When Josh Tarr started his freshman year at the University of Maryland a few weeks ago, his younger sister found herself without a chauffeur and back on the school bus. And, suddenly, there was no one around to tease her in the cafeteria. “It’s been weird,” Kayla Tarr, 15, said of life at home in Louisiana since her big brother left. “A lot of times my brother would annoy me, but now I kind of miss him annoying me.” Read full article > >

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In college transition, life changes for siblings left behind

Nothing wild to report here: Royal bride-to-be Kate Middleton quietly threw her bachelorette party, or hen party as they’re called in England, a few days ago. The party was put together by her younger sister, Pippa, and it took place at the home of a…

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Kate Middleton Throws Hen Party

The nation’s organ-transplant network is considering giving younger, healthier people preference over older, sicker patients for the best kidneys.

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Under kidney transplant proposal, younger patients would get the best organs

E-readers are going mass market, enticing some members of the younger generation to pick them up for the first time.

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E-Readers Catch Younger Eyes and Go in Backpacks

Jordan Rice, a 13-year-old boy from Australia, died in the Toowoomba flood on Wednesday after instructing rescuers to save his younger brother first. Rice, his mother and 10-year-old brother Blake climbed onto the roof of their car after being caught…

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Boy Hero Dies in Australian Floods

It’s taken longer than we had hoped, but the end result is still the same: Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis have officially signed on to reprise their Lord of the Rings roles for Peter Jackson’s two-part Hobbit prequel. In the first three Lord of the Rings movies, McKellen played the wizard Gandalf, while Serkis voiced the devilishly ring-addicted Gollum. Those actors from the original trilogy who’ve also signed on to reprise their roles include Elijah Wood and Cate Blanchett, with Orlando Bloom also in talks. Additionally, Deadline reports that Christopher Lee is in talks to reprise his role as the evil wizard Saruman, while Ian Holm may also sign back on to play an older version of Bilbo Baggins, while Martin Freeman will be playing the younger version of Bilbo.

An investigation is under way into a house fire which saw a 13-year-old girl rescuing her younger sisters.

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Inquiry after house fire rescues

Burma’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is reunited with her younger son, Kim Aris, in Burma after 10 years apart.

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Suu Kyi reunited with younger son

The eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il says he opposes a dynastic succession that would see his younger half-brother take power.

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Kim eldest son ‘opposes dynasty’

The Art Fund and National Trust have launched a £2.7m campaign to save a painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger.

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Appeal launched to save Brueghel