Seattle

Starbucks is betting on big returns as it seeks to lure an expanding legion of coffee lovers in India -- primarily a tea-drinking nation where lifestyle changes have spawned a booming market for cafes.

The moody reflections of an existentialist French-speaking feline has taken top honors at an al fresco festival in Minnesota dedicated to cat videos from around the world.

An armed man who allegedly made a death threat against US President Barack Obama in an expletive-filled email was charged over the incident, court papers showed.

Authorities declared a state of emergency in northern California, ravaged by fires at a time when several other western US states are also fighting flames.

Former Seattle City Councilwoman Cheryl Chow came out gay as she faces terminal brain cancer. Former Seattle City Councilwoman Cheryl Chow came out gay as she faces terminal brain cancer. ?Parents and kids, don't be afraid of saying that you're gay,? she told King 5 News. ?I was afraid for over 60 years and those 60 years were wasted.? Chow, 66, and her partner of 10 years, Sarah Morningstar, are raising 4-year-old Liliana. She said she kept her sexual orientation a secret because she feared the reaction of the Chinese community and her mother, King County Councilwoman Ruby Chow. After coaching the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill team for nearly 50 years, Chow last month came out to them. ?I wanted them to feel good about themselves and I wanted them to have a role model that wasn't afraid to say anymore, 'I'm gay and that's okay,'? Chow said. ?If I can save one child from feeling bad or even committing suicide because they felt terrible because they were gay, then I would have s

An armed man was arrested in the western United States on Tuesday for allegedly sending an email that threatened President Barack Obama, a justice official told AFP.

Amazon.com on Friday announced that "The Hunger Games" trilogy has replaced the "Harry Potter" saga as the online retail giant's best-selling series of books.

Microsoft co-founder turned global philanthropist Bill Gates on Tuesday launched a search for a new toilet better suited to developing countries.

Microsoft co-founder turned global philanthropist Bill Gates on Tuesday launched a search for a new toilet better suited to developing countries.

American nuns in open conflict with the Vatican over claims they have "radical feminist" views and have strayed too far from Catholic doctrine offered Friday to talk with top Church leaders.

Threatened shark species are being used to make shark fin soup, a delicacy in Chinese cuisine, in several US cities, according to an unprecedented study based on DNA testing.

Starbucks is pouring $25 million into electronic payments start-up Square in a partnership that expands mobile payment options at the coffee chain, the companies announced Wednesday.

Marvin Hamlisch, the composer behind a string of Broadway and Hollywood hits including "A Chorus Line," "The Way We Were" and "The Sting," has died, his publicist said Tuesday. He was 68.

Online retail colossus Amazon on Tuesday launched its first online social game in a challenge to Zynga.

Cancer-busting chemotherapy can cause damage to healthy cells which triggers them to secrete a protein that sustains tumour growth and resistance to further treatment, a study said Sunday.

Gay marriage supporters in Washington state on Friday released their first Referendum 74 ad, which stars GOPer Cheryl Pflug. Gay marriage supporters in Washington state on Friday released their first Referendum 74 ad with Republican Senator Cheryl Pflug as its star. Pflug was one of two senators who spoke out in support of marriage equality as the state Senate debated ? and ultimately approved ? a gay marriage bill in January. The other Republican was Senator Steve Litzow. Referendum 74 will ask voters in November to either uphold or overturn the marriage law. ?I know a number of gay and lesbian couples that have been together for 40 years,? Pflug says in the 30-second spot. ?I saw in these couples love, commitment, a sharing of a life together ? everything that makes for a good marriage.? ?As a Republican, I believe in freedom. And that includes the freedom to marry the person you love,? she adds. (The video is embedded in the right panel of this page. Visit our video library for more

US scientists have been able to help blind mice see again by injecting a chemical that makes them sensitive to light, according to a study released on Wednesday.

The only person believed to have been cured of HIV infection through a bone marrow transplant says he feels wonderful and is launching a new foundation to boost research toward a cure.

The only person believed to have been cured of HIV infection through a bone marrow transplant said Tuesday he feels wonderful and is launching a new foundation to boost research toward a cure.

A Canadian company said Thursday it brokered the sale of the ferry that sank off the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar killing at least 62 people -- and that the ship was seaworthy at the time of sale.