Four climbers from Germany, South Korea, China and Canada have died returning from the summit of Mount Everest, tour agents and officials said Monday, with one other mountaineer also missing.

The story of Ampad, a company acquired by Bain Capital in 1992 that later went bankrupt, was used successfully by Democrats 18 years ago to help derail Mitt Romney’s run for a U.S. Senate seat from Massachusetts.

A governing party official appeared to have scored a first-round win in the Dominican Republic's presidential election but supporters of his main opponent said they would challenge the results.

Edwards' trial for misusing campaign money enters its second full day of jury deliberations.

Thousands of people in northern Italy slept in tents and cars overnight as more than 100 aftershocks rocked the area hit by a magnitude 6.0 quake that killed seven and inflicted heavy damage to centuries-old sites.

Chinese Internet entrepreneur Jack Ma is buying back up to half of a 40 percent stake in his Alibaba Group from Yahoo Inc for $7.1 billion, in a deal that moves the Chinese e-commerce leader closer to a public listing.

NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey (Reuters) - A former Rutgers University student faces up to 10 years in prison at his sentencing on Monday for hate crimes after spying on his roommate's gay tryst, but many gay advocates are calling for no time behind bars. Tyler Clementi, 18, committed suicide in 2010 after learning that Dharun Ravi used a computer-mounted camera to see him kissing an older man in their dorm room and used social media to encourage others to watch. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb, who with brothers Barry and Maurice helped define the disco era with their falsetto harmonies and funky beats on hits like "Stayin' Alive" and "Jive Talkin'", has died after a long fight with cancer. He was 62. The singer had colon and liver cancer and, despite brief improvements in his health in recent months, passed away on Sunday evening. Gibb died at the London Clinic surrounded by his second wife Dwina, sons Spencer and Robin-John and daughter Melissa. Officials at the clinic declined to comment on Monday. ...

President Obama’s re-election campaign is doing some damage control after a top surrogate Sunday sharply criticized a major Democratic assault on Mitt Romney’s record at Bain Capital.

President Obama recognized Specialist Leslie Sabo Jr. for extraordinary valor from the Vietnam war.

The death of the only man convicted in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing has left some victims' relatives relieved and others raising questions about his guilt and whether others went unpunished.

Newly issued Facebook shares may have a hard time in the coming week if lead underwriter Morgan Stanley stops supporting the stock and managers lower down in the IPO book get out before going underwater.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Energetic performances and heart-felt tributes took center stage at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, as Adele, LMFAO, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift came away top awards. British Grammy-winning singer Adele won 12 awards from 18 nominations for her juggernaut album "21," including top artist, top female artist and top album. Her awards were not presented during the live show and the singer was not present. ...

Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men attended a rally Sunday at the New York Mets' stadium on the dangers of the Internet and how to use modern technology in a religiously responsible way.

Getting married was a smart business move as well as a personal milestone for Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, with the timing of the wedding potentially proving particularly advantageous, California divorce lawyers said.

Disgraced former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn's legal woes deepened Monday as French prosecutors opened a preliminary probe into accusations he took part in a gang rape in the US.

Bee Gee Robin Gibb succumbed to a longtime struggle with liver cancer Sunday, a spokesperson confirmed. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer was 62.

Cyberwarfare is used as another form of protest.

(Reuters) - The funk pioneer George Clinton has settled a lawsuit in which he accused the pop and hip hop group Black Eyed Peas of using part of one of his songs in remixes of its hit song "Shut Up" without permission. The settlement followed two weeks of mediation, and was revealed in filings this week in Los Angeles federal court. Terms were not disclosed, but the mediator Gail Killefer in a court filing said the settlement "fully" resolved the dispute. ...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - He brought the "American Idol" judges to their feet, but Joshua Ledet couldn't win over fans and was sent home from the top-rated TV talent show on Thursday, leaving Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips to battle for the crown on next week's finale. The elimination of Ledet - through audience voting and not by the judges - sets up a final showdown between Sanchez and Phillips to determine who will be named the next "American Idol," a distinction that has belonged to hitmakers such as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, among others. ...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rock band Van Halen on Thursday postponed more than 30 concert dates of their U.S. summer tour, leading to speculation the "Runnin' with the Devil" group was feuding again. The band's official website, van-halen.com, took down all its dates after June 26, listing only 15 more shows, ending in New Orleans. Closely-watched fan site, Van Halen News Desk, said 31 dates had been postponed, starting on July 7 in Uncasville, Connecticut and ending on September 25 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Disco queen Donna Summer, whose sultry voice and pulsing rhythms on hits like "Last Dance" and "Love to Love You Baby" defined the 1970s disco era, died of cancer on Thursday at age 63. Summer, who won five Grammys and sold more than 130 million records worldwide, died surrounded by her family in Naples, Florida, publicist Brian Edwards said. He declined to specify what type of cancer caused her death. "Early this morning, surrounded by family, we lost Donna Summer Sudano, a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith. ...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Time was when TV talent shows set out to turn wannabes into stars. These days? Not so much. It's the celebrity judges who are raking in the cash and using TV contests not only as a way to re-launch a fading career, but to further boost a thriving one. For music stars in an era of weak record sales, the trend spells victory for their bank account, but for fans and the music industry always hungering for a new star, it's a loss. And for TV networks, the once cheap-to-produce shows are ever more expensive, yet they don't always pay off in bigger audiences. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - British singer Adele won two Ivor Novello awards for songwriting on Thursday, adding to a lengthening list of musical accolades, but she lost out in the best album and song categories. The 24-year-old chart queen picked up two coveted Ivor Novello prizes for the most performed song of 2011 ("Rolling in the Deep") and songwriter of the year. ...