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Ang Lee quits 'Tyrant' TV pilot

Ang Lee quit the TV pilot for the FX series 'Tyrant,' which he had planned to direct. Ang Lee quit the TV pilot after stating that he 'need[ed] some rest.'

Obamas hosting Carole King: What's the special occasion?

When the Beatles got off the plane for the first time in the US, the first person they wanted to meet was Carole King. So, winning the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and a White House gig were events just waiting to happen.

Iraqi government still using bomb detectors it knows are faulty

James McCormick was sentenced in Britain weeks ago for selling the same fake bomb detectors in Iraq during the war.

Helping China end its cybercrime spree

When Obama meets China's new leader next month, he should show how the rapid rise in Chinese cybercrime not only hurts the US but China's economy as well.

Gosling's film booed at Cannes screening (+video)

Gosling's film booed: Ryan Gosling's latest film, 'Only God Forgives' was booed during a screening at the Cannes Film Festival. Was that why Gosling was not at Cannes?

How residents of tornado-struck Moore, Okla., have learned to survive

Moore residents say the Oklahoma City suburb's role as a big tornado bull's eye has made it a kind of laboratory of human survivability, and they're learning.

Keystone XL: Hot topic in D.C. Ho-hum in rest of US.

The House of Representatives issued another symbolic vote Wednesday in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline. But after years of debate, a new poll shows half of Americans have never heard of it. Is anyone listening to the Keystone XL pipeline debate?

Mais non! French in uproar over English in the classroom.

The French Parliament is considering a new bill that would allow university science classes to be taught in English. Politicians and academics across the spectrum are upset.

Japan no longer sanctions child abduction in mixed-marriage cases

Tokyo lawmakers unanimously approve Hague convention to settle child custody in broken international marriages. But Japanese domestic laws and legal loopholes still need to change, say scholars.

London attack: Broadcasters run video of man purporting to be killer

London attack: One man was found dead and two men were shot by police and taken to separate London hospitals, Commander Simon Letchford said.

Amazon's Kindle Worlds will allow writers to sell fan fiction

The digital publishing platform will let fans write, publish, and sell the stories they've written based on popular books, TV shows, and more.

Xbox One: More entertainment hub than mere gaming console

Microsoft knows the console market is in trouble. Which is why the new Xbox One is much more than simple video game machine.

Anthony Weiner for N.Y.C. mayor? Why he is no Mark Sanford.

Disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner announced his candidacy Wednesday for mayor of New York City. But he will have a harder time than Rep. Mark Sanford did in staging a comeback.

London attack could be terror-related, according to officials

London attack: While details were scant, Prime Minister David Cameron called the killing 'truly shocking' and said he had asked Home Secretary Theresa May to call an urgent meeting of the government's emergency committee.

UK 'Tea Party' surges, pressuring Tories and Cameron

Prime Minister David Cameron's right flank is being exposed by a surging United Kingdom Independent Party demanding lower taxes - and a British withdrawal from the European Union.

Obama dials back drone strikes: 3 reasons why

Data collected by the media suggest that US drone strikes are declining. For President Obama, who has founded much of his counterterror strategy on drones, that's a significant development.

In Los Angeles mayor's race, a big win for Eric Garcetti

Eric Garcetti won convincingly in the biggest-spending race in L.A. history. The former city council president faces high-stakes negotiations with unions over the city's pension obligations.

Rhino poachers, meet your match: poisoned pink food dye

With rhino poaching on the rise, efforts to eradicate the practice are getting more creative. Dyeing rhino horns pink and tinging them with non-lethal poison is one way to discourage consumers from buying them.

Presidential jet sold, nets $15 million for poor Malawi

Presidential jet sells for $15 million as new president institutes austerity for impoverished Malawi. Besides selling luxury presidential jet, President Banda aims to sell 35 Mercedes.

Kellie Pickler freestyle dance wins DWTS title (+video)

Kellie Pickler, a country singer, was crowned champ of Dancing With the Stars, Season16. Kellie Pickler was an American Idol contestant in 2006.

IRS official Lois Lerner invokes Fifth Amendment. Why won't she talk? (+video)

Lawmakers have plenty of questions for Lois Lerner, the IRS official who ordered the targeting of conservative groups to stop, concerning her past statements. She said she did nothing wrong, but invoked her Fifth Amendment rights.

Bed bugs on the eve of summer vacation: A mom’s guide [+video]

Bed bugs come to visit one Virginia family and Mom does a quick inventory of prevention methods – a helpful tool as you push off for summer vacation and beds others use.

Marilyn Monroe photos stolen ahead of Prague exhibition

Alice Titzova of the PR agency 2media says mannequins and display cases which were part of the exhibition also disappeared. There was no word Wednesday whether the exhibition will be delayed or canceled.

Existing home sales rise in April

Existing home sales rose 0.6 percent in April and climbed 9.7 percent above the level seen a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors' Existing Homes Sales Report.

Tim Murray, Mass. Lt. Gov., to resign for private sector job

The board of directors of the private business group was expected to vote later Wednesday to confirm the appointment of Murray, a former mayor of Worcester, as president and chief executive.

With civil unions, Bisbee, Ariz., joins gay-rights revolt against red states

Bisbee, Ariz., tried to legalize same-sex civil unions but was shot down by the state. Now it has tweaked the measure to get it on the books, joining other cities in red states that are passing ordinances to promote gay rights.

Kremlin 'outraged' by electoral fraud... in Eurovision song contest

Allegations of voter fraud in Russia are nothing new. But this time it's the Kremlin making them.

Spurs 'block' Grizzlies in Game 2 of NBA Western Conference final

San Antonio defeated Memphis in overtime Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Musical Arab-Jewish youth seek the key to coexistence

A Yale University alumnus and veteran of the school's famed a capella groups has brought his talents to Jerusalem, where he launched an Arab-Jewish youth chorus.

Is Washington too 'broken' to handle big problems such as immigration reform?

Many Americans worry that Washington cannot handle big problems such as immigration reform and the debt. But the country has been here before, and overcome a supposedly 'broken' political system. Government is divided because 'we the people' are divided on the issues.

The Other Side of the Tiber

Wallis Wilde-Menozzi offers an insider's perspective on 30 years of life as a foreigner in Italy.

Reader recommendation: The Custom of the Country

Monitor readers share their favorite book picks.

FBI kills Chechen man during Boston bombing probe: What's known of him?

An FBI interrogation, part of the Boston bombing probe, ends in shooting death of a Chechen immigrant in Florida. The man reportedly knew suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev. FBI claims self-defense.

Senate panel passes immigration reform bill: how Republicans helped shape it (+video)

The immigration reform bill, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 13-to-5 vote Tuesday night, received some tweaks aimed at attracting more GOP support during its next key vote on the Senate floor.

Iraq's demand for Hello Kitty keeps one Aleppo factory open as others close doors

Aleppo was once the economic heart of Syria, with factories ringing the city. But war destruction and a lack of electricity and materials has caused most of them to shut down.

MBA: Mortgage rates jump as applications fall

Mortgage rates jumped 11 basis points to 3.65 percent since last week, according to the latest mortgage rates data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The purchase application volume declined 3 percent over the same period.

Are oil pipeline spills inevitable?

Talking points over pipelines are focused on economic and energy security interests on one side of the argument versus emissions and cleanup on the other. Given the legacy of pipeline spills since the Keystone XL debate began more than four years ago, the "real" issue may be the lack of debate over just why so many of these pipelines have burst open in the first place.

Never-before-seen Pearl S. Buck novel will be released this fall

An unpublished manuscript by Pearl S. Buck titled 'The Eternal Wonder' was discovered last winter in a storage unit in Texas.

J.K. Rowling's 'Potter' first edition raises $228,000 for charity

The auction benefiting the organization English PEN sold a first-edition copy of Rowling's 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' as well as works by Roald Dahl, Hilary Mantel, and Ian McEwan.

Carol Burnett will receive the 2013 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

Carol Burnett, best known for her long-running variety show, will be honored this October at the Kennedy Center in Washington.