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DURHAM, N.C. – The new judge overseeing the rape trial of three Duke University lacrosse players plans to bar cameras and other electronic media from pretrial hearings, though no decision has been made about the trial itself, a court official said Friday. The decision was reached after an hourlong meeting …

NEW YORK – U.S. stocks closed moderately higher Thursday as a sharp drop in oil prices countered a plummet in Merck & Co. (MRK) following negative legal news surrounding the drugmaker’s Vioxx product. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 7.84 points, or 0.07 percent, to end at 11,334.96, while the …

PANAMA CITY, Panama – Lawmakers on Friday approved a national referendum on whether the government should undertake the biggest modifications to the Panama Canal since it was opened in 1914. The $5.3 billion project calls for a construction of a third set of locks on the canal that would reduce …

KANEOHE, Hawaii – Teens looking to hook up with a friend on the popular Web community MySpace may bump into an unexpected buddy: the U.S. Marine Corps. So far, over 12,000 Web surfers have signed on as friends of the Corps in response to the latest military recruiting tactic. Other …

LIVINGSTON, Mont. – Strong winds that had caused a fire in an area popular with celebrities to nearly triple in size shifted Thursday and helped slow the blaze’s growth, allowing some residents who had evacuated to return. The wind shifted “pushing the fire back onto itself, which is a good …

NEW YORK – Former President Clinton announced the launch of an investment fund expected to raise more than $1 billion for renewable energy on Friday, the final day of his global issues conference. The Green Fund would focus on reducing dependence on fossil fuels, creating jobs, lessening pollution and helping …

WASHINGTON – Supreme Court justices Wednesday sharply questioned attorneys on both sides of the legal battle over so-called partial birth abortions as the high court weighed whether to uphold Congress’s ban on the procedure. In an intense morning of arguments, lawyers for the Bush administration and supporters of abortion rights …

GLENN DALE, Md. – Saying the outcome of Tuesday’s elections could depend on voter turnout, politicians in both parties raced Sunday to urge supporters to come to the polls. Declaring his campaign has momentum, Lt. Gov. Michael Steele announced he would campaign around the clock. He went bowling in Ellicott …

Mark Wahlberg apparently has some not so-fond memories of being straddled by supermodel Kate Moss. The Daily Sun reports that in a “Nuts Magazine” (!) interview, the former underwear model turned leading man was none-to-impressed with the half naked, super-skinny teen he was paired with for their infamous Calvin Klein …

As America’s three major automakers push for emergency government aid in the face of plunging revenues and lack of consumer interest in their products, companies around the world are turning heads with their eclectic lines of cars and trucks. These are the vehicles you might find, say, on the busy …