Heavy rains head toward cyclone-devastated Myanmar
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Heavy rains and another potentially powerful storm headed toward Myanmar's cyclone-devastated delta on Wednesday. The U.N. warned that inadequate relief efforts could lead to a second wave of deaths among the estimated 2 million survivors. The International Red Cross said in a new estimate that the death toll already may be between 68,833 and 127,990. The Red Cross says it arrived at the number by adding figures gathered in affected areas by other aid groups and organizations and extrapolating the total.

AP Television News video shows quake's 1st moments
CHENGDU, China (AP) - The moment that a devastating earthquake struck central China, the hills surrounding the city of Chengdu shook, people ran outside in confused panic, and a thick, white cloud of dust enveloped a mountain reserve. Exclusive footage shot by John Dkar, a Peruvian resident of Chengdu, and obtained by AP Television News shows the terrifying first moments of Monday's quake as he motorbiked with friends in the hills outside the city.

Bush puts optimistic face on fading peace hopes in Mideast
JERUSALEM (AP) - President Bush put an optimistic face on fading hopes for Mideast peace Wednesday, declaring that Israel's 60-year triumph over war and tragedy shows democracy can succeed everywhere. But Bush's upbeat message was marred by rocket fire from Gaza and threats of heavy retaliation by Israel. Intended as an occasion for celebrating Israel's birthday, Bush's visit instead brought bursts of fresh violence, ominous warnings and disputed claims that Israel plans to expand settlement activity in the West Bank, a development that could undermine peace talks with Palestinians. It appeared that all sides were vying for the president's attention.

McCain's wife sells Sudan-related investments
WASHINGTON (AP) - Cindy McCain, whose husband has been a critic of the violence in Sudan, sold off more than $2 million in mutual funds whose holdings include companies that do business in the African nation. The sale on Wednesday came after The Associated Press questioned the investments in light of calls by John McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, for international financial sanctions against the Sudanese leadership.

US probing Iraqi companies for insurance fraud
WASHINGTON (AP) - Companies working on Iraq reconstruction have been accused of padding their profits through an insurance scam, leading to a criminal probe and hurried changes in the way many contracts are handled by the U.S. Army, according to internal military documents obtained by The Associated Press. The investigation of two companies located in Tikrit - Sakar al-Fahal and al-Jubori - led the Army Corps of Engineers to scour its records for evidence of fraud by other contractors hired with billions of U.S. dollars to help rebuild Iraqi infrastructure devastated by the war, the documents reveal.

US lists polar bear as threatened species
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Interior Department declared the polar bear a threatened species Wednesday because of the loss of Arctic sea ice but also cautioned the decision should not be viewed as a path to address global warming. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne cited dramatic declines in sea ice over the last three decades and projections of continued losses, meaning, he said, that the polar bear is a species likely to be in danger of extinction in the near future.

Galaxy's youngest known supernova is 140 years old
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Astronomers have discovered the youngest known supernova in the Milky Way galaxy, still just a baby at 140 years old. The scientists, who announced their findings Wednesday, used a radio observatory in New Mexico and NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory in space to identify when the supernova, or stellar, explosion occurred. They put the star-dying event at sometime around 1868. Before this, the youngest supernova in the Milky Way was thought to have occurred around 1680.

Jack Black breaks the news: Jolie expecting twins
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Angelina Jolie is indeed expecting twins, and it was Jack Black who let the news slip with a "Brady Bunch" crack. Long rumored to have two children by Brad Pitt on the way, Jolie confirmed the news during a side-by-side "Today" show interview with Black, her "Kung Fu Panda" co-star. The two are in Cannes, France, promoting the animated film. The twins will be the 5th and 6th children for Jolie and Pitt. She didn't volunteer the information until Black dropped the hint, joking that the couple will "have as many as (the) 'Brady Bunch' when you have these."

Teen sells 17,328 boxes of Girl Scout cookies
DETROIT (AP) - A Girl Scout has financed her trip to Europe with Thin Mints, Samoas and Do-Si-Dos, possibly breaking a national record in the process. Jennifer Sharpe, a 15-year-old from Dearborn, sold 17,328 boxes of Girl Scout cookies this year, which shatters her troop's old record and is believed to be a national record, though Girl Scouts of the USA doesn't track individual sales. "It's always been one of those goals I wanted to accomplish," Sharpe said Wednesday.

Hank Steinbrenner: Yankees must play smarter
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Hank Steinbrenner expects his struggling New York Yankees to focus and turn around their season. "They've got to play smarter and harder," he said Wednesday. "The injuries - when you're missing Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada, that makes it tough. The injuries make a huge difference. At the same time, you've got to get it done. We still have plenty of good hitters. We need to get the job done."