Lighter Than Arrogance

In the Lexicon of Clichés to describe characters accused of a despicable act, “He was once on a reality show” is the new “Neighbors say he was quiet and kept to himself.” Today the idea of a mad loner silently avoiding attention seems like a quaint throwback. In August, a VH1 dating-show contestant was charged with the murder of his ex-wife, then committed suicide

Share

Michelle Obama steals the show in Copenhagen

After flying through the night for seven hours aboard Air Force One, nobody would blame President Obama for being at least slightly groggy when he arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark, for a quick four hours to make the final pitch for Chicago to host the 2016 Olympics.

Share

Liquid specs a bold vision for world’s poor

In the developing world millions of people struggle to operate machinery, read from a blackboard, or just see the world around them, because they don’t have access to the eye glasses they need. But a pair of glasses developed by Joshua Silver, a physics professor at the University of Oxford, offers an affordable solution

Share

Porsche offices raided in VW share probe

German prosecutors are investigating Porsche’s former chief executive Wendelin Wiedeking and other people close to the sports carmaker, alleging market manipulation and passing on inside information in their failed takeover attempt of Volkswagen. The remarkable Jamaican took gold in 19.19 seconds, shaving just over a tenth of a second off the mark he set in winning the 200m at last year’s Beijing Olympics. Bolt also smashed his own 100m world record with a 9.58 seconds clocking in claiming gold in the shorter sprint on the second day of the championships.

Share

Police Open Fire on Protesters in Honduras

The gunshots echoed around the streets of this sweltering Central American capital like a firecrackers. Amid the onslaught of bullets on Sunday afternoon, hundreds of protesters ran for their lives, taking cover behind cinder-block walls or running into the homes of kindly residents

Share

Green walls: the growing success of ‘vegitecture’

Walk past the southern face of the Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, and you will be greeted by a massive wall of brilliant green foliage — an 8,600 square feet plant installation by the designer Patrick Blanc, featuring more than 170 different species. The mass of leaves and flowers seems to be swallowing the building — and provides a proud symbol of resurgent nature in this busy, downtown district.

Share