USA

Overall violent crime, including murders, robberies, and aggra vated assaults, rose 2.5 percent last year in the US, according to FBI data released Monday. While modest, the increase was the first since 2001 and the largest since 1991. But it was far below the double-digit leaps in crime during the 1970s.

Military Humvees have become dangerously top-heavy with the addition of thousands of pounds of armor meant to shield soldiers from roadside explosions in Iraq, the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News reported. Of the 85 soldiers who died in Humvee accidents between March 2003 and November 2005, the newspaper said 70 percent were killed when their vehicles rolled over. The military is working to design a lighter replacement.

Tropical storm Alberto, the first named storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season, could make landfall along Florida's west coast Tuesday night, the National Hurricane Center said. Forecasters anticipate it may drop 5 to 10 inches of rain over the Florida peninsula, but not not achieve hurricane-force winds.

Volunteer service is on the rise in the US, with Utah's 48 per cent rate of volunteerism the nation's highest, according to a survey released Monday by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The agency said more than 65.4 million Americans performed service of some kind in 2005, up from 59.8 million in 2002.

"Jersey Boys," a so-called jukebox musical about 1960s pop star Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, became the first show of its genre to win the Tony Award for best musical Sunday night. The more traditional "Drowsy Chaperone," however, took home more Tonys (five) during 60th annual ceremonies at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The "History Boys" was named best play, "Pajama Game" the best musical revival.