A 32-year-old Dutch sailor was knocked off ABN Amro Two and into the Atlantic by high waves during the Volvo Ocean Race.

Race to Save Sailor Washed Overboard in Darkness Is Lost

Michael W. Ramsey, the lead lawyer for Kenneth L. Lay, missed more than a month of the 56-day Enron trial because of heart complications.

Out Sick for the Enron Trial, and Rethinking It

Increasing portions of the middle class seem to be doing everything they can to leave Iraq.

As Death Stalks Iraq, Middle-Class Exodus Begins

Since it opened its first two stores five years ago today, the Apple chain has become a retailing phenomenon.

Apple, a Success at Stores, Bets Big on Fifth Avenue

Kenneth L. Lay and Jeffrey K. Skilling went for the "nothing happened" defense, holding that there was nothing really wrong until Enron folded because of a loss of confidence.

What Fraud? All Was Fine at Enron

José Lima was battered again in a loss to the Cardinals and the bench coach Jerry Manuel was ejected in the latest spat with an umpire.

Latest Lima Effort Is No Laughing Matter

Limits on inspections have restricted the world's ability to answer questions about Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Iran's Secrecy Widens Gap in Nuclear Intelligence

Dell, which has used only Intel processors until now, announced the move as part of a broader plan to improve its flagging sales and market share.



Dell to Use Chip Made by A.M.D.

In a hearing that put him on track to win swift confirmation, Gen. Michael V. Hayden also defended an eavesdropping program.

C.I.A. Choice Says He's Independent of the Pentagon

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are young and gifted enough to turn the page on the past, meet the demands of the day while Kobe Bryant remains stuck in a time warp.

Shooting Star Is No Longer the Brightest in the Sky

Two of the main rebel factions fighting the Sudanese government have turned on each other in a grisly battle.

Violent Rebel Rift Adds Layer to Darfur's Misery

The Yankees are not exactly in a crisis, but their injury report takes a lot longer to read these days.

Mounting Injuries Trump Wright's Outing

The measure would order the government to renegotiate leases with companies that drill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Vote in House Seeks to Erase Oil Windfall

Japanese automakers put health and pension burdens squarely on the workers, a distinct advantage over their American counterparts.

Japanese Cars, American Retirees

Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman was accused of paying clients to sue in securities cases.

U.S. Indictment for Big Law Firm in Class Actions

A young police detective testified at the Herald Square bombing plot trial that he was recruited to work deep undercover among Muslims.

Detective Was 'Walking Camera' Among City Muslims, He Testifies

A determined alliance of antiwar activists is working to defeat Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, their centrist nemesis.

Lieberman's Support for War Leaves Him Embattled on Left

Even more than usual, this May is packed with maudlin closure and extreme cliffhangers.

Goodbye Already: The Art of the Television Finale

Drivers in New York City, a new study said, are among the worst in the country when it comes to road rage.

Rage Is Afoot in New York, or Should Be

The nation's leading class-action securities law firm, Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman, and two of its partners were charged yesterday with making more than $11 million in secret payments to three individuals who served as plaintiffs in more than 150 lawsuits.     The indictment is the first instance of a law firm with national reach facing criminal charges, and it could prove to be a fatal blow for the firm. The lawsuits cited in the indictment spanned two decades, occurring as recently as 2005, and generated some $216 million in legal fees for the firm.  

FINALES are like allergies: they come at the same time every year, and for some they are a severe irritant. Each show strains feverishly to outshine the others, but this is the season when ''The West Wing'' and ''Will & Grace'' finally end, and ''Lost'' keeps going. Even more than usual, this May is packed with maudlin closure and extreme cliffhangers.      Series finales can't lose or win. They draw in lots of viewers and yet are almost always a letdown. Even the more memorable ones, like the group hug that ushered out ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' or the Korean War armistice that shut down ''M*A*S*H,'' were not the best episodes, just the inevitable ones. Virtue is in the timing as much as the writing or execution: the best series come to a close before they start to decline. ''Seinfeld,'' for example, ended after nine seasons while it was still a huge hit. ''Alias,'' on the other hand, on its way out with its final episode on Monday, still has the courage of its implausibility, but the ABC spy drama was tapped out long before it reached its fifth and final season.  

Seth Schiesel article reports on E3 video game show in Los Angeles; reviews 10 notable games for Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii and PC; photo (M)

The Best of the Best in Video Games From the E3 Show

A grisly new battle between rebel factions is raging here in Darfur, casting doubts on the future of a peace agreement to end the war.      Two of the main rebel factions fighting the Sudanese government and its allied militias have turned on each other, spurred by ethnic tensions and what appears to be a relentless grab for more territory. Now the rebels have unleashed a tide of violence against the very civilians they once joined forces to protect.  

Harvey Araton Sports of The Times column contends that not all shooters have to dominate game and monopolize game, as guards like Cleveland Cavaliers player LeBron James has proven; photo (M)

Mother and two young children are struck by hit-and-run driver while crossing busy four-lane highway in Linden, NJ; both children are killed; map (M)

May 19, 2006

Headlines from May 19, 2006

Race to Save Sailor Washed Overboard in Darkness Is Lost

Out Sick for the Enron Trial, and Rethinking It

As Death Stalks Iraq, Middle-Class Exodus Begins

Apple, a Success at Stores, Bets Big on Fifth Avenue

What Fraud? All Was Fine at Enron

Billboard 200

10;000 Days

Pearl Jam

Blood Money

High School Musical

Me And My Gang

Historical Context for May 19, 2006