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No injuries, signs of spill in Gulf rig explosion
(Reuters)
Reuters - An oil and gas platform in the Gulf of Mexico exploded on Thursday in an accident that recalled the worst offshore oil spill in history, though there appeared to be no injuries and no initial signs of pollution.
Azarenka collapse shocks fans at Flushing Meadows
(AFP)
 AFP - Sweltering conditions and gusting winds proved a handful at the US Open, but it was the consequences of a simple training stumble by Belarus starlet Victoria Azarenka that shocked fans.
Ohio restricting Puerto Rican birth certificates
(AP)
 AP - Elizabeth Torres was stung when her 19-year-old son said he'd been turned down for a state-issued Ohio identification card because his birth certificate from Puerto Rico was considered invalid.
German Bundesbank wants 'racist' banker fired
(AFP)
 AFP - Germany's central bank called on Thursday on the country's president to fire one of its board members after he called immigrants unproductive and said that Jews had a special "gene."
CEO layoff leaders also led in pay in '09: study
(Reuters)
Reuters - As U.S. companies shed millions of workers during the recession, the CEOs who laid off the most people brought home pay that was significantly higher than that of their peers, a study released on Thursday found.
Oil rig blast forces 13 workers into Gulf of Mexico
(AFP)
 AFP - An explosion ripped through an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday forcing 13 people into the water, one of whom was injured, the US Coast Guard said.
Paris mosque slams burger chain's Muslim outreach
(AP)
 AP - Note to big companies hoping to tap into France's lucrative but long-neglected Muslim consumer market: Pitfalls may await, and not only in the form of complaints from the far-right.
Swing sets removed at some W.Va. schools
(AP)
AP - Elementary school playgrounds in one West Virginia county are losing their swing sets.
Natalie Portman earns early awards buzz for ballet drama
(Reuters)
Reuters - Critics are queuing up to praise Natalie Portman in her latest movie "Black Swan," the opening picture at this year's Venice film festival, with one review saying the performance "elevates her ... to a major star."
Number of illegal immigrants in US now declining
(AP)
 AP - The number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. has dropped for the first time in two decades — decreasing by 8 percent since 2007, a new study finds. The reasons range from the sour economy to Mexican violence and increased U.S. enforcement that has made it harder to sneak across the border.
Rapper T.I., wife arrested on drug charges
(AP)
 AP - Grammy-winning rapper T.I. was arrested along with his wife on suspicion of possessing methamphetamines, five months after the hip-hop star finished a prison stint on weapons charges.
Roddick upset by Tipsarevic in 2nd round of Open
(AP)
 AP - Andy Roddick found it infuriating that a lineswoman who called him for a foot fault was wrong about which of his shoes touched the line.
Google, Skype targeted in India security crackdown
(AP)
 AP - India has widened its security crackdown, asking all companies that provide encrypted communications — not just BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion — to install servers in the country to make it easier for the government to obtain users' data. That would likely affect digital giants like Google and Skype.
Earl threatens East Coast with weekend pounding
(AP)
 AP - Hurricane Earl packed winds near 140 mph as it blew toward North Carolina on Thursday, putting the Eastern Seaboard all the way to Maine on alert for a Labor Day weekend pounding by waves, gales and rain.
Famed Tasmanian devil euthanized after tumor found
(AP)
 AP - A Tasmanian devil named Cedric, once thought to be immune to a contagious facial cancer threatening the iconic creatures with extinction, has been euthanized after succumbing to the disease, researchers said Wednesday.
Gunman shot as Discovery hostages planned escape
(AP)
 AP - As the three hostages at Discovery Channel's headquarters appeared ready to make a run for it, police said Thursday that a SWAT team officer quickly shot and killed the increasingly agitated gunman who had explosives strapped to himself, ending the four-hour standoff.
Pending home sales rise 5.2 percent in July
(Reuters)
 Reuters - Pending sales of previously owned U.S. homes rose unexpectedly in July, an industry group said on Thursday, suggesting a tax credit-related housing market decline was close to bottoming.
Ants Defeat Elephants to Save a Tree
(LiveScience.com)
LiveScience.com - Ants in your pants? That's nothing compared with ants up
your snout. And that's what elephants in the African savanna must contend with
when trying to snag a meal from a certain type of acacia tree.
New York mosque pits John Cusack vs. Fox News
(Reuters)
Reuters - Politically minded actor John Cusack has picked a fight with Fox News, and both of them have dealt the "death" card from the bottom of the deck.
Top Gear's Stig finally unmasked
(Reuters)
Reuters - The identity of "The Stig," the mystery test car driver on the popular BBC TV motoring show "Top Gear" was revealed on Wednesday after the broadcaster lost a legal battle to keep his name secret.
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