NUCLEAR MISSTEPS

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, North Dakota - Pledging firm action to support the men and women who handle the world's most powerful and deadly weapons, the Pentagon will spend an additional $10 billion to correct deep problems of neglect and mismanagement within the nation's nuclear forces, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said. 

CONGRESS-KEYSTONE

WASHINGTON - The Republican-controlled House has passed legislation approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline, setting the stage for a Senate showdown that mixes energy politics with a fight over Louisiana's Senate seat.

BRAZIL-PETROBRAS

RIO DE JANEIRO - Federal police sharply expand what is evolving into Brazil's biggest political kickback scandal, arresting top executives from some of the country's biggest construction companies along with another former director of the state-run oil company.

MEXICO-ARMY SLAYINGS

MEXICO CITY - Two survivors of a mass slaying by Mexican soldiers who have been jailed for weapons possession are innocent and should be released immediately, the outgoing president of the National Commission on Human Rights says. 

IMMIGRATION-CENTRAL AMERICA

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government will launch a program in December to grant refugee status to some people under the age of 21 who live in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador and whose parents legally reside in the United States. 

CHILE-PRESIDENT'S PAST

SANTIAGO, Chile - President Michelle Bachelet has given a rare description of her painful experiences under Chile's military dictatorship, saying she felt betrayed when her boyfriend became an informer for the murderous secret police after being arrested.