The Buzz | Dorian strikes Bahamas with record fury as Category 5 storm

Hurricane Dorian struck the northern Bahamas as a catastrophic Category 5 storm yesterday , its record 297 kph winds ripping off roofs, overturning cars and tearing down power

Iran acknowledges rocket explosion, says test malfunctioned

I ran acknowledged for the first time yesterday that a rocket at its Imam Khomeini Space Center exploded after satellite photos showed the blast last week, with

UK’s reputation takes global hit with Parliament shutdown

It’s long been known that Britain’s Parliament building must be vacated for urgent repairs that will take years and cost billions, but the problem now goes

Offbeat | 250 pigs escape; most back, some with help from hot dog buns

About 250 pigs have been causing a ruckus in a Vermont town the past month after they escaped from their enclosure, but most of them had been returned

This Day in History | 1945 – Japan signs unconditional surrender

Japanese officials have signed the act of unconditional surrender, finally bringing to an end six years of world war. In the presence of 50 Allied generals and

The Buzz | Where’s the pope? Stuck in Vatican elevator

Thousands of people who were gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the traditional Sunday on-the-dot-of-noon appearance by Pope Francis were watching for the window of the Apostolic Palace

Technology | Operation infects iPhones with spyware

Researchers say suspected nation-state hackers infected Apple iPhones with spyware for over two years in what security experts on Friday called an alarming security failure for

Russia | Election chief defends ban on Moscow candidates

The head of Russia’s election commission is standing by a decision to keep a dozen independent candidates from running for the city legislature in Moscow, but concedes

Norway to review criminal cases with Danish telecom data

Norway’s top prosecutor yesterday asked police and prosecutors across the country to identify all criminal cases where telecommunications data have been obtained from Denmark, amid concerns

This Day in History | 1980 – Polish workers win trade union rights

Striking Polish workers have won a sweeping victory in a two-month battle with their Communist rulers for the right to independent trade unions and the right to strike.

World briefs

The Buzz | ‘This ain’t your mother’s marijuana,’ surgeon general says

Federal health officials are issuing a national warning against marijuana use by adolescents and pregnant women, as more states legalize some forms of the drug’s use. Health

Hurricane on track for Florida after strike in Caribbean

Hurricane Dorian posed an increasing menace to Florida as it pushed over open waters yesterday after leaving limited damage in Puerto Rico and the Virgin

Respiratory ailments rise in Brazil as Amazon fires rage

Lingering smoke in the Amazon caused concern yesterday (local time) among Brazilians who say that respiratory problems — particularly among children and the elderly — have

Offbeat | Woman fighting request to turn in 15-year-old vanity plate

A New Hampshire woman is fighting the state Department of Motor Vehicles over her 15-year-old vanity license plate showing a common parental phrase. Seacoastonline.com reports Wendy Auger,

This Day in History | 2005 – Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans

Hurricane Katrina is pummelling New Orleans with howling gusts and blinding rain, after sweeping ashore over the southern Louisiana coast. The storm has knocked out power