A government-commissioned report says the British economy received a multi-billion-pound (dollar) boost from construction projects for the London Olympics.

The report says the economy was lifted by 7.3 billion pounds ($11.6 billion) from the construction of venues and infrastructure for the games. The construction budget was 6.5 billion pounds ($10.3 billion).

Bono hailed Americans for re-electing President Barack Obama but reminded them of the dire consequences that lie ahead because of the economy.

The U2 frontman touched on the relationship between politics and extreme poverty Monday night in his keynote speech during the Global Social Enterprise Initiative at Georgetown University, after acknowledging Obama's victory over challenger Mitt Romney last week.

Athletic Bilbao right winger Markel Susaeta has been summoned by Spain for the first time to reinforce the attack for the friendly away in Panama on Wednesday.

"I did not expect it," Susaeta said. "It was a total surprise and I still have not taken it in. I am very happy to be in the selection."

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli is again set to give youth a chance in Wednesday's friendly against France, but wants to win to boost the Azzurri's world ranking.

Italy moved into fifth place in the FIFA rankings last week and Prandelli is keen for his side to remain within touching distance of top-ranked Spain.

Israel is considering resuming its contentious practice of assassinating militant leaders in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip in an effort to halt intensified rocket attacks on Israel's south, according to defense officials.

That Israel might renew a practice that brought it harsh international censure is evidence of the tight spot Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in. With Israeli elections two months away, rocket barrages from Gaza are disrupting the lives of 1 million residents of southern Israel, pressuring the government to come up with an effective response.

Victoria's Secret has apologized for putting a Native American-style headdress on a model for its annual fashion show, after the outfit was criticized as a display of ignorance toward tribal culture and history.

The company responded to the complaints over the weekend by saying it was sorry to have upset anyone and that it wouldn't include the outfit in the show's television broadcast next month, or in any marketing materials.

The puppeteer who performs as Elmo on "Sesame Street" is taking a leave of absence from the popular kids' show in the wake of allegations that he had a relationship with a 16-year-old boy.

Sesame Workshop said puppeteer Kevin Clash denies the charges, which were first made in June by the alleged partner, who by then was 23.

Britain's media are in a meltdown and its government is gaffe-prone, so Oxford Dictionaries has chosen an apt Word of the Year: "omnishambles."

Oxford University Press on Tuesday crowned the word — defined as "a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, characterized by a string of blunders and miscalculations" — its top term of 2012.

During China's last party congress, the cadres in charge of the world's most populous nation didn't know a hashtag from a hyperlink. But five years on, there's a new message from Beijing: The political transition will be microblogged.

Party officials have embraced social media with unprecedented enthusiasm, hoping it can help guide public opinion and stir up excitement about the staid party meeting this week that kicks off a transition to new, younger leaders.

Tens of thousands of tourists, scientists and amateur astronomers who traveled from around the world to see a total solar eclipse in northern Australia may be getting shortchanged by the weather.

Forecasters were predicting cloudy skies around dawn Wednesday, when the moon will pass between the sun and Earth and plunge a slice of Australia's northeast into darkness. Many worried that they will miss a rare chance to view the celestial phenomenon.