When President Bush arrived in Beijing last weekend, China greeted him with a red carpet, twin national anthems and President Hu Jintao's commitment to "raising the level of human rights enjoyed by the Chinese people."

But far from the cameras, China mobilized for Bush's visit in a very different way: by detaining, monitoring or silencing a vast array of government critics.

The ca...

Have you heard the news? New generation high-tech devices will allow you to track your kids' movements, what they are eating, and even whether or not they have attended class. Certain cell phones, for example, will transmit location data which you can access through your computer or cell phone. Another device gives up information on how far your teen has driven the car as well as how fast he d...

Joan Lefkow thinks back now on a story her mother used to tell about their Kansas farm. She recounts it in the cadence of a Bible parable:

"There hadn't been rain. Then there was rain and everyone was happy. Then a hailstorm ruined the crops. My father looked out the door and said, `The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.'"

Out the door of the Chicago high-rise where Lefkow live...

Jane Rekedal's Pottery Studio opening. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at 1560 Cannon Road, Aromas. 566-4576

Holiday Extravaganza. American Cancer Society's Pacific Grove Discovery Shop, 198 Country Club Gate, Pacific Grove. More than 1,000 unique gifts and holiday decorations can be purchased as a benefit for cancer research, education and patient services. 372-0866.

Holiday photos of you and you...

Kimberly Stewart and "Laguna Beach" star Talan Torriero say their wedding plans are off.

"It was just too soon to enter into a lifelong commitment," their representatives said in a joint statement. "It is better to have a brief engagement than a short marriage. The couple continue to share their time together and remain open to whatever the future may hold."

Stewart, the 26-year-old...

We're thrilled to have "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" finally on the big screen, with all the excitement of the Triwizard Tournament. This is the fourth movie in the Harry Potter series based on the fantastic books by author J.K. Rowling

Before the movie opened, we had a chance to listen in on a news conference held in London with some of the young stars from "Goblet of Fire." Her...

In a small room, part of a warehouse off Agua Fría Street, Gabe "Bam Bam" Merendon has been training for a fight that he hopes might make enough money to cover some of the medical expenses of his prematurely born sons.

Merendon's twin sons, Santiago and Gabriel, were born Sept. 14. Both weigh a little more than 3 pounds and are on life support in the intensive-care unit at Presbyt...

Reflecting back on what once was and looking forward to what is to come may bring smiles and laughter to our hearts or cause tears to flow down our cheeks.

We are wired to laugh, to cry, and at times in the midst of the emotions of life to laugh and cry at the same time.

Have you ever laughed so hard you cried, or cried so hard you began to laugh? What a paradox of emotions! Tears b...

AP HEADLINES New entry in orbital launch business ready for first flight

Californians jam malls for start of holiday shopping season

Right about now, I could wrestle a bear into submission. Any idea where I could find one?

There's an excellent reason for all this trash talk - I freed myself from a burden that haunts me every December. The anxiety actually starts sometime in ...

Italian/German Artist Eric Van Aro has a great voice filled with warmth and melody, which he had applied to some well-known classics and originals in his appealing new album titled Friends. Van Aro was born into an Italian/German Artist family with a highly broad-based background. He is the son of the internationally known Singer Caterina Valente and Producer and ex-juggler Erik van Aro Sr. In ...