WASHINGTON – Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, accused Republicans of putting seniors and military families at risk by siding with President Bush against a measure to prevent Medicare cuts. Durbin, D-Ill., used a Saturday national radio address to call on Republicans to back the bill to stave off …

WASHINGTON – Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte were asked Friday to testify before a congressional committee on Jan. 16, along with their former trainer, Brian McNamee. Also invited to appear before the House Oversight Committee were former Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski, whose allegations were a central part of last …

CHICAGO – A former police officer suspected in the disappearance of his wife will be defended in a police brutality lawsuit by an attorney hired by the town that employed him, his personal attorney said Friday. Former Bolingbrook police Sgt. Drew Peterson, who is a suspect in the disappearance of …

Al Qaeda is building a white army of terror in the United Kingdom, according to the U.K.’s Scotland on Sunday. According to a source at MI5 — the British equivalent of the CIA — 1,500 white Britons are believed to have converted to Islam with the purpose of funding, planning, …

LUSIGNAN, Guyana – Gunmen stormed into a coastal village and killed 11 people, including five children, in violence blamed on a gang leader who has threatened widespread attacks. The assault sparked angry protests over rising crime in this impoverished country. The killings in Lusignan came hours after gunmen attacked police …

ISLAMABAD – Beginning Monday, air travelers flying into the United States from Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Yemen and other “countries of interest” will be subjected to enhanced screening techniques, such as body scans, pat-downs and a thorough search of carry-on luggage. Additionally, all passengers on U.S.-bound international flights will be subject …

NIAMEY, Niger – A junta that seized power in a coup in the West African nation of Niger named a platoon commander as its leader Friday, hours after soldiers announced on state TV that their group was in charge of the uranium-rich country. Former colonial ruler France and the African …

OCEANSIDE, California – Federal authorities say a 25-foot boat packed with suspected illegal immigrants has been intercepted off the coast of Southern California. The Coast Guard says 23 people were taken into custody after the wooden boat was spotted about 1:40 a.m. local time Friday, about 6.5 miles off the …

OKLAHOMA CITY – Police ordered everyone off the campus at Oklahoma City Community College after a report that someone on campus had a gun. Authorities later said there was no gunman but that a campus security officer accidentally fired his weapon during a search. Oklahoma City Police Lt. Patrick Stewart …

EASTMAN, Georgia – Authorities in central Georgia say a mother and father offered sex with their 14-year-old daughter in lieu of making payments on their minivan. Dodge County sheriff’s Capt. Tony Winborn says the parents were arrested Monday and are in jail awaiting a bond hearing. They face child molestation …