Rescuers and search parties scoured central Japan on Monday as the death toll from the worst typhoon to hit the country in seven years climbed to 26, adding more misery to a nation still reeling from its catastrophic tsunami six months ago.

Typhoon Talas, which was later downgraded to a tropical storm, lashed coastal areas with destructive winds and record-setting rains over the weekend before moving offshore into the Sea of Japan. In addition to the 26 dead and 52 missing, thousands were stranded as the typhoon washed out bridges, railways and roads.

Roger Federer reached the fourth round at a 30th consecutive a Grand Slam tournament by beating 27th-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on a blustery Saturday at the U.S. Open.

The third-seeded Federer improved his career record at Flushing Meadows to 59-6, including five championships.

If anyone still harbored any doubts about whether Serena Williams is back at her best, she put on a pretty persuasive performance during the first 17 minutes of her third-round match Saturday at the U.S. Open.

That's how long Williams needed to build a 5-0 lead en route to a 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory at Flushing Meadows over one of the best players the women's field had to offer: fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka, a Wimbledon semifinalist two months ago.

In the 21st century, parenthood and paranoia often walk hand in hand.

For some, the blessed event is followed by high-tech surveillance, a monitoring system that tracks the baby's breathing rhythms and relays infrared images from the nursery. The next investment might be a nanny cam, to keep watch on the child's hired caregivers. Toddlers and grade schoolers can be equipped with GPS devices enabling a parent to know their location should something go awry.

Six cities from Europe, Asia and the Middle East are competing to host the 2020 Olympics.

Submitting bids to the International Olympic Committee by Friday's deadline were Rome; Madrid; Tokyo; Istanbul; Doha, Qatar; and Baku, Azerbaijan.

Four NASCAR stars will take a pass on meeting President Obama at the White House.

It doesn't have anything to do with politics.

Messages of good health and positive self-esteem for girls are not hard to come by in kid lit, so what's the deal with all the attention for a not-yet-published rhyming picture book about an obese, unhappy 14-year-old named Maggie?

The title, for starters: "Maggie Goes on a Diet."

Newark Liberty International Airport became the first New York-area airport to install body scanning technology that will replace a system that was harshly criticized for invading travelers' privacy by displaying naked images.

Transportation Security Administration officials unveiled the software at the airport on Friday, where more than 8 million passengers boarded planes last year. The technology was originally tested in February at Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Washington and rolled out in July.

German newlywed Sandra Scharf entered a bar in the tourist town of Key West earlier this week looking for her wedding dress. Thanks to some fast thinking by the owner of a different bar and the wonders of social networking, she managed to get it back.

Around noon Tuesday, the co-owner of Key West's popular Island Dogs Bar was standing outside his watering hole when two tourists ran up carrying a garment bag they said had just fallen off a sport utility vehicle.

A hat trick by new Arsenal signing Park Chu-young lifted South Korea to a 6-0 win over Lebanon in their World Cup qualifier on Friday.

Ji Dong-won of Sunderland also scored twice as Korea outclassed the visitors from start to finish to take an early lead at the top of Group B in the third round of Asian qualifying.