Gays in Pakistan Move Cautiously to Gain Acceptance

Max Becherer for the International Herald TribuneHIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT Ali, a gay man who lives in Lahore, is in a support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pakistanis. “The gay scene here is very hush-hush,” he says. LAHORE, Pakistan — The group meets irregularly in a simple building among a row of shops here that close in the evening. Drapes cover the windows. Sometimes members watch...

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Google's Android software in 3 out of 4 smartphones

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NYC Marathon is canceled following storm damage

NEW YORK (AP) — Gisela Clausen delivered the news to her fellow runners from Germany as they walked into the New Yorker Hotel."We spend a year on this. We don't eat what we want. We don't drink what we want. And we're on the streets for hours. We live for this marathon," she said, "but we understand."Mayor Michael Bloomberg reversed himself Friday and yielded to mounting criticism that this was no...

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Second Illness Infects Meningitis Sufferers

Just when they might have thought they were in the clear, people recovering from meningitis in an outbreak caused by a contaminated steroid drug have been struck by a second illness. The new problem, called an epidural abscess, is an infection near the spine at the site where the drug — contaminated by a fungus — was injected to treat back or neck pain. The abscesses are a localized infection,...

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In Election-Night Party Planning, Flexibility Is a Must

Isaac Brekken for The New York TimesFrank Roskowski, director of technical services at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas, says it's difficult to determine the contours of an election-night party. Isaac Brekken for The New York TimesA sign points to an early-voting site in Las Vegas, a city well suited to election parties because many of its ballrooms can expand or contract to accommodate victory...

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Erdogan Says He Plans a Trip to Gaza Soon

Bernat Armangue/Associated PressTwo Palestinians walked on the beach near Rafah, the southernmost city of Gaza. The Turkish prime minister announced Friday that he would visit the tiny Palestinian enclave. JERUSALEM — The prime minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Friday that he planned to soon visit the Gaza Strip, a move that would significantly enhance the legitimacy of the Hamas-controlled...

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Microsoft vs Google trial raises concerns over secrecy

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Two weeks before a high-stakes trial pitting Google's Motorola Mobility unit against Microsoft, Google made what has become a common request for a technology company fighting for billions of dollars: A public court proceeding, conducted largely in secret. Google and Microsoft, like rivals embroiled in smartphone patent wars, are eager to keep sensitive business...

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Bloomberg faces outcry over Sunday's NYC Marathon

NEW YORK (AP) — With people in storm-ravaged areas still shivering without electricity and the death toll in New York City at more than 40, many New Yorkers recoiled at the prospect of police officers being assigned to protect a marathon.They were repelled by the thought of storm victims being evicted from hotels to make room for people coming into town for the race, and the sight of big generators...

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Urban Athlete: Discover Outdoors Offers Mountain Fitness Class

Willie Davis for The New York TimesRey Soriano, foreground, holding himself on suspension trainers in a workout run by Discover Outdoors. I HAVE spent a small fortune over the years on gym memberships. But all you really need to get in shape, I now know, are a few granite paving stones, some sandbags and a backpack full of water jugs. Willie Davis for The New York TimesDavid Tacheny,...

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E.P.A. Finds Hyundai and Kia Overstated Gas Mileage

DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai and Kia overstated the gas mileage on 900,000 vehicles sold in the past three years, a discovery that could bring sanctions from the U.S. government and millions of dollars in reimbursements to car owners. The inflated mileage was uncovered in an audit of test results by the Environmental Protection Agency, which ordered the Korean automakers to replace fuel economy...

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