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VATICAN CITY – Cardinals have been entering conclaves (search) to select new popes for centuries, but the age-old tradition is getting a makeover. The cardinals are now staying in the comfy and modern Santa Marta (search) residence, which is a nice change from the cramped quarters their predecessors knew. The …

WASHINGTON – Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko (search) asked Congress to help the former Soviet republic make democratic progress by supporting its entrance into international organizations including NATO and ending Cold War-era trade restrictions. “Please make this step toward Ukraine. Please tear down this wall,” he said Wednesday, echoing President Reagan’s …

The blockbuster painkiller Bextra (search) was yanked off the market Thursday, and the government ordered that 19 other popular prescription competitors — from Celebrex (search) to Mobic (search) to high-dose naproxen (search) — carry tough new warnings that they, too, may increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The …

CASTALIA, Ohio – You’re both grounded! Two voting-age sons of a northern Ohio candidate didn’t go to the polls Tuesday, and their father’s race ended in a tie. William Crawford, trying to retain his seat on the central committee of the Erie County Democratic Party, and challenger Jean Miller each …

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema got the last word Thursday as she formally handed down a lifetime prison sentence for Zacarias Moussaoui. “You will die with a whimper,” Brinkema told the Al Qaeda conspirator — since he will never be allowed to speak publicly again — as she sentenced him …

WASHINGTON – CIA chief Porter Goss resigned Friday to the surprise of many in Washington, although some sources say there have been rumblings of Goss’ departure and that his move is just another part of the recent White House shake-up. “I appreciate his integrity, I appreciate the honor in which …

PARIS – Deep beneath pavement pounded by tourists on Paris’ Left Bank lies an ancient path — a 2,000-year-old Roman road recently excavated during construction work. Remnants of private houses rigged with baths and ingeniously heated floors were among the findings, now on view in a stunning dig. Over the …

WASHINGTON – The pace of sales of existing homes in the United States fell 2.0 percent in April, roughly in line with expectations, as higher mortgage interest rates ate into buyers’ ability to purchase homes, a trade group said on Thursday. Sales of existing U.S. homes fell to a seasonally …

WASHINGTON – The House ethics committee, fortified by a pile of new money to conduct investigations, has become a player in major bribery probes that could leave some lawmakers facing double trouble: criminal prosecution and punishment by their peers. The committee on Wednesday announced two full-blown investigations and a separate …

BRASILIA, Brazil – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his disappointment to President Evo Morales for the abrupt way Bolivia has carried out the nationalization of its natural gas sector, Brazil’s foreign minister said Tuesday. Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said the complaint was registered privately with Morales during …