Obama’s Other ‘Cliff’ Is in Foreign Policy

For all the talk of a “fiscal cliff” threatening the nation’s finances, President Obama also faces a foreign policy cliff of sorts, with a welter of national security issues that he put on the back burner during the campaign now clamoring for his attention. Atop that list, administration officials and foreign policy experts say, is the bloody civil war in Syria and the standoff with Iran...

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Apple's shares slide 4 percent to five-month low

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Luck among players shaving head to support Pagano

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Luck has joined the shaved squad, too.Nearly three dozen players on the Indianapolis Colts have shaved their heads in a show of support for head coach Chuck Pagano, who is undergoing treatment for a form of leukemia.Luck became a new member of the no-hair club Wednesday morning. Players and coaches were not available for comment because they were headed to Jacksonville,...

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Global Update: Polio Eradication Efforts in Pakistan Focus on Pashtuns

Michael Kamber for The New York TimesPolio will never be eradicated in Pakistan until a way is found to persuade poor Pashtuns to embrace the vaccine, according to a study released by the World Health Organization. A survey of 1,017 parents of young children found that 41 percent had never heard of polio and 11 percent refused to vaccinate their children against it. The survey was done in...

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Investors on Wall St. React Nervously

Henny Ray Abrams/Associated PressA trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. A day after the election, the outlook of continued divided government in Washington and little prospect for compromise unnerved traders. Business leaders and investors on Wall Street reacted nervously to President Obama’s re-election Wednesday, as the focus shifted quickly from electoral politics to...

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Egyptian Vigilantes Crack Down on Abuse of Women

Tara Todras-Whitehill for The New York TimesA self-appointed citizens patrol that tries to protect women on Cairo’s streets spray-painted a youth for identification last month. CAIRO — The young activists lingered on the streets around Tahrir Square, scrutinizing the crowds of holiday revelers. Suddenly, they charged, pushing people aside and chasing down a young man. As the captive thrashed to get...

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Exclusive - Amazon to win e-book tussle with Apple

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union regulators are to end an antitrust probe into e-book prices by accepting an offer by Apple and four publishers to ease price restrictions on Amazon, two sources said on Tuesday. The decision hands online retailer Amazon victory in its attempt to sell e-books cheaper than its rivals in the fast-growing market that publishers hope will boost revenue and...

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Brees, Robinson lead Saints past Eagles 28-13

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Two teams with the same record. Two teams heading in strikingly different directions.Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints appear to be on the rise again.Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles are down, and nearly out.Brees threw two touchdown passes, extending his NFL record streak to 51 games in a row, while Vick was sacked seven times and took an awful beating as the Saints...

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Judge Temporarily Blocks Mandate on Birth Control

WASHINGTON — A federal judge has issued an order shielding a Michigan business from a requirement of the new health care law to provide insurance coverage for contraceptives at no charge to female employees. The judge, Robert H. Cleland of the Federal District Court in Detroit, said last week that the requirement could infringe on “the sincere exercise of religious beliefs” by the owner of...

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Silicon Valley Objects to Online Privacy Rule Proposals for Children

Washington is pushing Silicon Valley on children’s privacy, and Silicon Valley is pushing back. Daniel Rosenbaum for The New York TimesPhyllis H. Marcus, a lawyer for the F.T.C., is leading a team that is updating a privacy rule to require more parental consent. Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter have all objected to portions of a federal effort...

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