LOS ANGELES - NASA on Monday declared an end to the Phoenix mission, some five months after the spacecraft became the first to land in Mars' arctic plains and taste water on another planet.

Mission engineers have not heard from the Phoenix lander in over a week. It fell silent shortly after a raging dust storm blocked sunlight from reaching its solar panels.

JERUSALEM - ISRAELI archeologists have discovered a 2,000-year-old gold earring beneath a parking lot next to the walls of Jerusalem's old city, the Israel Antiquities Authority said on Monday.

The discovery dates back to just after the time of Christ, during the Roman period, said Mr Doron Ben-Ami, director of excavation at the site.

SAN FRANCISCO - TECHNOLOGY tracking firm NPD on Monday said Apple's iPhones are the mobile handset of choice for US consumers.