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AP Top News at 4:58 p.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Norway ripped by Oslo bomb, youth camp shootingsOSLO, Norway (AP) _ A bomb ripped open buildings in the heart of Norway's government Friday, and a man dressed as a police officer opened fire at an island youth camp connected to the ruling party. At least seven people were killed in the blast and nine more in the camp shootings, the peaceful nation's worst violence since World War II. Oslo police said 9 or 10 people were killed at the camp on Utoya island, where the youth wing of the Labor Party was holding a summer camp for hundreds of youths. Acting Police Chief Sveinung Sponheim says a man was arrested in the shooting, and the suspect had been observed in Oslo before the explosion there. Debt dispute boils: Capitol's hot, inside and outWASHINGTON (AP) _ Gridlock stubbornly held the high ground in the steamy capital Friday despite the threat of a government default in 11 days' time. Talks between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner seemed stuck in limbo, and the Democratic-controlled Senate scuttled legislation drawn to conservatives' specifications. As most lawmakers left the sweltering city for the weekend _ temperatures soared past 100 degrees and some tempers seemed close behind _ there was vague talk but few details of backup plans in both houses of Congress to raise the nation's 14.3 trillion debt limit before the critical Aug. 2 deadline. Obama ends gays in military banWASHINGTON (AP) _ President Barack Obama on Friday formally signed off on ending the ban on gays serving openly in the military, doing away with a policy that's been controversial from the day it was enacted and making good on his 2008 campaign promise to the gay community. The president joined Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Adm. Mike Mullen, the joint chiefs of staff chairman, in signing a notice and sending it to Congress certifying that military readiness would not be hurt by repealing the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Nation wilts as heat wave spreads eastwardNEW YORK (AP) _ Americans withered under yet another day of searing sun Friday as a heat wave spread in earnest into the urban core of the Northeast, while warnings about excessive heat stretched from Kansas to Maine and the Carolinas. Temperatures hit 100 in New York's Central Park and in Newark and Teterboro, N.J. The National Weather Service said the smoldering humidity made those temperatures feel like 116, 114 and 110, respectively. James Murdoch under threat as UK scandal spreadsLONDON (AP) _ Media scion James Murdoch, his father's heir apparent, was under fire Friday over claims by former newspaper executives that he misled lawmakers about what he knew, and when, about Britain's phone-hacking scandal. The allegation raises questions not only about his succession to the helm of the media empire but what he may have relayed to Rupert Murdoch, the CEO and controlling shareholder. Koreas agree to work toward resuming nuclear talksBALI, Indonesia (AP) _ Top nuclear envoys from rivals North and South Korea agreed Friday to work toward a resumption of stalled nuclear disarmament talks, a significant breakthrough after more than a year of confrontation and escalating threats that have put the region on edge. The talks, which the envoys described as constructive and sincere, mark the first such meeting since 2008, when international negotiations aimed at ending Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program collapsed. They could represent a long-awaited move away from conflict and toward dialogue. Somali militants vow to block aid groupsMOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) _ Al-Qaida-linked militants in Somalia vowed to keep most international aid workers out of the country despite a worsening famine and the U.N. warned Friday that 800,000 children could die in the region from starvation. Frustrated aid groups said they want to deploy more food assistance in Somalia but don't yet have the necessary safety guarantees to do so. The anarchic country has been mired in conflict for two decades and its capital is a war zone. Tech earnings help stocks end week with solid gainA big earnings miss from Caterpillar wasn't enough to derail a rally that pushed the stock market up 2 percent for the week. Caterpillar fell almost 6 percent Friday after its second-quarter results came in below analysts' expectations. Technology stocks rose broadly following strong earnings from the chip maker Advanced Micro Devices and Microsoft. Shatner gives fans a peek at his `Captains' flickSAN DIEGO (AP) _ William Shatner says he always loved "Star Trek," but he recently developed a new fondness for his fellow starship commanders. Shatner came to Comic-Con in San Diego on Friday to discuss his new documentary, "The Captains," in which he interviews the various actors who have played "Star Trek" captains. The film is set to premiere Friday night on the Epix TV channel. NFL on hold; players study deal OK'd by ownersWASHINGTON (AP) _ The NFL was stuck in a holding pattern Friday as the players studied the owner-approved proposal to end the lockout and tried to determine when _ and even whether _ to vote on it. As it is, clubs already were being told not to expect players to begin arriving at facilities Saturday, the day owners said gates would open. (c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |