Shintaro Ishihara, Right-Wing Japanese Politician, Makes Gains

TOKYO — Shintaro Ishihara has been a rare, flamboyant presence in Japan’s otherwise drab political world for half a century. A novelist turned right-wing firebrand, he has long held celebrity status on the political margins, where he was known for dramatic flourish. He once signed a pact in blood to oppose diplomatic ties with China because of its communist government, and he published a book at the...

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Are Online Degrees as Valuable as Traditional College Diplomas?

Millennials are the first generation to grow up with constant technology and personal computers. That might explain why they see such a value in online education.A recent poll by Northeastern University showed that 18 to 29 year olds had a more negative view about attending college because of the high cost, and a more positive opinion about online classes than their older counterparts. The survey...

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Mario Lopez Is Spontaneous, Romantic, Says New Bride Courtney Mazza

By Dahvi Shira and Patrick Gomez 12/08/2012 at 03:30 PM EST Courtney Mazza, Mario Lopez and their daughter, Gia FameFlynet There's no lack of spice in the lives of newlyweds Mario and Courtney Lopez."The most romantic thing about Mario is his spontaneity," Courtney...

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Smokers celebrate as Wash. legalizes marijuana

SEATTLE (AP) — The crowds of happy people lighting joints under Seattle's Space Needle early Thursday morning with nary a police officer in sight bespoke the new reality: Marijuana is legal under Washington state law.Hundreds gathered at Seattle Center for a New Year's Eve-style countdown to 12 a.m., when the legalization measure passed by voters last month took effect. When the clock struck, they...

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Graphic details of Notorious B.I.G. murder revealed

The night rapper Notorious B.I.G. was gunned down in one of L.A.'s most famous unsolved homicides he had no drugs or alcohol in his system, according to a Los Angeles County coroner's report unsealed Friday.A coroner's medical examiner ran toxicology screens for alcohol, cocaine, codeine, morphine and methamphetamine with negative results for all.The autopsy report has been on a security...

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The Lede Blog: Updates on Protests in Egypt

“@ssaadani: محمد محمود في الإتحادية. http://t.co/cTfsNeKB”my favorite Mohamed Mahmoud graffiti made it to presidential palace— Abdel-Rahman Hussein (@ElFoulio) 7 Dec 12The Lede is following the political crisis in Egypt, where supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi rallied on Friday....

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iPad mini fails to draw crowds for China launch

Either Apple’s (AAPL) reservation-only system works better than anyone could have expected, or consumers in China have little interest in the company’s new iPad mini. Apple’s tiny tablet launched on schedule on Friday but according to IDG News Service, the turnout for Apple’s new slate was minimal. At Apple’s new flagship store in the well-trafficked Wangfujing district in Beijing, for example,...

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Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott Is Pregnant

By Stephen M. Silverman 12/07/2012 at 05:15 PM EST Chris Tyrrell and Hillary Scott Courtesy Hillary Scott First comes the sound of wedding bells, and next comes the baby rattle.Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott and drummer Chris Tyrrell, who became engaged on Independence...

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Smokers celebrate as Wash. legalizes marijuana

SEATTLE (AP) — The crowds of happy people lighting joints under Seattle's Space Needle early Thursday morning with nary a police officer in sight bespoke the new reality: Marijuana is legal under Washington state law.Hundreds gathered at Seattle Center for a New Year's Eve-style countdown to 12 a.m., when the legalization measure passed by voters last month took effect. When the clock struck, they...

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Soccer coach who molested boys 'a vulture,' judge says

This post has been corrected. See note at bottom for details.An Anaheim man who worked as a soccer coach and martial arts instructor was sentenced to 298 years in prison Thursday for sexually assaulting 11 of his young students, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office. Luis Alberto Pineda, 31, was convicted last month of committing forcible sodomy and other lewd...

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Wider Chaos Feared as Syrian Rebels and Kurds Clash

Lynsey Addario for The New York TimesSyrian Kurds in Ras al-Ain are seeking refuge across the border in Ceylanpinar, Turkey. CEYLANPINAR, Turkey — In plain view of the patrons at an outdoor cafe here in this border town, the convoy of gun trucks waving the flag of the Syrian rebels whizzed through the Syrian village of Ras al-Ain. They had not come to fight their primary enemy, the soldiers of Bashar...

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Michelle Obama's Grammy Nod: The Beekeeper Gets Credit, Too!, She Says

By Sandra Sobieraj Westfall 12/06/2012 at 05:45 PM EST Her husband already has two Grammys on the shelf, but for First Lady Michelle Obama, her first nomination is still an honor – one for which she shares the credit.Mrs. Obama, who is nominated in the spoken-word category for her book American Grown, says in...

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Celebrations planned as Wash. legalizes marijuana

SEATTLE (AP) — Legal marijuana possession becomes a reality under Washington state law on Thursday, and some people planned to celebrate the new law by breaking it.Voters in Washington and Colorado last month made those the first states to decriminalize and regulate the recreational use of marijuana. Washington's law takes effect Thursday and allows adults to have up to an ounce of pot — but it bans...

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Church volunteer had sex with kids he met at church school, police allege

A well-known Orange County church has been roiled by allegations that a volunteer sexually assaulted children.A Sunday school volunteer at Rock Harbor Church in Costa Mesa allegedly formed relationships with children in his church and went on to sexually abuse at least one of them multiple times between November 2009 and November 2011, according to church leaders and court documents.Two...

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Typhoon Bopha Kills Hundreds in Philippines

Bullit Marquez/Associated PressA resident hung clothing amid fallen trees and debris on Wednesday, a day after Typhoon Bopha made landfall in the village of Andap, in southern Philippines. More Photos »MANILA — With many roads and bridges washed away, rescue teams struggled Wednesday to reach isolated villages in the southern Philippines after a powerful out-of-season typhoon tore through the region,...

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Josh Lucas Says Sleep Training Son Was 'Incredibly Difficult'

Mom & Babies Celebrity Baby Blog 12/04/2012 at 05:00 PM ET Paul Zimmerman/WireImageNo amount of tears, tantrums or extreme tiredness can deter new dad Josh Lucas from reveling in his most important role.“Everyone says it’s the greatest adventure you’ll ever have and I’m amazed at how much I’m loving...

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Study could spur wider use of prenatal gene tests

A new study sets the stage for wider use of gene testing in early pregnancy. Scanning the genes of a fetus reveals far more about potential health risks than current prenatal testing does, say researchers who compared both methods in thousands of pregnancies nationwide.A surprisingly high number — 6 percent — of certain fetuses declared normal by conventional testing were found to have genetic abnormalities...

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Man lived with dead girlfriend for months, faced murder charges

A jury is being selected in Stockton to hear the murder case against a man accused of living for months with his girlfriend's dead body.Devon Epps was evicted from his apartment in December 2011. The next day, when the apartment manager stopped by, they found a dead body in the bathroom.The body had been there for some time, authorities said.Epps was arrested and then arraigned a few days...

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Nasrin Sotoudeh, Iranian Rights Advocate, Ends Hunger Strike

TEHRAN — An imprisoned human rights lawyer serving a sentence for “acting against national security” ended a 49-day hunger strike on Tuesday after judicial authorities acceded to her demand to lift a travel ban imposed on her 12-year-old daughter, her husband said. The lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, 49, who until her imprisonment in 2010 was one of the last lawyers taking on high-profile human...

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Google updates Gmail for iOS to support multiple accounts, deliver autocomplete suggestions

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Snooki Gives Kate Middleton Motherhood Advice

By Julia Haskins 12/04/2012 at 05:30 PM EST Nicole Polizzi and Kate Middleton Daniel Boczarski/WireImage; REX USA Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi is lending her expertise to Kate Middleton – as a mommy mentor! The Jersey Shore star, who gave birth to son Lorenzo in August,...

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Study: Drug coverage to vary under health law

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new study says basic prescription drug coverage could vary dramatically from state to state under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.That's because states get to set benefits for private health plans that will be offered starting in 2014 through new insurance exchanges.The study out Tuesday from the market analysis firm Avalere Health found that some states will require...

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Decapitated body of man found at hospital

About L.A. NowL.A. Now is the Los Angeles Times’ breaking news section for Southern California. It is produced by more than 80 reporters and editors in The Times’ Metro section, reporting from the paper’s downtown Los Angeles headquarters as well as bureaus in Costa Mesa, Long Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Riverside, Ventura and West Los Angeles.Have a story tip for L.A. Now?Can I call...

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A Person of Interest

John McAfee, a pioneer in computer security, is on the run in Belize, where he is a person of interest in his neighbor’s murder. On Nov. 8, three days before his neighbor was found dead, Mr. McAfee appeared at a ceremony at the San Pedro Police Station in Ambergris Caye, Beli...

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Parents Learn of Daughter's Suspicious Death Via Facebook

By Steve Helling 12/03/2012 at 05:55 PM EST On the evening of Nov. 18, Judith and James Jackson logged onto Facebook to find a horrifying message. Their daughter's college friend posted on their wall, consoling them about the loss of their daughter, Jasmine.Until that moment, the Jacksons thought their daughter...

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Fossil fuel subsidies in focus at climate talks

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Hassan al-Kubaisi considers it a gift from above that drivers in oil- and gas-rich Qatar only have to pay $1 per gallon at the pump."Thank God that our country is an oil producer and the price of gasoline is one of the lowest," al-Kubaisi said, filling up his Toyota Land Cruiser at a gas station in Doha. "God has given us a blessing."To those looking for a global response to climate...

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Girl, 12, held as sex slave, forced into prostitution by couple, police allege

An Oceanside couple are scheduled to be in court Monday to face accusations that they kept an underage Mexican immigrant as a sex slave, forcing her into prostitution and beating her severely.Marcial Garcia Hernandez, 45, and Inez Martinez Garcia, 43, were arrested Thursday on suspicion of 13 felony counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child under age 14.The girl had been smuggled...

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Egyptian Court Postpones Ruling on Constitutional Assembly

Wissam NassarEgyptian police officers stood guard outside Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court on Sunday, while supporters of President Mohamed Morsi protested near the entrance of the building. CAIRO — Egypt’s highest court on Sunday postponed its much-awaited ruling on the legitimacy of the legislative assembly that drafted a new charter last week, accusing a crowd of Islamists of blocking...

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Governors Awards Brings Out the Oscar Hopefuls in Hollywood

By Alison Schwartz 12/02/2012 at 05:20 PM EST Sure, the presidential election season may be long over, but the spirit of democracy is still in full-swing in Hollywood, where some familiar faces are campaigning for the industry version of a spot in the White House: a gold Oscar statuette.You'll have to wait until...

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Asperger's dropped from revised diagnosis manual

CHICAGO (AP) — The now familiar term "Asperger's disorder" is being dropped. And abnormally bad and frequent temper tantrums will be given a scientific-sounding diagnosis called DMDD. But "dyslexia" and other learning disorders remain.The revisions come in the first major rewrite in nearly 20 years of the diagnostic guide used by the nation's psychiatrists. Changes were approved Saturday.Full details...

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