WASHINGTON – The United States will work with nations in the Middle East to help spread awareness and research about the growing problem of breast cancer in a region where discussing it can be a cultural taboo, first lady Laura Bush said Monday. The State Department has formed partnerships with …

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – In a desperate effort to fight the ravages of alcoholism on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, leaders of the Oglala Sioux tribe are threatening to set up roadblocks Wednesday and stop members from bringing in beer bought at four outlying stores. Alcohol has long been banned …

REDMOND, Wash. – Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) Chairman Bill Gates said Thursday he will transition from day-to-day responsibilities at the company to concentrate on the charitable work of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates will continue as the company’s chairman after transferring his duties over a two-year period. “This was …

FRIGATE BAY, St. Kitts – Pro-whaling nations, led by Japan, lost two key votes Friday at the International Whaling Commission‘s annual meeting — an indication they may not have the majority necessary to take control of the body and try to repeal its ban on commercial hunting. In the first …

SACRAMENTO, California – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this week rejected a request from the Bush administration to send an additional 1,500 National Guard troops to the Mexican border, the governor’s office confirmed Friday. The National Guard Bureau, an arm of the Pentagon, asked for the troops to fill shortfalls for the …

TORINO, Italy – Mix in some song, dance and a squealing Ferrari, and cap it off with some opera. That’s amore — for the Torino Olympics. It was a mutual love affair between the Italian hosts — known for their flair for the dramatic — and their visitors from around …

WASHINGTON – Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts said Friday the Bush administration’s domestic spying is within the president’s inherent power under the Constitution, and he rejected criticism that Congress was kept in the dark about it. The program is “legal, necessary and reasonable,” the Kansas Republican wrote in a …

DALLAS – Dell Inc. (DELL) said Thursday that fourth-quarter profit rose 52 percent as the world’s largest personal computer maker finally turned in stronger sales growth than expected, led by sales to businesses and to international customers. Dell said it earned $1.01 billion, or 43 cents per share in the …

LONDON – Iranian and Hamas leaders rejected President Bush’s call for change in his State of the Union address, but many Europeans welcomed his recognition that America’s gas guzzling days must end. Bush had harsh words for Iran, which he said was being “held hostage by a small clerical elite …

LOS ANGELES – U.S. radio companies reporting earnings next week may disappoint some investors after a challenging year for the mature medium, which faces soft advertising trends and growing competition from devices like iPod portable music players and satellite radios. “Overall, we believe most companies will deliver fourth-quarter results … …