Gunman's tattoos lead officials to deem Sikh shooting terrorism  —  Police work outside the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin where a suspected gunman stormed the mass and opened fire, killing six and injuring three, including the police officer who then shot the gunman dead.  (Scott Olson / Associated Press / August 5, 2012)

Historic Curiosity probe lands safely on Mars  —  (Reuters) - NASA's Mars science rover Curiosity landed safely late on Sunday after hurtling through the pink Martian skies at the start of a two-year quest for signs the Red Planet once hosted key ingredients for life.

Syrian Opposition Claims Prime Minister Defected  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon — President Bashar al-Assad fired his prime minister on Monday, Syria's official media reported, as activists countered that he had defected with several officials and military commanders in what seemed a further indication …

RNC speakers include Rick Scott, John McCain, Condoleezza Rice, Nikki Haley, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich and Susana Martinez  —  TAMPA — Florida Gov. Rick Scott, Sen. John McCain and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are among seven headline speakers announced today for the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

GOP to Reid: You're next  —  The Sunday news shows featured a rare spectacle that at once revealed the decline of civility in Washington and the depth of GOP outrage over Harry Reid's unproven claim that Mitt Romney didn't pay income taxes for an entire decade: two of the nation's top GOP officials flat …

Obama associate got $100,000 fee from affiliate of firm doing business with Iran  —  David Plouffe, a senior White House adviser who was President Obama's 2008 campaign manager, accepted a $100,000 speaking fee in 2010 from an affiliate of a company doing business with Iran's government.

$1 million for gay marriage efforts  —  The Human Rights Campaign is directing $1 million in cash to four states with gay marriage ballot initiatives this November, a new chunk of funding for efforts to make history with a statewide win among voters an issue on which polls show public opinion shifting.

Fear of ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Has Industry Pulling Back  —  A rising number of manufacturers are canceling new investments and putting off new hires because they fear paralysis in Washington will force hundreds of billions in tax increases and budget cuts in January, undermining economic growth in the coming months.

Obama Campaign Called Ohio Decision On Early Military Voting “Appropriate” In Lawsuit  —  In a complex and controversial lawsuit, the Democrats are not in fact trying to limit Ohio military voting.  A more subtle objection from military groups and — if you read closely enough — Romney.

Panic as Clinton jets out of Malawi, bees mystery  —  United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton might have had a tight schedule in Malawi but her first visit to the southern African nation will indubitably remain memorable to her as much as it will be historic to the country.

Times Photographer Is Arrested on Assignment  —  A freelance photographer for The New York Times was arrested on Saturday night while on assignment with two reporters who were conducting street interviews in the Bronx.  —  The photographer, Robert Stolarik, 43, who has worked regularly …