NEW ORLEANS – With the boom of a howitzer cannon, the National D-Day Museum has officially changed its name to the National World War II Museum, sparking hopes of busier days ahead for other institutions in this city’s museum district. Since Hurricane Katrina hit nine months ago, tourism has dropped …

PORT HOPE, Mich. – Authorities seized five guns, ammunition and 26 knives from a teenager who wrote about “potential violent acts” against others at his rural high school, the Huron County sheriff said Wednesday. The teenager was home with his parents while county Prosecutor Mark Gaertner considered whether to file …

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The crew of Discovery will squeeze in an extra inspection of the space shuttle late in its 12-day mission next month to make sure the vehicle is safe to return to Earth, NASA officials said Thursday. The first-of-its-kind late inspection, using a laser imager attached to …

COLOGNE, Germany – Italy was held to a 1-1 draw by the United States on Saturday, giving all four teams in Group E a chance to advance to the second round of the World Cup. Italy finished a man down and the Americans ended with only nine men. Alberto Gilardino …

NEW YORK – U.S. apparel chains and department stores Thursday posted higher May same-store sales that largely trounced analyst forecasts, though No. 1 retailer Wal-Mart (WMT) warned high energy prices could slow growth. Among those reporting top-notch results were women’s clothing specialist AnnTaylor Stores (ANN), whose sales growth was twice …

BERLIN – Iran’s foreign minister has indicated that his country may respond before mid-July to an international package aimed at resolving a standoff over its nuclear program, a German magazine reported Wednesday. Iran received the proposals June 6, andPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said the government will not respond officially until …

WASHINGTON – About 100 people gathered Sunday to protest a potential U.S.-South Korean free trade agreement, part of a weeklong series of demonstrations and rallies planned as trade officials begin formal talks. South Korean farmers and laborers and their U.S. supporters began their march at the International Monetary Fund building …

Microsoft reps have denied recent rumors alleging that the company has partnered with a number of Japanese consumer-electronics firms to develop a device to compete in Japan with Apple’s iPod. Several reports are currently making the rounds, reporting that Microsoft has collaborated with eight other companies to create a new …

WASHINGTON – Opium poppy cultivation worldwide was down 22 percent in 2005, a United Nations report said Monday, part of a generally favorable, albeit inconclusive, trend in efforts by governments to contain illicit drug production. The U.N.’s 2006 World Drug Report also found that cocaine use is reaching alarming levels …

WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday urged respect and sensitivity in the debate over gay marriage, but ducked a question about her own views on the question. “This is an issue that can be debated and can be discussed in our country with respect for every human …