned platform in the Gulf of Mexico, officials said late on Friday, allaying fears about more environmental damage after BPs massive spill.

Reuters - Google Inc said on Friday it was the target of an investigation by the Texas Attorney Generals office into the fairness of its search engine rankings.

AFP - A powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused widespread devastation in New Zealands second largest city of Christchurch Saturday, with officials saying it was extremely lucky no one was killed.

AFP - South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-Hwan on Saturday offered to resign after being accused of nepotism over the controversial hiring of his daughter, a spokesman for the ministry said.