Physicists run first particles through CERN collider
Around the world, scientists celebrated the inauguration of the largest, most powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, under the Franco-Swiss border.
- New accelerator could spell doom for us all - or not

Saudis to ignore OPEC decision to cut production
Members of the oil cartel agreed to cut production to maintain high prices, but Saudi officials said they would continue to pump as much as needed.
- IEA cuts world oil demand forecast

Wide-ranging ethics scandal emerges at Interior Dept.
The department's inspector general found wrongdoing including allegations of financial self-dealing, cocaine use and sexual misconduct.

Pentagon announces big delay in tanker fight
The competition to make the aircraft has pitted Boeing and an international partnership headed by Northrop Grumman in a fierce lobbying battle.

Fresh intrigue surrounds a Cold War murder
Exactly 30 years after the death of Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian dissident writer, the mysteries around his death seem to have multiplied.

Gloomy economic forecasts darken political mood in Europe
The European Commission slashed its forecast for economic growth this year, and one top finance minister raised the specter of a recession.
- EU budget rules face first test with downturn
- ECB still 'resolute' in fighting inflation, Trichet says

EU and Russia wrangle over Georgia monitors
Just two days after President Nicolas Sarkozy of France celebrated the closure of another hard-fought peace agreement in Georgia, Russia and Europe were at odds over whether 200 European monitors would be allowed within Russian-held territory.

More than ever, uncertainty rules in N. Korea
If Kim Jong Il is incapacitated or dies, who will take over one of the world's most isolated and unpredictable regimes, now armed with nuclear weapons?

Democracy and stability under siege in Thailand
As contenders emerged for the now-vacant prime minister spot, there was no sign that a damaging anti-government protest that has spread to students and labor unions was weakening.

ElBaradei won't seek 4th term as head of nuclear agency
Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has investigated a number of atomic weapons programs, but he also has clashed with Washington over how tough to get with Iran.

Do Palin's credentials compare to Truman's?
In her rousing speech to the Republican convention, Sarah Palin likened her beginnings to those of Harry Truman, although a comparison of their political credentials is something of a stretch.

Sept. 11 survivors' painful roads to normalcy
The memory of the attack on the World Trade Center remains an everyday reality for the people who were severely burned, and lived.
- UN forum hears from victims of terrorism

Rodarte: When the creative juices flow
Creative juices flow in strange ways. But in practical, down-to-earth New York Fashion Week, it is a relief to see designers bringing something from a wellspring of inspiration, rather than just making regular clothes.
- The Mulleavy sisters: Double vision