(AP) NEW YORKBankrupt battery maker A123 Systems Inc. says it will sell most of its assets to the U.S. arm of Chinese auto parts conglomerate Wanxiang Group Corp. for $256.6 million. Chicago-based Wanxiang America Corp. won an auction conducted under the
(AP) ‘Skyfall,’ ‘Guardians’ duel for box-office winBy DAVID GERMAINAP Movie WriterLOS ANGELESJames Bond is in a box-office photo finish with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny over what looks to be the last slow weekend of the holidays. According to
(AP) Obamas attend annual holiday concert in WashingtonBy STACY A. ANDERSONAssociated PressWASHINGTONAn annual holiday concert attended by President Barack Obama and his family includes something non-traditional this year: a performance by South Korean rapper and Internet sensation PSY. The “Gangnam
(AP) Pacquiao loss downs spirit of storm-hit FilipinosBy OLIVER TEVESAssociated PressMANILA, Philippines Filipino fans were stunned by Manny Pacquiao’s knockout defeat to Juan Manuel Marquez, dampening the spirit of a nation battered by a powerful typhoon that killed more than
To most people, the late Andy Williams was a beloved entertainer who sang timeless Christmas songs like “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” To Bill Maher, an angry ideologue of the first order, Williams was merely a “teabag
(AP) Unions prepare for protest at Michigan CapitolBy ED WHITEAssociated PressDEARBORN, Mich.More than 200 activists attended training Saturday in preparation for a protest at the Michigan Capitol, where lawmakers are putting the final touches on legislation that would allow workers
(AP) Senator: GOP could accept higher taxes on wealthyBy ANNE FLAHERTYAssociated PressWASHINGTONRepublican Sen. Bob Corker says he and probably many other GOP senators would consider raising the top tax rate paid by the wealthiest Americans if it meant reforming big
According to new studies, President Obama’s electoral victory in the 2012 election cycle was greatly helped by his massive victory with a previously unnoticed voting bloc: the irreligious. While statisticians focus on the impact of the Hispanic vote in swing
(AP) SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Comedian Katt Williams has been arrested in northern California on a felony warrant related to a police chase. The Sacramento Bee reports that Williams was arrested Friday night in Dunnigan, about 25 miles north of Sacramento, by
Jamie Foxx used his opening monologue on last night’s edition of “Saturday Night Live” to assure us that “black is in.” Foxx, who recently told an awards show crowd that President Barack Obama is “our Lord and Savior,” employed his
Today marks the first day that the state of Washington will permit same-sex couples to marry legally. Starting at midnight, wedding bells began ringing in ceremonies across the state. More nuptials–including some mass ceremonies held to formalize relationships that have
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is heading back to Cuba on Sunday for more surgery for cancer, announcing on television that the illness has returned after two previous operations, chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Chavez acknowledged the seriousness
(AP) Pakistan: US drone kills senior al-Qaida leaderBy RASOOL DAWARAssociated PressPESHAWAR, PakistanPakistani intelligence officials say a U.S. drone strike has killed a senior al-Qaida leader near the Afghan border. The three officials say Sheikh Khalid bin Abdel Rehman al-Hussainan, also
(AP) More Egypt protests called after Morsi concessionCAIROEgypt’s liberal opposition has called for more protests on Sunday after the president made concessions overnight that fell short of their demands to rescind a draft constitution going to a referendum on Dec.
(AP) Booze, smokes on agenda for quirky gov’t groupBy DANIEL WAGNERAP Business WriterBELTSVILLE, Md.Deep in a secure laboratory just outside Washington sits the federal government’s heaviest smoker. It is a half-ton hulk of a machine, all brushed aluminum and gasping
(AP) Texas man linked to Anonymous faces more chargesDALLASA Texas man who has described himself as a spokesman for the hacker-activist group Anonymous faces new charges over data stolen from the private intelligence firm Stratfor last Christmas, federal prosecutors said
Two Iranian warships docked in Port Sudan on Saturday, a witness said, marking the second port call by the Iranian navy in Sudan in five weeks. The Sudanese military said it was a “normal” port call but Israeli officials have
(AP) GEORGETOWN, GuyanaAuthorities in Guyana have seized $10 million worth of cocaine hidden in bags of fish food bound for China. The director of the South American country’s Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit says officials confiscated 580 pounds (263 kilograms) of cocaine. James
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Saturday annulled a decree he issued last month expanding his powers, an official told a Cairo news conference. A referendum on a draft constitution would however still go ahead as planned on December 15, the
AFP – Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is preparing to amend a controversial decree in which he assumed sweeping powers, Prime Minister Hisham Qandil said on Saturday. Morsi tasked six officials who met on Saturday with elements of the opposition to
(AP) DOHA, QatarA U.N. climate conference with nearly 200 countries has adopted an extension of the Kyoto Protocol through 2020. The 1997 pact, which controls the greenhouse gas emissions of rich countries, expires this year. Negotiators haggled through the night in
By JON GAMBRELLAssociated PressJOHANNESBURGSouth Africa’s former President Nelson Mandela was admitted to a military hospital Saturday for medical tests, though the nation’s president told the public there was “no cause for alarm” over the 94-year-old icon’s health. The statement issued
Egyptian authorities have detained a suspected terror network ringleader whose operatives are believed to have carried out a deadly attack on a US mission in Libya, according to a report. Muhammad Jamal Abu Ahmad — a former member of the
AMMAN (Reuters) – Syrian rebel groups have chosen Brigadier Selim Idris, a former officer from President Bashar al-Assad’s army who defected, to head a new unified military command dominated by Islamists, opposition sources said on Saturday. Read the rest of
