Megrahi, 60, a former intelligence officer, became an icon of state-sponsored terrorism under the rule of the late Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi. Megrahi repeatedly denied he had a role in the downing of Pan Am 103, which killed 270 people, including 189 Americans, and led to Libya s further isolation as a rogue state.

Abdel Basset Ali Megrahi, convicted in the 1988 bombing of an American airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, died at home in Tripoli on Sunday nearly three years after passions around the case were reawakened when he was freed on compassionate grounds due to what was reported as advanced prostate cancer.

The former Libyan intelligence officer was the only person ever convicted in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing that killed 270.

Abdel Basset Ali Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence officer who was the only person ever convicted in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, died at home in Tripoli Sunday, nearly three years after he was released from a Scottish prison to the outrage of the relatives of the attack's 270 victims. He was 60.

An earthquake early Sunday in north-central Italy killed six people, injured dozens and sent parts of historic castles, clock towers and churches tumbling down.

No longer the 9-to-5 area it once was, the city this week hosts NBA and NHL playoffs while small bars and eateries serve new residents who have poured into the community.

For a downtown once famous for emptying out with the evening commute, the raucous scene around Staples Center and L.A. Live as the Lakers, Kings and Clippers compete in playoff games stands as a testament to how much the central city's fortunes have changed.

Tom Fuentes was chairman of the Orange County Republican Party from 1985 to 2004. He helped maintain its powerhouse status and is remembered as 'the godfather of every idealistic person in the party, young and old.'

Tom Fuentes, whose forceful leadership of the Orange County Republican Party confirmed it as an epicenter of GOP fundraising and political clout, has died. He was 63.

A leftist leader's call to nationalize banks has unnerved middle-class Greeks, whose withdrawals are fueling a drain on deposits of about $1 billion a day from an already threatened financial system.

ATHENS — Eva, a well-groomed pensioner, grasps her creamy white purse, glancing impatiently at her gold Cartier watch as she waits for the manager of an Athens bank. She is offered tea, cookies and orange juice, none of which the state bank usually provides, and none of which Eva accepts.

His case caused a diplomatic standoff and further complicated U.S.-China relations.

NEW YORK — After years of detention and a bold escape to the U.S. Embassyin Beijing, blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng arrived in the United States, a bittersweet moment in a harrowing journey that had touched off a diplomatic crisis and poses continued challenges for U.S.-Chinese relations.

Eager to host Amazon warehouses and receive a cut of the tax on sales to customers statewide, two California cities are offering Amazon most of the tax money they stand to gain.

PATTERSON, Calif. —Amazon.com Inc.for years has fought government efforts to tax e-commerce. Now it's poised to pocket millions of dollars in sales taxes paid by California customers.

A rare annular solar eclipse will be visible from California on Sunday. From Los Angeles, the moon will block enough of the sun to leave a crescent; viewers farther north will see a fiery ring.

A rare "ring" solar eclipse is coming to California on Sunday evening — the first of its kind to be visible from the continental United States since 1994.

A famous name can boost buyer interest in a home, but it doesn't necessarily pump up the price.

Their internationally recognized names sell music and movie tickets. They promote perfumes and presidents. But when it comes to selling their own houses, celebrities often find that their cachet doesn't pull in the cash.

The Kentucky Derby winner shows great closing speed again in overtaking the front-runner in the final 100 yards to move within one victory over the Triple Crown.

BALTIMORE -- All along, they had been so relaxed.

A recent gathering of religious leaders in Ohio indicates that churches don't necessarily march in lock step with the Republican Party. But certain social issues could still make it a tough sell for the president.

CINCINNATI — The Rev. Chris Beard is a theological conservative, make no mistake about it. He believes the Bible is the word of God. He believes the Holy Spirit speaks to him directly. He believes, as an article of faith, that abortion and same-sex marriage are wrong.

WASHINGTON — After years of detention and a bold escape to the U.S. Embassyin Beijing, blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng arrived in the United States, a bittersweet moment in a harrowing journey that had touched off a diplomatic crisis and poses continued challenges for U.S.-Chinese relations.

San Antonio uses a 24-0 run in the third quarter to take control of game during a 96-86 victory that puts the Clippers on the brink of elimination.

No team in NBA history has come back to win a playoff series after losing the first three games. That’s exactly the position the Clippers find themselves in now.

President Obama and leaders of the world’s other leading economies Saturday embraced a policy of growth over austerity in Europe as they met on the cloistered grounds of Camp David to talk about fending off a spread of the Eurozone crisis.

The service, held on a beautiful spring morning, was private, but the list of celebrities attending was a testament to both Kennedy star power, and Mary's knack for friendship.

Family and friends gathered Saturday at a modest stone church in a hamlet north of New York City for the funeral of Mary Richardson Kennedy, the latest member of that charmed and cursed family to fall victim to tragedy and inner demons.

On the day three men were charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism at President Obama's campaign headquarters and other Chicago-area sites, protests on the first day of the NATO summit on Saturday have been vigorous and noisy but largely peaceful.

Tawdry allegations about John Travolta became a sensation after they appeared in a lawsuit. But the accusers soon withdrew the suit, leaving questions about their attorney and how the matter got so much publicity. The actor's attorney says the allegations are baseless.

It was billed as a "shocking tell-all" and a "world exclusive," but the National Enquirer's March 26 cover story landed with a thud. TMZ, Page Six and other major players in celebrity gossip ignored the article in which a masseur claimed John Travolta offered money for sex.

Solar eclipse excitement is building, but one astronomer is trying to warn the masses: Don't look up into the sky with the naked eye during Sunday's solar eclipse. To do so is to risk serious eye injury and even blindness, he said.

At this weekend's NATO summit in Chicago, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will discuss what he considers Pakistan's price-gouging. He also aims to find agreement among allies on the Afghanistan war.

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta heads to this weekend's NATO summit prepared to confront Pakistan over what he considers price-gouging for transport of supplies to Afghanistan and hoping for a "consensus" among allies over the war effort.

His status as a world leader, rather than the slow economic recovery, will be in the spotlight.

WASHINGTON — Whatever else they achieve, back-to-back summits of world leaders this weekend hosted by President Obama will showcase the perks of incumbency. An American president with sagging approval ratings on the top campaign issue — the anemic economic recovery — will stand in the spotlight as a seasoned world leader.

The chamber passes the annual spending bill 200 to 120, including the provision that would ban same-sex ceremonies at military chapels.

WASHINGTON — Wading into the gay marriage debate, the Republican-led House tacked a provision banning same-sex marriages at military chapels onto a sweeping defense bill that is now headed to the Senate.

The Afghan president, who hasn't been shy about criticizing the West, is turning on the charm as the mission winds down and long-term aid is in question.

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan President Hamid Karzai, perhaps best known in the West for periodic well-aimed jabs at his NATO allies, is embarking on a determined charm offensive as he faces the prospect of seeing troops and, perhaps even more crucially, dollars slip away from his country.

SpaceX's historic launch to the International Space Station was aborted in the pre-dawn hours at Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Saturday when computers detected a problem with one of the rocket's nine engines and automatically shut down.

A new private rocket is stuck on the ground after an aborted launch.

Congressmen Howard Berman and Brad Sherman are vastly different men, with distinct political styles, social circles and interests. The challenge for Valley residents heading to the polls on June 5 is deciding which politician to send back to Washington, D.C.

More than one-fourth of Los Angeles Unified's continuation high schools may be shuttered next year as a cost-cutting move, shrinking a program seen as a last resort for students at risk of dropping out.

At about 2,000 feet in the air, with nothing but sailcloth and a few lightweight metal rods above his head, Andy Beem felt right at home. Beem was flying in Saturday's Spring Air Festival put on by the Sylmar Hang Gliding Association. | Video

ROME - A bomb exploded outside an Italian high school named after the wife of an assassinated anti-Mafia prosecutor, killing one student and wounding at least seven others, officials said.

SANTA ANA - The number of jail beds in Riverside County east of Los Angeles was finally catching up with the region's rapid growth when state lawmakers passed sweeping legislation that assigned thousands of inmates who would have gone to prison to their local lockups instead.

CAMP DAVID, Md. - Confronting an economic crisis that threatens them all, President Barack Obama and leaders of other world powers on Saturday declared that their governments must both spark growth and cut the debt that has crippled the European continent and put investors worldwide on edge.

The world really loves pictures of cats. I thought it was just us - "us" being Americans - but after Facebook's IPO flushed out billions of investor dollars from every couch cushion on Earth, it's obvious the whole world is into cats.

Phil Jaber sees the marriage of Philz Coffee and social networking juggernaut Facebook as a match made in heaven. And it’s hard to deny that the two Silicon Valley companies, with their fiercely loyal customers, young CEOs and emphasis on socializing, have every reason to friend each other.

The Amgen Tour of California cycling race was delayed by 30 minutes today as firefighters and search and rescue climbers rappelled down a cliff to examine a stolen car that had dumped over the side of Glendora Ridge Road today.

THEY want to call it hunting, but it's not. It's nothing more than animal torment and killing. I'm referring to "hounding," which is the use of dogs to chase down prey animals, cornering them or sending them up trees where they can be shot at point-blank range.

Each week, the Friendly Fire bloggers take on the hot topics at http://www.inside socal.com/friendlyfire. Below are excerpts from the conversation last week.

THERE are two ways to defend gay marriage. Argument A is empathy: One is influenced by gay friends in committed relationships yearning for the fulfillment and acceptance that marriage conveys upon heterosexuals.

In 2010, Republicans campaigned by asking where are the jobs, and were successful in hoodwinking an angry public by shifting the blame to President Obama and not their obstructionism.

MITT Romney will come to California for next month's Republican presidential primary with the nomination virtually clinched, but his character in doubt.

SHEEP and chickens. That's what America's greatest corporations have become. Whether it's in California or nationally, it's the same sad story.

After the success of its 2010 debut, "Crazy for You," L.A.'s Best Coast - songwriter/vocalist Bethany Cosentino and partner Bobb Bruno - enlisted ace producer Jon Brion for "The Only Place."

Jan Esquith is new to mah-jongg but not unfamiliar with the Chinese game of chance that in its American form is similar to the card game gin rummy.

NICE, France -- Fair warning: Spend all the hours you want gazing over the red-tiled roofs of Old Nice, but it's highly unlikely a Cary Grant look-alike will come scrambling over the chimney pots like the scene in "To Catch a Thief," which was set on the French Riviera.

Restrooms. No small thing when you're looking for one. So it's significant that as part of its green initiative, the 18,000-seat Hollywood Bowl has upgraded the technology and traffic flow of its restrooms.

Norah Jones' "Little Broken Hearts" is being described as a breakup album. The record's 12 songs are tinged with an edgy darkness and unease - there is even talk of murder - things not associated with the pop star.

A 28-year-old motorcycle rider who crashed into the back of a Jeep Wrangler in Chatsworth died early today.

Two men -- one from Palmdale, the other from Los Angeles -- were arrested today in connection with the fatal shootings of two USC graduate students from China.

It was their first reunion in weeks and Phoenix and Natalia played as puppies do, wrestling and chasing each other, and occasionally licking the faces of the people gathered around them. | Photos | Video

You could see it in students' hands, in the twist of their kitchen knives. Or in their neatly laid-out pots and pans. Or panache in their dash of salt. Confidence.

PALMDALE -- Compared to the grueling 115.7 mile route in store Friday for racers in the Amgen Tour of California, the 30-mile bike ride that cycling enthusiast Ray Crum had just completed seemed leisurely. | More photos