Congress ready to extend ban on plastic firearms

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• Congress ready to extend ban on plastic firearms
• US military to fly AU troops to C. Africa: officials
• Italy's new leader of left vows to back government
• US Sen. Mark Kirk has gallbladder removed
• New American Airlines emerges as world's top carrier
• 7 LA sheriff's deputies arrested in jail probe
• Jury hears ex-cop charged in deadly La. shooting
• Swiss banks hit deadline to reveal hidden accounts to US
• Domestic case dropped against '127 Hours' figure
• Torre, La Russa, Cox elected to baseball Hall
• 4 dead as Argentine police strikes inspire mobs
• Egypt Brotherhood leader denies inciting violence
• C. African Republic mobs launch sectarian attacks
• Showtime's 'Californication' ending its run
• Ex-San Diego mayor sentenced for harassment
• Thai PM calls elections as 140,000 join protest
• Spanish 'ghost airport' goes on the block
• Big tech companies lash out at government snooping
• Brazil vows to act after hooliganism outbreak
• Cardinals' Mathieu to have season-ending surgery
• Riot police storm opposition offices in Ukraine
• Health care debate has trust, politics themes, too
• Europeans trying to complete deal on bad banks
• Yanukovich backs Ukraine compromise talks as tensions rise
• Dempsey presses Congress to act on defense bill
• Subjects of '20 Feet' to sing anthem at Rose Bowl
• '12 Years a Slave,' 'Her' land on AFI top-10 list
• Correction: Fawcett-Warhol Dispute story
• U.S. senators prepare legislation to pressure Iran
• Leo partners with Venturi for FIA team
• French troops fight Central African Republic gunmen in capital
• Storm snarls travel; power outages persist
• Legal battle over Nazi-seized masterpiece revived
• EADS to cut 5,800 jobs in Europe in restructuring
• Freediving grows in popularity despite risks
• Newtown asks for privacy, kindness on 1-year mark
• Search underway for couple, 4 kids in Nevada snow
• Syrian army captures key town
• Princeton starts mass meningitis B vaccinations
• NASA: Ancient Mars lake may have supported life

Congress ready to extend ban on plastic firearms Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:52 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate vote to renew an expiring ban on plastic firearms capable of evading metal detectors and X-ray machines is shaping up as a bittersweet moment for gun control supporters, days before the anniversary of the deadly mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

US military to fly AU troops to C. Africa: officials Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:49 PM PST The US military will help fly African Union peacekeeping troops to the Central African Republic as part of a French-led effort to restore security there, US officials said Monday. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who was in Qatar on a tour of the region, has ordered American forces "to begin transporting forces from Burundi to the Central African Republic, in coordination with France," his spokesman said in a statement. The Pentagon will make two C-17 transport planes available to transport roughly 850 Burundian soldiers, a US defense official said on condition of anonymity, noting: "We hope to start tomorrow." "In the near term, France has requested airlift support to enable African forces to deploy promptly to prevent the further spread of sectarian violence in the Central African Republic," he said.

Italy's new leader of left vows to back government Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:49 PM PST ROME (AP) — Italy's new leader of the Democratic Party, the government's biggest coalition partner, is pledging to back Premier Enrico Letta.

US Sen. Mark Kirk has gallbladder removed Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:48 PM PST SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, who returned to Congress after suffering stroke last year, had his gallbladder removed Monday due to an unrelated medical issue.

New American Airlines emerges as world's top carrier Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:48 PM PST American Airlines emerged as the world's largest airline Monday, combining with US Airways after a hard-fought battle to overcome US competition concerns. AMR Corporation, the parent of American Airlines, and US Airways Group announced they had completed the deal after AMR emerged from bankruptcy protection. The new American Airlines Group is a goliath, providing nearly 6,700 daily flights to more than 330 destinations in more than 50 countries. "Our people, our customers and the communities we serve around the world have been anticipating the arrival of the new American," said Doug Parker, chief executive of American Airlines and the former chairman and CEO of US Airways.

7 LA sheriff's deputies arrested in jail probe Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:46 PM PST LOS ANGELES (AP) — At least seven current and former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were arrested Monday by the FBI as part of an ongoing investigation of inmate abuse in the nation's largest jail system.

Jury hears ex-cop charged in deadly La. shooting Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:44 PM PST NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A former New Orleans police officer testified Monday at his retrial that he thought he saw a gun in the hand of the man he shot and killed outside a strip mall in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath — and still believes he was justified to use deadly force.

Swiss banks hit deadline to reveal hidden accounts to US Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:44 PM PST Some 300 Swiss banks have until the end of Monday to decide whether to hand over records to Washington, in a bid to skirt US legal action for assisting American tax dodgers. Washington alleges that Swiss banks have helped US citizens hide billions of dollars in assets from tax authorities, in a row that has soured ties between the two in recent years. Under a deal recently reached between Bern and Washington to end the dispute, Swiss banks can avoid US prosecution by voluntarily handing over information on American clients, as well as by paying a fine. Banks that opened undeclared accounts for US clients before 2009, when Washington fined Switzerland's biggest bank, UBS, $780 million for complicity in tax evasion, will face lower penalties.

Domestic case dropped against '127 Hours' figure Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:41 PM PST DENVER (AP) — A domestic violence case has been dismissed against Aron Ralston, a Colorado adventurer whose self-amputation ordeal was made into the movie "127 Hours."

Torre, La Russa, Cox elected to baseball Hall Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:40 PM PST LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox spent decades trying to beat each other, no holds barred. On this day, however, they were a mutual admiration society.

4 dead as Argentine police strikes inspire mobs Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:38 PM PST BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Outbreaks of looting have spread across Argentina as mobs take advantage of strikes by police demanding pay raises to match inflation. The central government has dispatched federal police to trouble spots and appealed for an end to what some officials are calling treason.

Egypt Brotherhood leader denies inciting violence Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:38 PM PST CAIRO (AP) — The leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood denied his group was to blame for violence as he appeared in court Monday for the first time since being detained following the ouster of the Islamist president last summer.

C. African Republic mobs launch sectarian attacks Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:38 PM PST BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Dozens of young men stood waiting for storm clouds to pass, as wind stirred up swirls of red dust on the largely deserted street in Central African Republic's capital. Through the drizzle, they spotted a man in a flowing white robe traditionally worn by Muslims, hand-in-hand with his adolescent son.

Showtime's 'Californication' ending its run Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:36 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — The party will soon be over for David Duchovny and the television series "Californication."

Ex-San Diego mayor sentenced for harassment Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:34 PM PST SAN DIEGO (AP) — Bob Filner was sentenced Monday to three months of home confinement and three years of probation for harassing women while he was mayor of San Diego, completing the fall of the former 10-term congressman who barely a year ago achieved his long dream of being elected leader of the nation's eighth-largest city.

Thai PM calls elections as 140,000 join protest Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:29 PM PST Thailand's premier called a snap election Monday to try to defuse the kingdom's political crisis, but protesters vowed to keep up their "people's revolution" as an estimated 140,000 demonstrators flooded the streets of Bangkok. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has faced more than a month of sometimes-violent rallies by protesters storming key state buildings in a bid to unseat her government and replace it with an unelected "People's Council". Protest leaders, however, said they were not satisfied and pledged to rid Thailand of the influence of her older brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a tycoon-turned-premier who was ousted by royalist generals in a coup seven years ago and lives overseas. Addressing a cheering crowd from a newly-erected stage near the government headquarters, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban announced plans to set up a parallel government.

Spanish 'ghost airport' goes on the block Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:28 PM PST MADRID (AP) — A barely used Spanish airport that cost some 1.1 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to build and became a symbol of the country's wasteful spending ahead of an economic downturn has gone on sale for a minimum price of 100 million euros.

Big tech companies lash out at government snooping Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:27 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Silicon Valley is escalating pressure on President Barack Obama to curb the U.S. government surveillance programs that vacuum personal information off the Internet and threaten the technology industry's financial livelihood.

Brazil vows to act after hooliganism outbreak Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:25 PM PST Brazil pledged to stamp out stadium violence Monday after hooliganism marred a weekend first division league game, raising fresh doubts about its ability to stage a trouble-free World Cup. President Dilma Rousseff said Brazil could not and would not tolerate soccer violence after fans of Atletico Paranaense and Vasco Da Gama fought pitched battles in the southern city of Joinville. There was further controversy after police failed to intervene and it later transpired that Atletico had only drafted private security personnel to 'police' a "private event." Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo also condemned the violence and vowed that his ministry would be asking why military police had not been on hand.

Cardinals' Mathieu to have season-ending surgery Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:22 PM PST TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Tyrann Mathieu's terrific rookie NFL season has come to a premature end.

Riot police storm opposition offices in Ukraine Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:22 PM PST KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Heavily armed riot troops broke into the offices of a top Ukrainian opposition party office in Kiev and seized its servers Monday, the party said, as anti-government protests crippled the capital for yet another day.

Health care debate has trust, politics themes, too Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:21 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — For months, the talk was all about computer code. About response times. About glitches and bugs.

Europeans trying to complete deal on bad banks Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:20 PM PST BRUSSELS (AP) — European finance ministers are taking another crack at an issue that's bedeviled them: how to handle failing banks at an EU level.

Yanukovich backs Ukraine compromise talks as tensions rise Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:20 PM PST By Richard Balmforth and Alissa de Carbonnel KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich backed a call for talks with the opposition on Monday to end weeks of protests in Kiev, but tension was high with pro-Europe demonstrators barricading their protest camp in preparation for police intervention. As riot police took up new positions in the capital, heavyweight boxing champion-turned-opposition politician Vitaly Klitschko called on the protesters to stand their ground, and warned Yanukovich that he would have blood on his hands if security forces tried to end the stand off violently. Across town, police dismantled tents to free the main road near the government headquarters and herded protesters back. Reuters correspondents at the scene said there were no attempts by police to move against the large encampment of protesters on Kiev's Independence Square, focal point of the demonstration.

Dempsey presses Congress to act on defense bill Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:18 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is warning Congress that failure to act on a defense policy bill before year's end would create more uncertainty for the military and undercut the nation's commanders.

Subjects of '20 Feet' to sing anthem at Rose Bowl Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:17 PM PST LOS ANGELES (AP) — On New Year's Day, they'll finally travel that last 20 feet.

'12 Years a Slave,' 'Her' land on AFI top-10 list Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:16 PM PST LOS ANGELES (AP) — Steve McQueen's historic saga "12 Years a Slave," David O. Russell's con artist romp "American Hustle," Ryan Coogler's numbing "Fruitvale Station" and Alfonso Cuaron's space odyssey "Gravity" round out the American Film Institute's top-10 movies of the year.

Correction: Fawcett-Warhol Dispute story Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:15 PM PST LOS ANGELES, Calif. - LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a story Dec. 6 about an ownership dispute over an Andy Warhol portrait of Farrah Fawcett, The Associated Press reported erroneously the name of one of actor Ryan O'Neal's attorneys. His name is Todd Eagan.

U.S. senators prepare legislation to pressure Iran Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:15 PM PST By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. senators are preparing legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran in six months if an interim deal on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program goes nowhere, penalties that Iran's foreign minister has said would kill the agreement. The Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Robert Menendez, and Republican Senator Mark Kirk are close to agreeing on legislation that would target Iran's remaining oil exports, foreign exchange reserves and strategic industries, aides said on Monday. The legislation, which faces an uphill battle amid opposition from the White House, would seek to limit the ability of President Barack Obama's administration to waive sanctions on Iran. It would also reimpose sanctions if Tehran reneges on an interim deal struck last month.

Leo partners with Venturi for FIA team Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:14 PM PST MONACO (AP) — Catch him if you can: Leonardo DiCaprio is getting into the electric race-car business.

French troops fight Central African Republic gunmen in capital Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:12 PM PST By Emmanuel Braun BANGUI (Reuters) - French troops fought gunmen in the capital of Central African Republic on Monday as they searched for weapons in an operation to disarm rival Muslim and Christian fighters responsible for hundreds of killings since last week. Shooting erupted near Bangui's airport in the morning after gunmen refused to hand over their weapons, and French forces later came under attack by former rebels in the city center. France said it was prepared to use force if fighters rejected calls to disarm or return to barracks. Paris boosted its military presence to 1,600 troops at the weekend as waves of religious violence swept its former colony.

Storm snarls travel; power outages persist Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:09 PM PST MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Snow and bitter cold snarled traffic and prompted another 1,600 U.S. flight cancellations on Monday, and tens of thousands of people were still without power after January-like weather barged in a month early.

Legal battle over Nazi-seized masterpiece revived Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:08 PM PST SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal appeals court has resurrected a Jewish family's long legal battle to regain ownership of a $20 million masterpiece seized in Nazi Germany during World War II.

EADS to cut 5,800 jobs in Europe in restructuring Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:06 PM PST European aerospace giant EADS, the maker of Airbus aircraft, announced plans Monday to cut 5,800 jobs in its defence and space division over three years. The layoffs, part of a major restructuring in the face of falling orders, will affect the group's workforce in Germany, France, Spain and Britain, the company said in a statement. The news came after a meeting of its European works council with chief executive Tom Enders, whose bold plan to merge the conglomerate with Britain's defence group BAE Systems was torpedoed last year with a surprise veto by Germany. An industry source said about 2,600 of the job cuts would be in Germany, around 1,700 in France,700 in Britain and another 600 in Spain.

Freediving grows in popularity despite risks Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:06 PM PST SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Roberto Reyes grabbed the bright orange buoy and steadied his breath as sharp columns of hazy sunlight pierced the green seawater beneath him, fading before they reached the depths that he was about to explore off Puerto Rico's northwest coast.

Newtown asks for privacy, kindness on 1-year mark Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:05 PM PST NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — Newtown officials asked for privacy and joined victims' families Monday in calling for people to mark the upcoming anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting by performing acts of kindness or volunteering with charities.

Search underway for couple, 4 kids in Nevada snow Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:03 PM PST LOVELOCK, Nev. (AP) — A search resumed Monday in the remote mountains of northwest Nevada for a couple and four children who went to play in the snow and haven't returned after a night of sub-zero temperatures.

Syrian army captures key town Posted: 09 Dec 2013 11:54 AM PST DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian troops seized a key opposition-held town Monday along a major north-south highway critical for transporting the government's chemical weapons stocks to a port where they could be shipped out for destruction by the international community.

Princeton starts mass meningitis B vaccinations Posted: 09 Dec 2013 11:53 AM PST PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — Princeton University has begun vaccinating nearly 6,000 students to try to stop an outbreak of type B meningitis in an unusual federal government-endorsed administration of a drug not generally approved for use in the United States.

NASA: Ancient Mars lake may have supported life Posted: 09 Dec 2013 11:53 AM PST LOS ANGELES (AP) — NASA's Curiosity rover has uncovered signs of an ancient freshwater lake on Mars, which scientists say could have been a perfect spot for tiny primitive organisms to flourish if they ever existed on the red planet.

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