GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Twenty-four Palestinians, including at least 9 civilians, were killed late Friday and early Saturday in escalating Israeli-Palestinian fighting that renewed threats of an Israeli invasion of Gaza and clouded peace efforts. A baby and two teenagers were among the dead, and dozens of people were …

CULVER CITY, Calif. – It was a Hilton family affair. Kathy, Rick and Paris Hilton — along with Paris’ current squeeze Benji Madden — were front and center Tuesday at the Mercedes-Benz L.A. Fashion Week show for Nicky Hilton’s high-end Nicholai line. Before the models took the runway, mom Kathy …

KATMANDU, Nepal – A group of 200 Tibetan exiles and monks tried to storm the Chinese Embassy visa office in Nepal’s capital on Sunday but police beat them back with bamboo batons. At least 130 protesters were arrested and some of the demonstrators and policemen were injured in the scuffle. …

VATICAN CITY – The church official spearheading the cause to make Pope John Paul II a saint said Monday he has finished a roughly 2,000-page draft of a report supporting the late pontiff’s canonization. Two days before the Vatican marks the third anniversary of John Paul’s death, Monsignor Slawomir Oder …

MINNEAPOLIS – A Mankato hospital suspended a nurse for tampering with its stock of fentanyl, a powerful pain medication, and has notified 335 patients that they may have received saline instead of the intended drug. There’s no indication yet that any patients suffered ill effects, Dr. Greg Kutcher, the president …

MARIETTA, Ga. – A jury on Friday convicted the mastermind behind the so-called “Barbie Bandits” bank robbery. Michael Darrell Chastang was found guilty of one count of theft by taking. He and three other defendants in the case will be sentenced March 19 for the February 2007 heist. Authorities say …

FORT WORTH, Texas – American Airlines canceled about 300 flights, less than 10 percent of the nation’s biggest airline’s scheduled service, on Wednesday so its crews can inspect some wire bundles aboard its MD-80 aircraft. The cancellations are expected to affect 26,000 passengers. The need for the new inspections became …

WICHITA, Kan. – A woman who may have spent nearly two years in a bathroom, sitting on the toilet so long that the seat adhered to sores on her body, remains hospitalized and in pain from medical procedures, family members said Wednesday. Pam Babcock, 35, was found stuck to the …

BEIJING – China warned Tuesday that Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian will “pay a dear price” if he continues with current pro-independence plans. The warning came from National People’s Congress spokesman Jiang Enzhu at a news conference to announce the agenda for the NPC, which opens Wednesday. Taiwan and China split …

Capitol Hill – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tells ABC’s “This Week” it would be harmful to the Democratic party if the superdelegate votes overturn what’s happened in the primaries and caucuses. Barack Obama leads Hillary Rodham Clinton by more than 140 pledged delegates. But Clinton has more support than Obama …