VENTURA, Calif. (AP) — Britney Spears pleaded guilty through her lawyer Monday to a lesser charge that will allow her to avoid jail time after California prosecutors accused her of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The 44-year-old pop star, who recently completed a stint at a rehabilitation facility, didn’t appear in Ventura County court. But her lawyer, Michael A. Goldstein, pleaded guilty on her behalf to what’s commonly called a “wet reckless. ” That allows her to...

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — European leaders on Monday said President Donald Trump’s surprise decision to pull thousands of U. S. troops out of Germany is just the latest signal that Europe must take more responsibility for its security. The Pentagon announced last week it would pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany, but Trump told reporters on Saturday the U. S. plans on “cutting a lot further. ”Trump offered no reason for the move, which blindsided NATO. But his decision came amid an who...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A new study suggests that a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto harbors a thin, delicate atmosphere that may have been created by volcanic eruptions or a comet strike. Just 300 miles (500 kilometers) or so across, this mini Pluto is thought to be the solar system's smallest object yet with a clearly detected global atmosphere bound by gravity, said lead researcher Ko Arimatsu of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. “This is an amazing development, but it The...