First-timedirector Hiram Martinez pushes a hand truck down Sixth Avenue, returning multiple VHS copies of his comedy “Four Dead Batteries” for re-dubbing after discovering the sound quality did not meet his expectations. “You got a lot of press passes, Straka,” he says as he settles into a chair in my …

NEW YORK – As next week’s Oscar announcements approach, the list of nominees seems like a foregone conclusion, with Chicago and The Hours, Nicholson and Kidman, and Rob Marshall and Martin Scorsese as shoo-ins. But behind the scenes, there have been some outlandish bids made in a hopeful– and somewhat …

WASHINGTON – The Food and Drug Administration is outlining its plan to end the nation’s lifetime ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, a 32-year-old policy that many medical groups and gay activists say is no longer justified. The FDA on Tuesday released proposed guidelines for screening blood …

BOGOTA, Colombia – A small plane from Venezuela with more than a ton of cocaine on board has crashed into the Caribbean while being pursued by Colombia’s air force. Video released by the air force shows how fighter jets intercepted the Hawker 800 aircraft after it entered Colombia’s air space …

MILAN – Italy’s flagship airline Alitalia said a 24-hour strike called for Monday that will force flight cancellations is “disrespectful” of passengers when the Rome airport is still suffering disruptions due to a fire two weeks ago. Alitalia said in a statement Saturday the strike is falsely evoking the threat …

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – A Danish radio station has been met with a storm of angry protests after its hosts claimed they clubbed a young rabbit to death on air with a bicycle pump. Co-host Kristoffer Eriksen from public broadcaster Radio24syv said the Monday morning show stunt was aimed at initiating …

UNITED NATIONS – A new U.N. report says Sudan’s government “refused to allow” an emergency medical evacuation for an injured peacekeeper who died the same day, the latest sign of worsening relations as Sudan’s president wants the mission out of the country. The secretary-general’s latest report on the joint U.N.-African …

BERLIN – Police in rural northeastern Germany rushed out to track down a reported mob of up to 15 people armed with knives and sticks. Instead, they found a group of asparagus harvesters. Police in the town of Ludwigslust said a man called their emergency number Saturday to report having …

UNITED NATIONS – A fact-finding team with the global chemical weapons watchdog is going to Syria to look into recent allegations of attacks using toxic chemicals. The latest monthly report of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says it received a letter from the Syrian government May 21 …

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine: A Source of Trouble? Both Barack Obama and John McCain have received donations from outside the United States, and while the campaigns have been slow in detailing the sources of those donations, Obama has more undocumented money so far. The Washington Times …