WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama honored German Chancellor Angela Merkel and America's "gentleman" 41st president George H.W Bush with America's highest civilian honor on Tuesday.Merkel was not in Washington for the annual Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony but Obama said she would be making an official visit "soon" and he would present it…

If you like Cold War-flavored, comic book-inspired action flicks (and who doesn't?), here's something to kick off your weekend.We've got a long wait until the theatrical premiere of the next X-Men installment from thecomic universe, X-Men: First Class, but here's a sneak peak at what the film will entail, courtesy of a 2-minutetrailer.According to accompanying…

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Radio broadcaster Citadel Broadcasting Corp said it was in talks to be bought by its larger rival Cumulus Media, after a sweetened bid worth $2.4 billion brought it back to the negotiating table.Citadel, the third-largest radio broadcaster in the United States, said Cumulus would pay $37.00 per share in a combination…

Maintaining and restoring Los Angeles's Watts Towers — the lofty detritus-clad steel-and-concrete outdoor folk-art masterpiece by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia — has long been a daunting task for the city. These days, it is estimated that it would take an investment of some $5 million to bring the Towers back to top form. In the…

CHICAGO – A woman known as the "den mother" to alumni of Chicago's famed The Second City comedy club including John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Bill Murray has died.Joyce Sloane's daughter says her mother died "absolutely peacefully" in bed late Thursday as she got ready to watch Jim Belushi on television. She was 80.During her…

MILWAUKEE – Jae Crowder scored 13 of his 25 points in the second half and Marquette handed No. 9 Syracuse its fourth straight loss, 76-70 on Saturday.C.J. Fair's layup tied the game at 64, but Crowder's layup put Marquette ahead by two. Kris Joseph's jumper tied it for the last time for Syracuse which never…

NEW YORK – After audiences of more than 50 million people watched them get into the Super Bowl, the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers have the chance for more bragging rights: most-watched television show in U.S. broadcast history.The game on Feb. 6 would need to draw more than the 106.5 million people who watched…

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – Alberta's finance minister has resigned from cabinet, several media outlets reported on Thursday, just two days after Conservative Premier Ed Stelmach announced he is stepping down.Ted Morton, the finance minister, and Stelmach were due to hold a media briefing at 3:30 p.m. The two had reportedly been at odds over the…

QUETTA, Pakistan (AFP) – Ten people including four policemen were injured Saturday when a car bomb targeting a senior police official exploded in the southwestern city of Quetta, police said.The bomb, planted in a Suzuki car, exploded as a police vehicle carrying Shaban Ali passed through the heart of Quetta, the capital of oil and…

Key: F-Fiction; NF-Nonfiction; H-Hardcover; P-Paperback1. "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson (Vintage) (F-P)2. "Shadowfever" by Karen Marie Moning (Delacorte Press) (F-E)3. "The Girl Who Played With Fire" by Stieg Larsson (Vintage) (F-P)4. "Awakened" by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (St. Martin's Griffin) (F-H)5. "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand (Random House) (NF-H)6. "The Girl…