King of Queens star quits Scientology

Actress Leah Remini has severed ties with the Church of Scientology, a source with knowledge of her decision said on Thursday, making her one of the most high-profile members to quit. Remini, best known for her role as Carrie Heffernan in the sitcom King of Queens, issued a statement following press reports that she had decided to leave the church.

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Should next Dr Who be a Time Lady?

It’s a mystery almost worthy of the Time Lord himself – who will succeed Matt Smith as the new Doctor Who Speculation in the UK is rampant that the Beeb will tap a woman to play the 12th incarnation of the Doctor in the beloved sci-fi series. Smith, who has played the iconic doctor for four years, announced June 1 that he will quit the role at the end of the year.

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Two Journalists Arrested in Britain’s New Phone-Hacking Probe

When a reporter from Rupert Murdoch’s British Sunday paper the News of the World was jailed, along with a private detective, in 2007 for hacking into the cellphone voicemails of aides to the royal family, the paper insisted it was a one-off — a “rogue reporter” operating without the knowledge or approval of his bosses. That assertion prompted two reactions from those in the U.K

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Global Media Summit in China Invites Access Questions

As China marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC and the 30th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping’s reform and opening policies, there are countless examples of how the country has changed over the decades. In the sphere of foreign media coverage, perhaps the most obvious came last week, when 300 news executives arrived in Beijing for the country’s first World Media Summit, held Oct.

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New York Post not laughing at climate change spoof

A day before the United Nations held a climate change summit, New York City was blanketed with 100,000 fake copies of the New York Post tabloid, filled with content related to climate change. But the Post, owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., wasn’t impressed, calling the effort by perennial pranksters the Yes Men a “Witless Spoof in Flawless Format” in a statement released Tuesday, a day after the faux Post hit the streets.

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Murdoch: Web sites to charge for content

Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch expects News Corporation-owned newspaper Web sites to start charging users for access within a year in a move he says could radically shake-up the culture of freely available content. Speaking on a conference call as News Corporation announced a 47 percent slide in quarterly profits to $755 million, Murdoch said the current free access business model favored by most content providers was flawed

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