Oracle names ex-HP CEO Mark Hurd co-president

Oracle Corp. has hired former Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO Mark Hurd to help lead the database software maker in a pivotal moment in Oracle's 33-year history as it tries to muscle in on more of HP's turf.

WikiLeaks' Assange requests new lawyer in Sweden

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has requested a new lawyer to represent him in Sweden after a prosecutor decided to reopen a rape investigation against him.

Japan reporter tricked captors into using Twitter

A Japanese journalist held hostage in Afghanistan for five months managed to send out a message via Twitter that he was alive when his captors asked him how to use a cell phone.

Hundreds of looted artifacts returned to Iraq

Hundreds of Iraqi artifacts looted from museums and archaeological sites across the country _ including a 4,400-year-old statue of an ancient king stolen during the U.S.-led invasion _ have been returned to Iraq and were displayed Tuesday.

Report: N Africa fish threatened with extinction

Researchers at an international water conference in Stockholm said that 21 percent of freshwater species in northern Africa are threatened with extinction.

Ancient city by the sea rises amid Egypt's resorts

Today, it's a sprawl of luxury vacation homes where Egypt's wealthy play on the white beaches of the Mediterranean coast. But 2,000 years ago, this was a thriving Greco-Roman port city, boasting villas of merchants grown rich on the wheat and olive trade.

Japan confirms its first case of new superbug gene

Japan has confirmed the nation's first case of a new gene in bacteria that allows the microorganisms to become drug-resistant superbugs, detected in a man who had medical treatment in India, a Health Ministry official said Tuesday.

Report: Money can buy you happiness, to a point

They say money can't buy happiness. They're wrong.

AOL teaming up with Ellen DeGeneres online

AOL is adding talk show host Ellen DeGeneres to its family of Web properties as it looks for ways to draw more people to its sites.

Mozambican radio: 9 who call for protests arrested

Mozambicans found Monday they could not send text messages, after some used the technology to call for protests in this impoverished country over increases in food, water and electricity prices.

Japanese stem cell researcher wins Balzan prize

A Japanese researcher who found a way to give adults cells certain characteristics of embryonic stem cells, a process scientists say could eventually lead to cures for spinal cord injuries and other ailments, has been awarded the Balzan Prize for biology.

Summary Box: Entrepreneur building fans of shorts

SHORT INSPIRATION: Former investment banker Carter Pilcher realized several years ago that a business could be made by buying quality short movies relatively cheaply and exposing them to new audiences.

Entrepreneur finds audience for short filmmakers

Some years back, investment banker Carter Pilcher stumbled across some really good short movies made by a few talented friends, and the money-making and artistic sides of his brain suddenly clicked.

2 activists convicted of whale meat theft in Japan

A Japanese court on Monday convicted two members of the environmental group Greenpeace of stealing whale meat they claim was intended for illegal consumption.

Taiwan's HTC: iPhone's `quiet' challenger

East Asia is the world's electronics factory, yet unless they are Japanese, producers are largely anonymous. Now HTC Corp., a Taiwanese maker of smart phones, is moving out of the shadows and trying to establish its own brand name as it competes with Apple's iPhone.

Craigslist strikes adult services under pressure

Craigslist appears to have surrendered in a legal fight over erotic ads posted on its website, shutting down its adult services section Saturday and replacing it with a black bar that simply says "censored."

Kinect's Israeli partner sees a remoteless world

Inon Beracha envisions a world where your movements control the gadgets and devices around you. There's no remote control to lose, no buttons to push. The air conditioner senses your presence and changes the temperature to your liking.

AP Interview: Wikipedia founder bullish on news

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales believes relief may be in sight for the beleaguered news media industry.

Texas opens inquiry into Google search rankings

Google Inc.'s methods for recommending websites are being reviewed by Texas' attorney general in an investigation spurred by complaints that the company has abused its power as the Internet's dominant search engine.

German court rules against YouTube over copyright

A German court ruled Friday that Google Inc.'s subsidiary YouTube LLC must pay compensation after users uploaded several videos of performances by singer Sarah Brightman in violation of copyright laws.

Clams befouling Tahoe invade Adirondack lake in NY

A thumbnail-sized clam blamed for clouding the azure bays of Lake Tahoe high in the Sierra Nevada has now turned up in a mountain-ringed Adirondack lake renowned for its limpid, spring-fed waters.

Summary Box: iPhone app with augmented reality

THE APP: Available for the iPhone, mTrip is a travel guide and more. It uses the latest in smart phone technology to help travelers stay on track.

Review: mTrip iPhone app uses augmented reality

The new iPhone application mTrip is a travel guide and then some: It uses the latest in smart phone technology to make it easier to stay on track in a foreign locale.

Add hip-hop to 'Rock Band' thanks to Snoop Dogg

Rap and rock will collide once again _ this time in a video game.

Dubai police chief calls BlackBerry a spy tool

Worries about spying by the U.S. and Israel spurred plans to sharply limit BlackBerry services in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai's police chief said in comments that suggest a tough line in talks with the smart phone maker.