CHICAGO – Motorola Inc. (MOT), the world’s second-largest mobile-phone maker, reported a better than expected 14 percent increase in first-quarter earnings Wednesday, continuing its comeback on strong sales. Net earnings were $692 million, or 28 cents per share, up from $609 million, or 25 cents per share, a year earlier. …

VIENNA, Austria – The United States opposed the reappointment of the U.N.’s top nuclear inspector Wednesday because of his views on Iran and prewar Iraq, prompting the atomic watchdog agency to delay its decision to avoid a confrontation between Washington and other members. The board of the International Atomic Energy …

DENVER – A national group that monitors the separation of church and state says it may sue the Air Force Academy (search), claiming the school allows evangelical Christians to harass cadets who do not share their faith. “This is the most significant, systemwide example of religious discrimination I have seen …

PITTSBURG, Texas – Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. (PPC) , the nation’s second-largest poultry producer, said Monday that second-quarter earnings rose 71 percent due to strong growth in the company’s chicken business, lower average feed costs and a one-time gain from a legal settlement. Net income grew to $56.4 million, or 85 …

NEW YORK – They may appear sultry and ready for summer on the May cover of Vanity Fair, but according to the magazine, the stars of ABC’s “Desperate Housewives (search)” were actually steaming angry. Vanity Fair’s cover proclaims: “You wouldn’t believe what it took just to get this photo!” The …

WASHINGTON – President Bush’s standing with the public is slumping just three months into his final term, but Americans have an even lower regard for the job being done by Congress. Bush’s job approval is at 44 percent, with 54 percent disapproving. Only 37 percent have a favorable opinion of …

DULUTH, Minn. – A small, spiral-shaped snail that clones itself and is native to New Zealand has been discovered in Duluth-Superior Harbor and the St. Louis River estuary, raising concerns about the impact of another invasive species. The snail, called the New Zealand mudsnail, is only about as large as …

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – A former MIT professor and multimillionaire businessman who has been praised for his riveting lectures but also known for his family disputes was ambushed outside his office and shot multiple times, authorities said Saturday. John J. Donovan was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital after the shooting Friday …

LOS ANGELES – Reports claim former reality TV star and Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith is pregnant. In response, Smith’s lawyer and spokesman, Howard K. Stern, issued a statement Thursday that makes the matter as clear as a blurred sonogram image. “If Anna Nicole is pregnant, she obviously doesn’t want …

LOS ANGELES – Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott got married Sunday on a private tropical island in Fiji, People magazine reported. The non-denominational ceremony was attended only by the bride and groom, who were both barefoot and wearing white, the magazine said on its Web site. “We didn’t want to …