WASHINGTON – Afghanistan’s interior minister says there may be between 10,000 and 15,000 Taliban fighting inside his country, and the insurgent group is operating across about 17 provinces. Mohammad Hanif Atmar offered a rare estimate of the size of his government’s most organized and potent opponent during a visit to …

A hacked electronic highway sign in northern Texas carred a warning not thought about in several centuries. On Friday, the sign briefly flashed: “OMG The British R coming. They R watching you.” KCBD-TV reported the electronic sign was in a construction area in southwest Lubbock. The Texas Department of Transportation …

LOUISVILLE, Ohio – There’s a little less romance for Valentine’s Day at a flower shop in northeast Ohio. Thieves made off with the entire inventory of roses at Catherine Elkins’ florist. Elkins says the unromantic criminals broke into her Cottage Floral & Gifts shop early Friday and stole all 400 …

NEW YORK – Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said Thursday that fourth-quarter earnings tumbled 98 percent, missing Wall Street’s expectations and reflecting a sharp drop in cruise bookings, higher-than-expected fuel costs and unfavorable foreign exchange rates. For the quarter ended Dec. 31, net income fell to $1.4 million, or 1 cent …

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Three men suing ConAgra Foods Inc. over frozen chicken they ate while in prison got their day in court Thursday. The suit, which seeks $100,000 in damages, was filed by Christopher Butts, Henry Butson and Corydon Cochran, who say they ate part of the chicken while serving …

Seattle may be home to the world’s first Starbucks and New York has a reputation for being high strung, but sunny Tampa, Fla. is the most caffeinated city, according to a new national survey. Seattle landed second on the survey conducted by HealthSaver, a national health care discount service company. …

KINSHASA, Congo – In a startling turn against its former ally, Rwanda has arrested Congo rebel leader Laurent Nkunda after he fled a joint operation launched by the armies of the two nations, military officials said Friday. Rwandan and Congolese troops converged Thursday on Nkunda’s stronghold in the Congolese town …

Finish and Swedish scientists found that middle-aged people who drink a moderate amount of coffee may significantly reduce their risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease later in life, Agence France-Presse reported. “Middle-aged people who drank between three and five cups of coffee a day lowered their risk of developing dementia and …

SEOUL, South Korea – Japanese, South Korean and U.S. missile-destroying ships set sail to monitor North Korea’s imminent rocket launch, as Pyongyang stoked tensions Monday by detaining a South Korean worker for allegedly denouncing the North’s political system. North Korea says it will send a communications satellite into orbit between …

BOGOTA – A Colombian warlord who has cooperated closely with prosecutors was extradited to the United States on Thursday despite human rights groups’ objections that sending him away could leave hundreds of murders unsolved. Heberth Veloza, alias “HH,” has admitted to personally killing more than 100 people and has acknowledged …