Michael Hastings, the Rolling Stone journalist who triggered the 2010 downfall of US Afghanistan commander General Stanley McChrystal, died in a car crash Tuesday, his employer announced. Hastings, whose profile of McChrystal quoted the four-star general as criticizing President Barack Obama and his senior advisers, died in Los Angeles. He was 33, according to his current employer, BuzzFeed. "We are shocked and devastated by the news that Michael Hastings is gone," said Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of the news website which the late reporter joined in February last year.

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain urged the world on Tuesday to learn from the mistakes of history as it stands by and watches Syria's bloody civil war while Canada's defence minister, Peter MacKay, reiterated the Canadian government's decision not to arm the Syrian rebels. "There's an old line about those who refuse to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them," McCain told reporters at the Canadian embassy.

Hillary Clinton may be two years away from announcing whether she will seek the White House, but that is not stopping Senator Claire McCaskill from endorsing the star Democrat for president in 2016. Stressing that "it's important we start early," McCaskill on Tuesday threw her support behind Clinton, who has barely caught her breath following four years as secretary of state.

By Alina Selyukh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's choice for chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is expected to face questions about his past work within the telecommunications industry at a Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday. The Senate Commerce Committee panel will be the first public address by Tom Wheeler, an industry veteran, since he was tapped in May to succeed Julius Genachowski.