JERUSALEM (AP) — The U.S. military’s top general conducted an intense string of closed talks with Israeli leaders today, amid apparent disagreements between the two countries over how to respond to Iran’s nuclear program. The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, and Israeli leaders kept silent about the exact […]

ROME (AP) — The cruise ship grounded off Tuscany shifted again on its rocky perch today, forcing the suspension of diving search operations for the 21 people still missing and raising concerns about the stability of the ship’s resting place. It was not clear if the slight movements registered by sensors placed on board the […]

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — France suspended its training operations in Afghanistan and threatened to withdraw its entire force from the country early, after an Afghan wearing an army uniform shot and killed four French troops today and wounded others. The attack was the second time this month an Afghan soldier has killed French forces. It […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior U.S. defense official said today all six reported killed in the crash of a U.S. helicopter in Afghanistan were U.S. Marines. The helicopter crashed Thursday in Afghanistan’s southern province of Helmand. The defense official who said all six were Marines spoke on condition of anonymity because the U.S. command in […]

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Mitt Romney entered the final full day of campaigning in South Carolina’s GOP primary contest today scrambling to fend off challenges from more conservative rivals Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum and insisting he’s the one that Republicans can trust to “ post up well” against President Barack Obama. A year […]

PORTLAND (AP) — Portland’s fire chief says he is stepping down after 10 years on the job. Chief Fred LaMontagne announced Thursday that he will resign in April following a 27- year career with the department, the last decade as its leader. The 48- year- old LaMontagne did not cite any one reason for his […]

MACHIAS ( AP) — The Maine Sheriffs’ Association has launched an investigation into Penobscot County Sheriff Glenn Ross, who admits he told longtime friend the Rev. Robert Carlson that he was under investigation for possible child abuse just hours before Carlson’s suicide. Washington County Sheriff Donnie Smith calls Ross’ actions “unethical conduct.” At a meeting […]

PORTLAND (AP) — Portland police are investigating possible connections between an armed robbery of a city credit union and two previous robberies in the city. Police say a man with a gun entered the TruChoice Federal Credit Union at about 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, demanded money from two tellers and fled with cash. There were […]

FARMINGTON ( AP) — A lawyer for a Massachusetts man accused of fatally stabbing an 81-year-old woman in her Farmington home says his client is expected to plead not guilty. The Kennebec Journal reports that Juan Contreras of Waltham, Mass., is scheduled to appear in Franklin County Superior Court today. Contreras is charged with murder […]

CARRABASSETT VALLEY (AP) — The Maine medical examiner says a 41-year-old Canadian man who died on the way to the hospital after hitting a tree at the Sugarloaf ski resort succumbed to chest injuries. The medical examiner released David Morse’s cause of death on Thursday. The Nova Scotia man was skiing with his wife and […]