BEIJING – A crane at a construction site next to a Chinese kindergarten collapsed Friday, killing five children, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The children were playing outside and were killed by falling bricks as the crane crashed onto the kindergarten in Zibo city in Shandong province and damaged …

HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pennsylvania – The Mexican government cannot appeal a death penalty case on behalf of a Mexican citizen who was convicted of killing three men at a social club, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled. The state’s highest court on Thursday quashed a motion filed by Mexico, ruling it did not …

PETROLIA, Pa. – A corrosive liquid overflowed from a tank at a chemical plant in western Pennsylvania on Saturday, evaporating into a toxic cloud that snaked along the ground and forced about 2,500 people to flee. At least three residents were believed to suffer respiratory problems. A material called oleum, …

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan – Suspected U.S. missiles hit buildings in two Pakistani villages close to the Afghan border, killing about 20 people, most of them alleged militants, officials said Saturday. The United States has launched a flurry of strikes in recent weeks against suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban targets …

WASHINGTON – Children under 4 should not be given cough and cold medicines, companies that make those products said Tuesday in announcing new guidelines for their use. The industry has been criticized by pediatricians for marketing over-the-counter cough and cold remedies for children under 6 despite a lack of evidence …

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. – A Riviera Beach man who was hit by a stray bullet in the back of the head is back at work — with the slug still stuck in his skull. E.T. Strickland says the bullet hurts, but not enough to keep him from his job. The …

VALENTINE, Neb. – A man dubbed the “Butt Bandit” for making greasy imprints of his nether parts on windows in the north-central Nebraska city of Valentine has been sentenced to more than a year in jail. Cherry County Attorney Eric Scott says police caught 35-year-old Thomas Larvie in the act …

VENICE, Italy – Venice could use a bailout. The city built on water has too much of it. Residents and tourists waded through knee-deep water Monday as they navigated the city’s narrow streets and alleys, and its historic St. Mark’s Square was inundated. Boxes of tourist merchandise floated inside the …

This is a rush transcript of “Special Report With Brit Hume” from December 30, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH, D-ILL.: So I’m here today to announce that I am appointing Roland Burris as the next …

BEIRUT, Lebanon – Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday he is ready to meet with Hezbollah officials if the Lebanese militant group agreed to see him. Carter made his comments upon arrival in Lebanon, where he will assess whether his Atlanta-based Carter Center would take part in monitoring next …