NEWS Around 1,200 Russians were injured after a meteor hit the atmosphere, and residents of Chelyabinsk were left to deal with memories that seemed to belong in science fiction. The scenes from Chelyabinsk, rocked by an intense shock wave when a meteor hit the Earth’s atmosphere Friday morning, offer a glimpse of an apocalyptic scenario that many have walked through mentally, and Hollywood has popularized, but scientists say has never before injured so many people. Ellen Barry and Andrew E. Kramer report from Moscow.
A high-level corruption scandal has focused Spaniards’ anger on a formerly obscure bookkeeper, and it has also shined an uncomfortable light on officials’ relations with the corporate elite. Raphael Minder and Doreen Carvajal reort from Madrid.
As American troops prepare to speed up their withdrawal from Afghanistan, it is clear some of it will happen under fire as Taliban fighters try to strike at departing soldiers. Matthew Rosenberg reports from Strong Point Haji Rahmuddin II in Afghanistan.
The problems Boeing is having with lithium-ion battery technology has led Airbus to change its plan, and use a conventional battery, made of nickel-cadmium. Christopher Drew reports from New York and Nicola Clark reports from Paris.
Scottish whiskey distillers are weighing a “bottle tax†for companies outside the country that control about four-fifths of the global market for Scotch. Stephen Castle reports from Ballindalloch, Scotland.
ARTS The “art subway†program in Naples, Italy, has commissioned work from about 100 artists so far â€" most of them Italians, with a good dose of local talent â€" and an international roster that includes William Kentridge, Katharina Sieverding and Sol LeWitt, to name a few. It is still a work in progress, but it already offers riders and art lovers the opportunity to see impressive art in a utilitarian space. Elisabetta Povoledo reports from Naples.
SPORTS Even before his arrest this week on murder charges, Oscar Pistorius’s career and personal life were complicated. In the world of track and field, he was inspiring and polarizing. Even as he ran in the Olympics, the debate continued about whether his carbon-fiber blades gave him an unfair advantage over other runners. Jere Longman reports from New York.
