UNITED STATES

For the first time ever, there are now more millionaires in Asia than in North America.

A new study says a pacifier hinders a young boy’s emotional development by interfering with his ability to mimic the facial expressions of those around him.

The space shuttle Endeavor officially hung up its hat Wednesday as it embarked on a new journey as a piece of United States history. Bolted to the top of a jumbo jet, NASA's youngest shuttle left the space administration behind when it departed from Kennedy Space Center en route to the California Science Center where it will be retired.

BP Plc is in talks with Marathon Petroleum Corp. to sell its Texas City refinery to pay for Deepwater Horizon spill costs.

Daniel "Loco" Barrera, described as Colombia's "last' major drug lord, was captured in Venezuela in an operation that involved cooperation between Colombia's national police, Venezuelan anti-narcotics forces and U.S. and British intelligence agencies. Barrera was responsible for delivering more than 10 tons of cocaine per month to the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico, much of which would end up in the U.S.

U.S. and Chinese officials have been quick to dismiss bilateral problems and are highlighting the need for greater cooperation. An assault on the U.S. Ambassador's car in Shanghai has been quickly sidelined.

The Palestinian Authority's budget is short some $400 million, a gap that will remain and cause serious fiscal difficulties, even if all donors fulfill their 2012 pledges to Palestine, the World Bank warned on Wednesday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing violent conflict between Syrian forces and armed rebels.

Poll shows Obama in the lead over his rival, Romney, in Virginia and Wisconsin, but pretty close in Colorado.

Sales of previously owned homes rose 7.8 percent in August to the highest level since May 2010, and construction starts also increased.

According to Consumer Reports study, rice eaten just once a day can drive arsenic levels in the human body up 44 percent. Rice eaten twice a day can lead to a 70 percent increase in arsenic.

Samsung officially announced it will release its Galaxy Note 2 by mid-November on all five major U.S. carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, U.S. Cellular, T-Mobile and Sprint.

WWE Hall of Famer Edge returned to SmackDown for Tuesday's taping. The Rated-R Superstar's appearance will air on Friday, along with a tag team brawl, a possible Slater face turn and Del Rio trying to get another shot at the World Title.

For a second time in less than a year, a satirical Paris-based weekly takes a swipe at Muslims to make a free-speech point.

All kinds of markets have been up following the announcement last Thursday of further monetary stimulus from the U.S. central bank. But the one thing that has gone up the most, according to futures markets where people put money on such things, are the chances Barack Obama will win the U.S. presidential election in November.

There are fears over the economic impact of the dispute between China and Japan if the row over islands in the East China Sea is not resolved soon.

American Airlines may fire people.

Now 50 years old, Kampgrounds of America pioneered the U.S. campground industry to take advantage of vacationers riding the then-new interstate highways.