WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. – Jack Smith, a singer and recording artist who hosted the popular “You Asked for It” television show, has died. He was 92. Smith died of leukemia July 3 at his home in Westlake Village, said Dorris Halsey, a longtime friend. Smith began a singing career in …

BAGHDAD, Iraq – A top U.S. commander completed a review of an investigation into an alleged cover-up in the Haditha case, and a military official said it pointed to errors in the reporting of initial allegations after the killings. Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli forwarded his findings and recommendations to Gen. …

LAS VEGAS – In an effort to curb charity that is having unintended consequences, the City Council has made it illegal to give food to homeless people in city parks. Residents complained that the large numbers of homeless gathering in the parks make it impossible for others to use them, …

WASHINGTON – Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) wants to block an effort for a shareholder vote forcing the world’s largest software maker to explain its support for Internet network neutrality, according to a company letter obtained by Reuters on Tuesday. The Free Enterprise Action Fund, a mutual fund that says it offers …

LOS ANGELES – Debbie Rowe, the former Mrs. Michael Jackson, has sued the pop singer, claiming he has failed to pay her what he promised when the two divorced in 1999. In the lawsuit, filed July 3 in Los Angeles Superior Court, Rowe seeks an immediate payment of $195,000 for …

WASHINGTON – President Bush has ordered helicopters and ships to Lebanon to provide humanitarian aid, but he still opposes an immediate cease-fire that could give relief from a 13-day-old Israeli bombing campaign. Announcing the assistance program, White House press secretary Tony Snow said Monday there was no reason to believe …

WASHINGTON – The Republican donor who helped bankroll the Swift Boat attacks on Democratic Sen. John Kerry‘s war record has given $5 million to a new group targeting Democratic candidates. Bob J. Perry, a Texas homebuilder with close ties to White House advisor Karl Rove and former House Majority Leader …

UNITED NATIONS – U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan asked former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami on Tuesday to help foster dialogue with the United States, as the moderate cleric wound down an unprecedented U.S. tour, the United Nations said. Annan and Khatami kissed each other on the cheek three times and chatted …

LOS ANGELES – Ralph Story, a television and radio broadcaster for three decades and host of the hugely popular quiz show “The $64,000 Challenge” in the 1950s, has died. He was 86. Story died Tuesday at his home in Santa Ynez, north of Santa Barbara, after a long battle with …

WASHINGTON – Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday defended his lightning-rod role as a leading advocate for invading Iraq, for a warrantless surveillance program and for harsh treatment of suspected terrorists. “Part of my job is to think about the unthinkable, to focus what in fact the terrorists may have …