China apparently has blinked in its battle to squeeze extra money from Hollywood’s overseas grosses but details of the matter remain murky. TheWrap.com reports a simmering dispute between the country and six Hollywood studios regarding extra taxes on film revenues
(AP) Typhoon lands in China as Hong Kong shuts downBEIJINGSchools and offices closed and tens of thousands of fishing craft took shelter on Wednesday as a typhoon brought high winds and torrential rain to southern China. Typhoon Utor had already
At least 17 people were killed on Wednesday as police moved in to disperse two huge protest camps set up in Cairo by supporters of Egypt’s ousted president Mohamed Morsi. An AFP correspondent who counted the bodies at a makeshift
Mexico’s attorney general said Tuesday the government would appeal the court ruling that set free Rafael Caro Quintero, a drug lord convicted of killing a US drug agent in 1985. Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam said during a public event
Maria and Alexandra vaguely considered leaving Russia for several years, but it was not until this year’s anti-gay legislation that they started to gather paperwork. The quiet, academic lesbian couple, who live with a seven-year-old daughter in the outskirts of
An unknown gang has kidnapped a female Afghan member of parliament, officials said Wednesday, in the latest example of prominent women being targeted in the country. Fariba Ahmadi Kakar and her three children were taken at gunpoint on Saturday in
(AP) Woods’ year changed after distraction at MastersBy DOUG FERGUSONAP Golf WriterPITTSFORD, N.Y.Imagine how different it might have been for Tiger Woods if not for one perfect shot. Major championships always have a signature moment. The 20-foot birdie putt by
The same state NAACP that today asked for the Department of Justice and Secret Service to investigate the rodeo clown who wore an Obama mask hosted an event in 2010 in which a speaker called a black conservative an “Uncle
On Tuesday, the Missouri State National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) issued a statement asking for federal involvement in the case of a rodeo clown who wore an Obama mask and then asked the crowd if they’d
On Tuesday, a rodeo clown who wore a mask of President Obama at the Missouri State Fair was banned for life. The clown had asked the crowd if they wanted to see Obama run down by a bull. Fair organizers
U2 lead singer Bono isn’t the typical celebrity when it comes to politics, even if he’s as outspoken as any of his fellow stars. He’s heaped praise on former President George W. Bush for the leader’s efforts to help the
(AP) US retail sales up 0.2 percent in JulyBy MARTIN CRUTSINGERAP Economics WriterWASHINGTONU.S. retail sales edged up in July despite a drop in auto sales. A category of purchases that excludes the most volatile areas rose by the most in
Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel reportedly signed autographs on two more occasions for dealers last January in Florida and Houston. ESPN reported that “Florida-based autograph dealer Kevin Freistat backed and helped organize the additional two sessions.” According to ESPN: Freistat
(AP) Canes, Cards change signing rules for fan eventsBy TIM REYNOLDSAP Sports WriterLouisville and Miami are ramping up efforts to avoid problems when it comes to football players signing autographs. The Cardinals announced Monday that the planned autograph session at
Middle East peace talks could “collapse” due to continuing Israeli settlement expansion, a senior Palestinian official warned Tuesday, on the eve of the scheduled resumption of the fragile process. The comments came after Israeli authorities approved the construction of a
On the first day of its release, Mark Levin’s The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic reached the #1 spot in sales on Amazon.com–not just for political books, but all books. Levin appeared on Hannity on the Fox News Channel on Monday
China is set to overtake the United States as the world’s largest net oil importer from October, according to US figures, due to a combination of rising Chinese demand and increased US production. Next year, China’s net oil imports will
Jerusalem’s municipality has approved 942 new settlement units for occupied east Jerusalem, a local official said Tuesday, on the eve of the scheduled resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians. The units are in addition to the more than 1,000
(AP) Keita wins Mali election after opponent concedesBy BABA AHMED and KRISTA LARSONAssociated PressBAMAKO, MaliFormer Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita won Mali’s presidency after his opponent conceded defeat late Monday in an election aimed at restoring stability to a country
(AP) Agents: 44 gunned down in Nigeria mosqueBy HARUNA UMAR and MICHELLE FAULAssociated PressMAIDUGURI, NigeriaSuspected Islamic militants wearing army fatigues gunned down 44 people praying at a mosque in northeast Nigeria, while another 12 civilians died in an apparently simultaneous
A Singapore-based company has launched an iPhone app alerting Muslims when to pray and in which direction they should face even when they’re 35,000 feet in the air. Travellers input the flight details and are provided with prayer times during
(AP) Israel army shoots down rocket near Egypt borderJERUSALEMThe Israeli military says it has shot down a rocket launched toward the Red Sea resort town of Eilat, near the border with Egypt. The army says the rocket was intercepted early
(AP) Jones moving past banana-throwing incidentPHOENIXBaltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones is moving on a day after tweeting a fan in San Francisco threw a banana onto the field near him during a game. Jones, who is black, homered in
(AP) Little League to introduce drug education programBy GENARO C. ARMASAP Sports WriterSOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.Little League Baseball plans to introduce an educational program for coaches and volunteers intended to raise awareness about the use and dangers of performance-enhancing drugs among
