Sat May 19, 2012 - 11:27 AM

Chens escape from house arrest in northeastern China last month and subsequent stay in the U.S. embassy caused huge embarrassment for China and led to a diplomatic rift while U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was visiting Beijing for talks to improve ties between the world's two biggest economies. The U.S. State Department said he was en route to the United States, along with his wife and two children. He boarded a United Airlines flight bound for Newark. ... Full Story

Tue May 1, 2012 - 11:29 AM

Murdoch, according to the House of Commons select committee on culture, media and sport, which examined the phone-hacking scandal now convulsing the Australian-born moguls media empire, "is not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company". That wording immediately awoke memories of a judgment passed on Maxwell a generation ago by another arm of the British establishment, the Department of Trade and Industry, which had investigated the tak ... Full Story

Sat May 19, 2012 - 1:52 PM

But scientists caution would-be viewers to be very careful because the suns damaging rays will remain powerful even during the annular solar eclipse. The advice: Either wear specially designed protective eyewear or attend a viewing event â?? at a planetarium or amateur astronomy club, for example â?? to avoid risk of serious eye injury.The solar spectacle will first be seen in eastern Asia around dawn Monday, local time. Weather permitting, millions of early risers in southern China, northern Ta ... Full Story

Sat May 19, 2012 - 11:35 AM

Hundreds held up mobile phones to snap photos as he jauntily walked past and banged on plastic tambourines handed out by sponsors, creating a roar that shook the hillsides of this picturesque spot â?? the furthest point west in England. The sun rose and shone across the moors all day, lifting spirits at a place known for its fog. It was a good-natured start of an event, which lasts for 70 days and ends with the lighting of the cauldron to start the games on July 27. There were some mishaps along ... Full Story

Sat May 19, 2012 - 11:44 AM

Police estimated about 2,500 people took part in the largest protest so far in a week of demonstrations before President Barack Obama and representatives from some 60 countries arrive for the two-day summit to discuss the war in Afghanistan and other international security issues. The only incident was a minor scuffle between police and protesters when a man climbed a bridge tower to rip down a banner advertising the NATO summit. "Wake up! Wake up! We wa ... Full Story

Sat May 19, 2012 - 11:21 AM

The "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" actor made contact with friends via e-mail close to 10 PM on Friday to let them know hes all right and entering rehab, according to People. PLAY IT NOW: Redmond Oâ??Neal Headed Back To Jail After Failing Drug Test In Rehab "I'm relieved," Nick's wife, Rose Stahl, told the mag. "But I'm also skeptical that he's really in rehab."Rose, 30, added that her husband's e-mail was "unemotional and unapologetic," and stated that he was entering a month-long rehab p ... Full Story

Fri May 18, 2012 - 9:33 PM

Everything By its nature, recruiting by humiliation is secretive, more so these days as its illegal in most states: Forty-four have anti-hazing laws. Often, a student suffered a mental breakdown or died to trigger legislation,  and past the defense that hazing is a voluntary rite (and therefore a right)â??a way to ferret out who's made of sterner stuff in a mollycoddled society. Recent tragedies underscore that hazing (inevitably) continues. What might be changing are attitudes, as people shif ... Full Story

The "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" actor made contact with friends via e-mail close to 10 PM on Friday to let them know hes all right and entering rehab, according to People. PLAY IT NOW: Redmond Oâ??Neal Headed Back To Jail After Failing Drug Test In Rehab "I'm relieved," Nick's wife, Rose Stahl, told the mag. "But I'm also skeptical that he's really in rehab."Rose, 30, added that her husband's e-mail was "unemotional and unapologetic," and stated that he was entering a month-long rehab p ... Full Story

Sat May 19, 2012 - 11:46 AM

"The Da Vinci Code" author, who grew up in New Hampshire, spoke at a benefit for The Music Halls "Writers on a New England Stage" series in Portsmouth.Brown is working on a new book that again features Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon as protagonist. In addition to "The Da Vinci Code," Langdon's appeared in "Angels and Demons" and "The Lost Symbol."Brown was witty throughout the session in the late 19th century brick theater, and set the tone of the evening with several personal anecdotes from ... Full Story

Fri May 11, 2012 - 7:19 PM

McNamaras record-setting feat was verified by Guinness after an independent panel of big wave and photography experts painstakingly measured still and video images of the colossal wave, a spokeswoman for the agency said. (Video: http://r.reuters.com/fuq28s ) "I was totally in the moment. PCP. Present, connected and protected," McNamara, 44, told Reuters in a phone interview from his home in Haleiwa, Hawaii, on the North Shore of Oahu. According to Guinness, the epic feat eclipsed by more than 1 ... Full Story

Sat May 19, 2012 - 11:43 AM

The protesters peacefully filled the city center of continental Europes biggest financial hub on a warm and pleasant afternoon, said Frankfurt police spokesman Ruediger Regis. He said 20,000 people were there, while organizers put the number at 25,000.The protest group, named Blockupy, has called for blocking access to the European Central Bank, which is located in Frankfurt's business district.Organizer spokesman Roland Seuss the protest is "against the Europe-wide austerity dictate by the (c ... Full Story

Sat May 19, 2012 - 11:44 AM

Police estimated about 2,500 people took part in the largest protest so far in a week of demonstrations before President Barack Obama and representatives from some 60 countries arrive for the two-day summit to discuss the war in Afghanistan and other international security issues. The only incident was a minor scuffle between police and protesters when a man climbed a bridge tower to rip down a banner advertising the NATO summit. "Wake up! Wake up! We wa ... Full Story