Two American contractors being held by Iraqi authorities were handed over to U.S. custody on Sunday, the U.S. Embassy said. Jason Jones and Micah Milligan were the last of five U.S. contractors taken into custody June 3 in a pre-dawn Green Zone raid by Iraqi and U.S. personnel, a security source told CNN. Three were previously released on bond. The two transferred Sunday "remain in custody pursuant to Iraqi judicial orders," a U.S. Embassy spokesman said. The five were initially ...

Three of five Americans contractors detained in Baghdad have been ordered released by an Iraqi judge, because of insufficient evidence, a court spokesman said Thursday. The other two other contractors remain in custody, according to Judge Abdul Sattar al-Beeraqdar, a spokesman for Iraq's Higher Judicial Council. One of the men has been released on bond, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad confirmed Thursday. The embassy did not identify the man, who was released Wednesday. However, a spokesman for his employer, Corporate ...

Anne and Michael Harris were an "extraordinary" couple with a zest for life, their niece said. "We truly hope that they are remembered for the way they lived their lives and not this tragic end," Charlstie Laytin said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "We're all just devastated and going to miss them both so much." The Harrises were two of three Americans on board Air France Flight 447 when it crashed Monday. The plane was carrying 228 ...

In the black market of prison life, cell phones have become perhaps the hottest commodity. Now, Texas is among a growing number of state governments going after them. Tiny, easy to hide and an unmonitored link for convicts to the outside world, cell phones are valuable contraband, fetching a greater asking price from convicts than some shipments of illegal drugs. John Moriarty, inspector general for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said that one phone can fetch as much as ...

It doesn't feel like it, but we got a raise this week. The plunging price of oil, which prompted OPEC to announce a 1.5 million barrel a day production cut, has put money in the pockets of recession-worried consumers. "It follows that there's going to be some spending effect," said Francisco Blach head of commodities research at Merrill Lynch in London. Oil demand in the U.S. has dropped 10% in the few weeks, continuing a year long ...

Travel news, deals and updates for the week of May 25, 2009 AIRLINES & AIRPORTS Pack Light. Starting in July, US Airways will increase its fee for the first checked bag from $15 to $20; the second-bag fee rises from $25 to $30. But if your bags should exceed 50 lbs., you'll be hit with a whopping $70 fee for the first checked bag and $80 for the second. South American Way. Continental begins daily service from Houston to Rio de ...

The success of energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar have proven that consumers are constantly thirsting for a boost. But will they ever want to come back down and reach for a nonalcoholic drink that will help them chill out? According to the recent sales figures from Innovative Beverage Group, a Houston-based drink distributor and maker of a "relaxation beverage" called Drank, there's strong demand for the anti–Red Bull too. The company's revenues, though small, were up 198% in 2008, to $2.2 ...

A runny nose. A cough. A sore throat. And even pork eaten a week ago. After a week of headlines about the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, many emergency rooms and hospitals are crammed with people, many of whom don't need to be there. The visits by the "worried well" have triggered concerns of overburdening the nation's hospitals and emergency departments, several health care professionals told CNN. This week, some hospitals saw record numbers of patients. A few emergency ...

Academics, graduations, interscholastic sports and even first dates are on hold for students around the country as schools and parents take swine flu precautions. Parents are coping with creativity, humor and hope. "Looks like a long week with the kids and activities! Let the games begin. So I guess that means I should get a vacation, too" That's what one mom wrote on Mom2Mom, a popular Texas blog. Its author is Cynthia Wahl Cunningham, who was laid off recently from ...

On the tape, Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan appears to burn with rage. Believing he was cheated in a business deal, the member of the United Arab Emirates ruling family was trying to extract a confession from an Afghan grain dealer. With a private security officer assisting, Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan is seen stuffing sand in the Afghan's mouth. As the grain dealer pleads and whimpers, he is beaten with a nailed board, burned in the genitals ...