World rings in 2012 and bids adieu to a tough year (AP)

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• World rings in 2012 and bids adieu to a tough year (AP)
• Romney has Iowa edge, glimmer of clarity in race? (AP)
• Obama signs defense bill despite 'reservations' (AP)
• Afghan president welcomes US remarks on Taliban (AP)
• Police: More cars set afire in LA, arson suspected (AP)
• It's never been safer to fly; deaths at record low (AP)
• Moon countdown: Hours until 1st NASA probe arrives (AP)
• No one hurt after camera falls at Insight Bowl (AP)
• Cops: Man tried to use $1M bill at NC Walmart (AP)
• No. 3 Kentucky beats No. 4 Louisville 69-62 (AP)
• Republicans scour Iowa for undecided voters (Reuters)
• Obama signs bill imposing Iran banking sanctions (Reuters)
• Romney feels campaign trail energy close to home (Reuters)
• Euro could become world's leading currency: Noyer (Reuters)
• Nigeria's Jonathan declares state of emergency (Reuters)
• Iran delays missile test, ready for nuclear talks (Reuters)
• U.S. in $3.5 billion arms sale to UAE amid Iran tensions (Reuters)
• Syrian opposition signs plan for post-Assad future (Reuters)
• Antiabortion ads from outlier presidential candidate raise eyebrows (The Christian Science Monitor)
• Which GOP rivals would vote for Ron Paul if he's GOP nominee? (The Christian Science Monitor)

World rings in 2012 and bids adieu to a tough year (AP) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 12:55 PM PST AP - Fireworks glittered and boomed as revelers in Australia, Asia and the Middle East welcomed 2012 and others around the world looked forward to bidding adieu to a year marred by hurricanes, tsunamis and economic turmoil.

Romney has Iowa edge, glimmer of clarity in race? (AP) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 11:40 AM PST AP - Mitt Romney is the clear Republican front-runner in Iowa in the final days before the first voting in the 2012 presidential election. But that's where the glimmer of clarity ends in this unpredictable nomination race.

Obama signs defense bill despite 'reservations' (AP) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 12:42 PM PST AP - President Barack Obama signed a wide-ranging defense bill into law Saturday despite having "serious reservations" about provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation and prosecution of suspected terrorists.

Afghan president welcomes US remarks on Taliban (AP) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 07:28 AM PST AP - Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday welcomed remarks from the Obama administration that the Taliban were not necessarily America's enemies.

Police: More cars set afire in LA, arson suspected (AP) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 11:58 AM PST AP - Several more cars burned in suspected arson attacks in the Los Angeles area early Saturday morning, and authorities investigated if they were connected to nearly two dozen deliberately set blazes a day earlier, police said.

It's never been safer to fly; deaths at record low (AP) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 11:03 AM PST AP - Boarding an airplane has never been safer.

Moon countdown: Hours until 1st NASA probe arrives (AP) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 01:32 AM PST AP - NASA is counting down the seconds until its twin spacecraft bound for the moon make back-to-back arrivals over the New Year's weekend.

No one hurt after camera falls at Insight Bowl (AP) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 11:51 AM PST AP - Flying cameras have been providing unique perspectives on everything from golf to college and professional football for more than a decade, becoming so commonplace that fans rarely notice the whizzing remote-controlled devices.

Cops: Man tried to use $1M bill at NC Walmart (AP) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 11:57 AM PST AP - Do you have change for a million-dollar bill?

No. 3 Kentucky beats No. 4 Louisville 69-62 (AP) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 12:00 PM PST AP - Freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had season-highs with 24 points and 19 rebounds to lead No. 3 Kentucky in a rough-and-tumble 69-62 victory over No. 4 Louisville on Saturday to extend the nation's longest home winning streak.

Republicans scour Iowa for undecided voters (Reuters) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 12:45 PM PST Reuters - Republican White House hopefuls scoured Iowa for undecided voters on Saturday and front-runner Mitt Romney argued that he is the best to take on President Barack Obama as time ran short before the first votes of the 2012 election season.

Obama signs bill imposing Iran banking sanctions (Reuters) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 12:15 PM PST Reuters - President Barack Obama signed a sweeping U.S. defense funding bill on Saturday that includes new sanctions on financial institutions dealing with Iran's central bank, but cited concerns about sections that expand the U.S. military's authority over terrorism suspects and limit his powers in foreign affairs.

Romney feels campaign trail energy close to home (Reuters) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 10:35 AM PST Reuters - It was standing room only as Mitt Romney briefly took time out from Iowa to campaign in Republican strongholds in New Hampshire, where he holds a wide lead approaching the state's first-in-the-nation primary.

Euro could become world's leading currency: Noyer (Reuters) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 11:18 AM PST Reuters - The euro could become the world's leading currency in the next decade if leaders of the single-currency bloc succeed in tightening fiscal integration, European Central Bank policymaker Christian Noyer said in an article to be published in the Journal du Dimanche.

Nigeria's Jonathan declares state of emergency (Reuters) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 10:04 AM PST Reuters - President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on Saturday in parts of Nigeria plagued by a violent Islamist insurgency, and ordered shut the borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger in the northeast.

Iran delays missile test, ready for nuclear talks (Reuters) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 10:08 AM PST Reuters - Iran said it had delayed planned long-range missile tests in the Gulf on Saturday and signalled it was ready for fresh talks with the West on its disputed nuclear programme.

U.S. in $3.5 billion arms sale to UAE amid Iran tensions (Reuters) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 07:42 AM PST Reuters - The United States has signed a $3.5 billion sale of an advanced antimissile interception system to the United Arab Emirates, part of an accelerating military buildup of its friends and allies near Iran.

Syrian opposition signs plan for post-Assad future (Reuters) Posted: 31 Dec 2011 11:45 AM PST Reuters - Two leading Syrian opposition parties have agreed a road map to democracy should mass protests nearly in their 10th month succeed in toppling President Bashar al-Assad, according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters on Saturday.

Antiabortion ads from outlier presidential candidate raise eyebrows (The Christian Science Monitor) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 03:02 PM PST The Christian Science Monitor - Amid the otherwise cheerful holiday TV lineup, some graphic antiabortion ads have been causing viewers to do a double take in Iowa, New Hampshire, and several other states.

Which GOP rivals would vote for Ron Paul if he's GOP nominee? (The Christian Science Monitor) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 02:30 PM PST The Christian Science Monitor - With libertarian-leaning Ron Paul riding high in polls of Republican voters in Iowa, a simple question has become a hot one in recent days for his rivals in the presidential race: If the Texas congressman were to win the Republican nomination, would they vote for him?

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Emboldened by monitors, Syrians hold huge protests (AP)

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• Emboldened by monitors, Syrians hold huge protests (AP)
• Romney says Paul doesn't represent mainstream (AP)
• In a first, gas and other fuels are top US export (AP)
• Hundreds of Iraqis cheer departure of US forces (AP)
• Obama delays request for $1.2T debt limit increase (AP)
• Firefighters chase arson fires in Hollywood area (AP)
• Letter airs harassment claims against HP's ex-CEO (AP)
• Parents held responsible for underage drinking (AP)
• APNewsBreak: Russell Brand, Katy Perry to divorce (AP)
• Roethlisberger probable for Steelers vs Browns (AP)
• White House says delaying debt ceiling request (Reuters)
• Seventeen dead as Syrians stage mass protests (Reuters)
• Verizon backtracks on $2 fee after customer outrage (Reuters)
• Iowa's quirky caucuses open 2012 White House race (Reuters)
• Spain says deficit bigger than expected, hikes taxes (Reuters)
• New details rekindle HP-Hurd flap (Reuters)
• North Korea's new leaders lash out at South Korea and allies (Reuters)
• Exclusive: U.S. mulls transfer of senior Taliban prisoner (Reuters)
• 'Racist newsletter' timeline: What Ron Paul has said (The Christian Science Monitor)
• Gulf oil spill could result in criminal charges for BP employees (The Christian Science Monitor)

Emboldened by monitors, Syrians hold huge protests (AP) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:03 AM PST AP - In the largest protests Syria has seen in months, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets Friday in a display of defiance to show an Arab League observer mission the strength of the opposition movement.

Romney says Paul doesn't represent mainstream (AP) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:12 AM PST AP - An Iowa victory within reach, an increasingly confident Mitt Romney on Friday cast chief GOP presidential rival Ron Paul as a fringe candidate and said: "I'm working harder than anyone to make sure he's not the nominee."

In a first, gas and other fuels are top US export (AP) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:49 PM PST AP - For the first time, the top export of the United States, the world's biggest gas guzzler, is — wait for it — fuel.

Hundreds of Iraqis cheer departure of US forces (AP) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 10:14 AM PST AP - Hundreds of Sunni Muslims gathered in Baghdad Friday to celebrate the withdrawal of American forces, but in a sign of the sectarian divisions that re-emerged immediately after their departure, Shiite Muslims did not join the event.

Obama delays request for $1.2T debt limit increase (AP) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:21 PM PST AP - President Barack Obama is delaying his request for another $1.2 trillion increase in the nation's debt limit at the request of congressional leaders.

Firefighters chase arson fires in Hollywood area (AP) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:13 PM PST AP - An arsonist swept through the Hollywood area under the cover of dark early Friday, torching vehicles whose flames ignited nearby houses, including one once occupied by Doors frontman Jim Morrison.

Letter airs harassment claims against HP's ex-CEO (AP) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:08 PM PST AP - Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd's efforts to impress an HP event hostess included showing her his checking-account balance holding over $1 million, according to a letter detailing the sexual harassment allegations that led to his ouster.

Parents held responsible for underage drinking (AP) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:46 AM PST AP - Parents of teens: If you think a drinking disaster at your kid's party can't happen at your house, not with your kid, because he's a good kid, it's time to wake up and smell the whiskey bottle tossed on your lawn.

APNewsBreak: Russell Brand, Katy Perry to divorce (AP) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:22 PM PST AP - Russell Brand and Katy Perry are getting a divorce, the British comedian told The Associated Press Friday.

Roethlisberger probable for Steelers vs Browns (AP) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:50 AM PST AP - Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and safety Troy Polamalu each attended a full practice Friday and are listed as probable for the regular-season finale in Cleveland on Sunday.

White House says delaying debt ceiling request (Reuters) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:06 AM PST Reuters - President Barack Obama has agreed to delay submitting a debt ceiling increase request to allow lawmakers time to consider it while they are in session, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Friday.

Seventeen dead as Syrians stage mass protests (Reuters) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:45 PM PST Reuters - Syrian security forces opened fire at protesters on Friday, killing at least 12, as hundreds of thousands filled the streets of restive cities to demonstrate against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, opposition activists said.

Verizon backtracks on $2 fee after customer outrage (Reuters) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:54 PM PST Reuters - Verizon Wireless has reversed its decision to charge a $2 fee for one-time telephone and online bill payments after a storm of criticism from consumers and the U.S. communications regulator.

Iowa's quirky caucuses open 2012 White House race (Reuters) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:32 AM PST Reuters - The long and sometimes quirky drama of electing a U.S. president, marked by obscure rules and long-held traditions, begins on Tuesday in more than 800 schools, libraries, churches and homes across Iowa.

Spain says deficit bigger than expected, hikes taxes (Reuters) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 08:47 AM PST Reuters - Spain's new government said on Friday that this year's budget deficit would be much larger than expected and announced a slew of surprise tax hikes and wage freezes that could drag the country back to the centre of the euro zone debt crisis.

New details rekindle HP-Hurd flap (Reuters) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 08:32 AM PST Reuters - Former Hewlett Packard CEO Mark Hurd made increasingly aggressive romantic advances over several years toward an independent contractor who later accused him of sexual harassment, according to claims in a letter from her lawyer obtained by Reuters.

North Korea's new leaders lash out at South Korea and allies (Reuters) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 10:46 PM PST Reuters - North Korea sounded a bellicose note in its first communication with the outside world since the death of leader Kim Jong-il, saying its confrontational stance against South Korea would not change and labeling its opponents "foolish."

Exclusive: U.S. mulls transfer of senior Taliban prisoner (Reuters) Posted: 30 Dec 2011 06:44 AM PST Reuters - The Obama administration is considering transferring to Afghan custody a senior Taliban official suspected of major human rights abuses as part of a long-shot bid to improve the prospects of a peace deal in Afghanistan, Reuters has learned.

'Racist newsletter' timeline: What Ron Paul has said (The Christian Science Monitor) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 05:20 PM PST The Christian Science Monitor - It's the biggest setback to hit Ron Paul's candidacy for president: publicity about racially charged statements and other controversial comments in newsletters published in Mr. Paul's name in the 1980s and 1990s.

Gulf oil spill could result in criminal charges for BP employees (The Christian Science Monitor) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 02:36 PM PST The Christian Science Monitor - Federal criminal charges may be pending for key individuals involved in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

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Foreign monitors energize Syrian protests (AP)

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• Foreign monitors energize Syrian protests (AP)
• Romney plans aggressive push before Iowa caucuses (AP)
• For Iran, cost of closing strait may outweigh gain (AP)
• Bachmann vows to stay in GOP race despite setbacks (AP)
• US finalizes deal to sell F-15s to Saudi Arabia (AP)
• Vt. reopens last highway destroyed by Irene (AP)
• Worst year in decades for endangered elephants (AP)
• Scholars want help identifying slaves' origins (AP)
• Wynonna Judd engaged to Highway 101 drummer (AP)
• NASCAR's Kahne sorry for breastfeeding comments (AP)
• Economy gaining momentum, housing shows a pulse (Reuters)
• Syrian forces kill 25 protesters, monitors reach cities (Reuters)
• Italy seeks bigger euro fund after tough debt sale (Reuters)
• Russia battles fire on nuclear submarine (Reuters)
• Could Romney score an early knockout? (Reuters)
• Turkey acknowledges killing civilians in Iraq strike (Reuters)
• Alibaba hires U.S. lobbying firm as it eyes Yahoo (Reuters)
• Iran warns U.S. over Strait of Hormuz (Reuters)

Foreign monitors energize Syrian protests (AP) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 12:17 PM PST AP - The presence of Arab League monitors in Syria has re-energized the anti-government protest movement, with tens of thousands turning out over the past three days in cities and neighborhoods where the observers are expected to visit. The huge rallies have been met by lethal gunfire from security forces apparently worried about multiple mass sit-ins modeled after Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Romney plans aggressive push before Iowa caucuses (AP) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 12:02 PM PST AP - Feeling optimistic, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Thursday was positive on TV with an upbeat, new ad but in person went negative against President Barack Obama. He also announced an aggressive schedule of campaign events for the days leading up to next week's caucuses.

For Iran, cost of closing strait may outweigh gain (AP) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 01:01 PM PST AP - With missile batteries, fleets of attack boats and stocks of naval mines, Iran can disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz but probably cannot completely shut down the world's most important oil route, military analysts say. The question for Iran's leadership is whether it is worth the heavy price.

Bachmann vows to stay in GOP race despite setbacks (AP) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 12:54 PM PST AP - Vowing to press ahead through the Iowa caucuses, Republican Michele Bachmann dismissed the notion Thursday that her presidential campaign was in disarray.

US finalizes deal to sell F-15s to Saudi Arabia (AP) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 12:01 PM PST AP - The sale of $30 billion worth of F-15SA fighter jets to Saudi Arabia has been finalized, boosting the military strength of a key U.S. ally in the Middle East to help counter Iran, the Obama administration announced Thursday.

Vt. reopens last highway destroyed by Irene (AP) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 12:14 PM PST AP - After hundreds of thousands of tons of rock were hauled out and tens of thousands of man-hours were spent, Vermont celebrated the completion of the biggest single engineering challenge following the flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Irene.

Worst year in decades for endangered elephants (AP) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 11:50 AM PST AP - Large seizures of elephant tusks make this year the worst on record since ivory sales were banned in 1989, with recent estimates suggesting as many as 3,000 elephants were killed by poachers, experts said Thursday.

Scholars want help identifying slaves' origins (AP) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 11:45 AM PST AP - Almost two centuries before there was a man named Obama in the White House, there was a man named Obama shackled in the bowels of a slave ship. There is no proof that the unidentified Obama has ties to President Barack Obama. All they share is a name. But that is exactly the commonality that Emory University researchers hope to build upon as they delve into the origins of Africans who were taken up and sold.

Wynonna Judd engaged to Highway 101 drummer (AP) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 12:45 PM PST AP - Wynonna Judd is engaged to her boyfriend, the drummer for the country group Highway 101. Judd, 47, and Cactus Moser, 54, got engaged Dec. 24. They are currently touring together as Wynonna and The Big Noise.

NASCAR's Kahne sorry for breastfeeding comments (AP) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 12:53 PM PST AP - NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne is apologizing for comments he made about public breastfeeding on his Twitter account.

Economy gaining momentum, housing shows a pulse (Reuters) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 12:14 PM PST Reuters - New U.S. claims for jobless benefits rose last week but the underlying trend pointed to an improving labor market, while regional factory data showed the economy gaining momentum as the year ended.

Syrian forces kill 25 protesters, monitors reach cities (Reuters) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 10:12 AM PST Reuters - Syrian security forces shot dead 25 people on Thursday, including in cities being visited by Arab League monitors to check whether President Bashar al-Assad is keeping a pledge to end a crackdown on popular unrest.

Italy seeks bigger euro fund after tough debt sale (Reuters) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 10:46 AM PST Reuters - Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti sought reinforcement for the euro zone's bailout fund and pledged new efforts to boost the economy after a disappointing bond auction on Thursday underlined the threat to the country's shaky public finances.

Russia battles fire on nuclear submarine (Reuters) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 11:43 AM PST Reuters - Russia used helicopters and tugboats to battle a fire that engulfed a nuclear submarine docked at a shipyard on Thursday, but emergency officials said radiation levels were normal.

Could Romney score an early knockout? (Reuters) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 07:43 AM PST Reuters - Mitt Romney's campaign did its best on Wednesday to lower expectations, but no one was really buying it.

Turkey acknowledges killing civilians in Iraq strike (Reuters) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 10:18 AM PST Reuters - Turkish warplanes killed 35 civilian smugglers in northern Iraq after mistaking them for Kurdish militants, Ankara's ruling party said on Thursday, promising not to allow a cover-up of an incident that threatens to wreck relations with minority Kurds.

Alibaba hires U.S. lobbying firm as it eyes Yahoo (Reuters) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 07:14 PM PST Reuters - Alibaba Group has hired a Washington lobbying firm in a sign that the Chinese e-commerce company would be willing to make a bid for all of Yahoo Inc in the event that talks to unwind their Asian partnership fail.

Iran warns U.S. over Strait of Hormuz (Reuters) Posted: 29 Dec 2011 07:46 AM PST Reuters - A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said on Thursday the United States was not in a position to tell Tehran "what to do in the Strait of Hormuz," state television reported, after the U.S. said it would preserve oil shipments in the Gulf.

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NKoreans salute, cry for late leader Kim Jong Il (AP)

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• NKoreans salute, cry for late leader Kim Jong Il (AP)
• US warns Iran against closing Hormuz oil route (AP)
• In Iowa, Obama toils while GOP roars, then departs (AP)
• Romney, Perry slap at Paul on Iran (AP)
• Syrian troops kill 9 protesters despite monitors (AP)
• Abortion, immigration changes among new 2012 laws (AP)
• Last-minute holiday shopping gives lift in finale (AP)
• Preventive care: It's free, except when it's not (AP)
• Clergymen clash at Bethlehem birthplace of Jesus (AP)
• Cheetah the chimp from 1930s Tarzan flicks dies (AP)
• Snow and tears mark funeral for North Korean leader (Reuters)
• Deutsche Boerse, NYSE extend merger deadline to sway Europe (Reuters)
• Analysis: China needs new policy course as capital tide turns (Reuters)
• U.S. Fifth Fleet says won't allow Hormuz disruption (Reuters)
• "Nothing frightening" seen in Syria protest hotbed: monitor (Reuters)
• Seven hurt as bomb hits Madrassa in Nigeria (Reuters)
• Obama sees approval rating rise. Is it the economy or something else? (The Christian Science Monitor)
• Wisconsin recall: Should taxpayers pay extra to verify petition signatures? (The Christian Science Monitor)

NKoreans salute, cry for late leader Kim Jong Il (AP) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 08:59 AM PST AP - North Korea's next leader escorted his father's hearse in an elaborate state funeral on a bitter, snowy day Wednesday, bowing and saluting in front of tens of thousands of citizens who wailed and stamped their feet in grief for Kim Jong Il.

US warns Iran against closing Hormuz oil route (AP) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:33 AM PST AP - The U.S. warned Iran Wednesday that it will not tolerate any disruption of naval traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran's navy chief said the Islamic Republic is capable of closing the vital oil route if the West imposes new sanctions targeting Tehran's oil exports.

In Iowa, Obama toils while GOP roars, then departs (AP) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 11:46 AM PST AP - One presidential campaign claims an impressive effort in Iowa this year: eight offices opened, 350,000 phone calls to potential supporters and 1,280 events to recruit and train volunteers.

Romney, Perry slap at Paul on Iran (AP) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:42 AM PST AP - Mitt Romney and Rick Perry on Wednesday assailed Republican presidential rival Ron Paul for saying the U.S. has no business bombing Iran to keep it from acquiring a nuclear weapon, drawing a sharp contrast with their rising rival as he returned to Iowa to campaign before the lead-off caucuses.

Syrian troops kill 9 protesters despite monitors (AP) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 10:46 AM PST AP - Arab League monitors spent a second day in the Syrian city of Homs Wednesday gathering accounts about the government's crackdown on dissent as troops in nearby Hama opened fire on thousands of unarmed protesters and killed at least six, according to activists.

Abortion, immigration changes among new 2012 laws (AP) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 12:50 PM PST AP - Girls seeking abortions in New Hampshire must first tell their parents or a judge, employers in Alabama must verify new workers' U.S. residency, and California students will be the first in the country to receive mandatory lessons about the contributions of gays and lesbians under the set of state laws set to take effect at the start of 2012.

Last-minute holiday shopping gives lift in finale (AP) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 10:00 AM PST AP - The holiday shopping season turned out to be two seasons split by a big lull.

Preventive care: It's free, except when it's not (AP) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:14 AM PST AP - Bill Dunphy thought his colonoscopy would be free.

Clergymen clash at Bethlehem birthplace of Jesus (AP) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 07:11 AM PST AP - The annual cleaning of one of Christianity's holiest churches deteriorated into a brawl between rival clergy Wednesday, as dozens of monks feuding over sacred space at the Church of the Nativity battled each other with brooms until police intervened.

Cheetah the chimp from 1930s Tarzan flicks dies (AP) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 06:12 AM PST AP - A Florida animal sanctuary says Cheetah the chimpanzee sidekick in the Tarzan movies of the early 1930s has died at age 80.

Snow and tears mark funeral for North Korean leader (Reuters) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 10:19 AM PST Reuters - The world watched anxiously on Wednesday as North Korea staged a huge funeral in the capital, Pyongyang, for former leader Kim Jong-il, searching for signs of what to expect from the isolated nation that may be close to attaining nuclear weapons capacity.

Deutsche Boerse, NYSE extend merger deadline to sway Europe (Reuters) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:17 AM PST Reuters - Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext have extended the deadline for completion of their planned merger to March 31 next year as they seek to convince European regulators to back the $9 billion deal.

Analysis: China needs new policy course as capital tide turns (Reuters) Posted: 27 Dec 2011 10:13 PM PST Reuters - China's economy has surfed for years on a crest of hefty capital inflows, but the tide that brought gains in money supply is turning as global growth slows.

U.S. Fifth Fleet says won't allow Hormuz disruption (Reuters) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:12 AM PST Reuters - The U.S. Fifth Fleet said on Wednesday it would not allow any disruption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran threatened to stop ships moving through the world's most important oil route.

"Nothing frightening" seen in Syria protest hotbed: monitor (Reuters) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 08:56 AM PST Reuters - The chief Arab League monitor in Syria said he saw "nothing frightening" on a first visit to the battered protest hotbed of Homs but France called his remarks premature and urged Syria to guarantee his team free movement.

Seven hurt as bomb hits Madrassa in Nigeria (Reuters) Posted: 28 Dec 2011 11:48 AM PST Reuters - Assailants threw a crude homemade bomb into a Madrassa in southern Nigeria's Delta state overnight, police said, wounding seven people and escalating tensions between Muslims and Christians after a spate of church bombings across the nation.

Obama sees approval rating rise. Is it the economy or something else? (The Christian Science Monitor) Posted: 27 Dec 2011 03:48 PM PST The Christian Science Monitor - President Obama has enjoyed a rebound in popularity, putting him in a stronger position to defend his presidency in next year's election campaign.

Wisconsin recall: Should taxpayers pay extra to verify petition signatures? (The Christian Science Monitor) Posted: 27 Dec 2011 03:07 PM PST The Christian Science Monitor - The Republican Party of Wisconsin is suing in state court to force the state agency overseeing the recall drive against Gov. Scott Walker to take on the burden of verifying petition signatures.

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