Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says it's in the interest of Israeli security to arrive at a lasting peace with the Palestinians.

Obama spoke at a press conference in Sderot, near the Gaza border. The city has been a frequent target of rocket attacks from Palestinian militants.

In Obama's words: "America must always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself against those who threaten its people."

He also said that Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel, bu Full Story

The Coast Guard says 29 miles of the Mississippi River at New Orleans are closed after a tugboat pushing a barge and a 600-foot tanker crashed, causing diesel to leak into the water.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Jaclyn Young says the barge split in half.

The double-hulled tanker was loaded with about 4 million gallons of biodiesel and more tha a million gallons of styrene.

But the president of company that manages the tanker says nothing is leaking. Styrene is a liquid used to  Full Story

Officials in one central Ohio county have declared a state of emergency as they clean up damage caused by high wind that knocked down trees and power lines.

Perry County Emergency Management executive director Rita Spicer says no one was injured.

The National Weather Service says wind hit 110 mph early Tuesday in the community of Junction City and wind was measured at 80 mph in nearby New Lexington.

The storm also caused blackouts elsewhere in Ohio. American Electric Power s Full Story

Hundreds of people were evacuated Wednesday from the massive building that will house broadcasters from around the world when the Beijing Olympics open, fearing there was a gas leak after people inside smelled a strong chemical odor. But authorities later said it was a false alarm and the smell probably came from building materials or chemicals.

Authorities told workers it was safe to go back in and there were no reports of injuries.

John Barton, the director of sport for the Asia Full Story

Nigeria's main militant group on Wednesday threatened to destroy the nation's major oil pipelines within 30 days to counter allegations it had struck a $12 million deal with the government to protect them.

A spokesman for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta denied claims it said had been made by the country's petroleum company that the state-run organization was paying militants to protect pipelines. Officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation could not imm Full Story

Yahoo Inc. shares moved higher Wednesday even after the company reported a drop in earnings and missed Wall Street's forecasts.

Yahoo shares were up 50 cents, 2.3 percent, at $21.90 in morning trading.

The company had reported after the market closed Tuesday that it earned $131 million, or 9 cents per share, in the second quarter. Analysts had projected 11 cents per share, according to Thomson Financial.

In the same period last year, profit was $161 million, or 11 cents per  Full Story