Despite six decades of free medical care and widespread health campaigns, Britons are among the unhealthiest people in Western Europe, a new study says.

International researchers analyzed the country's rates of sickness and death from 1990 to 2010 in comparison to those of 15 other Western European countries in addition to Australia, Canada and the U.S. Experts described the U.K. results as "startling" and said Britain was failing to address underlying health risks in its population, including rising rates of high blood pressure, obesity and drug and alcohol abuse.

A conservation group claims that Google has something in common with illicit ivory traders in China and Thailand: It says the Internet search giant is helping fuel a dramatic surge in ivory demand in Asia that is killing African elephants at record levels.

The Environmental Investigation Agency, a conservation advocacy group, said in a statement Tuesday that there are some 10,000 ads on Google Japan's shopping site that promote the sale of ivory.

Police in the U.S. say a dog searching for a gun in a snowbank accidentally pulled the trigger with its paw, firing the weapon.

No humans —or dogs — were hurt.

The United States and China have reached agreement on a new draft sanctions resolution to punish North Korea for its latest nuclear test, U.N. diplomats said late Monday.

The U.N. Security Council announced that it will hold closed consultations on North Korea and non-proliferation at 11 a.m. (1600 GMT) Tuesday. The diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because no official announcement has been made, said the United States is expected to circulate a draft resolution to the full council at the meeting. Council members are then expected to send the draft to their capitals for review.

NBC says Heidi Klum has been added to "America's Got Talent" as its fourth judge.

The network announced Monday that the supermodel will join fellow incoming judge Mel B this summer for the talent competition's eighth season. Howie Mandel and Howard Stern will be back on the judges' panel.

Israel is on a locust alert as swarms of the destructive bugs descend on neighboring Egypt ahead of the Passover holiday.

Israel's Agriculture Ministry set up an emergency hotline Monday and is asking Israelis to be vigilant in reporting locust sightings to prevent an outbreak.

Uncertainty about the outcome of a budget battle in Washington pushed world stock markets lower on Monday. Chinese shares dived amid moves to cool high housing prices.

President Barack Obama and his political opponents have failed so far to agree on a way to roll back automatic spending cuts that took effect Friday. Those cuts slash $85 billion from the nation's budget, which could slow down the economy.

It's the world's highest glass ceiling. Of the 3,755 climbers who have scaled Mount Everest, more than half are Nepalese but only 21 of those locals are women.

Aiming to change the all-male image of mountaineering in this country, a group of Nepalese women have embarked on a mission to shatter that barrier by climbing the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents.

Frustrated and maybe a bit embarrassed, Lauren Silberman fought back tears after kicking her way into NFL history.

She became the first woman to try out at a regional combine Sunday, but she lasted all of two kicks — none of which traveled even 20 yards. The 28-year-old Silberman hurt her right quadriceps while preparing for the tryout earlier in the week, and attributed her struggles to that injury.

In the midst of the urban hustle of Nigeria's largest city, the grassy field where horses run stands out as a rare bit of green in a city of gray concrete.

This is the Lagos Polo Club, located on Ikoyi Island, a remnant of Nigeria's colonial British rule. But after Nigeria gained independence in 1960, the oil-rich nation's political and business elite quickly adopted the equestrian game.