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Russian authorities are investigating a reclusive Islamic sect said to have lived in subterranean burrows without electricity for 10 years. Officials have taken some 20 children away from the group in a case that pits religious freedom against wider social values.

The stock market hasn't been kind to 401(k) plans in recent years. At an annual economics retreat in Maine, some experts offer up a word of caution: Watch out for fees.

Long-term gains in longevity continue. Today's 65-year-olds can expect to live a tad over 20 more years. That's a huge jump from 1980, when 65-year-olds could expect 14 more years of life. A big part of the reason is that deaths from heart disease and stroke have plummeted by nearly 50 percent.

Refugees are crowding the borders at the end of the bloodiest month since the anti-government uprising began. Many are abandoning their homes in rebel-held towns. Although the rebel brigades have grown bolder, they are mainly powerless against bombardment from Syria's air force.

The Nashville singer-songwriter just released his second album, Waiting All Night, and describes his crowd-pleasing music as "quietbilly."

Parsis brought their Zoroastrian faith, and unique funeral rituals, to India from Iran a thousand years ago. Parsis believe burying or cremating the dead pollutes nature and traditionally relied on birds of prey to devour corpses. That tradition is now under threat, due in part to a vulture shortage.

Todd Akin now trails Sen. Claire McCaskill in the U.S. Senate race, and the GOP establishment is pressing the Republican to quit the contest. But one expert says the controversy will help the congressman more than it hurts him.

As the U.S. military steps up training of Afghan troops in preparation for the U.S. withdrawal in 2014, it has also ratcheted up its efforts to train U.S. soldiers in Afghan language and customs. This year, the Army has more than doubled the number of soldiers trained in Pashto and Dari.

Gov. Chris Christie is defending local tax increases and major federal investments, despite his tough talk on spending. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is courting the spotlight as he calls for billions of dollars from Washington to rebuild. The Republican and Democrat will have to find consensus on the plan for rebuilding — together and with a divided Congress.

Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo made big gains this week on the country's eastern border. As has happened many times before in the area, the fighting touched off a mass exodus of civilians seeking safety.