International Top Stories from Associated Press (AP)

Maryland politics might be dominated by one party, but that doesn't mean there's no suspense on Election Day. The heavily Democratic state will almost certainly go blue in Tuesday's presidential election, but its voters' intentions are far less clear on several high-profile ballot questions and a congressional race in the western part of the state.

George Allen will make it his job as U.S. senator to make sure Virginians have the opportunity to find work. Tim Kaine will pledge to partner with , and not obstruct , the president to tackle the country's myriad issues. Those were two of the closing arguments for the two U.S.

ATLANTA , A low-flying police helicopter searching for a runaway boy hit a power line pole before it plummeted to the ground and exploded, killing both officers on board but leaving those on the ground unharmed. Federal authorities were investigating what caused the chopper to crash into power lines along on a busy city street.

By the numbers, Sunday's loss was the best performance by the Washington Redskins' pass defense this season. It gave up 201 yards to the Carolina Panthers, 82 on a completion from Cam Newton to Armanti Edwards in the fourth quarter.

It's unclear if the Obama administration's purpose in condemning the now-infamous "anti-Islam YouTube video" was to deflect from Obama's failed Middle East policies, and those of Benghazi in particular, or if it was his intent to "protect Islam from negative stereotypes" as he promised to do in his Cairo speech.

Far from losing control of the Senate, the latest polling suggests Democrats could actually expand their majority on Tuesday , a stunning turnaround for a party that entered this cycle playing defense across the board. The Real Clear Politics average of polls now shows Democrats winning enough seats to keep their 53-47 ratio, and as recently as Saturday showed them actually netting a seat.

BEIRUT (AP) , France's president pledged Sunday that his country will stand against instability in Lebanon, two weeks after the assassination of a senior Lebanese intelligence official sparked clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian groups.

SAN DIEGO (AP) , The commander and top officers of a San Diego-based Navy frigate have been relieved of duty after a rowdy, booze-fueled port visit to Vladivostok, Russia. Cmdr. Joseph E. Darlak, skipper of the USS Vandegrift, was removed Friday by Capt. John L.

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) , Bob Baffert got beat again in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic. Bill Mott settled for half of a repeat sweep in the weekend's two biggest races. The Hall of Fame trainers could only wince as 9-1 long shot Fort Larned won North America's richest race on Saturday night, capping a weekend of upsets in the world championships at Santa Anita.

SAO PAULO (AP) , Brazil's "pop-star priest" is already packing in the crowds at the newly opened mammoth sanctuary that he built for his campaign to stem the exodus of faithful from the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America's biggest nation.

Based on ballots already cast in states that allow early voting, Mitt Romney would need to win 65 percent of remaining voters in North Carolina, 59 percent in Iowa and Colorado, 58 percent in Nevada, and 55 percent in Florida and Ohio, President Obama's campaign manager said Saturday.

BEIRUT (AP) , Three Syrian tanks entered the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights on Saturday, Israel said, raising concerns violence from Syria's civil war could heat up a long-quiet frontier that has not seen such an incursion in nearly 40 years.

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) , Representatives of an al-Qaida-linked group that controls northern Mali arrived on Saturday in Burkina Faso for talks with President Blaise Compaore, who is trying to mediate a solution to the conflict in the west African nation. A second delegation traveled to Algeria for talks with regional leaders there, officials said.

NEW YORK (AP) , The lights went back on Saturday in lower Manhattan, prompting screams of sweet relief from residents who'd been plunged into darkness for nearly five days by Superstorm Sandy. But the joy contrasted with deepening resentment in the city's outer boroughs and suburbs over a continued lack of power and maddening gas shortages.

CAIRO (AP) , The international peacekeeping force in Sudan's Darfur region said Saturday that its forces were blocked by the military from reaching the destination of an alleged attack that killed 10 people. The hybrid U.N.