BEIRUT (AP) — The European Union will impose harsher sanctions on Syria, a senior EU official said today, as Russia tried to broker talks between the vice president and the opposition to calm violence. Activists reported at least 50 killed in military assaults targeting government opponents. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who held emergency talks […]

RENTON, Wash. ( AP) — The Washington State Patrol says an irate driver apparently whacked a man in the shoulder with a small sledge hammer in a road rage dispute. Trooper Julie Startup says authorities responded early Tuesday to a report of a twocar collision on State Route 167 in the Renton area. They found […]

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state health officials said Tuesday they are investigating reports of intestinal illness affecting at least 19 squads that participated in a weekend state cheerleading tournament in Everett. Reported symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, state Health Department spokesman Donn Moyer said. KOMO- TV reported that several people have been hospitalized but […]

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The Interior Ministry says that six more people have died as a result of the freezing weather that is keeping the rest of Europe in its icy grip. Hundreds of people have died across Europe and thousands more were stranded because of the heavy snow in the Balkans since the cold […]

BERLIN (AP) — Europe’s air safety authority has ordered checks on the entire global fleet of Airbus A380 superjumbo jets for cracks on parts inside the wings — extending a previous order to check nearly a third of the planes. The European Aviation Safety Agency last month issued an airworthiness directive calling for “ a […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rick Santorum is looking to capitalize on a string of stunning victories that snapped his fourstate losing streak and raised new questions about front-runner Mitt Romney’s clout with conservatives. Romney shrugged off his poor showing, but his losses Tuesday in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado laid bare his stubborn weakness just when […]

MACHIAS (AP) — A former substitute teacher in eastern Maine faces sentencing after pleading no contest to two counts of gross sexual assault involving an eighth-grade student. Dianne Leach, 47, of Steuben entered her plea Monday in a Machias courtroom. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. When she was arrested last May, Leach was […]

PORTLAND (AP) — Smokers could face a $100 fine in Maine’s largest city for flicking cigarette butts onto public property. The Portland City Council on Monday amended its littering ordinance to clarify that cigarette butts are included among the trash items that are illegal to toss on streets, sidewalks, city parks and other public property. […]

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — Demolition crews will wait for daylight to remove the first major component of the 90-year-old Memorial Bridge between Maine and New Hampshire. Workers had planned to remove the 2-million-pound lift span on Tuesday between 8 p.m. and midnight, but the preparation work is taking longer than expected. New Hampshire transportation spokesman […]

AUGUSTA (AP) — Without taking a final vote, a Maine legislative panel has scaled back a bill aimed at so-called tax zapper computer programs that help tax cheats. The Taxation Committee on Tuesday removed a section that would make the bill take effect immediately after passage. It also removed references to estimated losses tax zappers […]