Iran to respond to UN nuke proposal next week
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) _ Iran is still studying a U.N.-drafted plan to ship much of its uranium to Russia for further enrichment and will formally respond to the offer next week, Iran's envoy to the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Friday. Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's permanent envoy to the U.N. nuclear agency, told Iran's state Press TV that Iran is "working and elaborating on all the details of this proposal" and that he would inform the International Atomic Energy Agency "next week about our evaluation."
Feds probe why jet flew 150 miles past airport
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Federal investigators are scrambling to determine what happened aboard a Northwest Airlines jetliner whose crew flew 150 miles past its destination while air traffic controllers, other pilots and even a flight attendant back in the cabin tried to get their attention. Investigators don't know whether the pilots may have fallen asleep, but National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Keith Holloway said Friday that fatigue and cockpit distraction will be looked into.
Sept. home sales rise 9.4 pct., beating forecast
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Racing to complete their purchases before a tax credit for first-time owners expires, homebuyers pushed sales up last month by the largest amount in more than 26 years. After jumping 9.4 percent in September, sales are up nearly 24 percent from the bottom in January, the National Association of Realtors said Friday. But the housing market's momentum could easily peter out if Congress doesn't extend the credit of up to $8,000 for first-time buyers beyond its current Nov. 30 deadline.
Slain Fla. girl's mom vows to find unknown killer
ORANGE PARK, Fla. (AP) _ Chubby-cheeked Somer Thompson was last seen alive walking along the sidewalk in front of a vacant house, and authorities said Friday that they're searching for someone who saw what happened to the 7-year-old after that. Her teary but resolute mother warned her daughter's killer: "We'll get you."
NATO considers beefing up Afghan war support
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) _ Top NATO and United Nations officials signaled Friday they may request more international troops to join American forces in Afghanistan as the top U.S. defense official said President Barack Obama is still weeks away from deciding on a shift in war strategy. At a Friday meeting of 28 NATO defense ministers, Pentagon chief Robert Gates said allies indicated a willingness to boost military and civilian aid _ even as Obama remains undecided over whether to escalate U.S. troop strength to counter Afghan insurgents.
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AP Exclusive: $205M man says he sold meth chemical
MEXICO CITY (AP) _ A Chinese-Mexican businessman arrested after police found a $205 million stash of cash in his Mexico City mansion has told U.S. prosecutors he sold tons of a chemical used to make methamphetamine on the black market, a top Mexican official told The Associated Press. Zhenli Ye Gon's lawyers, who are fighting efforts to extradite him to Mexico from the United States, vehemently deny their client admitted anything illegal and call the report misinformation intended to sway public opinion against him.
US swine flu deaths surpass 1,000, CDC reports
ATLANTA (AP) _ More Americans have been vaccinated against seasonal flu this fall than ever before by this time of year, federal health officials said Friday. Sixty million people have gotten the winter flu vaccine _ probably because they're paying more attention to flu warnings in general, thanks to swine flu. It's an unprecedented number of seasonal flu shots for October; most usually aren't given until later in the fall.
Fla. insurer renews policy despite Chinese drywall
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) _ Florida's public insurance company reversed course this week and said it will cover a couple's Gulf Coast retirement home, after previously telling the homeowners their policy wouldn't be renewed because of the home's tainted Chinese drywall. Citizens Property Insurance Corp., a state-backed insurer of last resort, told The Associated Press for an Oct. 15 story that it generally couldn't continue to cover homes with such defective materials because of a "pollution" exclusion in policies.
U2 and Bono adapt to changing times
Even while maintaining its status as one of the few musical acts that can still fill stadiums, U2 is struck by how quickly its world is changing _ musically and politically. Charismatic front man Bono, in a reflective mood as U2 closes the North American leg of its "360" tour, notes the different, more polarized atmosphere in the United States since the band performed its anthem, "City of Blinding Lights," at President Obama's inauguration in January.
Angels fly to Bronx with ALCS comeback in mind
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) _ Chone Figgins and the Los Angeles Angels know they're heading straight into more than one kind of storm, and they can't wait to get wet. Heavy showers in Saturday's New York forecast are threatening to wash out Game 6 of the AL championship series, yet that's a minor drizzle compared to the high-pressure system the Angels created for both themselves and the Yankees by extending the ALCS through the weekend.
