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AP - Before he called 911, James Sikes says he reached down with his hand to loosen the stuck accelerator on his 2008 Toyota Prius, his other hand on the steering wheel. The pedal didn't move.

AFP - US Vice President Joe Biden met Palestinian leaders on Wednesday, telling them Israel's decision to expand settlement activity in east Jerusalem is undermining the peace efforts he is promoting.

AP - Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday the Palestinians deserve a viable independent state with contiguous territory, seeking to reassure them of U.S. support after Israel announced plans to expand a Jewish neighborhood in disputed east Jerusalem.

AFP - A US woman operating online under the name JihadJane has been indicted for recruiting jihadist fighters in the United States, Europe and Asia in a bid to carry out terror plots.

Reuters - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden publicly scolded Israel Wednesday over a Jewish settlement plan, saying it was undermining peace efforts after Palestinians agreed to U.S.-mediated talks.

Reuters - Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday he believed Britain would maintain its coveted top credit rating and announced a pay freeze for senior civil servants and military officers to help tame a record deficit.

AP - President Barack Obama is making his closing arguments for a health care overhaul, pushing a new anti-fraud plan as he cranks up the pressure on skittish Democratic lawmakers to act fast.

AP - The Los Angeles coroner's office says The Lost Boys actor Corey Haim is dead at 38.

AP - Lindsey Vonn finished second to Maria Riesch of Germany in the final downhill of the season Wednesday, failing to clinch the World Cup overall title but maintaining a huge lead with three races to go.

AP - A spokesman for the Regensburg Catholic diocese in Germany says the diocese will investigate allegations of physical and sexual abuse that have swirled around a famed choir once led by Pope Benedict XVI's brother.

AFP - Pope Benedict XVI denounced the atrocious bloodshed in Nigeria on Wednesday after a massacre of Christian villagers, as police said 49 people would be charged over the killings.

AP - During the 1990s, the Square brand was synonymous with the role-playing video game. A generation of gamers got hooked on the challenging quests, quirky characters and sweeping story lines of Square RPGs like Chrono Trigger, The Secret of Mana and, of course, the Final Fantasy series.