VINITA, Okla. – A day care center in northeast Oklahoma has shut its doors after a mother reported her two sons were severely sunburned during an outing to a local splash pad. Department of Human Services spokeswoman Debra Martin said Tuesday the Happiness is a Learning Center day care in …

AUSTIN, Texas – She dared a deputy constable to shock her with a Taser. So, he did. Video released by a Travis County Constable’s Office shows Deputy Chris Bieze confronting 72-year-old Kathryn Winkfein after stopping her for speeding on May 11 just outside Austin. Video from a camera mounted in …

ABU DIS, West Bank – The chief Palestinian negotiator said Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must resume peace talks from the point where they ended under Israel’s previous, more moderate government. Ahmed Qureia told reporters at his office just east of Jerusalem that talks cannot “start from scratch,” …

NEW YORK – The amusement park company Six Flags is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying it needs to reorganize and shed $1.8 billion of debt. Mark Shapiro, the New York-based company’s chief executive officer, says the move won’t affect the operation of its 20 theme parks in the U.S., …

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Thousands of starry-eyed children all over the world are writing letters to the jolly man at the North Pole this holiday season, but they will not likely get a response from Santa Claus or his helpers. The U.S. Postal Service is dropping a popular effort begun in …

KABUL – Television footage broadcast Tuesday showed insurgents handling what appears to be U.S. ammunition in a remote area of eastern Afghanistan that American forces left last month following a deadly firefight that killed eight troops. The U.S. military said the forces that left the area said they removed and …

MOGADISHU, Somalia – A Canadian and Australian journalist were freed on Wednesday after more than a year in captivity, Somali officials said. Police spokesman Col. Abdullahi Hassan Barise said Canadian Amanda Lindhout and Australian Nigel Brennan are at a Mogadishu hotel with Somali lawmaker Botan Isse Alin. Barise and Alin …

SEATTLE — Personal computers are changing — and not just because of the recent launch of Windows 7. Visit an electronics store and you might also find laptops are missing a familiar component. You could experiment with new ways of controlling some computers. And you’ll see portable PCs slimming down. …

JOHANNESBURG – Investigators for the world’s diamond control body say Zimbabwe should be suspended because its security forces are raping women, killing illegal miners and smuggling gems out of a diamond field in the troubled country’s east. Human rights groups have made similar accusations, but the charges carry particular weight …

What people won’t do for 15 minutes of fame. A 23-year-old first-time mother-to-be is planning to have her child in front of thousands of people. Boston.com reports that Lynsee (her last name was not released), a teacher from Minneapolis, is due on Nov. 19 and will broadcast the birth of …