WILPATTU, Sri Lanka – A series of powerful mines explosions at Sri Lanka’s largest national park destroyed a vehicle full of local tourists, killing at least seven people, police said Sunday. The army and police found human remains and the wrecked jeep at the site of the blasts in the …

SACRAMENTO – A man whose son was convicted of supporting terrorism by attending an Al Qaeda training camp in Pakistan was released from federal custody but declined to comment. Umer Hayat, a 48-year-old ice cream vendor, had been held since he and his son were arrested last June. He had …

HARTFORD, Conn. – Sen. Christopher Dodd said Monday that he is gearing up for a possible run for president, announcing plans to travel the country, raise money and hire staff in an effort to garner support. Dodd, D-Conn., told The Hartford Courant in an interview in Washington that he has …

WASHINGTON – The federal agency that regulates telecommunications has declined to look into allegations that phone companies broke laws by sharing customer records with the government’s biggest spy agency. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said in a letter that the agency doesn’t have the power to review classified information, …

WASHINGTON – Venezuela is being added to the list of countries “not fully cooperating” with U.S. government anti-terrorism efforts and will face a ban on U.S. arms sales to that nation, a State Department official said on Monday. For nearly a year, there has been a nearly total lack of …

ROCKVILLE, Md – Two teenagers were charged with setting fires in suburban Washington after they bragged about the blazes on MySpace.com, authorities said. The 17-year-old schoolmates were involved in 17 fires in Montgomery County, fire officials said Friday. The teens face 22 charges, including two counts each of first-degree arson …

BRUSSELS, Belgium – NATO defense ministers expressed confidence Thursday that their beefed-up mission in Afghanistan can stem the surge in violence by supporters of the deposed Taliban regime. NATO is increasing its force in Afghanistan from 9,700 to 16,000, with an expansion into the volatile southern region of the country …

MIAMI – A federal judge ordered prosecutors to turn over more evidence to back up allegations that Jose Padilla and two co-defendants conspired to kill, injure or kidnap people overseas as part of a global Islamic terrorist network. U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke said Tuesday she agreed with claims made …

This is a partial transcript from “Hannity & Colmes,” June 21, 2006, that has been edited for clarity. SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Earlier tonight I spoke to comedian, actress and soon-to-be morning radio talk show host Whoopi Goldberg. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) HANNITY: How are you? WHOOPI GOLDBERG, COMEDIAN: I’m pretty good, Sean. …

NEW YORK – Internet phone company Vonage Holdings Corp. (VG) said on Wednesday it aimed to expand its customer base to businesses with a new device that can be carried and plugged into computers for making phone calls. Analysts, however, said the product was not enough to change their dim …