‘Sound of Music' hotel hits sour note

The Austrian city of Salzburg has blocked plans to open a hotel in a former home of the von Trapp family immortalized in "The Sound of Music" after protests by neighbors.

World's oldest pot stash totally busted

Nearly two pounds of still-green plant material found in a 2,700-year-old grave in the Gobi Desert has just been identified as the world's oldest marijuana stash, according to a paper in the latest issue of the Journal of Experimental Botany.

China forces AIDS activist to return home

A Chinese AIDS activist said Wednesday that she was forcibly taken back to her rural home after participating in World AIDS Day in Beijing.

Passengers describe 'cheeky' pirate attack

Passengers on a luxury cruise liner attacked by pirates in the dangerous waters between Yemen and Somalia said Wednesday they were surprised by the assailants' boldness.

Alert over Web sites touting stem cell therapies
Consumers should be wary of Web sites from clinics that offer stem cell treatments, says a study that found a lack of firm medical evidence to back up their claims.

Thai premier's ouster ends airport sieges

Victorious anti-government protesters lifted their siege of Bangkok's two airports Wednesday while leaders of the ousted government named a caretaker prime minister to lead the politically chaotic kingdom.

MySpace delivers video to mobiles
MySpace users with mobile phones are about to find out if they can walk and watch TV at the same time.

Bombs found in Mumbai train station

Police in Mumbai found explosives Wednesday hidden in a bag left behind last week at the city's train station at the start of a three-day rampage by Islamist militants.

Franken pulls closer but Coleman still leads

Democrat Al Franken caught a couple of breaks Tuesday as the recount in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race drew closer to a finish, though not enough to undo Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's persistent lead.

Expert: Tebow has earned a second Heisman

Expert: Two months ago, I didn't think it was possible. And now? It might be inevitable. Somewhere, Archie Griffin is hearing footsteps. Yes, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow deserves to win another Heisman Trophy.