Shell Wins 3 Pollution Suits Filed by Nigerians

In a legal dispute that had been closely watched by multinational companies and environmental organizations, a Dutch court Wednesday dismissed most of the claims brought by Nigerian farmers seeking to hold Royal Dutch Shell accountable for damage by oil spilled from its pipelines. The decision, by the District Court of the Hague, was unusual in that it was brought in a Dutch jurisdiction...

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Egyptian general warns against continued unrest

CAIRO — Egypt’s top military commander warned President Mohamed Morsi and opposition parties Tuesday to end days of bloodshed...

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Next Up for SEALs: Upgraded Batman-Style Grappling Hook Gun

Even Navy SEALs need to feel like Batman sometimes. Especially when they’re trying to scale walls or board ships.Enter Jim LaBine of the defense company Battelle. For years, Battelle has manufactured a tool for SEALs that the Dark Knight might haul from the Batcave: a pneumatically fired grappling hook, launched from an intimidating black cannon about the size of your arm. It’s called the...

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Clinton coy about political future in joint interview with Obama

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sidestepped questions about whether she would run for president in 2016 in a CBS television interview done jointly with President Barack Obama, her rival in the 2008 race.Clinton, 65, denied there were any political tea leaves to read in the unusual joint interview for the CBS show “60 Minutes,” and acknowledged that she still...

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Well: Ask Well: Squats for Aging Knees

You are already doing many things right, in terms of taking care of your aging knees. In particular, it sounds as if you are keeping your weight under control. Carrying extra pounds undoubtedly strains knees and contributes to pain and eventually arthritis.You mention weight training, too, which is also valuable. Sturdy leg muscles, particularly those at the front and back of the thighs, stabilize...

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DealBook: Jefferies C.E.O. Earned $19 Million in 2012

3:48 p.m. | Updated The head of the Jefferies Group was one of the better-paid chief executives on Wall Street in 2012, as the firm put a difficult period behind it.Richard B. Handler, the chief executive of Jefferies, earned a total of $19 million for 2012, the firm said in a filing on Tuesday. That included a $5 million cash bonus and a $13 million long-term equity incentive award, on top of a $1...

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'Argo' producer scours for the next stranger-than-fiction story

Hunched over a desk in his spartan Westwood apartment, David Klawans squints at his computer monitor and knits his brow in concentration....

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Dubai's Underwater Hotel Promises Submersible Luxury

Dubai’s fascination with overblown architecture has moved below sea level thanks to the announcement of The Water Discus — billed as the world’s largest underwater hotel.With an aesthetic not too many light years removed from the Starship Enterprise and an evacuation mechanism not dissimilar to that of a cafetiere plunger in reverse, the design by Polish firm Deep...

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Barbara Walters, hospitalized after fall, recovering from chicken pox

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Celebrity newswoman Barbara Walters, who was hospitalized earlier this month after falling and injuring her head, is recovering from chicken pox, her co-host Whoopi Goldberg said Monday on “The View” talk show.Goldberg said Walters, 83, who is in a New York hospital, has been told to rest and is not receiving visitors.“You all know that she fell and cut her head 10 days ago and...

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Well: Keeping Blood Pressure in Check

Since the start of the 21st century, Americans have made great progress in controlling high blood pressure, though it remains a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure and kidney disease.Now 48 percent of the more than 76 million adults with hypertension have it under control, up from 29 percent in 2000.But that means more than half, including many receiving treatment, have...

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