MONTICELLO, Utah – A couple charged with the gruesome torture of their adopted children waived extradition Monday, clearing the way for their return to Florida. John and Linda Dollar (search) were picked up by deputies Friday night south of Blanding in remote southeast Utah, and were being held in the …

LONDON – The new Palestinian government faces a challenge to its authority from terrorists, but the deadly bombing in Tel Aviv need not dim the best hope in years for a Middle East peace deal, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (search) said Monday. “There are going to be ups and …

BALTIMORE – A man who shot a former priest made wild claims to doctors, meaning he either had severe psychotic symptoms or was trying to fake them, a psychiatrist testified Tuesday. The prosecution rested its case Tuesday in the trial of former priest Maurice Blackwell (search), 58, and the defense …

WASHINGTON – Federal authorities are investigating two e-mail scams, including one targeting families of soldiers killed in Iraq, that claim to be connected to the Homeland Security Department (search). The scams “are among the worst we have ever encountered,” Michael J. Garcia, director of the department’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement …

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A train slammed into an ambulance that apparently tried to get out of its path, but stopped at a rail crossing, killing all three paramedics on board. The patient in the vehicle survived, officials said. Paramedics Jeff Ferrand, 37, and John Rook, 23, died at the …

A newly invented dental paste (search) could silence the dreaded whine of dentists’ drills, fixing early cavities without fillings. The paste was developed by researchers including Kazue Yamagishi, DMD, from Japan’s FAP Dental Institute. Their report appears in the Feb. 24 issue of the journal Nature. Ordinarily, dental cavities are …

MOSCOW – President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin (search) offered conflicting assessments of democracy in Russia on Tuesday, just two days before they are to meet at a summit for discussions about global security issues and the fight against terrorism. At a news conference with European Union leaders in …

WASHINGTON – The Energy Information Administration (search) on Tuesday lowered its forecasts for world and U.S. oil demand during the first half of this year, though the forecasts remained higher than recent estimates from the International Energy Agency and actual year-ago demand. The Energy Department’s (search) division said world oil …

LOS ANGELES – The board of Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) ousted Chairman and Chief Executive Carly Fiorina (search) Wednesday, drawing cheers from some investors who say the company’s parts are worth more than the sum. HP recently combined the printing and PC businesses, but investors have focused on four main divisions …

MIAMI – Four months after a string of hurricanes ravaged sections of Florida, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (search) remains under attack — for giving out too much money. Critics say the agency used bad information to justify handing out millions of dollars in damage claims, including thousands of checks …