US News

An Oil Rig Burns, Blanketing the Gulf With Angst

September 2, 2010

An oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico caught fire on Thursday morning, forcing its 13 crew members overboard and sending waves of anxiety along a coast that has just begun to recover from the Deepwater Horizon disaster. By early evening, the workers had been rescued with no serious injuries reported and the fire had been put out. Coast Guard officials said that no oil could be seen on the water near the platform, contradicting an earlier report. In another year, the blaze may not have garnered much attention; it might have been seen as one of the scores of fires and explosions that occur on offshore... [Read the full story]

International

Views Show How North Korea Policy Spread Misery

June 10, 2010

Like many North Koreans, the construction worker lived in penury. His state employer had not paid him for so long that he had forgotten his salary. Indeed, he paid his boss to be listed as a dummy worker so that he could leave his work site. Then he and his wife could scrape out a living selling small bags of detergent on the black market. It hardly seemed that life could get worse. And then, one Saturday afternoon last November, his sister burst into his apartment in Chongjin with shocking news: the North Korean government had decided to drastically devalue the nation’s currency. The family’s... [Read the full story]

Politics

Lincoln Bucks Tide; Business Leaders Win in California

June 9, 2010

Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas survived a tough challenge from her party’s left wing on Tuesday to capture the Democratic nomination in a runoff primary election, resisting the anti-incumbent wave that has defined the midterm election year. Mrs. Lincoln withstood a multi-million-dollar campaign against her from organized labor, environmental groups and liberal advocacy organizations from outside Arkansas as she prevailed over Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. She faces a difficult contest in the fall, but her victory challenges the suggestion that voters are poised to oust all officeholders. “We... [Read the full story]

Science + Technology

On Newest iPhone, Another Camera

June 9, 2010

Seeking to fend off intensifying competition from Google and others in the smartphone business, Apple introduced a new version of the iPhone on Monday that includes a front-facing camera for video chats. The iPhone 4 is faster and thinner than previous models, with a crisper display and a more angular look. It has a 5-megapixel camera and can shoot and edit high-definition video. “This is our new baby,” said Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, as he presented the phone during the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference here. “I hope you love it as much as we do.” Analysts... [Read the full story]

Entertainment

U2 Postpones Tour as Bono Recovers From Surgery

May 25, 2010

An injury sustained by the U2 frontman Bono has forced the group to postpone its American tour and cancel its appearance at a major British rock festival while he recovers from emergency surgery on his back, Reuters reported. On Friday the band announced that it would reschedule the North American opening date of its “360°’’ tour in Salt Lake City on June 3 after Bono was injured during a rehearsal and underwent surgery on his back in Munich. The tour has already grossed $109 million since it started last year and has been predicted to bring in the largest gate ever. On Tuesday U2 said... [Read the full story]

Sports

Blackhawks Win First Stanley Cup in 49 Years

June 10, 2010

A 49-year-old Stanley Cup drought ended in a flood of anxiety. Patrick Kane, the 21-year-old winger, scored 4 minutes 6 seconds into overtime Wednesday, lifting the Chicago Blackhawks over the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-3, and giving Chicago its first Cup since 1961. The Blackhawks had come up empty in five finals since their last Cup victory until Kane scored his third goal of the series. It came suddenly on a shot from the bottom of the right circle that whizzed under the stick and pads of Flyers goalie Michael Leighton. Many in the crowd at the Wachovia Center did not know that a goal had been... [Read the full story]

International

Views Show How North Korea Policy Spread Misery

Afghanistan Strategy Shifts to Focus on Civilian Effort

The prospect of a robust military push in Kandahar Province, which had been widely expected to begin this month, has evolved into a strategy that puts civilian reconstruction efforts first and relegates military action to a supportive role. The strategy, Afghan, American and NATO civilian and military officials said in interviews, was adopted because... Read more of this article

Israel Holds Hundreds Seized During Raid on Flotilla

A day after Israeli commandos raided an aid flotilla seeking to breach the blockade of Gaza, Israel held more than 600 activists seized aboard the convoy on Tuesday as news reports said activists may be planning a fresh attempt to ferry supplies to the Hamas-run enclave. As international pressure mounted for Israel to end its blockade, Egypt’s president... Read more of this article

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