JEDI POLITICS

Mark Hamill: Romney looks presidential, ‘but I cannot believe a word he says’

Mark Hamill screenshot

Actor Mark Hamill, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars series, on Wednesday explained how he had suddenly found himself pulled into the political arena.

NO MORE WAR

Rand rebukes Romney over ‘throwing more money at the military’

Rand Paul screenshot

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky on Wednesday criticized Mitt Romney’s push for aggressive actions in the Middle East.

WORKERS UNITE

Walmart worker strikes go viral, hitting 28 stores in 12 states

Walmart CEO Mike Duke. Photo: Flickr user Walmart Stores, creative commons licensed.

Walmart workers who recently went on strike in Illinois and California appear to have inspired some of their fellow big box employees, and now it looks like the movement is going viral.

NO RESPECT

Killed former SEAL used in stump speech thought Romney was ‘pathetic’

Mitt Romney in Iowa

The friend of a former Navy SEAL who was recently killed during attacks in Libya says that his friend “would definitely not approve” of Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney invoking his name to score political points.

CHRIST, WHAT AN ASSHOLE

Terry Jones brings gun to high school to protest ‘Muslim gangs’

Pastor Terry Jones via AFP

The controversial Florida preacher who sparked outraged in the Islamic world when he burned Qurans brought a gun to a high school in Michigan on Wednesday as a part of protest against so-called “Muslim gangs.”

BENGHAZI

Kucinich: Stop overthrowing nations to end attacks

Kucinich screenshot

At a House hearing regarding security failures in Benghazi, Rep. Dennis Kucinnich (D-OH) on Wednesday railed against U.S. military intervention in Libya and around the world.

Science

China plans to collect Mars samples by 2030

China is planning to collect samples from the surface of Mars by 2030, according to…

Fossil reveals complex brains evolved earlier than previously thought

A 520-million-year-old, three-inch (7.6-centimetre) fossil has yielded evidence that complex brains evolved much earlier than…

NASA: SpaceX supply capsule successfully reached space station

A capsule on a first privately-run resupply mission successfully linked up Wednesday with the International…

Japan stem cell Nobel laureate to get research boost

Japan’s Nobel prize-winning Shinya Yamanaka will likely get up to 30 billion yen ($383 million)…

Tech News

eBay relaunches look to be more mobile and social media friendly

EBay unveiled a new look for its website Wednesday inspired by social networks, giving consumers…

Google launches ‘Cultural Institute’ digitally chronicling the 20th century

Google on Wednesday launched its online “Cultural Institute”, a digital visual archive of landmark 20th…

Media

Rolling stones release new song on greatest hits album

A new song by the Rolling Stones, one of two included in their forthcoming “Grrr!”…

Lady Gaga and Julian Assange meet in London

LONDON — US pop star Lady Gaga has visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at London’s…

World

French first lady threatens to sue over ‘malicious rumors’ in biography

French first lady Valerie Trierweiler plans to sue the authors of the latest book about her because it spreads malicious…

Archaeologists claim to find spot where Julius Caesar was stabbed

Archaeologists said Wednesday they believe they have found the exact spot in Rome where Julius Caesar was stabbed to death…

France sets marriage equality draft law date

France on Wednesday named October 31 as the date when a draft law authorising gay marriage will be approved by…

Australian restaurant agrees to remove urinals shaped like women’s mouths

A sumptuous new French restaurant in Sydney said Wednesday it would remove two urinals designed to resemble a woman’s lipsticked…

Brazil Supreme Court gets first black president: official

Joaquim Barbosa, the tough justice overseeing Brazil’s high-profile corruption trial, was officially nominated president of the Supreme Court, the first…

U.S. News

Appeals court reinstates Montana’s campaign finance limits

Less than a day after a lower court struck down a Montana state law that…

U.S. economy grew ‘modestly’ in September: Fed

The US economy grew “modestly” in September despite weak momentum in consumer spending, a Federal…

Anti-doping agency: Armstrong scheme ‘most sophisticated’ ever

The US Anti-Doping Agency said Tuesday it has gathered “overwhelming” evidence that Lance Armstrong and…

Republican official to MSNBC host: Voter suppression accusation is ‘extremely insulting’

Republican National Committee Communications Manager Sean Spicer on Tuesday insisted that MSNBC host Thomas Roberts…

Clinton mocks Romney: ‘Old moderate Mitt’ is back!

Former President Bill Clinton literally jumped up and down on Tuesday while jabbing Republican presidential…

Goldman Sachs ‘in bid to change’ Volcker rule

Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS – news) is seeking changes to the Volcker rule, which keeps…