Top headlines:
German polar bear Flocke gets company: Nuremberg's celebrity polar bear cub, Flocke, has a new friend: a Russian bear. ›14:25
Wallet-friendly getaways to Puerto Rico: This winter, travelers who book a four-night air-inclusive package to the island will save $200 off regular rates. ›01:36 3 Jan, Sat
Princess Mia and Meg Cabot are moving on: With a regal air kiss for Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldi, it's time for girl fans of the smash-selling "Princess Diaries" to bid adieu. But author Meg Cabot isn't going anywhere. ›15:01 6 Jan, Tue
Video: Obama's CIA pick signals dramatic shift: Jan. 6: Monday's surprise announcement that President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta to lead the CIA points to a major change in direction for U.S. intelligence policy. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.(Nightly News) ›23:59 6 Jan, Tue
LG shows off `Dick Tracy' wristwatch phone: It looks like Dick Tracy may finally get his wristwatch cell phone, the one that does video calls. ›19:30
The games that make seeking so satisfying: "Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst" is a game so absorbing that it will leave you staring unblinkingly at your computer screen until your eyeballs shrivel into raisins and begin rattling around in your skull. ›10:59 6 Jan, Tue
Shape up in '09 with a month of fitness tips: If you've resolved to give yourself a tune-up in 2009 or more like a full-body makeover we've got lots of expert advice to help you reach your get-fit goals. ›16:05 1 Jan, Thu
Headphones play MP3s without a player: A new model of headphones can play MP3s themselves, without connecting to a separate device. ›21:27
Coffee may protect against oral cancers: New research indicates that drinking coffee lowers the risk of developing cancer of the oral cavity or throat. ›19:55 6 Jan, Tue
At 19, college swimmer faces mortality: In Danny Thrall's heart, he was a swimmer. But his heart betrayed him. ›20:22 4 Jan, Sun
Obama designer Pinto sticking to Chicago: Despite being a Michelle Obama fashion favorite, Maria Pinto stresses that her clothes are for real women, not just ingenues who are here today and gone tomorrow. This may be why the Chicago-based designer hasn't campaigned to become a household name. ›20:46 5 Jan, Mon
4 Day Diet: Tame temptations, lose weight: In his latest book, "The 4 Day Diet," Dr. Ian K. Smith, best known as the diet expert on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club," has designed a diet that is done in four-day modules. In this excerpt, he writes about how to face your food desires and win. ›16:58
3rd Cyprus baby dies of Legionnaires disease: Officials say a third baby has died from an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease at a private clinic in the Cypriot capital. ›19:23
Melamine found in more U.S. infant formula: The FDA says the industrial chemical melamine and a byproduct cyanuric acid have now been detected in four of 89 containers of infant formula made in the United States. ›20:37
Onboard innovators: In pursuit of pain-free flying: While most of us tend to sigh and suffer our frustrating flying moments silently, a few intrepid travelers have managed to turn those moments into marketable products. ›16:29 6 Jan, Tue
Nine eliminations on 'The Biggest Loser': The season 7 premiere of The Biggest Loser had a lot of milestones the heaviest team to compete on the show, the heaviest man and the heaviest woman, as well as the oldest contestants. The format also changed: With the exception of two couples, every team had to send a member home. ›14:01
WHO confirms 3 Ebola deaths in Congo: The World Health Organization confirmed the Ebola virus had killed three people in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo and said more deaths were being investigated. ›23:02 2 Jan, Fri
China issues bird flu alert after woman dies: China issued a bird flu alert on Wednesday after a woman died of the virus, the first such death in the country in almost a year. ›15:28
Mars trip proposed for space shuttles: The co-founder of a rocket launch firm has proposed an audacious plan to send astronauts on a one-way trek to Mars using a pair of tethered U.S. space shuttles that would parachute to the Martian surface. ›01:33
Top dog and cat names of 2008: Move over, Fido and Fluffy. There's a new batch of pet names in town: "people" names! See which monikers were paws-down most popular and most unusual, too (Fetch, Meatwad!). ›17:17
Researchers make car parts out of coconuts: A team at Baylor University has made trunk liners, floorboards and car door interior covers using fibers from the outer husks of coconuts, replacing the synthetic polyester fibers typically used in composite materials. ›23:59 6 Jan, Tue
Earth life headed for Mars moon: Russia is pushing forward on a robotic mission to Mars dubbed Phobos-Grunt now seemingly on a countdown clock that ticks away for an October launch. ›17:00
Officials fear rise in monoxide poisonings: Power outages spurred by the combination of bad weather and utility shutoffs in a bad economy could boost cases of carbon monoxide poisonings this year, health officials fear. ›14:05 6 Jan, Tue
Video: Gaza hospitals overwhelmed: Jan. 6: Doctors at Shifa, Gaza's under-equipped main hospital, are straining to keep up with the onslaught of mostly civilian victims. NBC's Martin Fletcher reports.(Nightly News) ›23:54 6 Jan, Tue
