Sinosphere Blog: Scenes From the Deadly Explosions in Tianjin

Sinosphere Blog: Scenes From the Deadly Explosions in Tianjin
China Seeks to Calm Markets as It Devalues Its Currency for a 3rd Consecutive Day
Back in Play, McIlroy Sees Test to His Reign
Iraq Officials: Huge Truck Bomb in Baghdad Market Kills 58
Influential Leader in Myanmar Is Removed as Head of Governing Party
Market Truck Bomb Kills at Least 60 in Baghdad's Sadr City: Sources
Deadly Explosions Hit China’s Port of Tianjin
In Efforts to Sway Iran Debate, Big-Money Donors Are Heard
Devaluation Hints at China’s Rising Distress Over Economy
As Drug Kingpins Fall in Mexico, Cartels Fracture and Violence Surges
U.S. Says Iranian Military Figure’s Visit to Russia Violates U.N. Ban
Jimmy Carter Says He Has Cancer
U.N. Official Resigns Amid Accusations of Sex Abuse by Peacekeepers
20% of New York State Students Opted Out of Standardized Tests This Year
ISIS Affiliate in Egypt Says It Has Beheaded Croatian Prisoner
Open Source: Opponents of Iran Deal Try to Reach Young Voters on Snapchat
Iran’s Foreign Minister Visits Syria for Talks With Assad
Scandals in Brazil Prompt Fears of a Return to Turmoil
Time Is Running Out on Part of Assange Sex Assault Investigation
2015 P.G.A. Championship: Here’s What You Need to Know

Posted: 13 Aug 2015 12:36 AM PDT

When news of the blasts emerged late Wednesday, Chinese turned to social media to post images of the destruction, find updates on casualties and offer support to victims and firefighters tackling the huge blaze.

China Seeks to Calm Markets as It Devalues Its Currency for a 3rd Consecutive Day

Posted: 13 Aug 2015 12:06 AM PDT

The renminbi's official rate against the dollar has fallen 4.4 percent over the past three days, but officials in Beijing said it was not in free fall.

Back in Play, McIlroy Sees Test to His Reign

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 11:53 PM PDT

Rory McIlroy, the world's No. 1 golfer, is returning to defend his title in the P.G.A. Championship after recovering from torn ligaments in his ankle. But Jordan Spieth may steal his spotlight.

Iraq Officials: Huge Truck Bomb in Baghdad Market Kills 58

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 11:22 PM PDT

A massive truck bomb ripped through a popular Baghdad food market in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood in the early morning hours on Thursday, killing at least 58 people, police officials said.

Influential Leader in Myanmar Is Removed as Head of Governing Party

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 10:45 PM PDT

The move was the most visible sign yet of splintering among members of Myanmar's military elite.

Market Truck Bomb Kills at Least 60 in Baghdad's Sadr City: Sources

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 10:43 PM PDT

At least 60 people were killed and 200 wounded in a bomb attack on Thursday at a market in Baghdad's Sadr City district, police and medical sources said, in one of the largest attacks on the capital since Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi took office a year ago.

Deadly Explosions Hit China’s Port of Tianjin

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 10:33 PM PDT

At least 44 died and hundreds were reported injured in the blasts, which caused a huge fireball in Tianjin, about 90 miles east of Beijing.

In Efforts to Sway Iran Debate, Big-Money Donors Are Heard

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 07:41 PM PDT

The passions of big contributors — and their ability to change a candidate's fortunes — are a keenly felt undercurrent to the debate over the fate of President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran.

Devaluation Hints at China’s Rising Distress Over Economy

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 07:33 PM PDT

China allowed the renminbi to weaken significantly for a third consecutive day, its biggest plunge in decades, increasing concerns that the sluggish economy is even worse off and that the government is panicking.

As Drug Kingpins Fall in Mexico, Cartels Fracture and Violence Surges

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 07:21 PM PDT

For years, the government has tried to decapitate drug cartels by capturing or killing their leaders. But the organizations are often replaced by smaller, even more vicious groups.

U.S. Says Iranian Military Figure’s Visit to Russia Violates U.N. Ban

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 06:03 PM PDT

Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the head of Iran's paramilitary Quds force, has been subject to a travel ban since 2007. The visit may provide fuel to opponents of a nuclear agreement with Iran.

Jimmy Carter Says He Has Cancer

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 05:56 PM PDT

In a statement, Mr. Carter said that recent liver surgery revealed cancer that had spread to several parts of his body.

U.N. Official Resigns Amid Accusations of Sex Abuse by Peacekeepers

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 05:09 PM PDT

Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general, said his head of mission in the Central African Republic, Babacar Gaye, had resigned "at my request."

20% of New York State Students Opted Out of Standardized Tests This Year

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 04:22 PM PDT

Just 31 percent of third through eighth graders passed state reading tests and 38 percent passed math, both slight improvements from last year.

ISIS Affiliate in Egypt Says It Has Beheaded Croatian Prisoner

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 03:37 PM PDT

The claim, if confirmed, would be the first time during a two-year jihadist insurgency that extremists in Egypt had taken captive and killed a foreigner.

Open Source: Opponents of Iran Deal Try to Reach Young Voters on Snapchat

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 03:08 PM PDT

An effort to engage young people in the debate over the nuclear accord with Iran stimulated a lot of discussion, not all of it on-message.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Visits Syria for Talks With Assad

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 02:14 PM PDT

The Iranian minister arrived in Damascus to discuss the civil war in Syria with President Bashar al-Assad while rebel shelling and government strikes killed more than 30 people nearby.

Scandals in Brazil Prompt Fears of a Return to Turmoil

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 01:59 PM PDT

Some Brazilians are calling for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff amid corruption scandals. And the sense of political uncertainty ranks among the country's worst since the 1980s.

Time Is Running Out on Part of Assange Sex Assault Investigation

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 01:43 PM PDT

Swedish officials said that three of the four claims against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, may never be investigated, but one, of rape, could continue for a further five years.

2015 P.G.A. Championship: Here’s What You Need to Know

Posted: 12 Aug 2015 01:14 PM PDT

The fourth major championship of the golf season begins along the shore of Lake Michigan on Thursday, with Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy in the same group.