Possible engine problem delays U.S. rocket launch

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - The launch of a privately owned Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was delayed on Saturday when a computer detected a possible problem with one of the rocket's engines, a Space Exploration Technologies official said. Preparations for the company's trial cargo run to the International Space Station proceeded smoothly until 4:55 a.m. EDT (0855 GMT) when an onboard computer aborted the launch. "Liftoff ... we've had a cutoff. ...

Chinese activist on flight to U.S.

Blind dissident Chen Guangcheng and his immediate family have left China on a flight to the United States. They are expected to arrive in Newark, N.J., Saturday evening.

Europe's debt woes dominate G8 summit

CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - President Barack Obama pledged at a Group of Eight summit on Saturday to work with Europe to balance growth with debt reduction as world leaders try to prevent the worsening euro zone crisis from destabilizing the global economy. At the wooded Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains, Obama and leaders from other major economic powers are seeking ways to soothe financial markets after worries about Spain's banking problems and the risk of a Greek exit from the euro zone sent world stocks to their lowest levels this year. ...

Mourners gather in N.Y. for funeral of Mary Kennedy

Mourners gathered Saturday at a modest stone church north of New York City for the funeral of Mary Richardson Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Obama pledges tough enforcement of Wall Street reforms

President Barack Obama on Saturday called on the U.S. Congress to back his efforts for tough new financial industry oversight, saying a $2 billion trading loss at JPMorgan underscored the need for such regulation. "We've got to finish the job of implementing this reform and putting these rules in place," Obama said in a weekly radio address that accused some on Wall Street of causing the 2007-2009 economic crisis because they "treated our financial system like a casino. ...

3 charged with terror conspiracy ahead of NATO

Three men arrested earlier this week when police raided a Chicago apartment were being held on terrorism conspiracy charges Saturday stemming from allegations that they tried to make Molotov cocktails ahead of the NATO summit, but the first major dress rehearsal of this weekend's large-scale protests was relatively peaceful.

Yachtsman kicks off Olympic torch relay in Britain

The Olympic flame was greeted by thousands of cheering spectators as it began its 70-day relay journey around Britain and Ireland on Saturday ahead of the 2012 London Games.

Filipino Christian conservatives denounce Lady Gaga concert

Conservative Christian groups in the Philippines on Saturday marched near a shopping mall to demand the cancellation of Lady Gaga's two concerts next week, saying her songs carried "demonic" undertones. The protests in the heavily Catholic Philippines followed a decision this week by authorities in Indonesia, a secular state but with the world's largest Muslim population, to refuse her a permit to perform in Jakarta next month. ...

Witnesses paint graphic picture of fight

A closer look at the witness statements and audio testimony taken in the immediate aftermath Trayvon Martin's death provides the first insight into George Zimmerman's behavior after he shot the unarmed teen.

Houston family spends $1.5M on college for five daughters

It’s graduation day–a day that’s getting quite familiar to Marc and Beverly Ostrofsky of Houston. Today, they’ll attend two graduation ceremonies, one for their daughter Shelly, 22, from Washington University in St. Louis and another for their daughter, Mary Grace, 18, from Kincaid High School. Mary...

Facebook's messy debut on Wall Street

U.S. stocks fell on Friday after a sloppy debut by Facebook Inc spoiled hopes that a spectacular open for the most-anticipated stock sale in years would brighten the mood in what has been a gloomy month for equity markets. Shares of Facebook, the social networking giant, were volatile in the busiest day ever for a trading debut. After early gains of more than 10 percent, Facebook shares fell back to the $38 issue price, ending up just 0.6 percent at $38.23. It was the Nasdaq's most actively traded stock, with more than 566 million shares traded. ...

Syria bomb kills 9, Damascus blames foreign plot

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A car bomb blew up at a Syrian military post in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor on Saturday, killing nine people, an attack that Syria said was the latest proof that an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad is a foreign plot. The official SANA news agency said the blast had been the work of a suicide bomber, and had killed nine and wounded about 100, including guards, at what it called military installations. It said residences had been damaged. ...

Student dies, 7 hurt in blast near Italian school

A bomb exploded Saturday outside an Italian high school named after a slain anti-Mafia prosecutor, killing a student and wounding several others, officials said, and rattling a country already tense over a spate of attacks on government officials and buildings.

Cannes guests bid up to $255,656 at Haiti auction

Guests at Cannes have bid up to €200,000 ($255,656) at a Haiti fundraiser for items including a Bono-autographed guitar as the film festival's glitzy, global spotlight turned to charity.

Rubio's past includes political vulnerabilities

Sen. Marco Rubio has close ties to a colleague accused of questionable financial dealings. The freshman senator also once was enmeshed in a controversy over the use of the state party's credit card for his personal expenses. And he has faced increased scrutiny over his personal background since bursting onto the national political scene, including conflicting details of his parents' immigration from Cuba and his recently disclosed ties to the Mormon faith.

Gay Muslim activist launches book in Malaysia

A Canadian Muslim gay activist launched her controversial new book on liberal Islam in Muslim-majority Malaysia Saturday despite a government minister's attempts to shut down the event.

Murdoch denies planning to spin off UK newspapers

LONDON (Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch has denied reports that News Corp is considering spinning off its British newspapers to protect the rest of his media empire from a phone hacking scandal. The Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times newspapers said executives at the company were looking into ways to split off the Sun, the Times and the Sunday Times, published by its News International unit. ...

Seven charged in major roundup of Irish militant suspects

LISBURN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - Seven Irish nationalists were remanded in custody in Northern Ireland on Saturday on terrorism charges, in one of the highest profile security roundups in the province in recent years. Four of the suspects, including a 37-year-old woman, were charged with attending a militant training camp and firing range near the town of Omagh. The other three were relatives of prominent Lurgan nationalist Colin Duffy, who was acquitted this year of charges related to an attack by militant group the Real IRA on the army's Massereene Barracks in Antrim three years ago. ...

Troubled freighter drifts toward Great Barrier Reef

A broken-down cargo ship was drifting towards the fringes of Australia's Great Barrier Reef Saturday, with fears of major damage if it were to run aground at the World Heritage-listed site.

In Colorado, same-sex marriage remains a hot issue

Minutes after President Barack Obama announced he supported gay marriage, the Democratic governor of Colorado choked back tears in Denver as he ordered state lawmakers to reconsider a civil-unions measure that Republicans had defeated the day before.