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AP Top News at 5:20 p.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) 20 killed in Syria despite Assad's pledge to UNBEIRUT (AP) _ Syrian security forces killed at least 20 protesters Friday despite promises by President Bashar Assad that the military operations against the 5-month-old uprising are over. The killings, which came as thousands poured into the streets across Syria, suggest the autocratic leader is either unwilling to stop the violence _ or not fully in control of his own regime. Stocks fall as traders worry over weekendNEW YORK (AP) _ A growing belief that the country is headed toward recession gave the stock market its fourth straight week of losses. The anxiety in the market was obvious Friday as the major indexes went from modest gains early in the day to another sharp loss. The Dow Jones industrial average had its 10th move of more than 100 points this month. Libyan rebels say Gadhafi's ex-No. 2 has defectedBENGHAZI, Libya (AP) _ Libyan rebels say a close Moammar Gadhafi associate who was once the No. 2 top regime official has defected in another blow to the increasingly isolated Libyan leader. Abdel Salam Jalloud helped Gadhafi stage the 1969 coup that propelled him to power and transformed Libya from a monarchy to a republic. He was Gadhafi's most trusted deputy for two decades but began to clash with the leader starting in the 1990s. 3 men convicted in 1993 Cub Scout slayings go freeJONESBORO, Ark. (AP) _ Three men convicted in the nightmarish slayings of three Cub Scouts went free Friday, nearly two decades after they were sent to prison in a case so gruesome it raised suspicions the children had been sacrificed in a Satanic ritual. Doubts about the evidence against the trio had persisted for years and threatened to force prosecutors to put on a second trial in 2012. Liberals complain about Obama; will it cost votes?WASHINGTON (AP) _ Liberals argue that he caved on the debt ceiling. Unions are upset over his handling of unemployment and labor issues. Hispanics brought the immigration debate directly to his campaign doorstep. President Barack Obama's summer of discontent has been marked by rumblings within his Democratic political base over his willingness to fight congressional Republicans and his approach to fixing the economy. Hewlett-Packard overhaul exposes underdog statusSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Hewlett-Packard, one of the world's largest technology companies, finds itself the underdog as it ditches most of its consumer businesses to become more like the well-oiled, corporate-focused machines of rivals IBM and Oracle. HP will no longer make smartphones and tablet computers and wants to leave the PC business after spending a decade assembling itself into a technology conglomerate by buying such companies as computer maker Compaq Computer for $19 billion in 2002 and smartphone pioneer Palm for $1.8 billion last year. Prosecutors say Clemens should face second trialWASHINGTON (AP) _ Prosecutors in the Roger Clemens perjury case said Friday they had made an honest mistake in showing jurors inadmissible evidence and that shouldn't save the baseball star from facing a new trial. The prosecutors filed arguments disputing Clemens' position that a second trial would violate his constitutional protection against double jeopardy by making him face the same charges twice. Rockets, airstrikes follow attack on IsraelJERUSALEM (AP) _ Israeli airstrikes killed four Palestinian militants in Gaza while Palestinians fired rockets into southern Israel, hitting a synagogue and a school and wounding several Israelis in the aftermath of the deadliest attack against Israelis in three years. Palestinian militants in Gaza launched more than two dozen rockets into Israel on Friday, the Israeli military said. One smashed through a roof of a Jewish seminary, damaging a synagogue in the port city of Ashdod and wounding six Israelis who were standing outside, Israeli emergency services said. One hit an empty school and another, aimed at the city of Ashkelon, was intercepted by the new Israeli anti-missile system known as Iron Dome. Suicide bomber kills 48 in Pakistan mosquePESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) _ A suicide bomber struck worshippers during prayers Friday at a mosque close to the Afghan border, killing 48 people in an attack one official said may have been aimed at anti-Taliban elders praying during the holy month of Ramadan. Militants have frequently attacked tribesmen who have dared speak up _ or raise arms _ against them in the border region, where al-Qaida and the Pakistan Taliban have long held sway. Rifts between insurgent factions have also led to mass casualty attacks there. Burger King retires mascot "The King"PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) _ The king is dead. Burger King's spooky "The King" mascot is retiring so the struggling burger chain can refocus its marketing to reach new customers. The mascot has been around for years, but recently has become a more prevalent and somewhat creepy presence in ads - showing up in people's beds and peeping in their windows. (c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 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