FORMER INVESTIGATORS OF THE TWA FLIGHT 800 CRASH OFF LONG ISLAND ARE CALLING ON THE NTSB TO RE-EXAMINE THE CASE *

RETIRED INVESTIGATORS CLAIM THAT FINDINGS WERE "FALSIFIED" *

NTSB CONCLUDED FLIGHT 800 WAS DESTROYED BY A CENTER FUEL TANK EXPLOSION, LIKELY CAUSED BY A SPARK FROM A SHORT-CIRCUIT IN THE PLANE'S WIRING *

1996 CRASH OF THE PARIS-BOUND FLIGHT KILLED 230 PEOPLE *

JAPAN'S NUCLEAR WATCHDOG FORMALLY APPROVES A SET OF NEW SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS *

MOVE PAVES THE WAY FOR THE REOPENING OF FACILITIES SHUT DOWN SINCE THE FUKUSHIMA DAI-ICHI DISASTER *

ALL BUT TWO OF JAPAN'S 50 REACTORS HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN SINCE THE MARCH 2011 EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI TRIGGERED MELTDOWNS AND RADIATION LEAKS AT FUKUSHIMA, LOCATED ABOUT 160 MILES NORTHEAST OF TOKYO *

UN REFUGEE AGENCY SAYS SYRIA'S CIVIL WAR HELPED PUSH THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES AND THOSE DISPLACED BY CONFLICT WITHIN THEIR OWN NATIONS TO AN 18-YEAR HIGH OF 45.2 MIL LAST YEAR *

CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 18 ACCOUNT FOR 46% OF REFUGEES WORLDWIDE *

ADVISER TO PALESTINIAN PRES MAHMOUD ABBAS' FATAH MOVEMENT SAYS HE WANTS ABBAS TO STICK TO LONG-STANDING DEMANDS FOR RESUMING TALKS WITH ISRAEL *

ABBAS HAS SAID HE CAN'T NEGOTIATE UNLESS ISRAEL STOPS BUILDING IN SETTLEMENTS OR ACCEPTS ITS 1967 FRONTIER AS A STARTING POINT FOR BORDER TALKS *

ISRAEL HAS REJECTED THOSE DEMANDS *

SECY OF STATE JOHN KERRY IS EXPECTED IN THE REGION NEXT WEEK TO TRY TO RESTART TALKS, WHICH BROKE OFF IN 2008 *

INDIA'S PRIME MIN MANMOHAN SINGH SAYS THE DEATH TOLL FROM FLOODING THIS WEEK IN THE NORTHERN STATE OF UTTRAKHAND HAD SURPASSED 100 AND COULD RISE SUBSTANTIALLY *

OFFICIALS SAY NEARLY 12,000 HINDU PILGRIMS STRANDED IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA BY MONSOON RAINS AND LANDSLIDES HAVE BEEN EVACUATED, ADDING NEARLY 63,000 PEOPLE REMAIN CUT OFF *

FLOODING IS AN ANNUAL OCCURRENCE IN INDIA, WHICH DEPENDS ON MONSOON RAINS TO SUSTAIN AGRICULTURE *

HOWEVER, SOME AREAS HAVE RECEIVED 14 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE PAST WEEK, NEARLY FIVE TIMES THE AVERAGE FOR THE TIME PERIOD *

MEXICAN AUTHORITIES IN THE RESORT CITY OF PLAYA DEL CARMEN ARREST A FORMER UNIV PROFESSOR WHO WAS ON THE FBI'S MOST WANTED LIST *

64-YR-OLD WALTER LEE WILLIAMS IS WANTED ON CHARGES OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN AND TRAVELING ABROAD FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENGAGING IN SEXUAL ACTS WITH KIDS *

FED ARREST WARRANT WAS ISSUED FOR WILLIAMS IN APRIL *

UNTIL 2011, HE WAS A TENURED PROFESSOR AT THE UNIV OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WHERE HIS FIELD OF STUDY WAS GENDER DEVELOPMENT *

PRES OBAMA SPEAKS AT BERLIN'S ICONIC BRANDENBURG GATE *

THE PRES SAYS HE WANTS TO RE-IGNITE THE SPIRIT THAT BERLIN SHOWED WHEN IT FOUGHT TO BE REUNITED *

OBAMA IS CALLING FOR A ONE-THIRD REDUCTION OF THE WORLD'S NUCLEAR STOCKPILES *

HE'S ALSO PROMISING MORE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE, WHICH HE CALLS "THE GLOBAL THREAT OF OUR TIME" *

AUG 4 TRIAL DATE SET FOR OHIO MAN ACCUSED OF KIDNAPPING THREE WOMEN AND HOLDING THEM IN HIS HOME FOR ABOUT A DECADE *

52-YR-OLD ARIEL CASTRO APPEARED IN COURT TODAY FOR A BRIEF HEARING *

MEANWHILE, LAWMAKERS IN COLUMBUS DISCUSSING RELIEF PAYMENTS TO THE THREE WOMEN *

BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS FLOATING PROPOSAL TO AVOID DOUBLING OF STUDENT LOANS RATES ON JULY 1 *

MEASURE COULD HELP STUDENTS DODGE AN EXTRA $1,000 EACH YEAR IN COSTS FOR LOANS TAKEN FOR CLASSES THIS FALL *

PARTY-LINE PROPOSALS ON STUDENT LOANS FAILED IN THE SENATE LAST WEEK *

FED JUDGE LIMITING EXTENT TO WHICH A FORMER GOLDMAN SACHS TRADER ACCUSED OF FRAUD CAN ARGUE HE WAS ACTING ON THE ADVICE OF COMPANY LAWYERS *

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ALLEGES FABRICE TOURRE MISLED A HANDFUL OF CLIENTS BY NOT DISCLOSING THAT A HEDGE FUND HELPED SELECT THE BONDS FOR AN INVESTMENT PRODUCT AND ALSO BET THAT THOSE ASSETS WOULD FALL IN VALUE *

EARLIER THIS MONTH A JUDGE REJECTED TOURRE'S ARGUMENT THAT THE SEC SHOULD NARROW ITS CASE AGAINST HIM *

FIRE THAT DESTROYED MORE THAN 500 HOMES NEAR COLORADO SPRINGS NOW 85% CONTAINED *

CREWS HOPE TO HAVE IT FULLY CONTAINED THURS *

BUT HIGH WINDS AND HOT WEATHER WILL WORK AGAINST THEM *

COUNTRY SINGER SLIM WHITMAN DIES AT AGE 90 IN FL *

HE WAS KNOWN FOR HIS YODELING ABILITIES AND TENOR FALSETTO, AS WELL AS HIS DISTINCTIVE MUSTACHE AND SIDEBURNS AND UBIQUITOUS TV ADS *

HIS DECADES-LONG CAREER YIELDED MILLIONS OF RECORD SALES AND PRODUCED A NUMBER OF HITS, INCLUDING "LOVE SONG OF THE WATERFALL" AND "RED RIVER VALLEY" *

PRES OBAMA AGAIN DEFENDING THE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS INVOLVING PHONE RECORDS AND EMAILS *

SPEAKING AT A BERLIN NEWS CONFERENCE, OBAMA SAYS THE GOVT ISN'T "RIFLING THROUGH ORDINARY EMAILS" OF HUGE NUMBERS OF CITIZENS IN THE U.S. OR ELSEWHERE *

HE SAYS THE PROGRAMS ARE NARROWLY TARGETED AND HAVE SAVED LIVES, WHILE THWARTING AT LEAST 50 TERROR THREATS *

FL JUDGE READS FORMAL CHARGES AGAINST FORMER NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH VOLUNTEER GEORGE ZIMMERMAN TO 40 POTENTIAL JURORS *

JURORS ARE MOVING ON TO THE SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONING OF WHAT THEY KNOW ABOUT THE CASE *

ZIMMERMAN IS PLEADING NOT GUILTY TO MURDERING 17-YR-OLD TRAYVON MARTIN LAST YEAR AND IS CLAIMING SELF-DEFENSE *

FBI SAYS IT'S FOUND NO SIGNS OF THE REMAINS OF FORMER TEAMSTERS UNION LEADER JIMMY HOFFA AND IS ENDING A DIG IN SUBURBAN DETROIT *

AUTHORITIES HAVE PURSUED MULTIPLE LEADS ON HOFFA'S WHEREABOUTS SINCE HIS DISAPPEARANCE IN 1975 *

HE WAS LAST SEEN OUTSIDE AN OAKLAND COUNTY RESTAURANT WHERE HE WAS TO MEET WITH A NJ TEAMSTERS BOSS AND A DETROIT MAFIA CAPTAIN *