WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Pakistan hold high-level talks on Wednesday aimed at reversing decades of mistrust, but tensions over issues from nuclear cooperation to security are still expected to taint relations.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought on Tuesday to ease strained ties but their talks yielded no sign of a breakthrough in the stalled Middle East peace process.

AP - Danilo Gallinari scored 17 of his 28 points during a spirited duel with Carmelo Anthony in the third quarter, and the New York Knicks beat the Denver Nuggets 109-104 on Tuesday night.

Reuters - The United States and Pakistan hold high-level talks on Wednesday aimed at reversing decades of mistrust, but tensions over issues from nuclear cooperation to security are still expected to taint relations.

AFP - The United States cautioned that China must consider the 'implications' of Google's decision to effectively shut down its Chinese search engine because of censorship and cyber-hacking.

AFP - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama met twice during a dramatic evening in the White House, but no signs emerged of a breakthrough in a row over Jewish settlements.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel may soon replace a diplomat Britain has said it will expel over the use of forged British passports by suspected killers of a Hamas commander in Dubai, Israeli media reported Wednesday.

AP - President Barack Obama has signed into law the most sweeping overhaul of U.S. health care since Medicare, but one last chapter in the epic struggle is still playing out in the Senate.

AP - The Jerusalem municipality has approved 20 new apartments for Jews in east Jerusalem, the city said Wednesday, in a move that could stir a new diplomatic crisis with the United States.

AP - Banks and other private lenders are about to lose a $70 billion-a-year student loan business, part of a massive overhaul of college assistance programs that has received an unexpected boost from President Barack Obama's health care success.

AP - He kept coming back to the letters.

AP - A drug suspect arrested in northern Mexico over the weekend turned up dead hours later with signs of torture on his corpse, prompting denials from the navy that it had anything to do with the man's death.

AP - California's budget crisis and overcrowded prisons have led to a new reality for thousands of convicted felons: parole is getting a lot easier — no more random drug tests, travel rules or requirements to check in with an officer.

Reuters - The Israeli diplomat Britain plans to expel over forged British passports used by the suspected killers of a Hamas commander in Dubai is a Mossad agent who Israel may replace, Israeli media said on Wednesday.

BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Two day after shutting its Chinese portal over censorship, Google Inc said it plans to phase out deals to provide filtered search services to other online or mobile firms in China.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Undeterred by turbulence in its ties with the United States and Britain, Israel on Wednesday confirmed further plans to expand the Jewish presence in occupied East Jerusalem, with more building freshly approved.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli diplomat Britain plans to expel over forged British passports used by the suspected killers of a Hamas commander in Dubai is a Mossad agent who Israel may replace, Israeli media said on Wednesday.

AP - You have been tagged in 12 photos. Even if you're not signed up to the Web site.

Reuters - Two day after shutting its Chinese portal over censorship, Google Inc said it plans to phase out deals to provide filtered search services to other online or mobile firms in China.

Reuters - Undeterred by turbulence in its ties with the United States and Britain, Israel on Wednesday confirmed further plans to expand the Jewish presence in occupied East Jerusalem, with more building freshly approved.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of Bishop John Magee of Cloyne, Ireland, who has been accused of mishandling reports of sexual abuse in his diocese, the Vatican said on Wednesday.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The New York Times Co apologized to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew on Wednesday and paid S$160,000 ($114,000) in damages for an article about Asian political dynasties.

BOSTON (Reuters) - Hundreds of computer geeks, most of them students putting themselves through college, crammed into three floors of an office building in an industrial section of Ukraine's capital Kiev, churning out code at a frenzied pace. They were creating some of the world's most pernicious, and profitable, computer viruses.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised on Tuesday to help Mexico broaden a drug war that has failed to curb traffickers' increasingly deadly power along the U.S.-Mexican border.

AP - The No. 2 Senate Democrat accused Republicans Wednesday of refusing to accept the finality of health care changes, a day after President Barack Obama signed the most sweeping medical system remake since Medicare.

AP - A popular Chinese Web portal said Wednesday it is taking over operation of two services developed and formerly operated with Google just days after the search giant took a risky stand against China's strict Internet censorship rules by moving its search engine offshore.

AP - More than 1 million baby slings made by Infantino were recalled Wednesday after claims linking them to three infant deaths.

AP - For nearly 30 years, India and Bangladesh have argued over control of a tiny rock island in the Bay of Bengal. Now rising sea levels have resolved the dispute for them: the island's gone.

Reuters - Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of Bishop John Magee of Cloyne, Ireland, who has been accused of mishandling reports of sexual abuse in his diocese, the Vatican said on Wednesday.

Reuters - The New York Times Co apologized to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew on Wednesday and paid S$160,000 ($114,000) in damages for an article about Asian political dynasties.

Reuters - Hundreds of computer geeks, most of them students putting themselves through college, crammed into three floors of an office building in an industrial section of Ukraine's capital Kiev, churning out code at a frenzied pace. They were creating some of the world's most pernicious, and profitable, computer viruses.

AFP - China's state media on Wednesday slammed Google after it effectively shut down its Chinese search engine, saying the US Internet giant was 'not god' and accusing it of working with US intelligence.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - An Irish Catholic bishop who served as personal secretary to three popes on Wednesday became the latest and biggest casualty in the child sex abuse scandal that is convulsing the Church in Europe.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Chinese Uighur detainees who have been held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been transferred to Switzerland, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday.

AP - A runaway cargo train crashed into a building at an industrial port in the Norwegian capital, killing at least three people and injuring three others Wednesday, police said.

AP - Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation Wednesday of Bishop John Magee, a former papal aide who stands accused of endangering children by failing to follow the Irish church's own rules on reporting suspected pedophile priests to police.

AP - President Barack Obama plans to sign an executive order Wednesday reaffirming long-standing restrictions on federal funding of abortion.

AP - Sales of new homes fell unexpectedly to the lowest level on record in February as stormy winter weather kept buyers on the sidelines. The weak results make clear the difficulties facing the housing industry as it tries to recover from the worst slump in decades.

AP - Reading scores for fourth and eighth grade students held mostly steady last year, with improvements seen in a handful of states and among low-income students.

AP - Police in Connecticut say they had ample warning of a bank robbery because the two suspects called the bank ahead of time and told an employee to get a bag of money ready.

Reuters - The United States and Pakistan sought on Wednesday to reverse years of mistrust, predicting a bumpy path to counter anti-American sentiment amid tensions on issues from nuclear cooperation to security.

Reuters - An Irish Catholic bishop who served as personal secretary to three popes on Wednesday became the latest and biggest casualty in the child sex abuse scandal that is convulsing the Church in Europe.

Reuters - Two Chinese Uighur detainees who have been held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been transferred to Switzerland, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday.

AFP - Talks between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to produce signs they had ended a dispute which Netanyahu said could block the Middle East peace process for a year.

AFP - Three people were killed and three seriously injured when a freight train derailed and plunged into the Oslo fjord Wednesday after running away out of control, police said.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Pakistan sought on Wednesday to turn a page in a relationship soured by years of mistrust and tensions over nuclear cooperation, security and anti-American sentiment.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - China participated in a conference call with five other world powers on Wednesday to discuss a U.S.-drafted proposal for a new round of U.N. sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, envoys said.

AP - In a final drive to thwart President Barack Obama's health care remake, Republican senators plan to force Democrats to run a gantlet of politically dicey votes before they can finish a companion bill to the landmark law.

AP - A senior Kremlin official says the United States and Russia have reached an agreement on 'all documents' necessary to sign a new nuclear arms treaty.

AP - R&B star Akon has postponed a planned concert in Sri Lanka following angry protests over a music video he is in where scantily clad women dance in front of a Buddha statue.

AP - Adam 'Pacman' Jones is getting looks from NFL teams again.

Reuters - The United States and Pakistan sought on Wednesday to turn a page in a relationship soured by years of mistrust and tensions over nuclear cooperation, security and anti-American sentiment.

Reuters - China participated in a conference call with five other world powers on Wednesday to discuss a U.S.-drafted proposal for a new round of U.N. sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, envoys said.

AFP - Saudi Arabia has broken up three cells of Al-Qaeda militants that were planning attacks in the kingdom, including on its oil installations, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.

AFP - An Irish bishop who was private secretary to three popes begged forgiveness from victims of child sex abuse in his diocese on Wednesday, as his resignation was accepted by the Vatican.

HAVANA (Reuters) - When a recent flight from Miami touched down at Havana's Jose Marti Airport, a passenger shouted 'Viva Cuba!' in a show of the enthusiasm Cuban Americans have for returning to their homeland.

AP - The United States and Russia have reached an agreement on 'all documents' necessary to sign a new nuclear arms treaty, a senior Kremlin official said Wednesday, and the White House said the two nations are 'very close' to signing it.

AP - Roughly 100 million households to go.

AP - In the latest use of DNA to investigate the story of humankind, scientists have decoded genetic material from an unidentified human ancestor that lived in Siberia and concluded it might be a new member of the human family tree.

AP - Bernie Madoff is serving 150 years in prison for a multibillion-dollar fraud. Norman Schmidt got 330 years for his role in a huge investment scam. And then there's white-collar criminal Sholam Weiss, who isn't due for release until November 2754.

AP - NFL players should be safer during games thanks to several rules changes passed at the league meetings. They also might be playing longer in regular-season overtimes.

Reuters - When a recent flight from Miami touched down at Havana's Jose Marti Airport, a passenger shouted 'Viva Cuba!' in a show of the enthusiasm Cuban Americans have for returning to their homeland.

AFP - Saudi Arabia has broken up three cells of Al-Qaeda militants planning attacks in the kingdom, including on its oil installations, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.

AFP - An Irish bishop who was private secretary to three popes begged forgiveness from victims of child sex abuse in his diocese on Wednesday, as his resignation was accepted by the Vatican.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday sought goodwill gestures from Israel to persuade Palestinians to return to peace talks even as new settlement expansion plans threatened further strains between Washington and its close ally.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - China took part in a conference call with five other world powers on Wednesday to discuss a U.S. proposal for a fourth round of U.N. sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, but no deal emerged.

AP - After long and trying negotiations, the U.S. and Russia have reached agreements for a historic new treaty to reduce the nuclear arsenals of former Cold War rivals, officials said Wednesday. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are expected to sign it soon in Prague.

AP - With little fanfare, President Barack Obama signed an executive order Wednesday designed to ensure that no federal money can be used for elective abortions under the nation's new health care legislation.

AP - House Democratic leaders on Wednesday said they are concerned about the personal safety of lawmakers because of threats linked to intense opposition to the health care overhaul law.

AP - The Jerusalem municipality has approved 20 new apartments for Jews in an Arab neighborhood of east Jerusalem, the city said Wednesday, in a move that could stir a new diplomatic crisis with the United States just as Israel's leader is in Washington on a fence-mending visit.

AP - Local governments would receive billions of dollars for construction projects and welfare programs in the latest in a series of election-year jobs bills Democrats are pushing in Congress.

AP - Former Major League Baseball star Dwight Gooden has been charged in New Jersey with driving under the influence of drugs and leaving the scene of an accident.

Reuters - The United States on Wednesday sought goodwill gestures from Israel to persuade Palestinians to return to peace talks even as new settlement expansion plans threatened further strains between Washington and its close ally.

Reuters - The United States and Pakistan sought on Wednesday to turn a page in a relationship soured by years of mistrust and tensions over nuclear cooperation, security and anti-American sentiment.

Reuters - The New York Times Co apologized to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew on Wednesday and paid S$160,000 ($114,000) in damages for an article about Asian political dynasties.

AFP - Talks between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have failed to resolve 'disagreement' thwarting US efforts to revive Middle East peace talks, the White House said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Pakistan sought on Wednesday to overcome years of mistrust, with Washington promising to speed up overdue military payments as the two increase cooperation in tackling militants.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted the former director of operations for imprisoned swindler Bernard Madoff's investment firm on securities fraud, conspiracy, falsifying records and filing false tax returns.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama signed an executive order on abortion on Wednesday that had won crucial votes for his healthcare bill, but disappointed women's groups that have been among his most enthusiastic supporters.

MIAMI (Reuters) - A Florida jury ordered R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris on Wednesday to pay $26.6 million to the widow of a longtime smoker who died of lung cancer, the latest verdict against cigarette makers in the 'Engle progeny' lawsuits.

AP - After long and trying negotiations, the U.S. and Russia have reached agreements for a historic new treaty to reduce the nuclear arsenals of former Cold War rivals, officials said Wednesday. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are to sign the pact in two weeks in Prague.

AP - Anything but jubilant, President Barack Obama awkwardly kept a promise Wednesday he made to ensure passage of historic health care legislation, pledging the administration would not allow federal funds to pay for elective abortions covered by private insurance.

AP - Bricks have been hurled through Democrats' windows, a propane line was cut at the home of a congressman's brother and lawmakers who voted for a federal health care bill have received phone threats in the days before and after passage of the sweeping legislation.

AP - The United States and Israel are in overtime talks trying to win agreement on gestures Israel can take to restore confidence among Palestinians and the Obama administration.

AP - A new study gives reassuring news about the safety of Fosamax and Reclast, bone-building drugs taken by millions of American women. It found that long-term use does not significantly raise the risk of a rare type of fracture near the hip.

AP - Robert Culp, the actor who teamed with Bill Cosby in the racially groundbreaking TV series 'I Spy' and was Bob in the critically acclaimed sex comedy 'Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice,' died Wednesday after collapsing outside his Hollywood home, his agent said. Culp was 79.

Reuters - The United States and Pakistan sought on Wednesday to overcome years of mistrust, with Washington promising to speed up overdue military payments as the two increase cooperation in tackling militants.

Reuters - A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted the former director of operations for imprisoned swindler Bernard Madoff's investment firm on securities fraud, conspiracy, falsifying records and filing false tax returns.

Reuters - President Barack Obama signed an executive order on abortion on Wednesday that had won crucial votes for his healthcare bill, but disappointed women's groups that have been among his most enthusiastic supporters.

Reuters - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Wednesday the timing was still not right for reconciliation with senior Afghan Taliban leaders, acknowledging military pressure had yet to weaken the group enough.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate launched a final marathon session on healthcare reform on Wednesday, with Republicans forcing Democrats into a series of politically tough votes before senators pass the last changes to the landmark law.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The former director of operations at Bernard Madoff's investment firm was indicted by a federal grand jury on securities fraud, conspiracy and other charges related to the largest Ponzi scheme on record.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Wednesday the timing was still not right for reconciliation with senior Afghan Taliban leaders, acknowledging military pressure had yet to weaken the group enough.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates plans to announce on Thursday interim steps that would, in some cases, make it more difficult for gays to be kicked out of the military, defense officials said on Wednesday.

AP - Dennis Hopper's divorce attorney says in a court filing that the actor is dying and can't undergo chemotherapy as he battles prostate cancer.

AP - A Southern California school teacher has been arrested for allegedly teaching while drunk.

AP - Tiger Woods will speak before he plays in the Masters.

Reuters - The Senate launched a final marathon session on healthcare reform on Wednesday, with Republicans forcing Democrats into a series of politically tough votes before senators pass the last changes to the landmark law.

Reuters - The former director of operations at Bernard Madoff's investment firm was indicted by a federal grand jury on securities fraud, conspiracy and other charges related to the largest Ponzi scheme on record.

Reuters - A Florida jury ordered R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris on Wednesday to pay $26.6 million to the widow of a longtime smoker who died of lung cancer, the latest verdict against cigarette makers in the 'Engle progeny' lawsuits.

AFP - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu huddled in his Washington hotel with US envoy George Mitchell Wednesday, but there was no sign of progress in a row threatening Middle East peace talks.

SEOUL (Reuters) - A U.S. citizen who North Korea will put on trial for illegal entry crossed the border in support of a fellow American Christian missionary who was released last month after a similar transgression, an activist said.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California voter initiative that would legalize possession and sale of marijuana has qualified for the November ballot, state election officials said on Wednesday, in what supporters called a 'watershed moment' for their cause.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI and police are investigating attacks and threats against Democratic members of Congress who voted for healthcare reform, and a senior House of Representatives Democrat said on Wednesday his colleagues are at risk.

AP - Discharging a gay person for violating the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy will draw unprecedented scrutiny under new orders from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is already pushing to repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the U.S. military.

AP - California voters will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults, after the secretary of state on Wednesday certified the initiative for the November ballot.

AP - Just because Nadya Suleman's an octomom doesn't mean she wants your dog or cat to become one, too.

Reuters - A U.S. citizen who North Korea will put on trial for illegal entry crossed the border in support of a fellow American Christian missionary who was released last month after a similar transgression, an activist said.

Reuters - A California voter initiative that would legalize possession and sale of marijuana has qualified for the November ballot, state election officials said on Wednesday, in what supporters called a 'watershed moment' for their cause.

AP - The U.S. and Israel failed to heal their deepest dispute in decades as a two-day visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended late Wednesday without resolving a rift over new Israeli housing planned in east Jerusalem.

AP - The Boston Celtics are back in the playoffs. They want to be playing their best when those games start.

AFP - US President Barack Obama hopes to speak to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev within days, the White House said, amid strong indications a new nuclear arms deal could be signed early next month in Prague.