A 9-year-old boy from Ecuador who was held hostage by a human smuggler for the last four months after his parents were unable to pay the cost of sneaking him across the border was rescued by federal agents from a Mesa apartment on Friday.

Marta Fernandez scored 16 points to lead the Los Angeles Sparks to a 91-71 WNBA preseason victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday.

A federal appeals court on Friday slashed the punitive damage award imposed against former state utility regulator Jim Irvin after he was found guilty of using his position to thwart one company's bid for Southwest Gas.

LOS ANGELES - Retail gas prices hit another record high over the past three weeks, mirroring a rapid increase in the cost of crude oil, according to a nationwide survey released Sunday.

PORTLAND, Ore. — LaMarcus Aldridge is steadily getting to where he — and Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan — believe he can be.

Charles Barkley will sit out TNT’s coverage of All-Star weekend in Phoenix after his arrest in Scottsdale on suspicion of drunken driving. Barkley was expected to return to the air sometime in the second half of the season.

What it is: Two new exhibitions of work by Chicano and Latino artists at Phoenix Art Museum - "Phantom Sightings: Art After the Chicano Movement," an international show curated by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and "Locals Only," a similar collection put together by Phoenix Art Museum that features the work of artists living and working right here in the Valley.

LOS ANGELES - Alternative singer-songwriter Bebe carried Thursday's Latin Grammys into a new era, with the awards show being broadcast in Spanish for the first time and showcasing a broad cross-section of music, including hip-hop, reggaeton, R&B and rock.

NEW YORK - Overseas shoppers who once arrived in the U.S. with empty suitcases to take back their holiday loot may decide to stay home this year amid high-priced airline tickets, unfavorable exchange rates and lingering economic woes.

Longtime Mayor Mary Manross adversary Henry Becker, who has posted anti-Manross signs along with his displays on his vacant north Scottsdale property, has also financially contributed in an effort to defeat her.

NEW YORK - Drew Lachey leaped to victory on "Dancing with the Stars." The former 98 Degrees pop singer out-hoofed pro wrestler Stacy Keibler, who many saw as the favored finalist, along with NFL great Jerry Rice, when ABC's ballroom hit wrapped its second season Sunday night, aired live from Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES - Italian vocalist Laura Pausini won the best female pop vocal album award Thursday at a revamped Latin Grammys being broadcast in Spanish for the first time and showcasing a broad cross-section of music, including pop, salsa, reggaeton and rock.

LOS ANGELES - When presenters crack jokes and artists make acceptance speeches during Thursday's 6th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, they'll be doing something natural for them but novel for the show - speaking in Spanish.

September 2, 2004

BEIJING - Order is restored in international basketball. The United States is back on top, but not by that much anymore. Culminating a three-year mission to end years of embarrassment, the U.S. Olympic team survived a huge challenge from Spain, winning 118-107 Sunday in the gold-medal game.

Guest commentary by Jose de la Isla

PORTLAND, Ore.  — Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy will have surgery on his right knee on Friday and will miss the playoffs, the team announced.

1 — Look out for Philly in the new Beastly East

MADRID, Spain - Ten terrorist bombs tore through trains and stations along a commuter line at the height of the morning rush hour Thursday, killing more than 190 people and wounding 1,200 others three days before Spain's general elections.

If you’ve sat through Spanish 101, then you know a joyeria isn’t a house of joy (unless you’re the recipient of what’s in the glass cases) and a discoteca isn’t a ’70s revival joint.

McALLEN, Texas - Ask Nancy Boultinghouse why fewer Mexican border factories are moving to China and she quickly turns to her computer to pull up a map and a PowerPoint presentation.

Tuesday - Round 1

STATE WRESTLING