JERUSALEM – Israel on Friday welcomed a temporary truce declared by Palestinian militants and promised to hold its fire in return, but demanded that the Palestinian Authority eventually dismantle the armed groups. The 13 main Palestinian militant groups announced Thursday they would halt attacks on Israel for the rest of …

LEXINGTON, Va. – Twelve cadets at the Virginia Military Institute (search) have been punished for dressing up as Nazis and drag queens and wearing other costumes deemed inappropriate at a Halloween party in the barracks. The punishments included confinement to quarters and the writing of essays on the incident. Photographs …

PASADENA, Calif. – Famed rock ‘n’ roll producer Phil Spector (search) has been named in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the mother of a B-movie actress whom Spector is accused of killing in his home. The shooting took place after Spector “grabbed, hit, fought with … and injured” Lana Clarkson …

Weekdays at 3 p.m. in the East and high noon in the West! The news begins anew with “Studio B”… Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (search) begins her 10-day whirlwind European tour. Can she mend strained relations with our European allies? We’ll ask Harlan Ullman, senior adviser for the Center …

DENVER – Attorneys in the sexual assault lawsuit against Kobe Bryant (search) said Monday a long-awaited deposition by the NBA star was postponed, prompting speculation that a settlement is in the works. Bryant was to face a full day of questioning on Friday by L. Lin Wood and John Clune, …

LOS ANGELES – The man accused of causing a deadly train wreck during an aborted suicide attempt last month pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 11 counts of murder that could bring the death penalty. Juan Manuel Alvarez (search), 25, parked an SUV on the tracks Jan. 26 but lost his …

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. – Standing outside the hospice where Terri Schiavo (search) lives, family and supporters of the severely brain-damaged woman on Wednesday kicked off a campaign of lobbying and protests hoping to block her husband from removing the feeding tube keeping her alive. With legal options dwindling, the woman’s …

All of the arthritis drugs in the family that includes Vioxx (search) appear to raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes, several members of an FDA panel suggested Wednesday. Late in a second day of an FDA inquiry into the safety of the drugs, experts appeared to lean heavily …

LONDON – Soccer star David Beckham’s wife, Victoria — formerly known as “Posh Spice (search)” — gave birth Sunday to the couple’s third son, named Cruz. Victoria Beckham (search), 30, and the baby are in “perfect health,” said Dr. Vidal Pelaez, head of the obstetrics and gynecology department at the …

WASHINGTON – Venezuela’s top diplomat took his government’s case against the United States on Wednesday to the Organization of American States (search), indirectly accusing Washington of repeatedly violating Venezuelan sovereignty. Without mentioning the United States by name, Foreign Minister Ali Rodriguez Araque said his government’s intelligence agencies have evidence suggesting …