IHT Rendezvous: True or False? The Tussle Over Ping Fu's Memoir

Did Ping Fu, a prominent Chinese-American businesswoman and author of a recent memoir, “Bend, not Break,” make up her horrible experiences during the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution in order to gain United States citizenship? Did they help her become an American by claiming political asylum?That’s what her critics, many of them fellow Chinese-Americans, say. It’s an accusation that can stick. As a recent...

Read More..

Princess Diana Gowns for Sale Again

By Simon Perry 02/20/2013 at 11:40 AM EST Some of the gorgeous and historic dresses worn by Princess Diana are headed for auction – again!The most famous of the 10 dresses, which were originally sold by Diana in New York a few months before her death in 1997, is the midnight blue gown that Diana wore as she twirled around the dance floor...

Read More..

Future science: Using 3D worlds to visualize data

CHICAGO (AP) — Take a walk through a human brain? Fly over the surface of Mars? Computer scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago are pushing science fiction closer to reality with a wraparound virtual world where a researcher wearing 3D glasses can do all that and more.In the system, known as CAVE2, an 8-foot-high screen encircles the viewer 320 degrees. A panorama of images springs from...

Read More..

Wall Street dips on weakness in energy

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, "Doug" (24), and I (22) have been in a long-distance relationship for a year, but we were friends for a couple of years before that. I had never had a serious relationship before and lacked experience. Doug has not only been in two other long-term relationships, but has had sex with more than 15 women. One of them is an amateur porn actress.I knew about this, but it didn't...

Read More..

French Family of 7 Kidnapped in Cameroon

PARIS (AP) — A French family of seven — including four children — was kidnapped on Tuesday in northern Cameroon, and officials suggested that the Islamic extremist sect Boko Haram was behind it. Details of the kidnapping were not immediately clear. However, President Francois Hollande, speaking during a visit to Greece, noted that France is engaged in a military campaign in Mali to rout out...

Read More..

Mindy McCready Made Heartbreaking Video for Suicide Prevention

By Patrick Gomez and Champ Clark 02/19/2013 at 11:40 AM EST Just days before her apparent suicide, Mindy McCready was ready to release a suicide-prevention video dedicated to her deceased boyfriend David Wilson. As she sings "I'll See You Yesterday," a song intended for her next album, a photo of a rural scene...

Read More..

UK patient dies from SARS-like coronavirus

LONDON (AP) — A patient being treated for a mysterious SARS-like virus has died, a British hospital said Tuesday.Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England, said the coronavirus victim was also being treated for "a long-term, complex unrelated health problem" and already had a compromised immune system.A total of 12 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the disease, six of whom have...

Read More..

IHT Rendezvous: Human Rights and Sports Events

Earlier this month, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia sacked a senior Russian Olympic Committee official over rising costs and a delay in the construction work for the 2014 Winter Olympics.Page TwoPosts written by the IHT’s Page Two columnists.The cost of the games, to be held in the southern resort of Sochi, is expected to reach the equivalent of $50 billion. Mr. Putin said corruption had pushed...

Read More..

Danica Patrick Makes History as First Woman to Win Daytona 500 Pole Slot

By Andrea Billups 02/18/2013 at 11:30 AM EST Danica Patrick made racing history on Sunday, becoming the first woman to win the coveted pole position for this year's Daytona 500 in just her second season of racing NASCAR after years as an IndyCar driver."I was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest...

Read More..

Study: Better TV might improve kids' behavior

SEATTLE (AP) — Teaching parents to switch channels from violent shows to educational TV can improve preschoolers' behavior, even without getting them to watch less, a study found.The results were modest and faded over time, but may hold promise for finding ways to help young children avoid aggressive, violent behavior, the study authors and other doctors said."It's not just about turning off the television....

Read More..