— Two U.S. soldiers killed in complex Afghan attack

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 08:05)

KABUL (Reuters) - Two U.S. soldiers were killed in a complex attack on a base in southeast Afghanistan that ended with air strikes Saturday, the U.S. military said, two days after a major operation against the Taliban was launched in the south.

— Pakistani forces attack militants near crash site

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 08:05)

KALLAY, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani helicopter gunships attacked Taliban militants on Saturday in a northwestern region where a military helicopter crashed the previous day killing 26 soldiers on board, a government official said.

— U.N.'s Ban denied Suu Kyi meeting

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:47)

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Saturday he was "deeply disappointed" that military-ruled Myanmar's top general had rejected his request to meet with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

— Hardline Iran editor calls for Mousavi to face trial

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:42)

TEHRAN (Reuters) - A newspaper editor seen as close to Iran's top authority said Saturday defeated election candidate Mirhossein Mousavi and a former pro-reform president had committed "terrible crimes" which should be tried in court.

— Palin resigning as Alaska governor in surprise move

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 06:51)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Sarah Palin, the brash, deeply conservative governor of Alaska who crashed onto the U.S. national political scene last year as the Republican candidate for U.S. vice president, announced abruptly on Friday she was resigning as governor.

— Massive demand for Jackson memorial tickets

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 06:42)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - More than half a million fans from around the world applied for 17,500 free tickets to Michael Jackson's public memorial service next week, organizers said on Friday as a massive security operation got underway.

— North Korea defies U.S. with new missile launches

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 06:01)

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired seven ballistic missiles on Saturday, South Korea's defense ministry said, in an act of defiance toward the United States that further stoked regional tensions already high due to its nuclear test in May.

— OAS set to suspend Honduras as it renounces charter

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 02:49)

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - The Organization of American States prepared to suspend Honduras on Saturday after a caretaker government refused to restore ousted President Manuel Zelaya and defiantly renounced the OAS charter in an apparent preemptive move.

— Putin rejects Obama criticism before meeting

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 15:08)

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday rejected U.S. President Barack Obama's charge that he was mired in Cold War thinking, setting the scene for a stormy first meeting at a Moscow summit next week.

— Medici lawyer says Kohn didn't get Madoff payments

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 13:17)

NEW YORK/VIENNA (Reuters) - Austrian fund manager Sonja Kohn did not receive any kickbacks from Bernard Madoff to steer Bank Medici customer funds to the swindler's investment business, a Medici lawyer said on Friday.

— Woman led sons on crime spree

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 09:03)

Cynthia Mary Roberson is an unemployed mother who police say led her sons, aged 12 and 14, and their friends to commit at least 20 armed robberies and assaults, including the beating of a teenage boy who had nothing more than an orange lollipop.

— Iran charges British embassy employee

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 08:21)

The lawyer of a detained Iranian employee of the British embassy in Tehran said today his client had been charged with “acting against national security”.

— Chavez ally set to revoke radio licences

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:49)

The head of Venezuela’s telecommunications regulatory agency said that 240 radio stations will have their licences revoked for failing to update their registrations with the government.

— North Korea 'fires seven missiles off east coast'

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:20)

North Korea fired seven ballistic missiles off its eastern coast today, South Korea said, a violation of UN resolutions and an apparent message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day.

— African nations unite to defend Sudan leader

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 06:29)

After bitter wrangling, Africa’s leaders agreed to denounce the International Criminal Court and refuse to extradite Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted for crimes against humanity in Darfur.

— Govt lawyer moves to legalise same-sex unions

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 05:43)

Brazil’s attorney general asked the Supreme Court to legalise same-sex unions in the South American nation, which is home to the world’s largest Roman Catholic population, her spokeswoman said.

— Diplomat pessimistic about chances of restoring president

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 04:54)

The head of the Organisation of American States said he found no willingness in Honduras’ interim government to restore ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

— Palin quits Governor role

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 04:39)

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential nominee, abruptly announced she is resigning from office at the end of the month, a shocking move that rattled the Republican party but left open the possibility she would seek a run for the White House in 2012.

— North Korea 'conducts more missile tests'

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 04:35)

North Korea fired three missiles off its eastern coast today, South Korea said, in what was likely to be seen as a message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day holiday.

— UN chief dismayed at Suu Kyi visit ban

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 04:29)

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he is "deeply disappointed" after the Burma junta rejected his second and final request to meet jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

— 2 US troops die in attack on base in Afghanistan

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 08:02)

KABUL (AP) -- Taliban militants fired rockets and mortars at a U.S. coalition base in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing two American troops and wounding several more in a two-hour battle, officials said....

— Venus faces lil' sis Serena in 4th Wimbledon final

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:58)

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Venus Williams is just about the perfect older sibling: She supports Serena endlessly, protects her fiercely and even lets her pick which bedroom she wants when they're on the road. Where does Venus draw the line? At Grand Slam championships. The sisters face each other again in a major final, meeting Saturday for the Wimbledon title for the fourth time....

— Group Sotomayor advised fought job tests

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:57)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A civil rights group on whose board Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor served filed racial bias lawsuits over employment examinations that resemble a Connecticut case in which she ruled against white firefighters, documents released by the Senate show....

— Mrs. Obama bringing glamor to Moscow this weekend

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:57)

MOSCOW (AP) -- Michelle Obama brings her superstar glamor to Moscow this weekend as she accompanies her husband on his summit with the Russian president....

— Obama cites his agenda in holiday address

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:56)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama sought to rally support for his domestic initiatives, while Sen. John McCain called for Americans to support Iranian election protesters. The one-time presidential rivals both cited the spirit of the nation's founders in their Fourth of July radio and Internet addresses....

— Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:52)

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Questions about Michael Jackson's use of prescription drugs are intensifying after a powerful sedative was found inside his home....

— Palin resignation leaves questions on 2012 run

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:51)

WASILLA, Alaska (AP) -- Even for a nonconformist, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has defied political logic with her sudden, stunning announcement to leave office more than a year early....

— Iranian hardliner calls opposition leader US agent

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:50)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- A top aide to Iran's supreme leader called the country's main opposition figure a U.S. agent and said in an editorial Saturday that he should be tried for committing crimes against the nation....

— SC serial killer conjures memory of 60s murderer

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:50)

GAFFNEY, S.C. (AP) -- A terrified rural South Carolina community hunkered down over the Fourth of July after the sheriff said a serial killer was on the loose, and longtime residents were reminded of a murderer who terrorized the town in the 1960s....

— SKorea says North fires 7 missiles off east coast

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:32)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea fired seven ballistic missiles off its eastern coast Saturday, South Korea said, a violation of U.N. resolutions and an apparent message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day....

— Pakistani forces attack militants near crash site (Reuters)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 08:05)

Reuters - Pakistani helicopter gunships attacked Taliban militants on Saturday in a northwestern region where a military helicopter crashed the previous day killing 26 soldiers on board, a government official said.

— 2 US troops die in attack on base in Afghanistan (AP)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 08:02)

AP - Taliban militants fired rockets and mortars at a U.S. coalition base in...

— Venus faces lil' sis Serena in 4th Wimbledon final (AP)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:58)

AP - Venus Williams is just about the perfect older sibling: She supports Serena endlessly, protects her fiercely and even lets her pick which bedroom she wants when they're on the road. Where does Venus draw the line? At Grand Slam championships. The sisters face each other again in a major final, meeting Saturday for the Wimbledon title for the...

— Group Sotomayor advised fought job tests (AP)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:57)

AP - A civil rights group on whose board Supreme Court nominee...

— Mrs. Obama bringing glamor to Moscow this weekend (AP)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:57)

— Obama cites his agenda in holiday address (AP)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:55)

AP - President Barack Obama sought to rally support for his domestic initiatives, while Sen. John McCain called for Americans to support Iranian election protesters. The one-time presidential rivals both cited the spirit of the nation's founders in their Fourth of...

— Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home (AP)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:52)

AP - Questions about Michael Jackson's use of prescription drugs are intensifying after a powerful sedative was found inside his home.

— Palin resignation leaves questions on 2012 run (AP)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:51)

AP - Even for a nonconformist, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has defied political logic with her sudden, stunning announcement to leave office more than a year early.

— Iranian hardliner calls opposition leader US agent (AP)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:50)

AP - A top aide to Iran's supreme leader called the country's main opposition figure a U.S. agent and said in an editorial Saturday that he should be tried for committing crimes against the nation.

— SC serial killer conjures memory of 60s murderer (AP)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:50)

AP - A terrified rural South Carolina community hunkered down over the Fourth of July after the sheriff said a serial killer was on the loose, and longtime residents were reminded of a...

— U.N.'s Ban denied Suu Kyi meeting (Reuters)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:47)

Reuters - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Saturday he was "deeply disappointed" that military-ruled Myanmar's top general had rejected his request to meet with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

— Hardline Iran editor calls for Mousavi to face trial (Reuters)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:42)

Reuters - A newspaper editor seen as close to Iran's top authority said Saturday defeated election candidate Mirhossein Mousavi...

— N.Korea test-fires seven missiles: S.Korea (AFP)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:33)

AFP - North Korea test-fired seven missiles off its east coast on Saturday, South Korean officials said, in an act of defiance apparently timed for the US Independence Day holiday.

— SKorea says North fires 7 missiles off east coast (AP)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 07:32)

AP - North Korea fired seven ballistic missiles off its eastern coast Saturday, South Korea said, a violation of U.N. resolutions and an apparent message of defiance to...

— Massive demand for Jackson memorial tickets (Reuters)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 06:42)

Reuters - More than half a million fans from around the world applied for 17,500 free tickets to Michael Jackson's public memorial service next week, organizers said on Friday as a massive security operation got underway.

— North Korea defies U.S. with new missile launches (Reuters)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 05:54)

Reuters - North Korea fired seven ballistic missiles on Saturday, South Korea's defense ministry said, in an act of defiance toward the United States that further stoked regional tensions already high due to its nuclear test in May.

— Suicide bomber attacks foreign base in Afghan east (Reuters)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 05:04)

Reuters - One U.S. soldier and an Afghan were killed when a suicide bomber tried to attack a base in southeast Afghanistan on Saturday, officials said, two days after a major operation against the Taliban was launched in the south.

— Myanmar junta blocks UN chief from meeting Suu Kyi (AFP)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 03:56)

AFP - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply disappointed" after the reclusive chief of Myanmar's military junta refused to let him meet pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

— OAS set to suspend Honduras as it renounces charter (Reuters)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 02:49)

Reuters - The Organization of American States prepared to suspend Honduras on Saturday after a caretaker government refused to restore ousted President Manuel Zelaya and defiantly renounced the OAS charter in an apparent preemptive move.

— Palin resigning as Alaska governor in surprise move (Reuters)

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 00:01)

Reuters - Sarah Palin, the brash, deeply conservative governor of Alaska who crashed onto the U.S. national political scene last year as the Republican candidate for U.S. vice president, announced abruptly on Friday she was resigning as governor.

— How Should Europe Respond to Iran?

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 04:32)

In the wake of Iran's disputed elections, Tehran has turned on Europe. Now the E.U. has a decision to make: Get tough or keep talking?

— Honduras Braces for a Protracted Fight

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 01:15)

Despite a looming deadline, nobody expects a political crisis symptomatic of the brittleness of Central American democracy to resolve any time soon

— Does the E.U.'s Airline Blacklist Make Flying Safer?

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 01:15)

In the wake of the Yemenia Airways crash that killed 152 on Tuesday, the E.U. considers putting the airline on its safety standards blacklist. But will that keep air travelers safe in the skies?

— In Liberia, President Johnson Sirleaf's Past Sullies her Clean Image

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 01:15)

In its final report released yesterday, Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission makes the surprising recommendation that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected woman president, should not serve in government for 30 years

— What Happened to the Stimulus?

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 00:00)

The Administration's $787 billion booster shot is not the magic bullet some had expected. Inside the White House operation to fix that

— Why Sarah Palin Quit

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 00:00)

Although her stated reasons are hard to pin down, insiders say the Alaska governor's decision is unlikely to lead to a presidential run in 2012

— This Preposterous Week! Paul Slansky's News Index

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 23:30)

— Michael Jackson Gets His Requiem

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 23:30)

A celebration of the life of the King of Pop is scheduled for Los Angeles next week, with tickets available free, for those lucky enough to win a lottery

— How California's Fiscal Woes Began: A Crisis 30 Years in the Making

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 23:30)

Back in 1978, Proposition 13 was a boon to property to owners but it was a slow but sure carcinogen to the body politic. Now the patient is in dire straits

— New Plan for College Loans: Income-Based Repayment

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 23:30)

A new federal plan with caps monthly payments aims to kick private lenders out of the market

— The FDA and Painkillers: What's Safe Now?

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 06:20)

The recent recommendation by an FDA advisory panel to do away with acetaminophen-containing prescription painkillers raised many questions for consumers. Here are some answers

— The Making of America: The Legacy of F.D.R.

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 04:30)

Franklin D. Roosevelt led the U.S. through a depression and a world war. By the time he died, the nation was profoundly changed -- and we owe much of the change to him and his bold presidency

— Public Enemy: The Extremely Brief and Violent Life of John Dillinger

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 10:30)

With all due respect to Johnny Depp, the real star of Michael Mann's new film is the man it is based on

— Inside Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 10:30)

The media is invited to tour the star's fabled estate

— U.S. Marines Open a New Offensive in Afghanistan

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 10:30)

Operation Khanjar is tasked with wresting control of the Helmand River Valley from the Taliban

— The World's Ugliest Dog Show

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 10:30)

An annual competition in Petaluma, Calif., celebrates homely canines

— The History of the Bikini

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 10:30)

On July 5th, 1946 a French engineer called Louis RÉard unveiled an outfit "smaller than the world's smallest swimsuit." It arrived with a bang, so named after the nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll, and remains popular to this day.

— Michael Jackson: The Last Photos

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 10:30)

Shortly before his death, the King of Pop was photographed rehearsing for his sold-out London shows

— Photos: India's Contraband Wildlife

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 10:30)

Despite heightened international efforts to halt wildlife smuggling, dozens of species continue to be killed, felled or captured alive in India to be smuggled to China and other parts of East and South Asia. By Madhur Singh

— Photos: Sacha Baron Cohen's Outrageous BrÜno Promotions

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 10:30)

In his new guise as the gay Austrian fashion journalist, the comedian sashays around the world in a stunning array of costumes

— Photos: A Madoff Family Album

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 10:30)

A small trove of images of the criminal financier in better times has emerged in the wake of his sentencing

— Party On with the G-8!

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 10:30)

Normally all business, world leaders let their hair down at the annual meeting of industrialized nations

— Egypt: Power Has Already Been Transferred

   (Thursday, 02 July 2009 13:37)

Regardless of President Mubarak's title, his son has already effectively taken over the reins of power in Egypt, steering the country toward social and economic modernity.

— Honduras Coup D'état

   (Tuesday, 30 June 2009 21:22)

The coup in Honduras that removed President Zelaya poses a threat to Latin America as a whole, a region that does not want to return to an era of military dictatorship.

— Nigeria's Envy

   (Sunday, 28 June 2009 18:56)

Obama's recent visit to Ghana says much about the country's potential, but it may say even more about the country Obama chose not to visit.

— Ceuta, the Border-fence of Europe

   (Thursday, 25 June 2009 19:47)

In the autonomous city of Ceuta, African refugees find temporary asylum leading nowhere, unable to cross into Spain, unwilling to return to the countries whence they came.

— Aftermath of Iran's Election

   (Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:10)

The blogosphere is one of the Iranian people's only outlets of expression. Worldpress.org reviews a collection of blogs from Iranians reacting to the election and the ensuing protests and brutality.

— Iran's Elections: A Show Designed to Delay Democracy

   (Sunday, 21 June 2009 16:38)

Iran's fraudulent elections were designed to deceive the world, and now the backlash is coming from masses opposed not only to Ahmadinejad but to the regime as a whole.

— Romania Headed toward National Bankruptcy

   (Thursday, 18 June 2009 21:47)

The degree to which the Romanian economy has begun to crumble, in both the state and private sectors, puts the country at imminent risk or national bankruptcy.

— Returning to Sierra Leone: No Place like Home

   (Thursday, 14 May 2009 17:52)

A native of the small African country, who fled during its civil war, returns to find the nation developing at a surprising rate, although not without pitfalls.

— The Pope's Visit to the Holy Land: Forging New Relations

   (Monday, 11 May 2009 08:25)

One of the most important goals for the papal trip is to symbolically mark the end of the acrimony between Christianity and Islam.

— Obama's New 'AfPak' Strategy: The View from Pakistan

   (Friday, 08 May 2009 07:03)

Obama's new AfPak policy cannot succeed unless the poverty upon which the militants prey is addressed.

— Africans in the Diaspora and the Obama Administration

   (Wednesday, 06 May 2009 07:47)

President Obama, as the first African-American leader of the United States, carries a special global burden.

— Fiji's 1997 Constitution Revoked; New Political Chapter Begins

   (Friday, 01 May 2009 06:52)

The Fiji Court of Appeals decision followed more than two years of legal wrangling between Fijis interim government and the deposed S.D.L. government.

— Non-Military Solutions to the Somali Piracy Dilemma

   (Wednesday, 29 April 2009 08:16)

Non-military solutions need to be considered to deal with to the Somali piracy dilemma.

— Mexico: Obama's 'House Call'

   (Monday, 20 April 2009 09:37)

President Obamas visit to Mexico has been compared to a quick doctors check up on Felipe Calderon.

— Palestinian Nationalism

   (Friday, 17 April 2009 05:35)

The Palestinians need a state not just to live within borders, but one that all peoples claim, especially those who are dispossessed.

— Moldavia: Between Revolution and Geopolitics

   (Wednesday, 15 April 2009 08:31)

Popular protests about the recent Community Party win in Moldova is unlikely to change the country's political landscape.

— India: No Clear Party Favorite as the National Polls Open

   (Monday, 13 April 2009 07:30)

No front-runners yet as India heads for national polls.

— Jamaica: Corporate Exploitation by the Bauxite Ore Industry

   (Friday, 03 April 2009 07:03)

The decades-long mining of Jamaicas bauxite, an essential component of aluminum, has ecologically ravaged a tropical paradise.

— Is Britain's Dialogue with Hezbollah Misleading?

   (Wednesday, 01 April 2009 09:02)

The British government should be more honest about its upcoming dialog with Hezbollah.

— Britain: Economic Woes May Fuel Euro Debate

   (Friday, 27 March 2009 08:40)

The British determination to remain outside the eurozone could undergo a substantial revision due to the current economic crisis.

— Reflections on Post-Communist Central Europe

   (Wednesday, 04 March 2009 06:07)

Former top Czech spy Karl Koecher comments on the two decades since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

— Obama's Budget Plan

   (Monday, 02 March 2009 04:07)

Comment and analysis on Obama's budget plan from South Africa, India, Pakistan, China, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

— Scooped and corrected

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 08:00)

TMZ and Jackson coverage: An article in Friday’s Section A about how gossip website TMZ scooped the mainstream media, including the Los Angeles Times, on the news of Michael Jackson’s death said The Times bannered the news on its website at 2:51 p.m. Thursday. In fact, the home-page banner went up at approximately 3:15 p.m. [...]

— Apology

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 08:00)

An article entitled "When bankruptcy trustees ‘run amok,’ " published on page B6 of the June 24, 2009, edition of The Globe and Mail, contained a statement that judicial officials have ruled that Mr. Edward White, who is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy, "lied to regulators." That is incorrect. A statement to that effect was [...]

— How to make a pastor curse your paper

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 08:00)

I can’t vouch for when this appeared in the Argus Observer, but it appears to be a legit scan of a correction: Thanks, David and Criggo.com!

— Jurassic fail*

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 08:00)

Our critic mistakenly said that an ice age "marked the death of the dinosaurs," rather than their advent. In fact, neither is true. The text of the review has been updated. Link *Correction July 3: Speaking of failure, the word "Jurassic" was misspelled in this headline. It has been corrected. Thanks, Kate!

— Cat, not son

   (Thursday, 02 July 2009 08:00)

A story Sunday about a casting call for the game show "Deal or No Deal" in East Hanover erroneously stated that Kathy Shasa, of Rockaway, named her son Duncan because of her love of Dunkin’ Donuts. It was actually her cat that was named Duncan. Shasa’s last name was also misspelled as "Shaysa."

— About a bear

   (Thursday, 02 July 2009 08:00)

A news brief reported that a California couple arrived home to find a bear eating a 2lb box of chocolates purloined from their fridge. A sheriff’s sergeant added that the bear had also tried without success to open a bottle of champagne. Our headline – Bear necessity: couple catch chocaholic grizzly, 30 June, page 17 [...]

— You Don’t Say: Fixing the blame

   (Thursday, 02 July 2009 08:00)

By John E. McIntyre  A reader of my column on how publications deal with corrections (“Daddy, where do corrections come from?") addressed a point that regularly bedevils editors: Should corrections identify who made the error? The issue has been described at some length in the article “Who takes the fall for errors?” by Kathy English, the [...]

— Apology

   (Wednesday, 01 July 2009 08:00)

In a television review published on 21 April of a programme entitled The Tattie Howkers, which dealt with issues surrounding migrant agricultural workers, we stated: "There are still agricultural workers coming to Scotland from countries such as Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. They’re brought over by recruitment bosses such as Bernard Gaughan – grandson of Irish [...]

— PolitiFact’s guide to fact checking

   (Tuesday, 30 June 2009 08:00)

YouTube recently unveiled its Reporters’ Center, a library of videos offering advice about a variety of aspects of journalism. "The YouTube Reporters’ Center is a new resource to help you learn more about how to report the news," according to the site. "It features some of the nation’s top journalists and news organizations sharing instructional [...]

— The war on dolphins

   (Tuesday, 30 June 2009 08:00)

In a story June 26, The Associated Press reported that frustrated fishermen are firing guns at bottlenose dolphins that have become increasingly aggressive in taking fish off hooks, and some dolphins have been wounded or killed. The story quoted Bob Zales, president of the National Association of Charter Boat Operators, as saying he heard accounts [...]

— Death by media

   (Tuesday, 30 June 2009 08:00)

A June 26 story about how sales of Michael Jackson merchandise could get a boost after his death incorrectly listed musician Chuck Berry as deceased. Chuck Berry, 82, is still alive and touring. Link  

— Death by different circumstances

   (Tuesday, 30 June 2009 08:00)

Bikie death: "Rebel Rick" Roberts’ death in Canberra in March was the result of a domestic dispute and not, as we wrongly wrote, part of a wave of apparent revenge attacks following a brawl between bikies at Sydney Airport (Bikie world pulls in viewers, Agenda, page 62, June 27).

— All late night shows are alike

   (Monday, 29 June 2009 08:00)

The Night Out column last Sunday, about the actress Betty White, misstated the name of the television show on which she played beer pong with the host. It was “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” not “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Link

— Apology

   (Monday, 29 June 2009 08:00)

AN article in yesterday’s Geelong Advertiser incorrectly reported that Cindy Gambino overdosed on analgesics in an attempt to commit suicide. The Geelong Advertiser has been assured by Ms Gambino that at no stage did she consider harming herself. The Geelong Advertiser sincerely apologises for the error and for any distress it may have caused.

— Australian Broadcasting Corp. apologizes to lobby group

   (Monday, 29 June 2009 08:00)

A report from the JTA: Australia’s national public broadcaster has apologized for a report that claimed Israel’s security fence was ruled to be illegal by the Supreme Court. The Australian Broadcasting Corp. apologized Wednesday to a Jewish lobby group and corrected an April 25 report which stated that “both the International Court of Justice and Israel’s [...]

— Are We Losing Our Ability to Think Critically? | July 2009 | Communications of the ACM

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 03:00)

cacm.acm.org - By Samuel Greengard - Jul. 04 (News Report) - Society has long cherished the ability to think beyond the ordinary. In a world where knowledge is revered and innovation equals progress, those able to bring forth greater insight and understanding are destined to make their mark and blaze a trail to greater enlightenment. "Critical thinking as an attitude is embedded in Western culture. There is a belief that argument is the way to finding truth," observes Adrian West, research director at the Edward de Bono Foundation U.K., and a former computer science lecturer at the University of Manchester. "Developing...

— Understanding How Tenure Decisions Are Made

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 03:00)

Chronicle of Higher Education - By Michael Bugeja - Jul. 04 (Opinion) - Some negative promotion and tenure decisions seem predetermined the moment a newly hired scholar signs a job contract. Chalk it up to a bad institutional match: The job candidate chose the college for the wrong reasons, rejecting another that would have better suited his or her talents. Other negative decisions can be traced to institutional and research variables that many candidates overlook.

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— A Publisher Stumbles Publicly at the Post

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 03:00)

New York Times - By David Carr - Jul. 04 (Opinion) - Mrs. Graham bestowed legitimacy (Richard M. Nixon never made the cut, even as president). Ms. Weymouth decided to sell it, with her paper’s editorial integrity apparently thrown in as a parting gift.

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— Selling the Post Dinners

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 03:00)

Atlantic Monthly - By Joshua Green - Jul. 04 (Special Report) - Mike Allen’s recent report on the controversial Washington Post lobbyist dinners has sparked a furor. One thing that’s been largely overlooked is the fact that the invitations to administration officials and members of Congress differed markedly from the “sponsorship opportunity” fliers sent to lobbyists. See for yourself: I’ve gotten a hold of an invitation and an accompanying personal email from Post publisher Katharine Weymouth to Rep. Jim Cooper of Tennessee, a key figure in the health care debate.

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— British Embassy row: Why Iran's hard-liners are inviting isolation

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 03:00)

Christian Science Monitor - By Dan Murphy - Jul. 04 (News Analysis) - A senior cleric called Friday for British Embassy employees to be tried for allegedly inciting mass protests. The move signals a heightened effort to portray recent unrest as a foreign plot.

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— Kennedy, Dodd unveil trimmer Senate healthcare bill

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 03:00)

Associated Press - Jul. 04 (News Report) - Americans who refuse to buy medical coverage could be hit with fines of more than $1,000 under a healthcare overhaul bill unveiled yesterday by key Senate Democrats looking to fulfill President Obama’s top domestic priority.

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— Facebook’s Easy Virtue

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 03:00)

Washington Post - By Monica Hesse - Jul. 04 (Press Release) - ’Click-Through Activism’ Broad but Fleeting

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— State budgets in crisis: Happy new year

   (Saturday, 04 July 2009 03:00)

Economist - Jul. 04 (News Analysis) - Every state but two, commodity-rich North Dakota and Montana, has faced a deficit this year. One legislator in New Jersey described her state as “functionally bankrupt”. More than 5,000 Illinoisans gathered on June 23rd to protest against cuts to social services, with a child placed in a coffin for dramatic effect. In California, which faces a $24 billion gap, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor, sent the leader of the state Senate a metallic pair of bull testicles to urge him to cut spending.

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— Ethnic Healthcare Groups Prescribe Prevention and Access to Care

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

New America Media - By Jun Wang - Jul. 03 (News Report) - As the U.S. Congress considers proposals to reform the nation’s healthcare system, participants at a day-long health policy conference highlighted the importance of primary and preventive care and the need to improve access to quality care for low income communities.

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— The Bureaucrat between 50 million Americans and Health Care

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

Talking Points Memo - By Ted Oehmke - Jul. 03 (Opinion) - As one of the 50 million Americans presently without health insurance, I'm sitting here, fingers crossed, hoping I don't get sick. So far, I've been lucky. As I observe politicians debate about how to best water-down reform of the health care system while acting as if they're actually doing something, one thing has become crystal clear: The US system of health care is insanely inefficient.

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— Canada's Single-Prayer Health Care

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

Investor's Business Daily - Jul. 03 (Opinion) - A critically ill premature baby is moved to a U.S hospital to get the treatment she couldn't get in the system we're told we should emulate. Cost-effective care? In Canada, as elsewhere, you get what you pay for.

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— The U.S. Flag does not Stand for Freedom

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

stopwar.lafilmonline.com - By Jon Raymond - Jul. 03 (Opinion) - Why celebrate independence anyway? What are we independent from? The British? How about our own government? Our taxes fund all these things without our consent. They are dictated to us. We’ve had nationwide “tea parties” in protest of the Wall Street bailouts. We are in a war in Afghanistan with no exit strategy. We don’t know who we’re fighting. We are incapable of distinguishing civilians from Taliban.

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— UN chief calls for Burma releases

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

BBC News - Jul. 03 (News Report) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on Burma's military junta to release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners.

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— The States Are Reeling. Will Health Reform Help?

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

New Republic - By Harold Pollack - Jul. 03 (Opinion) - Provisions in the federal stimulus package effectively forbid states from cutting Medicaid. Other provisions effectively protect big educational programs. Political realities make it hard to cut other areas, such as state universities or corrections, that touch cranky and powerful constituencies. The cumulative effect is to place severe pressure on the human service components of state budgets.

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— ‘Rationing’ Health Care: What Does It Mean?

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

New York Times - By Uwe E. Reinhardt - Jul. 03 (Opinion) - As the dreaded R-word — rationing — once again worms its way into our debate on health care reform, it may be helpful to relearn what is taught about rationing in freshman economics. In their well-known textbook Microeconomics, the Harvard professor Michael L. Katz and the Princeton professor Harvey S. Rosen, for example, put it thusly:

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— The Great American Bubble Machine

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

Rolling Stone - By MattTaibbi - Jul. 03 (Special Report) - The formula is relatively simple: Goldman positions itself in the middle of a speculative bubble, selling investments they know are crap. Then they hoover up vast sums from the middle and lower floors of society with the aid of a crippled and corrupt state that allows it to rewrite the rules in exchange for the relative pennies the bank throws at political patronage.

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— Obama, Party Tout Lower Figure for Health Reform

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

Washington Post - By Ceci Connolly - Jul. 03 (News Report) - Senate Democrats and President Obama, trying to assuage fears about the cost of health reform, yesterday touted new estimates that put the price tag for one bill at $611 billion over the next decade.

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— Washington Post cancels lobbyist event amid uproar

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

The Politico - By Mike Allen - Jul. 03 (Breaking News) - For $25,000 to $250,000, The Washington Post has offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record, nonconfrontational access to "those powerful few": Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and — at first — even the paper’s own reporters and editors. The astonishing offer was detailed in a flier circulated Wednesday to a health care lobbyist, who provided it to a reporter because the lobbyist said he felt it was a conflict for the paper to charge for access to, as the flier says, its “health care reporting and editorial...

— Sarah Palin Resigning as Alaska's Governor

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

Huffington Post - By Shannyn Moore - Jul. 03 (News Report) - After Sarah Palin's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week she has announced she will be stepping down in a few weeks. In a press conference call this morning, Alaska's Governor Sarah Palin has announced she will not run for re-election and is stepping down as governor. She had a brief statement. She took no questions. Her commissioners and Lt. Governor were with her at her home. Palin did not relinquished the reigns of the state to the Lt. Governor while running for vice president.

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— Indian Court Overturns Gay Sex Ban

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

New York Times - By Heather Timmons, Hari Kumar - Jul. 03 (News Report) - In a landmark ruling Thursday that could usher in an era of greater freedom for gay men and lesbians in India, New Delhi’s highest court decriminalized homosexuality. “The inclusiveness that Indian society traditionally displayed, literally in every aspect of life, is manifest in recognizing a role in society for everyone,” judges of the Delhi High Court wrote in a 105-page decision, India’s first to directly address rights for gay men and lesbians. “Those perceived by the majority as ‘deviants’ or ‘different’ are not on that...

— In Political Ads, Christian Left Mounts Sermonic Campaigns

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

Wall Street Journal - By Stephanie Simon - Jul. 03 (Special Report) - Emboldened by what they see as a kindred spirit in the White House, progressive and liberal Christians are stepping up their political activism in a big way.

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— More From the HELP Bill

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

Washington Post - By Ezra Klein - Jul. 03 (Opinion) - ... today's CBO score is low in part because we've made some of the policy worse. It would be a good thing for 15 million Americans to move from employer-based insurance to the exchanges. It would be a good thing for 60 million Americans to do so. But no one knows how to pass that bill. So here we are.

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— Canada's in the spotlight as debate on health care reform rages in the U.S.

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

The Canadian Press - By Lee-Anne Goodman - Jul. 03 (Special Report) - It's rare that anything to do with Canada is front and centre in the minds of Americans, but the Canadian health-care system has been a hot topic of discussion over the past few weeks as Capitol Hill legislators work on a massive health-care overhaul. From hair salons to hospital waiting rooms and Georgetown dinner parties, Americans have wanted to know: "What's health care really like in Canada?"

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— Committee Dems Release Cheaper, Better Public Health Care Bill

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

Huffington Post - By Ryan Grim - Jul. 03 (News Analysis) - Sen. Ted Kennedy's Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee released details of its plan Thursday to expand access to health insurance, create a public option that consumers could buy into and reduce health care costs over the long haul. The Congressional Budget Office evaluated the proposed bill, estimating that it would cost slightly more than $600 billion over ten years, considerably less than earlier predictions. The CBO score was also released by the health committee Thursday.

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— Iranian cleric: British Embassy staff to be tried - washingtonpost.com

   (Friday, 03 July 2009 03:00)

Washington Post - By Lee Keath - Jul. 03 (Special Report) - A top Iranian cleric said Friday that some of the detained Iranian staffers of the British Embassy in Tehran will be put on trial, and he accused Britain of a role in instigating widespread protests that erupted over the country's disputed presidential election. The announcement by Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati alarmed European nations and fueled calls for tougher action against Tehran. Britain is pressing for members of the European Union to pull their ambassadors out of Tehran to protest the arrest of its embassy staffers last week - a...