Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama defended his proposal to negotiate with Iran Wednesday and said he would use "big sticks and big carrots" to persuade the country's leaders not to develop nuclear weapons.

A woman walking her two dogs in a rural area of Southern California was attacked and severely injured by a bear, but managed to escape and drive herself to a nearby fire station.

From the solemnity of a Holocaust museum to a dusty village battered by Hamas rockets, Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama on Wednesday professed "an unshakable commitment to the security" of Israel, whether the threat comes from terrorists, Iran or elsewhere.

Madame Tussauds unveiled a waxwork of Amy Winehouse on Wednesday complete with her signature beehive, black eyeliner and a bright yellow minidress.

Google Inc. is taking the wraps off an Internet encyclopedia designed to give people a chance to show off -- and profit from -- their expertise on any topic.

The sabal palm, Florida's state tree, is under attack by a microscopic killer that has scientists stumped. An unknown but growing number of sabal palms in the Tampa Bay area have died from a mysterious disease that researchers are struggling to identify. Even after scientists pinpoint the disease -- and that could take years -- they will have to learn what insect spreads it. The disease will be tough to stop.

Manny Ramirez was out of Boston's lineup Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners with what his manager said was a sore knee.

Chrysler LLC said Wednesday it will cut 1,000 salaried jobs worldwide by Sept. 30 as it tries to return to profitability amid a severe downturn in U.S. sales.

Dozens of pairs of pantyhose have been left near a Milford school bus stop -- causing sheer annoyance in the neighborhood. The pantyhose -- sometimes new, sometimes used -- has been left on Camp Street for more than two years. They're almost always black and queen sized.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are pooling their piles of money to pour $375 million into a global effort to cut smoking.

The National Transportation Safety Board says it's investigating a near airborne collision at Chicago's O'Hare airport on Monday.