The pandemic of swine flu may be hitting a peak across much of the globe, health officials said on Friday, but they cautioned it was far from over.

Norwegian health authorities said Friday they have discovered a potentially significant mutation in the H1N1 influenza strain that could be responsible for causing the severest symptoms among those infected.

With no margin for rebellion, Senate Democratic leaders pushed ahead Friday toward a crucial weekend test vote on their sweeping health care bill amid indications the rank-and-file would stand together on President Barack Obama's signature issue.

$26.3 million helps ‘Twilight’ sequel eclipse last Harry Potter film for No. 1.

Scientists circulated beams of protons in the world's largest atom smasher Friday night for the first time after a year of repairs caused by a spectacular failure after the $10 billion machine was heavily damaged by a simple electrical fault.

Electric sports car maker Tesla Motors plans to go public soon, two sources familiar with the matter said, amid growing interest in green technology and battery-powered vehicles.

The Procter & Gamble Co. has recalled some 120,000 bottles of Vicks Sinex nasal spray after the company found bacteria in samples during routine testing.

The Senate ethics committee admonished Roland Burris for making "inconsistent, misleading or incomplete" statements about the circumstances surrounding his appointment, but did not recommend any punishment.

The  "Hannah Montana" star wasn't on board bus that ran off of a central Virginia interstate, struck an embankment and overturned.  The driver died at the scene, police said. 

An Arizona family is pleading with burglars to return a wooden music box containing the ashes of their 5-month old son.

The stock market ended a down week with light selling as investors grew uneasy about a rising dollar and spiking demand for the safest government debt.

Don’t have your cat declawed in San Francisco, or you could go to jail. This month, the city became the first in California to ban the veterinary procedure, and was soon joined by Santa Monica, Berkeley and Beverly Hills. Los Angeles is expected to join suit soon.

Atlantis' astronauts anxiously awaited word on the birth of a crewman's daughter as they moved more supplies into the International Space Station and geared up for a spacewalk.

A 5-year-old North Carolina girl was raped and killed the same day she was taken from her home, arrest warrant says.

Does the Internet make people gullible? A recent outbreak of fake death reports on Twitter have some people wondering if too much information too quickly is bad for us.

Most women in their 20s can have a Pap smear every two years instead of annually, say new guidelines that conclude that's enough to catch slow-growing cervical cancer.

British military helicopters winched dozens of people to safety and emergency workers in inflatable boats rescued scores more on Friday following the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in Britain.

A British man who said he strangled his wife during a nightmare about fighting off an intruder is innocent in her death.

There are signs of recovery in the nation's heartland, including Elkhart, Ind., but the rebound is faint, uneven and faces many threats.

For Lawrie Covey and millions of other unemployed workers, life remains a day-to-day struggle. Instead of working on RVs in a factory, she may soon be living in one.

There will be no rematch. Ireland’s hopes for a replay of its World Cup qualifier against France ended Friday after both FIFA and the French Football Federation rejected requests for another game.

Two days before shipping off to war, Marine Pfc. Jesse Sheets sat inside a trailer in the Mojave Desert, his gaze fixed on a computer that flashed a rhythmic pulse of contrasting images.

A foot model in New York City is suing her upscale apartment building, claiming the co-op board is trying to force her out because she married its former doorman.