Legendary pop singer Whitney Houston was found dead Saturday at a Beverly Hills, California, hotel, officials said. She was 48.

(more…)

Two adjacent buildings collapsed Wednesday night in the historic center of Rio de Janeiro, injuring at least four people, Mayor Eduardo Paes told reporters.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collapses — one a 20-story building and the other 10 stories — nor was the extent of the casualties clear. Paes did not rule out the possibility of a gas leak, but other hypotheses included the possibility of structural failures in the buildings, which were located behind the Municipal Theater.
(more…)

New York City, that land of hustle and bustle, took on a new character Saturday: Quietness, punctuated by bursts of activity.

The imminent approach of Hurricane Irene made for some mighty unusual scenes. Long lines were common at grocery stores as residents stocked up, but streets appeared empty just a couple blocks away.

Read the full story here (via CNN)

Apple’s ground breaking technology and its uncanny ability to understand what consumers really want has propelled the firm founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs and his buddy Steve Wozniak to stratospheric heights.

Apple built its business on its highly desirable but niche Macintosh computer range. But Apple’s invention of the iPod, the iPhone, and now the iPad, has changed the way consumers interact with technology and given Apple unprecedented mass market appeal.

Read the full story here (via CNN)

Director/actor Kevin Smith tells CNN he’s eternally grateful to golf star Tiger Woods for deflecting media attention away from him when he was “too fat to fly.”

Last year, the “Red State” director was kicked off a Southwest Air flight because he wasn’t able to comfortably fit in his seat. Smith had originally purchased two tickets for the Oakland-to-Burbank trip, but when he was bumped to an earlier flight, only one seat was available. After being seated, he was asked to leave.

Read the full story here (via CNN)

Eyewitnesses say Gaddafi loyalists killed “numerous detainees” this week at two military camps in Tripoli, Amnesty International reported on Friday.

Escaped detainees from the Khilit al-Ferjan and Qasr Ben Ghashir camps provided testimony to the human rights group.

Read the full story here (via CNN)

Typhoon Nanmadol triggered a landslide in northern Philippines on Saturday, killing at least two children, authorities said.

The landslide buried the victims in Pangasinan province, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Read the full story here (via CNN)

Imagine a vulnerable island, parts of it man-made, with towering buildings and lots of people crammed into small spaces.

Now imagine a monster storm slamming into that island. It’s Manhattan versus Irene. It could happen Sunday, and hurricane experts are warning New Yorkers that even though Irene may not be a killer in the vein of Katrina, millions of people could be trapped in their homes for days. Without power, transportation, phones — and experience.

Read the full story here (via CNN)

The diesel-fueled world of Formula One may seem an unlikely source of inspiration for a major carbon-cutting initiative, but technology used for coordinating pit-stops is primed to slash emissions from airports across the globe.

Read the full story here (via CNN)

Rose McGowan’s first nine years were anything but traditional. They were spent in the Children of God sect, a group that extolled the virtues of free love and prepared for the second coming of Jesus.

Read the full story here (via CNN)

After months of psychological torment by guards loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, when a commotion arose outside the door of his solitary confinement cell in Tripoli’s most notorious prison, Matthew VanDyke was sure he was going to be executed.

Read the full story here (via CNN)

Old Spice pitchman Isaiah Mustafa has snagged a recurring role on ABC series “Charlie’s Angels,” reports TVLine.com.

The hunky actor joins the cast of the upcoming ABC series as athletic Miami detective Ray Goodson. Goodson was engaged to Kate (Annie Ilonzeh), but broke it off after she was exposed as a dirty cop.

Read the rest of this article here (via CNN)

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered the release of a group of would-be child suicide attackers ranging between ages 8 and 17.

Some of the 20 youngsters told Karzai that they were recruited by the Taliban, strapped with vests and ordered to detonate them near foreigners, the president’s office said in a statement.

Read the rest of this article here (via CNN)

Criminals seem to have a thing for big vehicles.

The Cadillac Escalade remains the car most likely to be stolen, according to new data from the Highway Loss Data Institute. This is the fourth year in a row the Escalade has topped this list. The rankings for most stolen cars are based on auto insurance claims data from 2008 and 2009.

Read the rest of this article here (via CNN)

Libyan rebels weathered resistance from pro-Moammar Gaddafi forces in several volatile pockets across Tripoli Wednesday, but a few dozen journalists kept hostage by the strongman’s armed supporters have dramatically managed to go free.

Rebels worked to topple remnants of the Gaddafi military apparatus as special forces from Britain, France, Jordan and Qatar — which are on the ground in Libya — have stepped up operations in Tripoli and other cities in recent days to help them.

Read the rest of this article here (via CNN)

Megan Fox is reportedly in the process of removing her Marilyn Monroe tattoo, reports E! Online.

Reports say the starlet is undergoing laser removal because she feels that an image of Monroe – allegedly afflicted by mental illness – will attract negative energy, she’s said to have revealed to Italian magazine Amica.

Read the rest of this article here (via CNN)

North Korea is ready to return to nuclear talks without preconditions after a two-hour meeting Wednesday between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, a Russian official said.

The last round of six-party talks took place in 2008.  In addition to Russia and North Korea, the talks also include South Korea, Japan, the United States and China.

Read the rest of this article here (via CNN)

Anti-corruption activists and federal ministers have begun negotiations to end their deadlock over an anti-corruption bill as a 74-year-old campaigner’s hunger strike entered its ninth day Wednesday.

Anna Hazare looked weak as he spoke to tens of thousands of his supporters. He credited them with giving him the “energy” he needs to carry on with his fast to demand a powerful citizen ombudsman or Lokpal.

Read the rest of this article here (via CNN)

Israeli aircraft were in action Wednesday morning in at least three strikes against militants who targeted Israelis, the country’s military said.

The Israel Defense Forces claimed a “direct hit” on Zadi Ismail Asmar, whom it said was a weapons smuggler affiliated with Islamic Jihad. They said he “operated with terror elements in the Gaza strip” that had tried to carry out terror attacks in Sinai.

Read the rest of this article here (via CNN)

Moody’s has cut Japan’s credit rating by one notch citing concerns about the government’s ability to reduce its mountain of debt and implement long-term fiscal sustainability measures.

Later this month, Japan will face yet another change in the country’s political leadership, the frequency of which Moody’s cited as a key factor obstructing the implementation of necessary fiscal measures to bring down its debt.

Read the rest of this article here (via CNN)