ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — More than 20 months after the bodies of a retired Northern Ireland police officer and his girlfriend were found in a Philippines bedroom littered with bullet casings, authorities seeking the extradition of a former U.S. Marine say they have linked him to guns used in the killings and recovered blood-splattered jeans he tried to have burned.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California law that created an agency to oversee national health care reforms granted it broad authority to conceal spending on the contractors that will perform most of its functions, potentially shielding the public from seeing how hundreds of millions of dollars are spent.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A gay Minnesota lawmaker leading the push to legalize same-sex weddings in the state told colleagues Thursday that gay couples "contribute to the same Minnesota system as everyone else" and deserve the right to be married.

DENVER (AP) — Even as Masai Ujiri accepted the NBA's executive of the year trophy from club President Josh Kroenke on Thursday, the Denver Nuggets general manager said he would have given it up gladly in exchange for a deep playoff run.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is teaming up with Australia and the U.K. in an effort to expose tax cheats from around the world.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Ariel Castro was ordered held on $8 million bail Thursday as prosecutors laid out more of their case against the man accused of imprisoning three young women, saying he lured them into his car, beat them repeatedly over a decade and used them "in whatever self-gratifying, self-serving way he saw fit."

NEW YORK (AP) — Eli Roth says one of the best things about his new movie "Aftershock" is that it creates a "real, new business model" that could help independent films hold their own against studio blockbusters.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House and Senate Republican leaders told President Barack Obama Thursday that they will refuse to nominate candidates to serve on an advisory board that is to play a role in holding down Medicare costs under the new health care act.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Monetary Fund said Thursday that Egypt's financial situation is deteriorating and the lending agency won't move ahead with a $4.8 billion loan until receiving updated economic information and reform plans from President Mohammed Morsi's government.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — More than 20 months after the bodies of a retired Irish police officer and his girlfriend were found in a Philippines bedroom littered with bullet casings, authorities seeking the extradition of a former U.S. Marine say they have linked him to guns used in the killings and recovered blood-splattered jeans he tried to have burned.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Roger Corman's campy B movies, children's shows like "Sesame Street" and "Inspector Gadget," and inspirational monologues by celebrities — these are among the offerings on 30 channels that will soon require a paid monthly subscription on YouTube.

MADRID (AP) — Second-ranked Roger Federer lost to Kei Nishikori 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 in the third round of the Madrid Open on Thursday, leaving Rafael Nadal as the clear title favorite.

A look at the political power structure in Iran.