Pressure is building on fractious Republicans in Congress over legislation to prevent a partial U.S. government shutdown, as the Democratic-led Senate is expected to strip a tea party-backed plan to defund President Barack Obama's health care reforms from the bill.

As the Senate telegraphed its moves, House Republicans deliberated an array of imperfect options on both a temporary spending bill required to avert a shutdown and a separate measure to permit the government to borrow almost $1 trillion to keep paying its bills.

A Soyuz capsule carrying three astronauts successfully docked with the International Space Station early Thursday, bringing the size of the crew at the orbiting outpost to six.

Michael Hopkins of the United States and Russians Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky traveled six hours in the capsule from the Russian-leased launch pad in Kazakhstan before linking up with the space station's Russian Poisk research module at 6.45 a.m. Moscow time (0245GMT).

The United Nations gave a grim warning Wednesday that Lebanon faces an explosion of social tensions unless the international community helps to handle hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.

President Michel Suleiman told foreign ministers from the world's leading nations that his country faces an "existential crisis" because of the influx fleeing the war between President Bashar Assad and opposition rebels.

A U.S. citizen convicted of conspiring to provide material support to the Taliban and acquire anti-aircraft missiles was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison.

Alwar Pouryan received the mandatory minimum sentence for the anti-aircraft missile count and was spared a life sentence by U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in Manhattan. The defense had asked for the minimum.

This month marks the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's final studio album, and fans aren't just able to buy a new "super deluxe" box set to celebrate the occasion. They can also buy the childhood home of late frontman Kurt Cobain, complete with his mattress.

Cobain's mother, Wendy O'Connor, is putting the tired, 1.5-story bungalow two hours southwest of Seattle on the market this week.

The European economic recovery is breathing life into what has long been a moribund market for initial public offerings, according to consultancy firm Ernst & Young.

In its quarterly update, published Wednesday, Ernst & Young said it expects Europe to see more mid-sized and large companies deciding to list their shares on stock exchanges, particularly in the more mature economies of the U.K. and Germany.

Italy and AC Milan fullback Mattia De Sciglio has escaped unharmed from a car crash.

De Sciglio's Audi was involved in an accident with two other cars on a motorway near Milan on Wednesday morning.

A 99-year-old American woman who dropped out of a high school more than 80 years ago despite needing only one credit to graduate has finally received her diploma.

Audrey Crabtree, of Cedar Falls in the State of Iowa, smiled Monday as she received an honorary diploma for her time at Waterloo East High School.

Burger King wants people to feel less guilty about gobbling up its french fries.

The world's No. 2 hamburger chain is launching a new crinkle-cut french fry on Tuesday that it says has about 20 percent fewer calories than its regular fries.

If only all unwelcome bar guests were this obliging.

A black bear walked into the bar at the Alaskan Hotel in downtown Juneau on Monday night.