‘Sound of Music' hotel hits sour note
The Austrian city of Salzburg has blocked plans to open a hotel in a former home of the von Trapp family immortalized in "The Sound of Music" after protests by neighbors.
NYT: Delicate task for Obama with CIA
The president-elect must take charge of the CIA in what is proving to be one of the more treacherous patches of the transition.
Scoop: Celebs help Britney celebrate birthday
Britney Spears celebrated her 27th birthday at a rather trendy Manhattan nightclub with celebs such as Josh Lucas, Heidi Klum, Jeremy Piven and Will.i.Am.
Judge affirms 'Millennium bomber' sentence
A federal judge in Seattle on Wednesday re-imposed a 22-year sentence on an Algerian convicted of plotting to bomb the Los Angeles airport at the turn of the millennium.
China forces AIDS activist to return home
A Chinese AIDS activist said Wednesday that she was forcibly taken back to her rural home after participating in World AIDS Day in Beijing.
SportsBiz: Golf industry gets hit hard
The economic meltdown is hitting the golf industry hard. More courses are scheduled to close in the U.S. this year (nearly 100) than the 80 expected to open.
Italian judge suspends trial of CIA agents
An Italian judge has suspended a kidnapping trial linked to the CIA's extraordinary rendition program after the government said testimony could be a threat to Italy's national security.
Man dead, cop shot in Calif. standoff
A man suspected of shooting a California Highway Patrol officer during a standoff with police is dead.
Obama names Richardson to Cabinet
President-elect Barack Obama named Bill Richardson as his choice for commerce secretary on Wednesday, after passing over his vanquished Democratic rival for secretary of state.
Harvard endowment loses $8 billion
Harvard University says its endowment has tumbled $8 billion in the four months since the end of the last fiscal year.
