SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― To his many enemies, Rupert Murdoch is getting his comeuppance.Murdoch’s tabloid newspapers long have reveled in the misdeeds of others with salacious photos and pun-packed headlines. Now, one of the world’s most powerful media executives is learning what it’s like to be enveloped in his own scandal.“There is a feeling that Murdoch has been king of the world for too long and i

U.S. President Barack Obama meets the Dalai Lama at the White House in Washington, D.C., Saturday. (White House photo)BEIJING (AP) ― China on Sunday slammed President Barack Obama’s meeting with the Dalai Lama as an act that has “grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs” and damaged Chinese-American relations.The strident statement from China’s Foreign Ministry came hours after Obama met wit

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Standard & Poor’s warned mortgage lenders Fannie Me and Freddie Mac on Friday that they may lose their top credit ratings if lawmakers don’t raise the U.S. government’s borrowing limit in time to avoid a default.S&P said government-controlled Fannie and Freddie, along with certain Federal Home Loan Banks and Farm Credit System Banks, could also default on their debts, given each

A well-worn clich says sports is drama without a script. And one of the reasons people love sports is because its improvisational theater exposes a full range of human emotions, from the exuberant joy of victory to the excruciating pain of defeat.This summer, South Korean moviegoers will be able to experience that roller-coaster ride from the comfort of their seats in air-conditioned multiplex the

 

 

 

  Members of the media gather around Rupert Murdoch, chief executive officer of News Corp., as he arrives for a morning session at the Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, Thursday. (Bloomberg)Move shocks staff at the newspaper, raising speculation about rebranding the tabloidLONDON (AP) ― The Murdoch media empire has unexpectedly jettisoned the News of the World after

KhanWASHINGTON (AP) ― The founder of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb program claims the North Korean government bribed top military officials in Pakistan to obtain access to sensitive nuclear technology in the late 1990s, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.Abdul Qadeer Khan made available documents that he said supported his claim that he transferred more than $3 million in payments by North Korea to

No English. No job. No future? That cannot be true for everyone, but many South Korean companies and individuals seem to believe it is. For them, English is the only thing that stands between them and the vast global markets.The importance of English as a lingua franca in business deals can’t be overstated. It’s especially so for South Korean companies that depend heavily on exports for growth. Ko

DAMASCUS (AFP) ― Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sacked the governor of Hama on Saturday, a day after hundreds of thousands rallied against the regime in the hotbed city, as activists said the latest crackdown cost 28 lives.Anti-regime dissent billowed on Friday in response to a call by a Facebook group for massive protests to demand the ouster of Assad and his autocratic regime.In Hama alone, 50

WASHINGTON (AP) ― The Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to confirm Gen. David Petraeus to be the nation’s CIA director.The vote was 94-0.Arguably America’s most famous military commander in a generation, Petraeus has been in charge of U.S.-led international forces in Afghanistan since June 2010. The 37-year Army veteran is also credited with turning around the war in Iraq, from which U.S. troop

 

WASHINGTON (AP) ― The United States hit two pillars of the Iranian economy with sanctions Thursday, targeting the Islamic republic’s national airline carrier and a major port company on charges that they facilitate illegal weapons trade and help the mighty Revolutionary Guard corps in destabilizing activity in Iran and nearby countries.The Treasury Department’s action blocks any assets in the Unit

 

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ― The Brazilian government confirmed this week the existence of an uncontacted tribe in a southwestern area of the Amazon rain forest.Three large clearings in the area had been identified by satellite, but the population’s existence was only verified after airplane expeditions in April gathered more data, the National Indian Foundation said in a news release Monday.The governme

LUXEMBOURG (AP) -- Hours of talks between eurozone finance ministers on the imploding finances of Greece broke up early Monday morning without the ministers signing off on a vital installment of rescue loans needed to avoid bankruptcy next month.Greece will get the next 12 billion euros of its existing 110 billion euros bailout package in early July, but only if it manages to pass 28 billion euros

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― The United States on Thursday dismissed new al-Qaida supremo Ayman al-Zawahiri as a pale imitation of Osama bin Laden and warned the Egyptian to expect a similar fate to his slain predecessor.U.S. officials painted the 59-year-old long-time No. 2 as an “armchair general” with no combat experience, saying he not only lacked charisma and leadership skills but was also a divisive f

BEIRUT (AP) ― Syrian troops backed by tanks and helicopter gunships swept into another northwestern city early Friday, just days after laying siege to it, activists said. Big demonstrations were expected nationwide as the Syrian people pressed on with the uprising to oust President Bashar Assad.Syria-based rights activist Mustafa Osso said large numbers of soldiers entered Maaret al-Numan. It was

Prime minister to reshuffle Cabinet, seek vote of confidenceATHENS (AP) ― Greece’s prime minister, struggling to ensure parliamentary approval for a crucial austerity bill, said he would reshuffle his Cabinet and seek a vote of confidence for his new government after coalition talks with opposition parties failed.The negotiations collapsed Thursday as rioters clashed with police in the streets of