Ford shrinks its cars to curb losses

Ford Motor Co. will transform its vehicle lineup, bringing six small cars from Europe to sell domestically, it announced today. Three truck and SUV plants in the United States and Mexico will be retooled to make the more fuel-efficient cars. The company also revealed a massive second-quarter loss, CNNMoney.com reports.

Is marriage really just for white people?

Forty-five percent of black women in America have never been married, compared with 23 percent of white women. A CNN producer who produced a "Black in America" segment on the low marriage rates in black America talks about her own experience as a single black woman -- and what the future holds.

Obama plans 'substantive' speech

Sen. Barack Obama arrived in Berlin today on the latest leg of an international trip intended to bolster his foreign policy credentials. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was greeted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Later he is set to address a crowd for what his campaign has described as a "substantive address on U.S.-European relations."

McCain frustrates young Republicans

From cyberspace to college campuses, many young conservatives are worried that Sen. John McCain is not appealing to their generation.

Poll shows Obama winning over Latinos

A new poll released Thursday shows overwhelming support from Latinos for Sen. Barack Obama over Sen. John McCain.

Beck: Obama coverage almost embarrassing

"Sometimes it's hard to tell if Barack Obama is running for president of the United States or Mr. Universe."

Home sales fall more than expected

Sales of existing homes slowed more than expected in June while inventory increased, according to an industry trade group reading of the sluggish housing market released Thursday.

Olympic officials ban Iraq

The International Olympic Committee has banned Iraq from competing in the upcoming Summer Olympics games because of what it says is political interference by the government in sports.

Dolly leaves trail of floods, destruction

Tropical Storm Dolly churned through southern Texas early Thursday, leaving a trail of battered buildings and flooding.

Judge backs girl over 'embarrassing' name

A New Zealand judge has made a 9-year-old girl a ward of the court so that her name can be changed from Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii, the country's national news agency reported Thursday.

Mosley wins court case over orgy

World motorsport boss Max Mosley has won his legal action against a newspaper over reports of a Nazi-style orgy.

Obama set for key Berlin speech

White House hopeful Barack Obama is to make a keynote speech in Berlin on how he sees future relations with Europe.

Libya 'halts Swiss oil shipments'

Libya's state shipping company says it has halted oil shipments to Switzerland in protest over the arrest of Muammar Gaddafi's son.

US seeks boost to Pakistan F-16s

The US confirms plans to allocate $230m of military funding to upgrade Pakistan's fleet of F-16 fighter jets.

Zimbabweans 'start crisis talks'

Zimbabwe's ruling and opposition parties begin power-sharing talks in South Africa, officials say.

US cancer boss in mobiles warning

The director of a top US cancer research institute warns thousands of staff of possible risks from mobile phone use.

Concern over French nuclear leaks

A nuclear watchdog in France expresses its concern after a series of recent incidents at nuclear power plants.

Carmakers tackle global problems

Three of the world's top carmakers unveil plans to help them survive as the industry faces slumping demand.

Hunt begins for Karadzic helpers

Officials investigating Bosnian Serb ex-leader Radovan Karadzic vow to track down those who aided his false identity.

NZ judge orders name change for girl called Talula does the Hula

A judge in New Zealand makes Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii a ward of court so she can change her name.

Will Smith 'tops Hollywood earners list'

Will Smith was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood last year, according to US business magazine Forbes.

Iraq banned from Beijing Olympics

The International Olympic Committee bans Iraq from competing at this summer's Games because of political interference.

Pakistan keeps Champions Trophy

September's ICC Champions Trophy will remain in Pakistan after a review into safety and security in the country.

Backlash fears

Palestinian workers under pressure after digger attack

Vanishing act

How to disappear without a trace - legitimately

Day in pictures

Some striking images from around the world

Against the odds

Lebanese Olympic shooter is no stranger to gunfire

Obama tour

Palestinians pay culinary homage to visiting Senator 'O'

Audio slideshow

Images of hunger in east Africa by Nick Danziger

New E Africa food crisis warning

More than 14m in the Horn of Africa need food aid because of drought and high prices.

Adopted Guatemala baby 'stolen'

DNA tests in Guatemala prove for the first time a child put up for adoption in the state system had been stolen.

Indonesian crash pilot on trial

The pilot of an Indonesian Garuda airliner that crashed last year, killing 21 people, goes on trial charged with negligence.

EU seeks to halt cruelty to seals

The European Commission calls for a ban on seal products in the EU, to improve animal welfare.

UK MPs call for talks with Hamas

A UK parliamentary committee calls for dialogue with Hamas, as the UN says poverty has reached a new high in Gaza.

Five killed in Kashmir explosion

At least five people are killed in a blast caused by suspected militants in Indian-administered Kashmir, police say.

"Big divergences" push WTO talks towards crisis

Afghan army says kills "dozens" of insurgents

Zimbabwe's MDC, ruling party start full crisis talks

Strong quake jolts north Japan, 107 hurt

China says breaks up international terrorist cell

Iran official hopeful new nuclear talks can begin

Castro to speak at birthplace of Cuba revolution

Cambodia, Thailand agree more temple talks

Sudan invites foreign experts to check judiciary

Mafia godfather's daughter ties knot in Corleone

South Texas gets first look at Dolly's damage

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Residents and recovery teams began fanning out across south Texas Thursday and cars crept along roads with darkened stoplights as the region got its first look at the destruction left by Hurricane Dolly....

Obama and German leader discuss war and economics

BERLIN (AP) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as climate and energy issues at Germany's chancellery Thursday, part of a tour aimed at lifting the first-term senator's international standing....

Ford posts $8.7 billion loss on asset write-downs

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. posted the worst quarterly performance in its history Thursday, losing $8.67 billion in the second quarter....

Existing home sales fall 2.6 percent in June

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sales of existing homes fell more sharply than expected in June as the housing industry continued to be bruised by the worst slump in more than two decades....

Federal minimum wage rises to $6.55 today

WASHINGTON (AP) -- About 2 million Americans get a raise Thursday as the federal minimum wage rises 70 cents. The bad news: Higher gas and food prices are swallowing it up, and some small businesses will pass the cost of the wage hike to consumers....

AP IMPACT: Fatal MRAP accidents prompt warnings

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The towering trucks that give U.S. troops the best protection against roadside bombs and enemy bullets also make them vulnerable to routine hazards like sharp turns, rutted roads and rickety bridges....

Bale asks for privacy in assault allegations

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Batman star Christian Bale asked for privacy Thursday in his first comments since allegations he assaulted his mother and sister at a London hotel, saying the incident was personal....

Scientists recover complete dinosaur skeleton

TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese and Mongolian scientists have successfully recovered the complete skeleton of a 70-million-year-old young dinosaur, a nature museum announced Thursday....

Source: Swimmer Jessica Hardy tests positive

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Jessica Hardy's first trip to the Olympics could be over before it began. The swimmer tested positive for a banned substance, leaving her just two weeks to pursue any appeals before the Beijing Games begin....

Obama in Berlin looks to restore transatlantic ties

BERLIN (AFP) - US presidential hopeful Barack Obama discussed transatlantic ties with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday, at the start of a European tour aimed at burnishing his foreign policy credentials.

NKorea, Thai-Cambodia flare-up dominate Asian security talks

SINGAPORE (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice led calls Thursday for restraint over a Thai-Cambodia border dispute and North Korea signed a non-aggression treaty during annual Asian security talks.

Zimbabwe crisis talks begin in South Africa

PRETORIA (AFP) - Talks began in earnest Thursday on resolving Zimbabwe's political crisis after President Robert Mugabe gave his senior lieutenants the final go-ahead to negotiate power-sharing with the opposition.

Arctic 'holds 90bln barrels of oil, mostly offshore'

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Within the Arctic circle there are 90 billion barrels of oil and vast quantities of natural gas waiting to be tapped, most of it offshore, the government-run US Geological Survey said.

British clampdown on illegal downloads

LONDON (AFP) - Britain's biggest Internet providers have signed an agreement with the country's recording industry to clamp down on illegal downloading, in a move announced by the government Thursday.

Energy group BG says net profit rockets in first half

LONDON (AFP) - British oil and gas giant BG Group, hoping to get its hands on Australia's Origin Energy, said on Thursday that its net profit had soared 68 percent in the first-half as the price of crude rocketed.

Daimler lowers profit forecast even as second quarter sales rise

FRANKFURT (AFP) - The German car maker Daimler posted on Thursday a six-percent increase in second-quarter sales to 25.4 billion euros (40 billion dollars) but warned that its would not meet a full-year operating profit forecast.

Suspicion, terrain foes for Afghan surge

As violence in Afghanistan escalates, the U.S. is responding by scrambling to get in more troops. But it's far from clear how the strategy will work in the  vast, rugged land, full of hiding places.

Pentagon plays down Afghan violence

The Pentagon on Wednesday played down the seriousness of growing violence in Afghanistan but declined to say the U.S. and NATO were winning their fight against Taliban insurgents.

Obama visits Jerusalem's Western Wall

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama made an unscheduled pre-dawn visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall on Thursday, at the end of a trip aimed at showing his strong support for Israel.

Obama to speak in Berlin

Democrat Barack Obama, who has vowed greater consultation with American allies on major foreign policy issues, was auditioning that role Thursday in a meeting with conservative German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Israel to build new West Bank outpost

A key committee has approved construction of the first new Jewish settlement in the West Bank in a decade, an Israeli official said Thursday.  The news infuriated Palestinians.

N. Korea signs Asian peace pact

North Korea's reclusive communist regime, long seen as a nuclear threat to the region, signed a nonaggression pact with Southeast Asian nations Thursday.

Magnitude 6.8 quake hits Japan

A strong earthquake jolted northern Japan early on Thursday, injuring more than 100 people, trapping hundreds in halted trains and affecting production at some high-tech factories.

F1 chief wins 'Nazi' orgy lawsuit

Motor racing boss Max Mosley won a landmark privacy-invasion lawsuit Thursday against a tabloid newspaper's claims he took part in a "Nazi" orgy.

Witness: Bin Laden 'happy' with 9/11 toll

Osama bin Laden's driver overheard the al-Qaida leader saying he was happy about the death toll in the September 11 attacks, according to one of the driver's interrogators.

Castro cryptic on Russia bomber claim

Ailing Fidel Castro said Wednesday that Cuba's president was right to adopt a "dignified silence" over a Moscow newspaper report that Russia may send nuclear bombers to the island.

Karadzic capture signals Serbian shift

The capture of genocide suspect Radovan Karadzic revealed an extraordinary turnaround for Serbia, and the prospect of another former communist country embedding itself in the West.

Judge: Girl can't be called Talula Does The Hula

A family court judge in New Zealand has had enough with parents giving their children bizarre names here, and did something about it.

Moussaoui Juror Falls Ill; Deliberations to Resume Friday

Iran Test-Fires Another 'Top Secret' Missile

Duke Lacrosse Coach Resigns Amid Rape Flap

100 Homes Threatened by Weakened Dam in Northern California

Video Claims to Show Insurgents Dragging Burning Body of U.S

DHS Press Secretary Arrested on Child Seduction Charges

Saddam Dodges Questions From Prosecutors

Kidnapped Brothers Killed in Venezuela

French Unions: Repeal Labor Law in 10 Days, or Else

Three Arrested, Man Shot in 'Baby Shower Gone Bad'

Obama meets with Merkel in Berlin

Berlin is the first stop on a European tour that will also take Obama to France and Britain - part of an effort to burnish his foreign policy credentials as he campaigns against John McCain.

Obama meets with Israeli and Palestinian leaders

The candidate shared breakfast with Defense Minister Ehud Barak of Israel before traveling to the West Bank to meet the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.

Protectors of Radovan Karadzic are sought

The Serbian authorities are trying to determine who helped the former Bosnian Serb leader assume the false identity that enabled him to elude capture for more than a decade.

Serbian government to reinstate ambassadors withdrawn from EU in Kosovo protest

Serbia decided Thursday to reinstate ambassadors withdrawn in protest from EU countries that supported the independence of Kosovo, officials said.

Karadzic makes light of war crimes charges

Radovan Karadzic said he would face prosecutors alone if handed over to the UN tribunal.

Max Mosley wins suit against British tabloid

A judge ruled on Thursday that a British tabloid newspaper breached the privacy of Max Mosley, the overseer of grand prix motor racing, when it published a story in March claiming he had participated in a sadomasochistic "orgy" with a Nazi theme.

Expelled by Kremlin, an investor fights back

The fall of one of Russia's most prominent foreign investors points to the official corruption that afflicts the country.

Czechs show how to avoid being dependent on Russia for energy

When the Prague government defied Moscow and signed an accord to accept a U.S. missile defense shield, it minimized the effect of a Russian oil cutoff with alternative energy sources.

EU cuts back funding to Bulgaria

The European Commission on Wednesday froze hundreds of millions of euros in aid to Bulgaria, citing poor administration, corruption and organized crime, casting a cloud over the future expansion of the European Union.

French wine makers in an uproar over naming

A court decision on the 2006 classification of Saint-Émilion châteaux has thrown wine growers into fury and confusion.

Libya retaliates against Switzerland after arrest of Gadhafi's son

The Swiss Foreign Ministry said Swiss citizens should cease travel to Libya immediately.

Britain plans pullout of most of its Iraq force

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told Parliament that Britain planned a "fundamental change of mission" at the turn of the year.

Venezuela and Russia to coordinate on energy

President Hugo Chavez called for a partnership to counter what he called an American threat against his country.

'Back from the dead' canoe couple sentenced to more than 6 years in jail

A judge sentenced both a husband and wife to more than six years in jail Wednesday for faking the man's drowning death in an insurance scam.

Maliki appeals to Germany to increase investment in Iraq

Eager to attract technological know-how and investment, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq urged German industry to put aside reservations about security and help modernize Iraq's energy infrastructure.

9 members of Basque separatist cell arrested over recent bombings

The alleged leader of a Basque separatist cell believed to be responsible for a string of recent bomb attacks in Spain was arrested along with eight other cell members.

No DNA match in German killing tied to terrorists in '70s

Prosecutors investigating whether a convicted Red Army Faction terrorist had been involved in the group's most notorious killing said the DNA found at the scene did not match hers.

Obama meets with Merkel in Berlin

Berlin is the first stop on a European tour that will also take Obama to France and Britain - part of an effort to burnish his foreign policy credentials as he campaigns against John McCain.

Obama meets with Israeli and Palestinian leaders

The candidate shared breakfast with Defense Minister Ehud Barak of Israel before traveling to the West Bank to meet the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.

Protectors of Radovan Karadzic are sought

The Serbian authorities are trying to determine who helped the former Bosnian Serb leader assume the false identity that enabled him to elude capture for more than a decade.

Serbian government to reinstate ambassadors withdrawn from EU in Kosovo protest

Serbia decided Thursday to reinstate ambassadors withdrawn in protest from EU countries that supported the independence of Kosovo, officials said.

Karadzic makes light of war crimes charges

Radovan Karadzic said he would face prosecutors alone if handed over to the UN tribunal.

Max Mosley wins suit against British tabloid

A judge ruled on Thursday that a British tabloid newspaper breached the privacy of Max Mosley, the overseer of grand prix motor racing, when it published a story in March claiming he had participated in a sadomasochistic "orgy" with a Nazi theme.

Expelled by Kremlin, an investor fights back

The fall of one of Russia's most prominent foreign investors points to the official corruption that afflicts the country.

Czechs show how to avoid being dependent on Russia for energy

When the Prague government defied Moscow and signed an accord to accept a U.S. missile defense shield, it minimized the effect of a Russian oil cutoff with alternative energy sources.

Bale asks for privacy in assault allegations (AP)

Ford posts $8.7 billion loss on asset write-downs (AP)

Existing home sales fall 2.6 percent in June (AP)

Pace of existing home sales falls to 10-year low (Reuters)

Ford posts $8.7 billion loss - CNNMoney.com

McCain narrows Obama's lead in new Michigan poll - Chicago Tribune

U.S. wants counterterrorism funds for Pakistan F-16s (Reuters)

Sales of US Existing Homes Fell to 10-Year Low (Update1) - Bloomberg

David Ortiz next stop: Fenway - Boston Herald

Obama Will Address House Dems Next Week - CBS News

Shock-Comets Preview - USA Today

Morning Coffee: Army calls Campbell to active duty - ESPN

Obama in Berlin looks to restore transatlantic ties (AFP)

Poll: Obama holds commanding lead with Hispanics - Houston Chronicle

Flooding feared along US-Mexico border from Dolly - Reuters

Rice Applauds Karadzic Arrest - Voice of America

Spill closes Miss. River from New Orleans to Gulf - Reuters

Juniper Confirms Microsoft's Johnson To Become New CEO - CNNMoney.com

Rapper Nas and Protesters Make Petitions Against Fox Network - eFluxMedia

Jordan's lower house opposes charges against Sudanese president - Xinhua

South Texas starts cleanup after Hurricane Dolly (AP)

Obama and German leader discuss war and economics (AP)

Investors grab Fannie, Freddie after House vote (Reuters)

X-Files - The Beginning, and Beyond - Monsters and Critics.com

"Big divergences" push WTO talks towards crisis (Reuters)