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Fusing together entries on Fleming’s famous 00-agent and detailed information on cases of espionage, real-life spies, MI5, SIS, CIA, KGB, and others, Historical Dictionary of Ian Fleming’s James Bond asks the question: What proportion of Fleming’s output is authentic, and what comes directly from the his imagination?

In a distant galaxy, a star orbiting a massive central black hole strays too close to the insatiable giant and is torn apart. But before it can be devoured, the star lets out one last scream in a flare of light that slowly echoes across the galaxy. Astronomers on Earth pick up this faint call and use it to map the nucleus of the galaxy from which it emanated. This scenario is no bit of science fiction …quot; a team of astronomers discovered one of these rare and dramatic events while combing through the Sloan Digital Sky Survey last December....

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (news, bio, voting record) crashed his car near the Capitol early Thursday, and a police official said he appeared intoxicated. Kennedy said he had taken sleep medication and a prescription anti-nausea drug that can cause drowsiness. Kennedy, D-R.I., addressed the issue after a spate of news reports. His initial statement said: "I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident."'Later, however, he issued a longer statement saying the attending physician for Congress had prescribed Phenergan on Tuesday to treat Kennedy's gastroenteritis.Kennedy said he returned to his Capitol Hill home on Wednesday evening after a final series of votes...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - An FBI-led investigation concluded that Providence police did not use excessive force against a man who appeared in court badly bruised, bleeding and swollen after he was accused of killing a detective at police headquarters. Esteban Carpio, 26, had blood oozing from the plastic spit shield he was wearing when he appeared in court. His family complained he was a victim of police brutality. Kenneth Kaiser, the agent in charge of the Boston FBI office, said Tuesday that a monthlong review of the department's handling of the case, including interviews with more than a dozen civilian witnesses,...

LONDON (AFP) - The producers of the hugely successful James Bond film franchise have chosen British actor Daniel Craig to take over the role of the suave super-spy, a report said. The 37-year-old has been offered a three-film deal by Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and is expected to sign up formally in the next few weeks, The Sun newspaper reported Wednesday. Craig, a tough-looking character actor who has mixed up appearances in many art-house titles with roles in blockbusters such as "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", just beat fellow Briton Clive Owen for the role, the report said. Craig would be...

At $10,000, this cocktail is bound to leave you feeling more shaken than stirred. The Martini on the Rock is the newest addition to the menu at the Algonquin Hotel. It comes with a single piece of ice - a diamond from the in-house jeweler. "For now, it's just an item on the menu - unless 'she' can convince 'him,'" said Anthony Melchiorri, the hotel's general manager. Not a single glass has been sold, but hotel officials hope the glittering gimmick catches the eye of a would-be bride or groom. "This is a great lobby, where you can hang out...

'You get some gin and get some white raisins — and only white raisins — and soak them in the gin for two weeks. Then eat nine of the raisins a day'...