Facebook announced a pretty big purchase on Tuesday: The social media giant said it was acquiring Oculus VR, a company that makes virtual reality goggles, for $2 billion.
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Westboro Baptist Church Founder Fred Phelps Sr. Dies
The Rev. Fred Phelps Sr., whose tiny Westboro Baptist Church has protested outside the funerals of fallen soldiers and celebrities to spread its views about homosexuality and abortion, has died, according to news reports. He was 84.
China To Boost Defense Spending Amid Regional Tensions
China said Wednesday that it plans to increase defense outlays by more than 12 percent, to nearly $132 billion, this year in the face of what a top military official described as increasingly severe security challenges for Beijing.
Before Northeast Thaws, Thundersnow Will Roll Through
“Temperatures are expected to warm to above average levels for late February from the Central Plains to the East Coast,” the National Weather Service says.
Copenhagen Zoo’s Scientific Director Defends Killing Giraffe
The Copenhagen Zoo has faced worldwide criticism over its decision to euthanize a healthy two-year-old giraffe known as Marius.
At Least 14 Dead In Eruption Of Indonesian Volcano
An Indonesian volcano that had been rumbling for months finally unleashed a deadly cloud of poisonous gas and gray ash, killing at least 14 people only a day after authorities had allowed thousands of evacuated villagers to return to their homes.
In Seattle, No Simple Answers For A Stalled Tunneling Machine
Ever wonder what happened with Bertha — the world’s biggest tunneling machine, stuck under Seattle?
At Least 3 People Killed In 40-Vehicle Pileup In Indiana
More than 40 vehicles, many of them semitrailers, were involved in a massive pileup on a slippery stretch of Interstate 94 in northwestern Indiana that killed at least three people and injured 23 others.
Permit To Hunt And Kill One Black Rhino Sold For $350,000
The Dallas Safari Club’s controversial auction of a permit to hunt one black rhino in Namibia raised $350,000 over the weekend, the club confirms on its Facebook page.
New Year’s Eve: Dubai Puts On A Record-Setting Fireworks Show
Organizers of what is expected to be certified as the world’s largest fireworks display ever put on a show in Dubai that was seen by thousands of people Tuesday, as viewers turned out to celebrate the new year and watch the spectacle. The show was also live-streamed on YouTube and on Dubai Media’s website.