Candidates in bruising NJ governor race took unusual paths starting with events a decade ago

ISELIN, N.J. — In January 1999, Jon Corzine was stripped of power as co-CEO at Goldman Sachs. The same month, Chris Christie made the first of a handful of trips to Austin, Texas, to meet with George W. Bush about a presidential run the Texas governor was considering.

Cousin of Texas Gov. Rick Perry killed in backyard gunfire exchange with sheriff’s deputies

AUSTIN, Texas — A cousin of Texas Gov. Rick Perry was shot and killed over the weekend in his backyard during an exchange of gunfire with sheriff’s deputies, officials said Thursday.

Va. woman comes home, finds US Capitol Police officer passed out drunk on her bed

ARLINGTON, Va. — Arlington police say a U.S. Capitol Police officer was arrested when a woman came home to find the stranger passed out drunk in her bed. Police said the 34-year-old man was still sleeping when officers arrived at 1 a.m. Sunday. Spokeswoman Crystal Nosal said the officer was charged with unlawful entry.

Thousands of devotees celebrate Sufi saint’s anniversary in Moradabad

MORADABAD - Setting aside all differences of faith, caste, colour and creed, thousands of devotees converged at the Dargah (mausoleum) of Hazrat Abdul Aziz Miyyan, a Sufi saint at Moradabad for the annual Urs (anniversary celebrations) that was celebrated on Thursday.

Guinea opposition calls for outside help to hold new election after bloody protest

CONAKRY, Guinea — A top figure in Guinea’s opposition appealed Thursday for outside help to hold elections after troops loyal to the military leader fired live ammunition at 50,000 pro-democracy protesters earlier this week.

Judge orders FBI to release much of its interview with Cheney during CIA leak investigation

WASHINGTON — A federal judge ruled Thursday that the FBI must publicly reveal much of its notes from an interview with former Vice President Dick Cheney during the investigation into who leaked the identity of a CIA operative.

‘Miracle on the Hudson’ pilots reunite in cockpit for NY, NC flights

NEW YORK — “This is your captain, Chesley Sullenberger.”

Kerala’s cruise capsize toll 41 amid confession of lapses (Lead, Roundup)

THEKKADY - The pleasure cruise that ended in a watery grave for 41 tourists in the famed Periyar wildlife sanctuary here could have been avoided, experts said Thursday, as the government admitted lapses in ensuring basic security measures like lifejackets.

Kerala’s cruise capsize toll hits 42 amid confession of lapses (Roundup)

THEKKADY - The pleasure cruise that ended in a watery grave for 42 tourists in the famed Periyar wildlife sanctuary here could have been avoided, experts said Thursday, as the government admitted lapses in ensuring basic security measures like lifejackets.

Four-volume Gandhi biography to be released on birth anniversary

AHMEDABAD/NEW DELHI - A four-volume biography of Mahatma Gandhi, with intimate details penned by one who in his childhood played with the great man, has been translated from Gujarati into English and releases Friday, the 140th birth anniversary of the icon of peace and non-violence.

Zimbabwe human rights activists sue state for $500 million after terror charges dropped

HARARE, Zimbabwe — A prominent Zimbabwean human rights activist and eight others are suing the government for $500 million after terror charges against them were dropped because they had been beaten and tortured, their lawyer said Thursday.

Experts say elitist Gandhi pen risks possibility of a backlash

LONDON - Well known Swiss pen manufacturer Montblanc’s decision to unveil a gold and silver fountain pen to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi, the spearhead of India’s independence movement in the early part of the 20th century, has provoked criticism and risks the possibility of a backlash.

Average Briton spends 30 hours online every week

LONDON - An average British person spends 30 hours online every week, according to a new survey.

Senate climate bill fails to lift perceptions of US at international global warming talks

BANGKOK — The honeymoon appears to be over for the United States at U.N. climate talks.

CBI to withdraw cases against Quattrocchhi on Saturday

NEW DELHI - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has decided to move an application before the Magistrates Court here on Saturday to withdraw cases against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchhi in the Bofors gun purchasing scam.

HINDRAF leader’s passport still valid, says Malaysian Home Minister

PUTRAJAYA - Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has said that Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) chairman P. Waytha Moorthy can ask the Malaysian High Commission in Britain to return his passport and come home, but warned that he could be charged if the Malaysian authorities find that he has broken local laws.

Pittsburgh police used acoustic warfare during G-20 protests, drawing legal groups’ ire

PITTSBURGH — Police ordered protesters to disperse at the Group of 20 summit last week with a device that can beam earsplitting alarm tones and verbal instructions that the manufacturer likens to a “spotlight of sound,” but that legal groups called potentially dangerous.

Russian reporter says he was threatened after criticizing defenders of Soviet history

MOSCOW — A Russian journalist says he has been threatened with violence and forced into hiding after posting a Web article critical of Soviet army veterans.

Kashmir’s autumnal glory may be shortlived - thanks to urbanisation (Letter from Kashmir)

SRINAGAR - As the chinar leaves change colour from green to crimson to yellow, autumn, the season of plenty in Kashmir, is at its peak. The countryside is buzzing with activity as peasants harvest their paddy crop and fruit growers pick apples in their orchards.

US pushing Pakistan to punish Mumbai terror attackers

WASHINGTON - Describing India and Pakistan as two very important countries, the United States says it is encouraging Islamabad to fully investigate and bring those responsible for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

NY judge says he wouldn’t have ordered release of destroyed 9/11 interrogation videos

NEW YORK — A judge cited national security concerns in ruling Wednesday that the CIA does not have to release hundreds of documents related to the destruction of videotapes of Sept. 11 detainee interrogations that used harsh methods.

CDC study: Drug deaths surpass traffic fatalities in 16 states

ATLANTA — In 16 states and counting, drugs now kill more people than auto accidents do, the government said Wednesday.

Military parade marking 60 years of communist rule in China stirs both pride and unease

BEIJING — China celebrated its rise to a world power over 60 years of Communist rule Thursday, staging its biggest-ever parade of military hardware with over 100,000 marching masses in a display that stirred patriotism — and some unease.

Regulators say several causes could be behind floor mat problems surrounding Toyota recall

DETROIT — Federal investigators said of the 102 accidents caused by stuck gas pedals on Toyota vehicles, there are four possible causes involving the floor mats: The mats are too long or too thick, they weren’t properly secured, the gas pedal design is flawed or the floor geometry is defective.

Meltdown 101: Why do we have so many different bank regulators, and what do they do?

WASHINGTON — The financial crisis has renewed the focus on bank regulation. Critics contend the patchwork system contributed to the crisis by allowing some banks to slip through the cracks and others to seek weaker oversight.

Bankrate: ATM fees for non-customers rose 12.6 percent this year to $2.22

NEW YORK — Can’t find an ATM from your bank nearby? Keep walking, unless you want to pay higher fees.

Food, medicine, temporary morgue sent to tsunami-stricken Samoas, death toll at 119

APIA, Samoa — Police searched a ghastly landscape of mud-strewn streets, pulverized homes and bodies scattered in a swamp Wednesday as dazed survivors emerged from the muck and mire of an earthquake and tsunami that killed at least 119 in the South Pacific.

Prosecutors say they’re working to untangle multistate, Ponzi-like adoption scam

MINEOLA, N.Y. — An attorney who claimed his own experience as an adopted child motivated him to help people seeking to start families is suspected of running a Ponzi-like scheme that ripped off couples from New York to Texas, promising children that didn’t exist.

Disaster official says death toll from tsunami hits 83 in Samoa, bringing total count to 119

APIA, Samoa — A senior Samoan disaster official says the nation’s death toll has risen to 83 following a massive tsunami. She said more bodies are expected to be recovered as searches resumed at dawn.

Alarmed by high death rate, military ramps up motorcycle training for risk-taking troops

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Sgt. Adam Bosley was back from his third tour of duty in Iraq and waiting to head to Afghanistan when he bought a sleek, souped-up motorcycle capable of high-speed cornering and explosive acceleration.