NEWS The White House said Thursday that it believes the Syrian government has used chemical weapons in its civil war, an assessment that could test President Obama’s repeated warnings that such an attack could precipitate American intervention in Syria. Mark Lander and Eric Schmitt report from Washington.
Despite qualms about embroiling peacekeeping troops in the global fight against Islamist extremists, the United Nations Security Council voted Thursday to establish a force for Mali, where militants controlled much of the north until France intervened in January. Neil MacFarquhar reports from the United Nations.
In March 2011, the Russian security service sent a stark warning to the F.B.I., reporting that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was “a follower of radical Islam†who had “changed drastically since 2010†and was preparing to travel to Russia’s turbulent Caucasus to connect with underground militant groups. Six months later, Russia sent the same warning to the C.I.A. Scott Shane, Michael S. Schmidt and Eric Schmitt report from Washington.
As rescuers struggled on Thursday to reach survivors in one of the worst manufacturing disasters in history, pointed questions were being raised about why a Bangladesh factory building was not padlocked after terrified workers notified the police, government officials and a powerful garment industry group about cracks in the walls. Julfikar Ali Manik reports from Dhaka, Steven Greenhouse from New York and Jim Yardley from New Delhi.
One of President Enrique Peña Nieto’s signature efforts to shake up Mexico â€" a broad plan to overhaul the education system â€" has run into violent protests that underscore how difficult it may be to carry out, particularly in some volatile states with poor academic performance. Karla Zabludovsky reports from Mexico City.
London’s reputation as the libel capital of the world, “a town called sue,†is poised to end. A new law enacted Thursday strengthens the position of people sued for libel here and puts an end to most cases of so-called libel tourism. Sarah Lyall reports from London.
European Union regulators took another step on Thursday toward reaching an antitrust settlement with Google, asking the company’s competitors to review changes proposed by Google to resolve concerns with its Internet search and advertising business. James Kanter reports from Brussels.
ARTS The long-awaited pairing of Adrian Lester and Rory Kinnear in “Othello†at the National Theatre in London is one of the director Nicholas Hytner’s greatest achievements. Matt Wolf reviews from London.
Copies of “The Great Gatsby,†which is selling briskly, now come with two covers: one based on the original art, and another that is a tie-in to the coming movie. Julie Bosman reports.
SPORTS Right now, the energy, the pace, the physical power and the strength of mind shown by both German soccer clubs surely marks a change in the ruling class of international soccer. Rob Hughes writes from London.
