Euro leaders surprise with crisis deal

BRUSSELS (AP) — After harrowing late-night negotiations, the leaders of the 17-country eurozone thrashed out a strategy on how to deal with the debt crisis that has crippled the currency union over the past year and already pushed two of its members into multibillion euro bailouts.

The region's bailout fund, the European Financial Stability Facility, will be able to lend the full euro440 billion that it was initially promised, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Up to now, the EFSF was only able to lend out about euro250 billion because of several buffers required to get a good credit rating — fanning fears that it would …

Stony Brook beats Albany NY 68-59 in AEast tourney

Tommy Brenton posted a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds and Stony Brook beat Albany (N.Y.) 68-59 on Saturday in the first round of the America East Conference tournament.

The top-seeded Seawolves (22-8) advance to the semifinals against winner of Saturday's second game between No. 4 Boston University-No. 5 Hartford. A Stony Brook win next round would have the Seawolves, the regular season champions, hosting the league …

Ex-cop brags about brutality during secret tape recording

A black juror winced Tuesday when she heard former Chicago PoliceOfficer Joseph Miedzianowski boast in a secretly tape-recorded phonecall that he bashed an innocent black driver in the head with a 20-pound sledge hammer.

Miedzianowski-on trial in federal court for allegedlymasterminding a Chicago-to-Miami drug ring and turning ganginformants into crime partners-used a racist slur to describe thedriver in the Dec. 5, 1998 recording.

In his conversation with Cook County Sheriff's CorrectionalOfficer Billy Jarding, Miedzianowski said he was helping execute asearch warrant at a house when a 6-foot-5, 300-pound man pulled up ina car and started honking his horn.

"I …

Official: Japan nuke plant pool at or near boiling

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese nuclear safety official says a pool for storing spent fuel at the crippled nuclear plant is heating up, with temperatures around the boiling point.

Nuclear safety agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama told reporters Tuesday that the high temperatures in the spent fuel pool are believed to be the cause of steam that has wafted from Fukushima Dai-ichi's Unit 2 since Monday.

The hot storage pool is another complication in bringing the plant under control and ending a nuclear crisis that followed the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeast coast.

If water in the pool bubbles away and exposes fuel rods, more radiation would be thrown …

Israel confirms 1st case of swine flu

Israel's Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed the country's first case of swine flu, saying a 26-year-old man who recently returned from Mexico had contracted the virus. Hospital officials said he has fully recovered.

Health Ministry spokeswoman Einav Shimron said ministry laboratory tests confirmed that a patient at Laniado Hospital in the coastal city of Netanya had contracted swine flu. The strain was the same one as the one found in Mexico, Shimron said.

The patient, Tomer Vajim, has recovered and is in "excellent condition," said Dr. Avinoam Skolnik, Laniado's medical director. He will remain hospitalized until the Health Ministry approves …

Pupils raise thousands

Pupils, staff and parents at Bath's Monkton Prep School haveraised Pounds 17,576 for Save The Children.

The money was raised last year during the school's annual 22-mile sponsored walk to Wells.

Organiser, teacher David Sibley, said he was delighted with thesuccess of the walk.

"The Wells Walk is an important part of our charitable giving andthe children love it.

"It is a family occasion and I am always surprised by thecommitment and determination of the …

India Bus Accident Kills 20, Injures 12

PATNA, India - A bus plunged nearly 30 feet into a riverbed in eastern India early Friday, killing at least 20 people and injuring 12, an official said.

The accident occurred on a highway near Patna, the capital of Bihar state, said B.K. Singh, a state administrator.

The driver, who was among the dead, lost control …