SAN FRANCISCO – Fire crews from Nevada and Oregon have arrived to help California firefighters battle hundreds of blazes that are darkening the sky over the San Francisco Bay area and Central Valley, leading public health officials to issue air-quality warnings. The lightning-caused fires have charred tens of thousands of …

WOBURN, Mass. – A day after being convicted of the murders of his wife and baby, Neil Entwistle was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without parole. The sentence is mandatory under Massachusetts state law. Entwistle’s parents and lawyers vowed that his conviction for double murder would be appealed. Click …

ANKARA, Turkey – Three members of a school chorus accused of singing a Kurdish rebel song during a U.S. tour have been acquitted by a Turkish court, their lawyer said Thursday. Lawyer Baran Pamuk says the court ruled that his clients, aged 15-18, didn’t intend to put out propaganda on …

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed victory Thursday over efforts by the United States and its allies to stifle its nuclear ambitions. “Bullying powers applied all their power, but they could not break the will of the Iranian nation,” state radio quoted him as saying. Britain’s drive for …

ATLANTA – The elderly fear breaking a hip when they fall, but a government study indicates that hitting their head can also have deadly consequences: Brain injuries account for half of all deaths from falls. The study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the first comprehensive national …

WASHINGTON – A massive foreclosure rescue bill cleared a key Senate test Tuesday by an overwhelming margin, with Democrats and Republicans both eager to claim election-year credit for helping hard-pressed homeowners. The mortgage aid plan would let the Federal Housing Administration back $300 billion in new, cheaper home loans for …

Tom Hanks saved the day for a bride-to-be by helping her cross a busy movie set to reach the altar in Rome, according to a report. A woman heading for wedded bliss at a chapel found her path obstructed by Hollywood stars and a film crew busy shooting “Angels and …

HONOLULU – The Marine Corps said it was expelling one Marine and disciplining another for their roles in a video showing a Marine throwing a puppy off a cliff while on patrol in Iraq. The 17-second video posted on YouTube drew sharp condemnation from animal rights groups when it came …

COLUMBIA, South Carolina – A South Carolina man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents 14 years ago was executed in the state’s electric chair after a last-ditch effort to halt the sentence was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. James Earl Reed was pronounced dead at 11:27 p.m. Friday in …

WASHINGTON – Sensitive information on about 1,000 patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other military hospitals was exposed in a security breach, sparking identity theft concerns and an investigation by the Army. Names, Social Security numbers, birth dates and other information was accessed, hospital officials said Monday. The …