Imports slow second-quarter growth - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Economic growth slowed in the second quarter as companies invested heavily in equipment from abroad and consumers spent less, raising concerns about the recovery in the rest of 2010.

House begins debating oil spill bill - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives began debating legislation on Friday to reform the oil industry's offshore drilling practices in response to the BP oil spill.

Fires Rage Across Russia Amid Record Heat - The fires have spread quickly across more than 200,000 acres in recent days after a record heat wave and severe drought. July has been the hottest month in Moscow in 130 years of recorded history.

Afghan police fire shots to quell protest after accident - KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan police fired shots on Friday to disperse hundreds of people protesting the deaths of civilians in an accident involving a U.S. embassy vehicle, police said.

Syrian Leader in Rare Visit to Lebanon - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad landed in Beirut, accompanied by the king of Saudi Arabia, marking Mr. Assad's first visit to Lebanon since he pulled back Syrian forces from a decades-long occupation of the country five ...

Italy speaker refuses to resign, deepens crisis - ROME (Reuters) - The influential speaker of Italy's lower house refused to step down on Friday after being censured by his own party, and said his supporters could vote against the government of his former ally Prime ...

Author to Fight Singapore Charge - A British author vowed Friday to fight charges in Singapore related to his book on the city-state's death penalty policy, even if it lands him in jail.

How much garbage do you produce? - ad - Do you create unnecessary landfill just by cleaning your house? Think about it. If you use pre-packaged cleaners, not only are you throwing money away, you are also throwing away a large number of empty bottles, ...

That's Your Sister? - Four of the ice-dancing pairs competing in Vancouver are siblings—and this year, there's a compulsory tango routine. How they get around the awkwardness.

Speed, Commerce Skewed Track's Design - Years before the young Georgian luge racer flew to his death, officials made a series of decisions designed to make the icy track a commercial success that left it faster than any competitive track before.

Chasing the True Team Canada - On the streets of Vancouver, Canadian Olympians are scanning the crowd for hockey standouts, showing the sport's primacy in the hearts and minds of Canadians.

Ferry Wins Men's Biathlon Pursuit - There was no shortage of suprises on the biathlon course this afternoon, with surprise winners and even some mismanagment on the part of race supervisors.

The Skier Who Can't Shoot Straight - Germany biathlete Magdalena Neuner, who won a silver medal in the 7.5-kilometer sprint Saturday and who will compete in the 10-kilometer pursuit Tuesday, is fast as heck on skis, but get out of the way when she picks up a ...

Johnny Weir's Ice Capades - The U.S. skater has his own reality show and fashion label; one costume is like "a Care Bear on acid."

The Old Men on the Mountains - As the nature of the downhill event in skiing changes, the Games' favorites are schussing seniors.

Let's Win the Oddball Events, Too - The Vancouver Games will show whether a U.S. plan hatched more than 20 years ago, to compete in offbeat events like Nordic combined, has borne fruit.

Can you get enough balance and variety in your diet without eating like a ... - Can you get enough nutrition in your diet without over-eating? Using the power of compact nutrition, you don't need to consume so many calories to get the nutrition you need.

Olympic Skier Is a Hero to Diabetics - Can extreme amounts of exercise help manage diabetes? U.S. Olympic skier Kris Freeman was told to quit racing when he was diagnosed, but kept at it and turned the question on its head.

Olympic Logo Strays From Tradition - Olympic logos and mascots usually get plenty of attention. But Canada's choice of emblem is among the most curious: It's a pile of rocks.

America's Surprise Olympic Romp - Canada's "own the podium" plan is falling short so far as the U.S. dominates, but 60% of medals remain to be awarded. "It might not last," warns a rival coach.

Even Bad Boys Turn Good in Vancouver - Bode Miller's new role as the friendly Olympic hero is in keeping with these cute and snuggly Games.

Costas and Commercials Outweigh Action - An analysis of NBC's 3 ½-hour program Friday night showed that there were 56 minutes, 41 seconds of commercials over 24 breaks—that's three more minutes than actual event action that was showed.

Luge-Track Probe Reaches Impasse - Vancouver's Olympic organizing committee and the International Luge Federation appear to have reached a stalemate in determining where the responsibility lies for the construction of the track where a Georgian athlete died.