MINA, Saudi Arabia – Vast crowds of pilgrims cast stones at walls representing the devil on the third day of the annual hajj on Friday as Muslims around the world began celebrating Eid al-Adha, the most important holiday of the Islamic calendar. The weather was sunny and hot Friday morning …

When President Obama finally announces his Afghanistan decision Tuesday, the number of additional troops he sends will dominate headlines. But the real test of his leadership will depend on the depth of his commitment. Here are three keys to understanding the West Point speech: #1: How Does Obama Define the …

PONTIAC, Mich. – The state says two children from the Detroit area who died earlier this month had influenza B. The Michigan Department of Community Health said Wednesday the Oakland County medical examiner will make the final call on what killed a 6-year-old Clarkston girl and a 5-year-old Highland boy. …

Over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol and Advil will carry new, bolder warnings about the risk of liver damage or stomach bleeding, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday. Products containing acetaminophen, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol, will carry a prominent package warning about the risk of severe liver …

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Afghan soldiers and police killed 22 militants in a clash in southern Afghanistan, the government said Sunday. The U.S. military separately reported that Afghan and coalition forces killed four militants Saturday in the same area — the Shinkay district of Zabul province. It was not immediately clear …

PITTSBURGH – Slippery Rock University will hold a separate graduation for students who recently returned from Mexico, because school officials fear that they could have been exposed to the swine flu. So far, the 22 students are in good health, but Saturday’s commencement ceremonies fall in the middle of an …

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A parking enforcement officer issued a ticket for a pickup truck outside an Alabama emergency room while a woman lay dead inside the vehicle, authorities said. Rebecca Kate Haley, 25, had been dead for at least seven hours when an illegal parking ticket was put on the …

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – A Massachusetts hospital is trying to figure out what to do with a window in which some Catholics claim to see an image of the Virgin Mary. Hundreds of faithful gathered last October to view the second-story office window at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, about 80 …

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla – A Pompano Beach man was charged with the death of a woman found dumped outside a South Florida hospital. Thirty-three-year-old Eric Galbrecht was arrested Saturday, six days after 23-year-old Ashley Gerschoffer of Lighthouse Point was found lying outside North Broward Medical Center. Hospital staff discovered her, …

MIAMI – A Haitian man accused of piloting a boat overloaded with migrants that capsized off South Florida, killing at least nine migrants, is being held without bail. U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Vitunac on Wednesday told Jimmy Metellus those deaths make him “potentially eligible” for the death penalty. He’s charged …