Apricus Biosciences Inc. said Monday that its impotence drug Vitaros has been approved in 10 European countries.

The company said Vitaros is now approved in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, and the U.K., among other countries, for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Apricus sought marketing approval for Vitaros in specific countries, and says the decentralized process was faster than seeking approval by the entire European Union.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services upgraded its outlook Monday for the U.S. government's long-term debt. S&P cited the government's strengthened finances, a recovering U.S. economy and some easing of Washington's political gridlock.

The credit rating service raised its outlook to "Stable" from "Negative," which means it's less likely to downgrade U.S. debt in the near future.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the overall U.N. goal of halting and reversing the spread of AIDS will be met by the target date of 2015.

But the U.N. chief told the General Assembly Monday that despite the "important progress," more must be done to target AIDS in countries and communities where it is still spreading — and this will require additional funds.

Singapore is telling doctors to be more vigilant against dengue fever as the mosquito-borne disease surges this year.

The Southeast Asian city-state has had more than 9,000 cases and two deaths since January. The illnesses counted so far in 2013 are already twice the total for all of last year.

On the field, the Confederations Cup can give Brazil's national team a major boost in its quest to win a sixth World Cup title next year. Off the field, the eight-team tournament will offer the first hints about where the country stands in its preparations for the main event in 2014.

Brazil has won the last two Confederations Cup titles — in 2005 and 2009. And while expectations will be predictably high for this month's tournament, it won't be anywhere near the pressure the team will face in 12 months, when Brazil will try to avoid losing a second World Cup on home soil.

Hobbits, elves and dragons appear to be luring tourists to New Zealand as fans await their first glimpse of the second movie in "The Hobbit" trilogy.

Figures released this month by government agency Tourism New Zealand show that international vacations to the South Pacific nation rose 10 percent from January through April when compared to the same period last year. The agency said a survey indicated that 8.5 percent of visitors cited "The Hobbit" as one reason for coming and that 13 percent took part in some kind of hobbit-themed tourism like visiting a film set.

On a tropical island in Papua New Guinea where most people live in huts, a mob armed with guns, machetes and axes stormed a wooden house by night. They seized Helen Rumbali and three female relatives, set the building on fire and took the women away to be tortured. Their alleged crime: Witchcraft.

After being repeatedly slashed with knives, Rumbali's older sister and two teenage nieces were released following negotiations with police. Rumbali, a 40-something former schoolteacher, was beheaded.

What is the next generation of gaming?

It's a question the video game industry hasn't quite figured out yet, but it's one it must confront at this week's Electronic Entertainment Expo, the much-hyped Los Angeles trade show where about 46,000 attendees are expected to play, poke and prod new video games and products from more than 200 exhibitors.

Harried Venezuelans who devote hours scouring supermarkets for increasingly scarce food basics and toilet paper have just received some digital help thanks to a young software developer.

A free application for mobile devices written by Jose Augusto Montiel lets people notify one another where flour, sugar, milk, cooking oil and toilet paper are for sale. It has been downloaded more than 12,000 times.

Not even Chewbacca and his light saber get a free pass with airport security before being cleared to travel.

Transportation Security Administration agents in Denver briefly stopped "Star Wars" franchise actor Peter Mayhew recently as he was boarding a flight with a cane shaped like one of science-fiction saga's most iconic weapons.