"I wasn't trying to beat Star Wars," said director Irvin Kershner, who died Nov. 27 at 87. Nonetheless, Kershner surpassed George Lucas' 1977 space opera with his sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. Darker than its predecessor , Empire is acknowledged by many to be the tragic heart of the Star Wars trilogy. And while Kershner directed 14 other feature films over the course of his career, including the unofficial James Bond film Never Say Never Again, Empire undoubtedly remains his ...

To understand Barack Obama's Afghanistan decision, it's instructive to go back to one history-shifting sentence, uttered by his predecessor more than eight years ago. It was Sept. 20, 2001. The nation was in agony, and George W. Bush stood before a joint session of Congress, telling Americans where to direct their rage. "Americans are asking, 'Who attacked our country?'" Bush declared early in his remarks. "The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely ...

Like his predecessor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Governor Jerry Brown is struggling to keep the state afloat in an ocean of red ink. Facing a $26 billion deficit, he warns of "draconian" cuts to education and public safety if the state cannot raise revenue and has to adopt an all-cuts budget. Brown, 72, a Democrat famous for austerity and Buddhist simplicity, would prefer not to go there — but his attempts to court enough Republican support to ...

With Windows 7, Microsoft is going back to basics. It's true of the product, which is as notable for its everyday performance as any one new feature. It's also true of how Microsoft plans to launch the new operating system on Thursday. Rather than go for flash, the company is focused on making sure that all of its partners are ready to sell lots of PCs and copies of Windows 7. "We're living in a different world today," Microsoft Vice ...

The lower house of Argentina's Congress has approved a controversial media law that spells out media ownership rules and calls for the creation of a regulatory agency. The measure passed Thursday by a vote of 147 to 4, but the wide margin does not reflect the heated debate over it. Lawmakers opposed to the measure protested by walking out of the chamber and not voting. Some even threatened to turn to the courts to challenge the legitimacy of the vote. ...

The Dalai Lama left for Taiwan on Sunday for a trip that will include praying for victims of Typhoon Morakot. The Tibetan spiritual leader boarded a plane in New Delhi, India, early Sunday morning ET. He is expected to return to India on September 4. Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said last week that he approved the Dalai Lama's visit to the typhoon-battered island. Typhoon Morakot slammed into Taiwan on August 8 and unleashed floods, mudslides and ...

Taiwan said Thursday that it will allow a visit by the Dalai Lama to pray for the victims of the typhoon-battered island. Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou made the announcement Thursday while visiting a school in the southern part of the island, a government spokesman said. Typhoon Morakot slammed into Taiwan on August 8 and unleashed floods, mudslides and misery. More than 400 people were killed. The Tibetan spiritual leader's visit could anger China, which accuses him of advocating for an ...

President Barack Obama on Thursday embarks on a trip to Latin America, where the leader of the world's lone superpower said he seeks to engage in talks with the region's leaders as equals. "Times have changed," President Barack Obama told CNN en Español on Wednesday. Referring to his planned meeting in Trinidad and Tobago with Brazilian President Lula, he said, "My relationship with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is one of two leaders who both have big countries, that ...

Former Argentine President Raul Alfonsin, who led Argentina from military to civilian rule, has died, his doctor said Tuesday. He was 82. Dr. Alberto Sadler announced Alfonsin's death on government television. He died of lung cancer, which was diagnosed in 2007. "He fought for all Argentines," said Mario Losada, an ex-senator with Alfonsin's party, the Radical Party. "He was an authentic and absolute democrat. He paid a cost in preserving the institution, a very high cost ... Alfonsin, unfortunately, died ...

A new finance minister was appointed in Japan on Tuesday, immediately after his predecessor resigned following complaints of his erratic behavior. Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa submitted his resignation Tuesday, three days after he appeared intoxicated at a Group of Seven gathering in Italy. Japan's prime minister Taro Aso quickly appointed Kaoru Yosano, the economics minister, to replace Nakagawa. Nakagawa's resignation had followed an announcement by Japan's main opposition party that it would introduce a motion to censure him. He ...