BEIJING – A Chinese city of 3.8 million people closed schools and was trucking in drinking water Wednesday after shutting down its water system following a chemical plant explosion that officials said polluted a nearby river with toxic benzene. The announcement of the shutdown in Harbin in China’s frigid northeast …

WASHINGTON – Tai Shan, the giant panda cub, showed Tuesday that he is a quick study, prancing about in his den and otherwise mugging for hordes of camera crews in this city that’s a veritable fishbowl for celebrities. More than 100 reporters and camera crews from around the world got …

NEW YORK – AOL founder Steve Case (search) on Monday said he has resigned from the board of Time Warner Inc. (TWX), ending a storied chapter in the history of the world’s largest media company. Case, who stepped down as chairman in 2003, was one of the original architects of …

Children with neurological or neuromuscular diseases may benefit by getting a flu vaccine, new research shows. The U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends annual flu shots for kids who are at least 6 months old and have certain risk factors including (but not limited to) asthma, cardiac disease, …

WASHINGTON – President Bush’s directive banning the torture of terror suspects applies to all prisoners — even if held in a secret prison reportedly set up by the CIA (search) for its most important Al Qaeda captives, a senior administration official said Wednesday. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley (search) would …

People magazine has named its annual “sexiest man alive” and, thankfully, Jennifer Aniston didn’t scoop this one up too. Matthew McConaughey dons the cover of People’s “sexiest” issue, on newsstands Friday. The issue follows GQ’s choice of Jennifer Aniston (as well as Vince Vaughn and 50 Cent) as “Man of …

Join host Brit Hume and FOX’s Team Washington weekdays at 6 p.m. ET for “Special Report” — Find out what’s happening inside the Beltway and on the world stage. • President Bush carried his battle over the build-up to the war in Iraq across the Pacific Thursday, blasting Democrats once …

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Imagine last year’s tsunami, last month’s earthquake in Pakistan, and Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma all rolled into one — and then some. If nations can’t handle those calamities, what’s going to happen when an asteroid collides with Earth? In 30 years, there is a 1-in-5,500 …

AMMAN, Jordan – American forces last year detained and later released an Iraqi with a name that matched one of three homicide bombers who struck Amman hotels, killing 57 people, the U.S. military said Monday. The announcement came a day after the televised confession of an Iraqi woman — accused …

CHICAGO – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) on Thursday said October sales rose 4.3 percent at U.S. stores open at least a year and forecast similar growth for November, the start of the vital holiday shopping season. Wal-Mart (search), the world’s biggest retailer, said total sales rose 10.5 percent to $23.26 …