Eric Linton

President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Wednesday unveiled plans for a deepening of the U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific, starting with thousands of U.S. Marines operating out of a de facto military base in the Australian port of Darwin.

Syrian army defectors attacked an intelligence complex on the edge of Damascus early Wednesday, the first such reported assault on a major security facility in the eight-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, activists said.

Police at the University of California, Berkeley, shot and wounded a man on Tuesday they said brandished a gun in a computer lab .

Prime Minister-designate Mario Monti raced to assemble a new government for Italy Tuesday while a sharp rise in French borrowing costs raised fears that the two-year debt crisis may spread to the euro zone's second-biggest economy.

Police wearing helmets and carrying shields began early Tuesday morning to clear Zuccotti Park in New York City, where protesters from the Occupy Wall Street movement have been camped since September.

Congressional negotiators agreed late Monday night to extend funding for many U.S. government programs to mid-December in a bipartisan move to avert any shutdown of agency operations that would otherwise occur by this weekend.

Italy paid a euro-era high price to sell five-year bonds on Monday, with investors wary of buying its debt until the country's new leadership undertakes profound economic reform.

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain is not the type of person who would sexually harass women, his wife Gloria Cain said in excerpts of a Fox News Channel interview released Sunday.

President Barack Obama told China Sunday that the United States was fed up with its trade and currency practices, as he turned up the heat on America's biggest economic rival at an Asia Pacific summit.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street Friday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.6 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.4 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.7 percent at 0924 GMT (4:24 a.m. ET).

Greeks lauded the nomination of new Prime Minister Lucas Papademos Friday and expressed hope that his government could put the economy back on track and calm political turmoil that has threatened to force Athens out of the euro zone.

Asian shares rebounded on Friday and the euro clawed higher, with European stocks also expected to make gains after brighter corporate news lifted U.S. stocks and debt-laden Italy was able to fund itself at a bond auction.

European shares drifted higher Friday on expectations that some political developments in highly indebted Italy and Greece could pave the way for tough austerity measures that are crucial to contain the region's two-year-old debt crisis.

Asian shares rebounded Friday and the euro clawed higher, with European stocks also expected to make gains after brighter corporate news lifted U.S. stocks and debt-laden Italy was able to fund itself at a bond auction.

European shares rose Thursday, recovering some of the ground lost in a heavy sell-off in the previous session on a spike in Italy's borrowing costs, with signs of new governments being formed in Italy and Greece, inspiring hopes of some stability.

Asian stocks fell sharply Thursday after soaring Italian borrowing costs stoked fears the debt crisis in the euro zone's third biggest economy will overwhelm its financial defenses, raising the risk of a break-up of the currency area.

European stocks were lower at midday Wednesday as mounting concerns over Italy's debt kept investors on edge, following an early rally sparked by Silvio Berlusconi's pledge to step down as Italy's prime minister.

Italian borrowing costs reached the breaking point Wednesday after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's promise to resign failed to raise optimism about the country's ability to deliver on long-promised economic reforms.

Greek political leaders were scrambling Wednesday to agree on new prime minister to lead the country back from the brink of bankruptcy, after a plan to name a former European Central Bank official appeared to fall apart.

A powerful Republican state Senate leader who championed Arizona's controversial crackdown on illegal immigrants appeared headed for early removal from office in a historic recall election, returns showed Tuesday night.

European shares looked set to follow Asian equities higher Wednesday and the euro steadied after Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he would resign, raising hopes the debt-ridden country would proceed with reforms that may keep Europe's debt crisis from spreading.

A powerful Republican state Senate leader who spearheaded Arizona's controversial crackdown on illegal immigrants appeared headed for defeat Tuesday night in a historic recall election, early returns showed.

Greek party leaders were struggling Tuesday to agree on a new prime minister, under pressure from the European Union to push through a bailout to save the country's finances and end the chaos threatening the euro.

Asian shares wiped earlier gains and fell anew Tuesday, weighed by concerns that surging bond yields could stifle debt-ridden Italy's fund-raising ability and throw the euro zone deeper into financial turmoil, while Greece struggled to pick a new leader.

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain will hold a news conference Tuesday to confront the latest sexual harassment allegations that are threatening to derail his campaign.

Asian shares rose Tuesday, but gains were capped by concerns that surging bond yields could stifle debt-ridden Italy's fund-raising ability and throw the euro zone deeper into financial turmoil, while Greece struggled to pick a new leader.

Joe Frazier, the relentless slugger who became the heavyweight champion of the world and earned boxing immortality with three epic battles against Muhammad Ali, died Monday at age 67, his personal manager said.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, a former Marxist rebel leader and Cold War enemy of the United States, marched toward a landslide re-election victory Monday morning after drawing broad support for his anti-poverty programs.