Donald R. Diamond, a wealthy Arizona real estate developer, wasracing to snap up a stretch of virginCalifornia coast freed by the closing of an Army base a decade ago whenhe turned to an old friend, Senator John McCain.When Diamond wanted
Gasoline prices surpassed $3.50 a gallon nationwide for the firsttimeand oil jumped to a record on Monday as the long rise of energy pricesshowed little evidence of giving way to recession fears.The national average price for regular gasoline is up
A Roman Catholic priest who floated off under hundreds of helium partyballoons was missing today off the southern coast of Brazil.Rescuers in helicopters and small fishing boats were searching off thecoast of Santa Catarina state, where pieces of balloons were
Intellpuke: The following editorial appeared in the New YorkTimes edition for Tuesday, April 22, 2008.White House aides had billed President Bushâ ™s Rose Garden speech lastweek as a major turning point at which the president would unveil anambitious set of
Iraq's prime minister appealed Monday for support from his Arabneighbors,urging them to open embassies and forgive Iraqi debts as his governmenttries to crack down on Shiite militias in a crucial power struggle.Theappeal came as leaders of the biggest militia -
A contaminated blood thinner from China has been found in drugsupplies in 11 countries, and federal officials said Monday they haddiscovered a clear link between the contaminant and severe reactionsnow associated with 81 deaths in the United States.A Chinese official
The nation's fleet of new cars and trucks will be required to achieve31.6 miles per gallon by 2015, The Associated Press has learned. Transportation Department Secretary Mary Peters was outlining theplan on Earth Day, setting a schedule that was more
U.S. troops clashed with militiamen in eastern Baghdad on Monday andabomb attack killed two U.S. soldiers in a northern province, said U.S.officials.The fighting in eastern Baghdad killed at least nine people andfollowed prolonged clashes between militia members loyal to Shiitecleric
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs may paint a rosy picture ofimproving health care for veterans, but the agency has systematicallydenied benefits to sick veterans and delayed claims so long that manyof them commit suicide, a lawyer for two advocacy
Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton said today that a win in thePennsylvania primary -- no matter how narrow the margin - will be allshe needs to claim victory."I don't think the margin matters" in today's vote, she said on NBC's "Today
President Bush, replying to criticism from Democratic presidentialcandidates, said Tuesday that "now is not the time to renegotiate ...or walk away from" the North American Free Trade Agreement. He alsodenied the U.S. was in a recession, calling it a slowdown
Sales of existing homes fell in March as a severe slump in housingshowed no signs of abating. The median price of a home fell comparedwith the price a year ago.The National Association of Realtors said sales of existing single-family homes
Stocks fell on Tuesday as surging oil prices escalated concerns about how higher energy costs will affect the economy, profits and consumer spending, while disappointing earnings outlooks also darkened the mood.All three major U.S. stock indexes dropped more than 1
United Airlines parent UAL Corp. lost more than a third of its marketvalue today after reporting a $537 million first-quarter loss due tosoaring fuel costs and saying it is cutting flights and 1,100 jobs. The loss, in what UAL called
A shipment of weapons to Zimbabwe may be returned to China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, after the troubled southernAfrican nation's neighbors prevented the cargo from being unloaded.The Chinese freighter arrived in South Africa last week, and human rights
Leading Muslim scholars are laying the theological foundations for a "Euro-Islam" which would reconcile their religion with the challenges of modernity. But just how compatible is Islam with secular Western values?
Finnish President Tarja Halonen speaks to SPIEGEL about European borders, pollution in the Baltic Sea and the problem with "clubs" within the EU like France's new Union for the Mediterranean.
German labor remains expensive, but an European Union-wide comparison shows Germany is getting more competitive because its labor costs grew by just one percent in 2007 -- the smallest percentage increase of all EU members.
