NATION
Car Bomb sparks scare in Times Square
On Saturday evening, a crude car bomb of propane, gasoline and fireworks was found in a smoking Nissan Pathfinder in the heart of Times Square in New York City. Thousands of tourists and theatregoers were evacuated. There was no explosion. Federal authorities said the incident appeared to be an isolated one, and that there was no evidence of an ongoing threat to the city.
Advocates rally for change in Arizona Immigration Law
Thousands of demonstrators joined marches and rallies Saturdays in cities across the country to protest the newly-passed anti-illegal immigrant law in Arizona, calling on Congress to pass an immigration overhaul. The new Arizona law authorized the police to question people about their status based on a suspicion that they might be illegal immigrants, which advocates claim would lead to racial profiling and spread fear in immigrant communities.
Oil spill options are evaluated
President Obama traveled to Louisiana on Sunday for a briefing on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which was set off by an explosion on April 20. Federal officials said they were putting their hopes on drilling a parallel relief well to plug the unabated gusher. Drilling such a well could take three months. Strong winds and rough waters have hampered cleanup efforts.
Obama defends government action in commencement speech
President Obama on Saturday directly confronted the sharpening political rancor in Washington. In his speech, he told the graduating class at the University of Michigan that the country needs a “basic level of civility in our public discourse” and gave a defense of governemnt intervention at times of crisis.
WORLD
World Expo opens in Shanghai, China
Shanghai kicked off the 2010 World Expo on Friday evening with an extravagant opening ceremony. The city has spent $45 billion, more than Beijing spent on the 2008 Olympics, to put on the Expo, aiming to attract 70 million visitors during the six-month-long festival.
Greece reaches bailout deal with EU, IMF
Greece reached a historic deal with other Euro-zone countries and the International Monetary Fund for a three-year, €110 billion ($146.5 billion) bailout. The EU countries will lend as much as €30 billion this year. The price of the aid is a set of searing measures to cut Greece’s budget gap, including slashing public-sector wages, which have whipped up anger among Greeks who will be affected by the new, more drastic measure.
Congo rebels killed scores in village
United Nations officials said Saturday that the Lord’s Resistance Army rebel force killed up to 100 people in a previously unreported massacre in the remote northeastern corner of Congo. The L.R.A. has been waging a brutal and bizarre rebellion for more than 20 years, starting in northern Uganda in the late 1980s.
Arabs back indirect talks between Palestinians
Arab ministers on Saturday endorsed resuming indirect talks between Palestinians and Israelis, formally resurrecting an American proposal that collapsed last month after Israel announced plans to build new housing in East Jerusalem. But while the Palestinians and the Arab ministers agreed to endorse peace talks that have been stalled for more than a year, they did not give ground on the issue of settlements.
News compiled from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal
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