SAN FRANCISCO – Web search company Ask Jeeves Inc. (ASKJ) on Wednesday posted a quarterly profit that beat expectations, but its shares slipped less than 1 percent after it forecast current-quarter earnings below Wall Street’s consensus targets. Ask Jeeves is the fourth most-used Web search company in the United States …

SACRAMENTO – The California Assembly has voted to restrict the use of ultrasound machines for personal use, approving a bill that would allow them to be sold only to licensed professionals. Democratic Assemblyman Ted Lieu introduced the bill after “Mission: Impossible III” star Tom Cruise bought an ultrasound machine to …

MEXICO CITY – Mexican President Vicente Fox will sign into law a measure that decriminalizes the possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs for personal use, his spokesman said Tuesday. Spokesman Ruben Aguilar defended the law, which was approved Friday by Mexico’s Senate, despite criticism in …

When Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) opens its newest store Friday on the same New York shopping strip as Prada, Tiffany & Co. and Saks Fifth Avenue, it’ll mark five years of a distinctive retail style that both reinforces the company’s brand cachet and pays off handsomely. Like most other openings …

CAMBRIDGE, Md. – President Bush defended his warrantless eavesdropping program Friday, saying during what he thought were private remarks that he concluded that spying on Americans was necessary to fill a gap in the United States’ security. “I wake up every morning thinking about a future attack, and therefore, a …

Looking for a good scare this Halloween? No need to even leave the house. iMag has put together a list of the 13 scariest horror flicks ever to grace the silver screen so you can create your own fright fest right in your living room. Gather a group of your …

SAN FRANCISCO – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) is known for its hardball tactics, but the little city of Hercules has come up with some muscle of its own in a bid to keep the big-box retailer out. The City Council in the affluent Bay Area suburb will hold a hearing …

SALT LAKE CITY – A campground at Natural Bridges National Monument has been closed because of bubonic plague detected among field mice and chipmunks. Plague also has been found this spring in rodent populations at Mesa Verde National Park and Colorado National Monument. National Park Service officials said there never …

KABUL, Afghanistan – The U.S. military on Wednesday defended an airstrike earlier this week on a southern Afghan village that killed at least 16 civilians, saying its troops were being fired on and they had the right to defend themselves. Meanwhile, 60 Taliban militants and four Afghan soldiers were killed …

WASHINGTON – The House agreed Wednesday to affirm the right of voters in areas with large populations of non-English-speaking citizens to cast ballots in their native language. The 254-167 roll call in support of bilingual balloting came just a week after GOP divisions over the issue contributed to the postponement …