WASHINGTON – Saudi Arabia’s oil minister said Tuesday that currently high crude oil prices are of no long-term benefit to either producers or consumers and contribute to market instability. “Energy security cannot be sustained when prices are extreme — too high or too low,” Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said …

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Prime Minister Tony Blair flew into Baghdad on Monday to lend his support to Iraq’s new leadership as it begins trying to restore security and stem the slide toward civil war. Blair arrived by helicopter in the fortified Green Zone for a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart, …

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The first openly gay Episcopal bishop said Wednesday that the church’s top policymaking body should not heed a request from Anglicans worldwide to place a moratorium on electing gay or lesbian bishops. The Episcopal General Convention, which runs through June 21 in Columbus, must vote on whether …

WARSAW, Poland – Researchers said Thursday they have identified the remains of Nicolaus Copernicus by comparing DNA from a skeleton and hair retrieved from one of the 16th-century astronomer’s books. The findings could put an end to centuries of speculation about the exact resting spot of Copernicus, a priest and …

WELLINGTON, Fla. – The sudden death of 21 polo horses in Florida may have been caused by a toxin that has yet to be identified by tests and could have been in the animals’ feed, vitamins or supplements, veterinarians said Monday. The horses from the Venezuelan-owned team Lechuza Caracas sickened …

TRENTON, N.J. – Wayne Gretzky‘s wife and a Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach might sue New Jersey for $50 million each, contending their reputations were damaged after state officials leaked information from wiretaps in a case involving a multimillion-dollar sports betting ring. In two separate notices — often a precursor to …

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Relatives of defendants in the trial of Saddam Hussein and members of his former regime testified Tuesday as the defense tried to knock down charges of crimes against humanity that carry a possible death penalty. Their testimony came a day after chief judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman accused Saddam …

NEW ORLEANS, La. – In a dress rehearsal for the coming hurricane season, Mayor Ray Nagin summoned reporters to City Hall while state and federal authorities in Baton Rouge, La., tracked the path of an erratic “Hurricane Alicia” that aimed first for Texas, then jogged toward New Orleans. It was …

LOS ANGELES – Richard Stahl, an actor whose more than 40-year career stretched from New York theater to film and television comedies such as “Laverne and Shirley,” has died. He was 74. Stahl died Sunday at the Motion Picture and Television Fund’s health center in Woodland Hills after a 10-year …

CHICAGO – “Clean your plate or else!” and other authoritarian approaches to parenting can lead to overweight children, a new study finds. Strict mothers were nearly five times more likely to raise tubby first-graders than mothers who treated their children with flexibility and respect while also setting clear rules. But …