Israel Steps Up Aerial Strikes in Gaza

Tyler Hicks/The New York TimesA man injured by bombing in the Zaitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on Saturday that also killed one person. More Photos »GAZA CITY — Israel broadened its assault on the Gaza Strip on Saturday from mostly military targets to centers of government infrastructure, obliterating the four-story headquarters of the Hamas prime minister with a barrage of five bombs. The...

Read More..

Nintendo seeks to shake up gaming again with Wii U

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It can scan zombies, replace a TV remote, open a window into virtual worlds and shoot ninja stars across a living room. It’s the Wii U GamePad, the 10-by-5-inch touchscreen controller for the successor to the Wii out Sunday, and if you ask the brains behind the “Super Mario Bros.” about it, they say it’s going to change the way video...

Read More..

No. 23 Michigan tops Iowa 42-17 with Gardner's TDs

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Devin Gardner accounted for six touchdowns to help No. 23 Michigan rout Iowa 42-17 Saturday.The Wolverines (8-3, 6-1 Big Ten) weren't stopped on offense by the hapless Hawkeyes (4-7, 2-5) until Gardner threw an interception early in the fourth quarter.Gardner threw three touchdowns and ran for three scores. He became the first Michigan quarterback to account for six TDs since...

Read More..

Well: Meatless Main Dishes for a Holiday Table

Most vegetarian diners are happy to fill their plates with delicious sides and salads, but if you want to make them feel special, consider one of these main course vegetarian dishes from Martha Rose Shulman. All of them are inspired by Greek cooking, which has a rich tradition of vegetarian meals.I know that Greek food is not exactly what comes to mind when you hear the word “Thanksgiving,” yet why...

Read More..

Privatizing Greece, Slowly but Not Surely

Eirini Vourloumis for The International Herald TribunePotential privatization hit a wall at Katakolo, a seaside town where Christos Konstantopoulos paused near abandoned beachfront homes. More Photos »THE government inspectors set out from Athens for what they thought was a pristine patch of coastline on the Ionian Sea. Their mission was to determine how much money that sun-kissed shore, owned by...

Read More..

Tensions Escalate in Gaza Conflict

New Cars SearchUsed Cars SearchMore in Automobiles Corner OfficeIf I Hire You, What’s Your 100-Day Plan?John Duffy of 3C Interactive says he asks job candidates to describe what their first months on the job would be like, partly to “learn what their expectations are, and where they think we’re at.” Find the best job in the New York metro area and beyo...

Read More..

AP source: Melky Cabrera, Blue Jays reach deal

NEW YORK (AP) — The busy Toronto Blue Jays struck again Friday with their latest big deal: All-Star game MVP Melky Cabrera is set to join them in his return from a drug suspension.A person familiar with the negotiations said the free agent outfielder and the Blue Jays have reached agreement on a two-year contract worth $16 million. The deal is pending a physical, the person told The Associated Press...

Read More..

Personal Health: Quitting Smoking for Good

Few smokers would claim that it’s easy to quit. The addiction to nicotine is strong and repeatedly reinforced by circumstances that prompt smokers to light up.Yet the millions who have successfully quit are proof that a smoke-free life is achievable, even by those who have been regular, even heavy, smokers for decades.Today, 19 percent of American adults smoke, down from more than 42 percent half...

Read More..

2 Banks Settle With S.E.C. on Mortgage Securities

JPMorgan Chase and Credit Suisse have agreed to settlements with the Securities and Exchange Commission totaling $417 million over their packaging and sale of troubled mortgage securities to investors, the agency said Friday. The settlements are the latest major penalties extracted by the agency in a broad investigation into the way Wall Street firms bundled mortgages into complex investments before...

Read More..

Palestinian Rockets Kill Three Israelis and Trigger Air Sirens in Tel Aviv

KIRYAT MALACHI, Israel — Israel and Hamas widened their deadly conflict over Gaza on Thursday, as militants fired dozens of rockets — including one that killed three civilians in an apartment block in this small southern Israeli town — and two longer-range rockets aimed at Tel Aviv, causing no harm but triggering the first air raid warning there set off by incoming fire from Gaza. The death toll in...

Read More..

Miguel Cabrera, Buster Posey win MVP awards

NEW YORK (AP) — Detroit's Miguel Cabrera has won the American League's Most Valuable Player award after becoming baseball's first Triple Crown winner in 45 years, and San Francisco's Buster Posey has been voted the National League honor.Cabrera received 22 of 28 first-place votes and 362 points from the AL panel of Baseball Writers' Association of America. Los Angeles Angels rookie center fielder...

Read More..

I Was Misinformed: The Time She Tried Viagra

I have noticed, in the bragging-rights department, that “he doesn’t need Viagra” has become the female equivalent of the male “and, I swear, she’s a real blonde.” Personally, I do not care a bit. To me, anything that keeps you happy and in the game is a good thing. But then, I am proud to say, I was among the early, and from what I gather, rare female users. It happened when the drug...

Read More..

DealBook: In a Switch, Investors Are Buying European Bank Bonds

LONDON — European bank debt, once an investment pariah, is suddenly popular.In recent weeks, money managers have been readily buying the new bonds of the region’s financial institutions, deals that just months ago would have seemed unpalatable. Bank of Ireland, which received a bailout in 2010, sold $1.3 billion of bonds on Tuesday and found strong demand. It was the largest offering by an Irish bank...

Read More..

Israelis Launch Major Assault on Gaza, Killing Hamas Commander

GAZA — Israel on Wednesday launched one of the most ferocious assaults on Gaza since its invasion four years ago, hitting at least 20 targets in aerial attacks that killed the top military commander of Hamas, drew strong condemnation from Egypt and escalated the risks of a new war in the Middle East. The Israelis coupled the intensity of the airstrikes with the threat of another ground invasion...

Read More..

Price edges Verlander for AL Cy Young Award

NEW YORK (AP) — David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays won the AL Cy Young Award on Wednesday in one of the closest votes ever.Price beat out 2011 winner Justin Verlander by only four points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Other than a 1969 tie between Mike Cuellar and Denny McLain, it was the tightest race in the history of the AL award.Runner-up two years ago, Price was...

Read More..

Personal Health: Quitting Smoking for Good

Few smokers would claim that it’s easy to quit. The addiction to nicotine is strong and repeatedly reinforced by circumstances that prompt smokers to light up.Yet the millions who have successfully quit are proof that a smoke-free life is achievable, even by those who have been regular, even heavy, smokers for decades.Today, 19 percent of American adults smoke, down from more than 42 percent half...

Read More..

5-Hour Energy Is Cited in 13 Death Reports

Federal officials have received reports of 13 deaths over the last four years that cited the possible involvement of 5-Hour Energy, a highly caffeinated energy shot, according to Food and Drug Administration records and an interview with an agency official. The disclosure of the reports is the second time in recent weeks that F.D.A. filings citing energy drinks and deaths have emerged. Last...

Read More..

White House Supports Top U.S. Commander in Afghanistan

President Obama has faith in Gen. John R. Allen, the top American and NATO commander in Afghanistan, the White House spokesman said on Tuesday, after it was disclosed that the general was under investigation for what the Pentagon called “inappropriate communication” with the woman whose complaint to the F.B.I. set off the scandal involving David H. Petraeus’s extramarital affair. “The president...

Read More..

RIM sees BB10 devices in stores soon after launch

WATERLOO, Ontario (Reuters) – Research In Motion is confident its new BlackBerry 10 devices will be 100 percent ready for the January 30 launch and available in stores “not too long after” that, Chief Operating Officer Kristian Tear said on Tuesday.“We’re working hard right now to make sure all the bits and pieces and all the details are in place for the...

Read More..