— Obama decries waste, fraud in gov't health system (AP)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 18:07)

AP - President Barack Obama denounced waste, inefficiency and downright fraud in the government's health care system on Wednesday as he sought to rally public support for his revamped overhaul plan. "Improper payments cost taxpayers almost $100 billion last year alone," Obama said at a rally in this St. Louis suburb.

— Police: Burglar uses church equipment to view porn (AP)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 18:04)

AP - Second-degree burglary charges have been filed against an Ames man who broke into a church where he allegedly used the institution's electronic equipment to watch pornography. Police allege the 55-year-old man broke into the First Christian Church on Thursday. After gathering items from around the building, he is believed to have gone to the basement to spend the night.

— Senate passes jobless aid, business tax breaks (AP)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:57)

AP - The Senate voted Wednesday to extend key pieces of last year's economic stimulus measure, including help for the jobless and money to help financially strapped states pay for health care for the poor.

— Biden scolds Israel over settlement plan (Reuters)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:50)

Reuters - Vice President Joe Biden publicly scolded Israel on Wednesday over a Jewish settlement plan, saying it was undermining peace efforts after Palestinians agreed to U.S.-mediated talks.

— Sebelius piles pressure on insurers (Reuters)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:48)

Reuters - Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius ratcheted up the pressure on health insurance companies on Wednesday, urging them to forgo short-term profits to make coverage more affordable and to stop fighting the Obama administration's reform effort.

— Pa. suspect: Caretaker by day, 'Jihad Jane' online (AP)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:46)

— NY governor in hot water, 2nd-in-command steps up (Reuters)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:44)

Reuters - With Governor David Paterson enveloped in scandal, New York's lieutenant governor is leading the notoriously difficult budget process and freeing up his boss to fight for his political life, experts say.

— Israel-U.S. relations tense up as Biden visits (AP)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:20)

AP - An open diplomatic row during the visit of Vice...

— Garciaparra rejoins Red Sox for day, then retires (AP)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:05)

AP - Nomar Garciaparra rejoined the Red Sox for one day and then retired, ending a 14-year career in which he won two batting...

— Church abuse scandal reaches pope's brother (AP)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:02)

— Female WWII aviators honored with gold medal (AP)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:02)

AP - They flew planes during World War II but weren't considered "real" military pilots. No flags were draped over their coffins when they died on duty. And when their service ended, they had to pay...

— 'Lost Boys' actor Corey Haim dead in Calif. at 38 (AP)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:02)

AP - Corey Haim, a 1980s teen heartthrob whose career was blighted by drug abuse, has died. He was 38. Haim died early Wednesday at Providence St....

— Swedish artist has no regrets over prophet drawing (AP)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 16:59)

AP - The point of a caricature depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a dog was to show that artistic freedom allows mockery of all religions, including the most sacred symbols of Islam,...

— U.S. says hikers detained in Iran call families (Reuters)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:26)

Reuters - Three American detained in Iran last year and accused...

— Gunmen storm US charity in Pakistan killing six aid workers (AFP)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 14:47)

AFP - Militants armed with guns and grenades stormed the offices of a US-based Christian charity in Pakistan on Wednesday, killing six aid workers in an attack blamed on Islamist rebels.

— Another runaway Toyota Prius reported (Reuters)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 14:46)

Reuters - Federal regulators said they were looking into a report of another runaway Toyota Prius, this one in Westchester County, New York, where police said a woman pulling out of a driveway zoomed across a busy street and into a stone wall.

— Biden condemns Israel settlement move at Palestinian talks (AFP)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 14:39)

AFP - US Vice President Joe Biden told Palestinian leaders on Wednesday that Washington will hold accountable any side that hurts peace prospects, pointedly citing Israel's settlement expansion plans.

— Iraq PM said to be ahead on eve of vote results (Reuters)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 12:56)

Reuters - Initial results from Iraq's national election are likely to be released by Thursday, Iraqi and U.N. officials said on Wednesday, as further signs emerged of a strong showing for Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

— Pelosi faces biggest test on healthcare vote (Reuters)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 12:13)

Reuters - The leader of the House of Representatives -- a persuasive arm twister and deal maker -- faces her toughest challenge yet: getting 216 votes to pass final legislation revamping the U.S. healthcare system.

— Brown says UK to maintain AAA credit rating (Reuters)

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 09:25)

Reuters - Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday he believed Britain would maintain its coveted top credit rating and announced a pay freeze for senior civil servants and military officers to help tame a record deficit.

— Biden scolds Israel over settlement plan

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:50)

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Vice President Joe Biden publicly scolded Israel on Wednesday over a Jewish settlement plan, saying it was undermining peace efforts after Palestinians agreed to U.S.-mediated talks.

— Sebelius piles pressure on insurers

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:48)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius ratcheted up the pressure on health insurance companies on Wednesday, urging them to forgo short-term profits to make coverage more affordable and to stop fighting the Obama administration's reform effort.

— NY governor in hot water, 2nd-in-command steps up

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:44)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With Governor David Paterson enveloped in scandal, New York's lieutenant governor is leading the notoriously difficult budget process and freeing up his boss to fight for his political life, experts say.

— U.S. says hikers detained in Iran call families

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:26)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three American detained in Iran last year and accused of spying have been allowed to telephone their families, although formal consular access has not been granted, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.

— Another runaway Toyota Prius reported

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 14:46)

DETROIT (Reuters) - Federal regulators said they were looking into a report of another runaway Toyota Prius, this one in Westchester County, New York, where police said a woman pulling out of a driveway zoomed across a busy street and into a stone wall.

— Iraq PM said to be ahead on eve of vote results

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 12:56)

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Initial results from Iraq's national election are likely to be released by Thursday, Iraqi and U.N. officials said on Wednesday, as further signs emerged of a strong showing for Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

— Pelosi faces biggest test on healthcare vote

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 12:13)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The leader of the House of Representatives -- a persuasive arm twister and deal maker -- faces her toughest challenge yet: getting 216 votes to pass final legislation revamping the U.S. healthcare system.

— "JihadJane" accused of terror plot in Sweden

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 11:24)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania woman has been charged with plotting to kill a Swedish man and trying to recruit fighters via the Internet to commit violent attacks overseas, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday.

— Retaliation fears stalk Nigeria city after clashes

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 10:18)

JOS, Nigeria (Reuters) - Sporadic shooting rang out overnight in the central Nigerian city of Jos and witnesses said at least one person was killed by soldiers enforcing a curfew days after attacks on three nearby Christian villages.

— Brown says UK to maintain AAA credit rating

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 09:25)

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday he believed Britain would maintain its coveted top credit rating and announced a pay freeze for senior civil servants and military officers to help tame a record deficit.

— Kidney donors likely to live just as long, says study

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 13:37)

People who donate one of their kidneys are likely to live just as long as those who keep two, a major investigation found.

— Anonymity needed for Bulger killers, says UK Justice Secretary

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 09:48)

British Justice Secretary Jack Straw today defended the granting of new identities to the killers of James Bulger.

— Russian businessman wins payout over radiation murder libel

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 05:44)

Boris Berezovsky won £150,000 High Court libel damages today over claims on a Russian TV broadcast about the radiation poisoning murder of Alexander Litvinenko.

— Same-sex couples tie the knot in Washington

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 05:41)

At least a dozen couples tied the knot in Washington DC today on the first day same-sex ceremonies were legally allowed in the city.

— Settlements row overshadows Biden West Bank visit

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 05:19)

Israel’s new plan to build 1,600 apartments for Jews in Palestinian-claimed east Jerusalem overshadowed US Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to the West Bank today.

— Armed robbers flee after boy, 7, alerts police

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 04:43)

A dramatic 911 call reveals a terrified seven-year-old boy begging emergency dispatchers to send police to his California home where three armed robbers were threatening his parents.

— Report: French president and wife 'having affairs'

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:54)

Rumours are sweeping France that both President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife are having affairs.

— Dalai Lama: China 'seeking to annihilate Tibetan Buddhism'

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:46)

The Dalai Lama said today that Chinese authorities rebuffed all his efforts to reach a compromise over Tibet and instead engaged in systematic repression as part of a plan to “annihilate Buddhism” there.

— Food aid 'diverted to corrupt contractors and militants'

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:33)

A UN Security Council report found much of the food aid intended for Somalia’s poor is diverted to corrupt contractors, radical Islamist militants and local UN workers.

— Bank apologises for removing customer's parrot

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:23)

Bank of America apologised to a woman after one of its contractors allegedly trashed her house and took her parrot while wrongly repossessing her home.

— Obama decries waste, fraud in gov't health system

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 18:07)

ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) -- President Barack Obama denounced waste, inefficiency and downright fraud in the government's health care system on Wednesday as he sought to rally public support for his revamped overhaul plan. "Improper payments cost taxpayers almost $100 billion last year alone," Obama said at a rally in this St. Louis suburb....

— Police: Burglar uses church equipment to view porn

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 18:04)

AMES, Iowa (AP) -- Second-degree burglary charges have been filed against an Ames man who broke into a church where he allegedly used the institution's electronic equipment to watch pornography. Police allege the 55-year-old man broke into the First Christian Church on Thursday. After gathering items from around the building, he is believed to have gone to the basement to spend the night....

— Senate passes jobless aid, business tax breaks

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:57)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate voted Wednesday to extend key pieces of last year's economic stimulus measure, including help for the jobless and money to help financially strapped states pay for health care for the poor....

— Pa. suspect: Caretaker by day, 'Jihad Jane' online

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:46)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Colleen LaRose spent long days caring for her boyfriend's father in a second-floor apartment in Pennsburg, a small town north of Philadelphia....

— US-Israel row highlights quandary over settlements

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:20)

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- An open diplomatic row during the visit of Vice President Joe Biden has shined a spotlight on the U.S. failure to rein in Israeli settlement ambitions and deepened Palestinian suspicions that the United States is too weak to broker a deal....

— Garciaparra rejoins Red Sox for day, then retires

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:05)

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- Nomar Garciaparra rejoined the Red Sox for one day and then retired, ending a 14-year career in which he won two batting titles with Boston and was once a beloved player in the city....

— Church abuse scandal reaches pope's brother

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:02)

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Church abuse scandals in Germany have reached the older brother of Pope Benedict XVI and are creeping ever closer to the pontiff himself....

— Female WWII aviators honored with gold medal

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:02)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- They flew planes during World War II but weren't considered "real" military pilots. No flags were draped over their coffins when they died on duty. And when their service ended, they had to pay their own bus fare home....

— 'Lost Boys' actor Corey Haim dead in Calif. at 38

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:02)

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Corey Haim, a 1980s teen heartthrob whose career was blighted by drug abuse, has died. He was 38. Haim died early Wednesday at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Los Angeles County coroner's Lt. Cheryl MacWillie said....

— Swedish artist has no regrets over prophet drawing

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 16:59)

STOCKHOLM (AP) -- The point of a caricature depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a dog was to show that artistic freedom allows mockery of all religions, including the most sacred symbols of Islam, the Swedish artist who created it said Wednesday....

— Time Runs Out for 24: A TV Era Comes to an End

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 16:00)

According to reports, the Fox show is about to be cancelled. The '00s are definitely over

— Bloomberg Sports Targets Fantasy Baseball, Major League

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:35)

The media giant is selling its analytical expertise to baseball fans, and Major League Baseball teams. Can a Bloomberg consumer business hit it out of the park?

— Disney-ABC, Cablevision Battle: More TV-Fee Fights Loom

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:35)

More than 3 million Cablevision subscribers couldn't see the opening of the Oscars on Sunday because of a dispute over paying for ABC shows

— Eric Massa on Glenn Beck: Battle on Fox Over Controversy

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:35)

Many conservatives had warned Fox News superstar Glenn Beck to steer clear of aggrieved Democratic Congressman Eric Massa, but he just couldn't resist

— In Virginia, Will Too Many Tea Party Candidates Spoil the Revolution?

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:35)

Virginia's Fifth District seems ripe for a Republican victory -- unless conservative passion trumps political pragmatism

— Biden Israel Trip: Apology for Timing of Settlement News

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:00)

Vice President Joe Biden was publicly humiliated by the Israeli announcement of a controversial settlement project, and said it undermined trust in a new peace effort. But Israel has no plans to shelve the project

— Beyond Sanctions: How to Solve the Iranian Riddle

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:00)

Pro-democracy campaigners need time to achieve their aims. There's no time left

— Stumptown Coffee vs. Starbucks: Portland, Seattle Rivals

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 14:15)

Coffee aficionados have been asking the question: Is Portland's Stumptown Coffee Roasters the new Starbucks?

— The Violence in Nigeria: What's Behind the Conflict?

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 12:45)

The hundreds of villagers killed with machetes near the central Nigerian city of Jos have thrown the sectarian problems of Africa's most populous nation into the spotlight again

— East Africa's Oil and Gas: Drilling, Exploration Rising

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 12:45)

New drilling in and off countries up the coast of East Africa shows that the region may have massive reserves of natural gas and oil

— Study: Older Men Want Sex More Than Older Women Do

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 11:55)

Data suggest that men want sex more, have more sex and enjoy it more than women. That holds true even into their 70s

— How Safe Is Your Cell Phone?

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 11:55)

Your mobile emits a tiny amount of radiation. Is that safe in the long run?

— The Economy's Uneven Improvement

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 01:40)

This recovery will be uneven, disjointed and chocked full of surprises -- not a great outlook for corporate planners or investment managers, but a far better environment that we saw this time last year.

— Bending the Rules to Get Health Care Passed?

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 01:40)

For the sake of expediency, in this final push Dems may have to sacrifice all bipartisanship not just on health care but on other agenda items.

— The Urbanization of the World's Refugees

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 13:35)

The United Nations estimates that more than half the planet's displaced people now live in citiesPhotographs by ZalmaÏ / UNHCR

— Remembering Corey Haim

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 13:35)

(1971-2010)A teenage star meets with an untimely death

— The Secret World of Cosplay

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 13:35)

A behind-the-scenes look at how cosplayers bring their favorite characters from Japanese anime, comic books and video games to lifePhotographs and story by Joseph Chi Lin

— Iraq Prepares to Vote

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 13:35)

Posters proliferate as uncertainty hangs over the upcoming national parliamentary electionsPhotographs by Sebastian Meyer / Polaris for TIME

— Battlefield Priest

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 13:35)

Father Carl Subler travels Afghanistan, ministering to US troops in need of spiritual sustenance

— Top 10 War Movies

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 13:35)

As The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds fight it out for Best Picture, TIME's Richard Corliss takes a look at cinema's 10 greatest war flicks

— And the Oscar Fashion Winners Are ...

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 13:35)

TIME's Belinda Luscombe rates the best and worst of the gowns at the 2010 Academy Awards

— Tom Hanks: America's Chronicler-in-Chief

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 13:35)

The new mini-series, The Pacific, is the latest in a string of productions from the actor and producer illuminating America's past.

— Top 10 Post-Oscar Busts

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 13:35)

You've won an Oscar! Now what? For these 10 Academy Award winners ... nothing. A look at the worst post-Oscar careers in movie history

— Inside the World of Eliot Spitzer

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 13:35)

The former Governor attempts to rehabilitate his imagePhotographs for TIME by Gillian Laub

— Debt Burden Cripples Poorer Nations

   (Tuesday, 09 March 2010 18:04)

International lending, within its current framework, leaves developing nations in a hole that only gets bigger as they try to pay off their debt.

— Boundless Hope in Sierra Leone

   (Sunday, 07 March 2010 20:11)

In a country where many families are too poor to buy books for their children, the organization Boundless Hope is helping kids get an education and putting essentials like pencils and toothbrushes in their hands.

— Nobel Laureates Urge Inquiry into Junta Crimes

   (Thursday, 04 March 2010 20:09)

Because the Burmese Constitution provides immunity for the junta and its crimes, the only hope for prosecution is through international law.

— Women Work toward Equality in Muslim Societies

   (Tuesday, 02 March 2010 20:16)

A network of social justice movements is helping women combat inequality, violence and repression all over the globe, especially in Muslim countries.

— Egypt's Struggle for Democracy

   (Sunday, 28 February 2010 17:35)

In Egypt, political advocacy is being sparked online, on sites like Facebook, but there is significantly less room for movement in Egypt's real world than in its virtual world.

— Human Rights Violations in Iran and Iraq

   (Thursday, 25 February 2010 20:06)

Iranians are not only battling violence and repression at home, fighting for basic rights; refugees of Iran are also under siege in Iraq's Camp Ashraf.

— Japan and Southeast Asia Take Stock of China's Rise

   (Tuesday, 23 February 2010 20:35)

As China's economic and political rise makes itself felt in Asia, Japan and Southeast Asia face serious foreign policy dilemmas in the coming years.

— Global Hunger

   (Sunday, 21 February 2010 15:46)

When food is treated as simply a commodity, a huge chunk of the population cannot afford it. People in the South die every day from hunger and related diseases, while an equal number in the North consume in excess.

— Greece: Pulling Its Neighbors Down with It

   (Thursday, 18 February 2010 17:53)

Greece's debt is a serious issue, and coming up with a plan for going forward is also very much a problem for the European Union.

— China-U.S. Rivalry Intensifies

   (Tuesday, 16 February 2010 18:54)

Obama is set to meet the Dalai Lama, while the United States and China have already had a number of issues stoking the contention and competition between them recently.

— The Real Evils

   (Monday, 15 February 2010 04:19)

While the world

— Guinea Making Steps toward Democracy

   (Thursday, 11 February 2010 20:06)

In a country that has seen a succession of brutal military leaders, the sudden prospect of fair elections forthcoming gives the people of Guinea new hope.

— Taiwan's Relief Efforts in Haiti

   (Tuesday, 09 February 2010 13:38)

The people and government of Taiwan are no strangers to natural disaster, and their history has galvanized them to do as much as possible to help bring Haiti to its feet.

— Forced Repatriation of Karen Refugees

   (Saturday, 06 February 2010 11:28)

Despite the risk of land mines and the fact that many refugees don't want to go, the Thai government is set to start moving Karen refugees back to Burma this month.

— Canada, the UNRWA and the Arabs

   (Thursday, 04 February 2010 17:25)

The U.N. caretaker agency for Palestinian refugees, which is already neglected by Arab nations, is now being dropped by the Canadian government.

— Aid Failure Bodes Ill for Haiti

   (Tuesday, 02 February 2010 11:07)

With aid to Haiti largely failing in the past and the daunting task of rebuilding the capital at present, many wonder whether international development plans will be lost in the rubble.

— Orphans Blocked from Departing Haiti

   (Tuesday, 26 January 2010 12:03)

After 79 orphans were brought to Florida from Haiti for adoption, another 27 are now being trapped in the country by Haitian bureaucracy.

— Screen Wars

   (Tuesday, 26 January 2010 11:19)

An ongoing battle between Rupert Murdoch, Silvio Berlusconi and Muammar al-Gaddafi involves adult television programming, an ultraviolent war film, and lots of money and bitterness flying around.

— Muffled Screams of Gaza

   (Sunday, 17 January 2010 21:38)

A report by the U.N. Human Rights Commission determined that Israel committed war crimes against the Palestinians in Gaza, but nothing has changed in terms of U.S. support.

— Industry as a Bridge for Peace

   (Thursday, 07 January 2010 18:44)

Stef Wertheimer, an industrialist and world-renowned peace advocator, offers a new strategy to solve the ongoing instability in the Middle East.

— Gaza Freedom March

   (Sunday, 27 December 2009 18:38)

Thousands of Palestinians will march in Gaza on New Year's Eve, joined in solidarity by hundreds of activists who plan to enter Gaza through Egypt, despite Egypt's warnings against it.

— Copenhagen: No Failure, but Just Not Good Enough

   (Tuesday, 22 December 2009 17:16)

The result of the Copenhagen summit ended up being a small, creaking movement of the world's political machinery, while the polar ice caps continue to melt without hesitation.

— Fuzzy numbers etc.

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 08:00)

In a story March 5 about the spring flood forecast in the upper Midwest, The Associated Press reported erroneously the number of people who were forced to evacuate last March and April during flooding in North Dakota and Minnesota. State emergency officials estimate that more than 30,000 people were evacuated, [...]

— Talk to a newspaper, become a nudist garbageman

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 08:00)

An earlier version of this blog post said that Mr. Vangelakos touted taking out the garbage in the nude as a perk of living in an empty building. That was not correct. A different apartment dweller in California  made that statement. We regret the error. Link

— Apology

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 08:00)

The Tiwai Point aluminium smelter provided $200,000 for the kakapo recovery programme this year through Rio Tinto Alcan. A research trip to Spain, funded from this sponsorship, will cost $7000, not $200,000 as reported yesterday. We apologise for the error.

— The wrong man

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 08:00)

A video that appeared on newsday.com March 5-8 about a Garden City woman accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill her husband incorrectly included images of a man who is not her husband and who is unrelated to the story.

— Who’s livid now?

   (Tuesday, 09 March 2010 08:00)

IN a report in The Australian yesterday (“States revolt on health plan”, Page 1) NSW Premier Kristina Keneally was quoted as saying state bureaucrats were “livid” over lack of consultation on health reforms, and that their first hint of the reforms was the cancellation of bilateral discussions. In fact, these [...]

— Editor’s Note

   (Tuesday, 09 March 2010 08:00)

On Thursday, The Washington Times published an Op-Ed column by Dr. Gilbert Ross, medical director of the American Council on Science and Health, headlined, “When senators play doctor.” Dr. Ross has written for USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Times previously. Dr. Ross did [...]

— Apology

   (Tuesday, 09 March 2010 08:00)

An article published in the edition of January 18th 2010 referred to James White and his departure from AIB s corporate banking team in London in the context of a serious property fraud allegedly perpetrated in AIB by Achilleas Kallakis. We accept that James White had no involvement whatsoever with Mr Kallakis, [...]

— All Africans are alike

   (Monday, 08 March 2010 08:00)

UC San Diego turmoil: Sandy Banks’ column in Saturday’s Section A about anger over racial incidents at UC San Diego stated that President Obama’s father was Nigerian. The president’s father was from Kenya. Link

— False accusations that are ‘not so much eccentric as chilling’

   (Monday, 08 March 2010 08:00)

In an item in Amy Jenkins’s column last Saturday, ‘One big happy family three separate houses’ (27 February 2010) Amy Jenkins wrote that Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton live in two separate houses next to each other and that the nanny and two children [...]

— The thrill of the hunt

   (Monday, 08 March 2010 08:00)

Samuel Beckett and his (future) wife Suzanne were not hunted by the French resistance during the second world war (Obituary of Barbara Bray, 5 March, page 37): they were hunted members of it. Link

— Typecast much?

   (Monday, 08 March 2010 08:00)

Robert Pattinson: A Smart List item in Sunday’s Calendar section about actor Robert Pattinson said that “Remember Me” was his first nonvampire role. It should have added “since he filmed ‘Twilight.’ ” Link

— Wolf Blitzer offers up a correction*

   (Monday, 08 March 2010 08:00)

TV Newser offered this transcript of an on-air correction from Wolf Blitzer on March 5: We had a graphic on the screen that said “department of jihad” followed by a question mark and many of you tweeted me that you found that graphic to be offensive. I agree, it was. The graphic referenced [...]

— Fuzzy numbers etc.

   (Monday, 08 March 2010 08:00)

We lost our sense of proportion when stating how many people there are in the world without access to banking services who could benefit from mobile money technology. It is of course around a billion people, not a million as we stated (20 February, p 20).

— Apology

   (Monday, 08 March 2010 08:00)

A story on a new TV series called The Bridge incorrectly suggested there was a campaign by the Toronto police union head to tackle crime and corruption inside higher command. This is not true and we apologize to the Toronto police for the suggestion. Link

— The Chief Justice John Roberts rumor

   (Sunday, 07 March 2010 22:01)

First they had the exclusive (!) that Chief Justice John Roberts was “considering” stepping down: John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, is seriously considering stepping down from the nation’s highest court for personal reasons, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively. And then RadarOnline.com had the exclusive (!) that he wasn’t: Despite considering resigning from [...]

— Israel Punks Itself

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:21)

Foreign Policy - By Dmitry Reider - Mar. 10 (Opinion) - Girl [peering down the camera's frame]: Uhhh... Girl: I just ... I don't know if I can go there. Boy: I consider this a spot of worship. It may be small, but it's brought the driest places to life. Baby, this is paradise! The camera then

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— The FCC National Broadband Plan: Long Haul Expected

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 08:07)

Business Week - By Olga Kharif - Mar. 10 (News Report) - Paul Karpowicz has nothing against broadband. But he has no plans to take part in a government effort to bring it to more homes. Karpowicz is president of Meredith Broadcasting, which owns 12 local TV stations from Portland, Ore., to New Haven, Conn.

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— Ten Wrong Reasons to Oppose Health Reform

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

Politics Daily - By Jill Lawrence - Mar. 10 (Comment) - here are some of the charges and claims, and why i think they are not the right reasons to oppose the health care overhaul before congress.

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— MySpace Co-Presidents Reveal Company's Plans for Future

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

mashable.com - By Barb Dybwad - Mar. 10 (News Report) - We had a chance to step into MySpace HQ for a chat with new Co-Presidents Jason Hirschhorn and Mike Jones, who preside over the News Corp.-owned social network from a shared desk in Beverly Hills. The joint office speaks to how closely Hirschhorn and Jones are working together to create a unified vision of the future for the lately struggling MySpace, whose former CEO Owen Van Natta exited the company after only 9 months in the hot seat.

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— Higher Corporate Spending on Election Ads Could Be All but Invisible

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

ProPublica - By Chisun Lee - Mar. 10 (News Report) - The Supreme Court recently freed [1] corporations to spend more money on aggressive election ads. But if businesses take advantage of this new freedom, the public probably won't know it, because it's easy for them to legally hide their political spending.

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— Nation Shudders At Large Block Of Uninterrupted Text

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

theonion.com - By None Listed - Mar. 10 (Comedy News) - Dumbfounded citizens from Maine to California gazed helplessly at the frightening chunk of print, unsure of what to do next. Without an illustration, chart, or embedded YouTube video to ease them in, millions were frozen in place, terrified by the sight of one long, unbroken string of English words.

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— The New Paradigm of Advantage

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

Harvard Business Review - By Umair Haque - Mar. 10 (Opinion) - the past of advantage was extractive and protective. the future of advantage, on the other hand, is allocative and creative.....an economy built on extractive and protective advantage is a giant, endless ponziconomy.

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— Chief justice unsettled by Obama's public criticism of Supreme Court

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

Los Angeles Times - By David G. Savage - Mar. 10 (News Report) - Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. told law students Tuesday that he found it "very troubling" to be surrounded by loudly cheering critics at President Obama's State of the Union address

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— Doubts Grow About City's Capital Spending

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

Gotham Gazette - By Courtney Gross - Mar. 10 (News) - During the first two terms of the Bloomberg administration, the city's capital budget ballooned from about $24.8 billion to $45.5 billion -- an increase of more than 83 percent. In that same time period the amount of money the city paid in debt service every year increased from $2.4 billion to $5.4 billion. In the mayor's $63.6 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2011, nearly 9 percent is dedicated to paying off the city's capital debt.

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— Runaway Prius driver: 'I was laying on the brakes but it wasn't slowing down' - Los Angeles Times

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

Los Angeles Times - By Richard Marosi, Nathan Olivarez-Giles - Mar. 10 (News Report) - Reporting from Los Angeles and El Cajon, Calif. - James Sikes bought his Toyota Prius in 2008, and 53,000 miles later the car was driving fine. But on Monday afternoon, when he accelerated to pass another vehicle on Interstate 8 east of San Diego, the car kept going. "The gas pedal stuck open all the way," said Sikes, 61, a real estate agent from San Diego. For 30 miles, Sikes said, he swerved in and out of traffic, narrowly missing a big rig and trying desperately...

— A city that should be shared

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

Economist - Mar. 10 (News Analysis) - EVEN as the Americans strive to jump-start fresh talks between Israelis and Palestinians, the Israeli government has been using the hiatus to intensify the refashioning of East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians see as their future capital.

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— Draft on Payday Rules Loses a Provision

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

New York Times - By Sewell Chan - Mar. 10 (News Report) - Senator Bob Corker wants a proposed bank agency to be more lenient toward nonbank companies, but some advocates say that would hurt consumers.

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— Attacks on Detainee Lawyers Split Conservatives

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

New York Times - By John Schwartz - Mar. 10 (News Analysis) - Right-leaning legal scholars have bristled at a video, produced by a group that Liz Cheney runs, that questions the loyalty of lawyers who worked for terror detainees.

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— China and India to Join Copenhagen Climate Change Accord

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

New York Times - By John M. Broder - Mar. 10 (News Report) - The countries are the last two major economies to join the agreement reached in December, which calls for limiting the rise in global temperatures.

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— Pilgrim Non Grata in Mecca

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

New York Times - By Maureen Dowd - Mar. 10 (Opinion) - So on my odyssey to Saudi Arabia, I tried to learn about the religion that smashed into the American consciousness on 9/11 in a less sneaky way. And that’s when the paradox sunk in: It was nearly impossible for me to experience Islam in the cradle of Islam.

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— Common set of school standards to be offered

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

Washington Post - By Nick Anderson - Mar. 10 (News Report) - Blueprint from nation's governors and state school chiefs is a crucial step in Obama's campaign to raise academic standards across the country.

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— Powerful Catholic Quietly Shaping Abortion, Health Bill Debate

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

NPR - By Laura Parker - Mar. 10 (News) - As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' point man on abortion, Richard Doerflinger has emerged as a major player in the health care debate, one likely to play a pivotal role in the outcome.

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— Biden calls for 'viable' Palestinian state

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

The Guardian - By Rory McCarthy - Mar. 10 (News Report) - The US vice-president, Joe Biden, has said the Palestinians deserve a "viable" independent state with contiguous territory, hoping to reassure them of America's support after Israel announced plans to expand a Jewish neighbourhood on occupied Palestinian land in East Jerusalem

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— Despite Opposition, Israel Pushes Forward With Settlements

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

NPR - Mar. 10 (News Report) - Joe Biden's peace-building trip to the Middle East took a bad turn on Tuesday after Israel announced that it was going forward with plans to build 1,600 new homes in a contested part of East Jerusalem.

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— Marjah fears return of warlords

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

Asia Times - By Mohammed Elyas Daee, Abubakar Siddique - Mar. 10 (News Report) - his most impassioned and telling appeal...was for karzai to avoid repeating a past mistake: do not hand over control of local affairs to former militia commanders or other "people with influence"

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— Ravitch Sets Broad Plan on New York Fiscal Crisis

   (Wednesday, 10 March 2010 03:00)

New York Times - By Danny Hakim - Mar. 10 (News Report) - Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch will unveil a plan that includes borrowing billions and imposing curbs on future spending.

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— U.S. Chamber of Commerce grows into a political force

   (Tuesday, 09 March 2010 03:00)

Los Angeles Times - By Tom Hamburger - Mar. 09 (Special Report) - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is building a large-scale grass-roots political operation that has begun to rival those of the major political parties, funded by record-setting amounts of money raised from corporations and wealthy individuals.

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— 16 Cities Sue Manufacturer Of Atrazine Weed-Killer For Contaminating Drinking Water

   (Tuesday, 09 March 2010 03:00)

Huffington Post - By Danielle Ivory - Mar. 09 (News Report) - A coalition of communities in six Midwestern states filed a federal lawsuit Monday seeking to force the manufacturer of a widely-used herbicide to pay for its removal from drinking water. Atrazine, a weed-killer sprayed primarily on cornfields, can run off into rivers and streams that supply municipal water systems. As the Huffington Post Investigative Fund reported in a series of articles last fall, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency failed to notify the public that atrazine had been found at levels above the federal safety limit...

— The Pro-Israel Lobby And The New Israel

   (Tuesday, 09 March 2010 03:00)

Atlantic Monthly - By Andrew Sullivan - Mar. 09 (Opinion) - ... notice that it is Obama's fault for asking an alleged ally merely to freeze - not reverse - construction settlement as a good faith gesture to the peace process and as a favor to the US in trying to recapture the role of an honest broker in the region. It is not Israel's fault - even though Maureen thinks Israel should have done it.

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— Focus on West Bank, Not Negotiating

   (Tuesday, 09 March 2010 03:00)

Council on Foreign Relations - By Bernard Gwertzman - Mar. 09 (Interview) - ... the Obama administration is putting too much emphasis on "negotiations." He says, "The tragedy here is that this focus on the negotiating table has led the United States to continue, as we did in the Bush administration, to put much too much emphasis on negotiations and too little emphasis on the actual daily work of building a Palestinian state in the West Bank." Abrams says he would like an emphasis on bolstering the legal system and economy in the West Bank, now run by President...