story

NEW YORK – Consumer confidence soured in May, as Americans fretted about jobs and the overall economy, a private research group said Tuesday. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index fell to 103.2, down from the revised 109.8 in April. Still, May’s reading was better than the 100.9 expected …

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – Independent Dutch investigators cleared Lance Armstrong of doping in the 1999 Tour de France on Wednesday, and blamed anti-doping authorities for misconduct in dealing with the American cyclist. A 132-page report recommended convening a tribunal to discuss possible legal and ethical violations by the World Anti-Doping Agency …

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a lesser charge rather than be retried on allegations that he lied to the FBI about his son’s attendance at a terrorist training camp, according to court papers. Under a deal, Umer Hayat, 48, an ice cream vendor, pleaded guilty …

SAVAR, Bangladesh – Textile workers demanding better pay and working conditions went on a rampage Monday at an industrial zone near the Bangladeshi capital, setting fire to two factories and several buses, police and witnesses said. At least 100 people, including several police, were hurt when factory guards and riot …

BALTIMORE – Next time you chat online, think twice about your screen name. A new study finds that using a female screen name like Cathy, Melissa or Stephanie is more likely to elicit threatening and sexually explicit messages. In the study, automated chat-bots and human researchers logged on to chat …

A line from Dan Brown‘s “The Da Vinci Code” tells you why it’s easily the most disputed religious novel of all time: “Almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false.” With 46 million copies in print, “Da Vinci” has long been a headache for Christian scholars and historians, …

KATMANDU, Nepal – Nepal‘s government and communist rebels began peace talks Friday aimed at ending the Himalayan nation’s decade-long conflict, officials said. The meeting Friday afternoon at a golf club in the capital began hours after the two sides decided to begin negotiations. Before the meeting got underway, Home Minister …

RAMALLAH, West Bank – The West Bank commander of the Hamas military wing surrendered to Israeli troops Tuesday after they surrounded his hideout and threatened to demolish it with him inside. Ibrahim Hamed emerged from the building before dawn and troops told him over a loudspeaker to strip to his …

SAN FRANCISCO – Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Monday’s session are Target Corp., Agilent Technologies, Jo-Ann Stores Inc. and American Retirement Corp. • Click here to visit FOXBusiness.com’s Investing page. Agilent Technologies Inc. (A) is expected to report fiscal second-quarter earnings of 37 …

SUNRISE, Fla. – Wildlife officers captured an alligator Saturday they believe was responsible for fatally attacking a woman while she was out jogging. The 9-foot, 6-inch alligator was trapped just under the bridge where Yovy Suarez Jimenez, 28, was last seen, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Dani Moschella …