Four Americans taken hostage were shot and killed by their captors Monday. And, study shows male military spouses need more support.

4 American hostages killed by pirates, US says

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Four Americans taken hostage by Somali pirates off East Africa were shot and killed by their captors Monday, the U.S. military said, marking the first time U.S. citizens have been killed in a wave of pirate attacks plaguing the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean for years.

Mullen finds Middle East leaders anxious about upheaval in the region

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Adm. Mike Mullen said Persian Gulf leaders have told him they are anxious about uprisings elsewhere in the Middle East and are hoping for peaceful resolution across the region.

Petraeus’s comments on coalition attack reportedly offend Karzai government

KABUL – To the shock of President Hamid Karzai’s aides, Gen. David H. Petraeus suggested Sunday at the presidential palace that Afghans caught up in a coalition attack in northeastern Afghanistan might have burned their own children to exaggerate claims of civilian casualties, according to two participants at the meeting.

Gadhafi Clings to Power as Libya Rifts Grow

CAIRO — Deep rifts opened in Moammar Gadhafi’s regime, with Libyan government officials at home and abroad resigning, air force pilots defecting and a bloody crackdown on protest in the capital of Tripoli, where cars and buildings were burned. Gadhafi went on state TV early Tuesday to attempt to show he was still in charge.

Study: Male Spouses Need More Support

A lack of support for male military spouses is largely to blame for a female servicemember divorce rate more than double that of their male counterparts, researchers say.

Corps seeks ideas for new amphibious vehicles

The Marine Corps wants a new family of vehicles to carry out the business of amphibious warfare, and has issued a series of requests for information seeking industry input.

Increased U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan killing few high-value militants

CIA drone attacks in Pakistan killed at least 581 militants last year, according to independent estimates. The number of those militants noteworthy enough to appear on a U.S. list of most-wanted terrorists: two.

Troops often left to decide whether suspicious activity warrants detention

HAYBATI, Afghanistan — Two D-cell battery packs wrapped in yellow tape with wires sticking from one end lay on the melting snow amid the goat droppings. They’d been found, along with a can of mortar charges, inside a rough shelter adjoining a family home. An Afghan stooped against the clay wall of his qalat, waiting for the American and Afghan soldiers to decide what to do with him.

U.S. to boost naval forces as China develops carrier: admiral

The U.S. navy will continue to upgrade its military capabilities in the Pacific given its steadfast commitment to the region, a U.S. vice admiral said on Monday, while urging China’s growing navy to avoid provocation.

Afghan Suicide Blast Kills 28

KABUL, Afghanistan – A suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance to a government office Monday in northern Afghanistan, killing at least 28 people, police said.

Kabul Seeks Control Of Women’s Shelters

“Taking over the shelters means more support to women who run away due to family problems,” Hussan Ghazanfar, acting minister of women’s affairs, said at a news conference last week.

China police show up en masse at hint of protest

In military terms, it might be called a disproportionate preemptive strike, one that underscored how nervous the Chinese government is about pro-democracy demonstrations taking place thousands of miles away in the Middle East.

Shinseki apologizes for missing deadline for caregiver benefits

WASHINGTON — Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki apologized Thursday for delays in the new caregivers benefits plan, pledging that families of wounded troops remain a top priority for the department.

JAG relieved of command for his handling of doctor’s sex assault case

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan -– The day after a federal class-action lawsuit was filed to force the Pentagon to change the way it handles rape and sexual abuse charges, the captain who oversaw a Navy doctor’s controversial sexual assault trial was removed from command for failing to preserve victim rights, the Navy confirmed Thursday.