Dubbed the “heist of the century” by Russian news agencies, the apparent theft of 221 objects from the State Hermitage Museum was accompanied by a curator’s mysterious death.

Hermitage Is Reeling From Loss of Artworks

Israel sent up to 7,000 troops into Lebanon, aimed at pushing Hezbollah back from the border before a cease-fire is declared.

Israel Expands Ground Forces Inside Lebanon

For more than half a century, America’s master crooner has remained a rock of integrity in the polluted sea of irony, bad faith and grotesque attitudinizing that pop music has become.

Tony Bennett at 80, Keeping the Flame

If Senator Joseph I. Lieberman loses in the Connecticut primary and runs as an independent, he may face opposition from some Democratic factions.

In Lieberman Fight, Some Faithful Feel Torn

What do Chicago’s new $10 minimum wage for big-box retailers and Colorado’s new immigration law say about the politics of the economy?

Anxiety Rises as Paychecks Trail Inflation

The Yankees moved into first place for the first time since June 17, as their victory over the Blue Jays capped three blissful days for the team.

Order Is Restored: Yankees First, Red Sox Second

Jeanette Means went out into the 95-degree heat yesterday so Raymond Trapp did not have to.

Checking Up on Those Trapped at Home

Jeff Becker might be the antithesis of extreme, but became undeniably cooler when ESPN added his sport, rally car racing, to this year’s X Games lineup.

Baby Boomer Will Be Strapped Into a Rally Car at the X Games

American buyers are again flocking to Japanese companies in the wake of high gasoline prices. 

Toyota’s U.S. Sales Edge Past Ford’s

President Bush’s embrace of Israel differs from his father’s tough approach and represents a divide between the Bushes. 

Bush’s Embrace of Israel Shows Gap With Father

Billy Wagner allowed a game-winning, two-run homer to Josh Willingham in the ninth inning, spoiling what seemed destined to be a joyous occasion for the Mets.

Setup Men Do the Job, but Wagner Does Not

An earlier apology acknowledged “despicable” remarks, but never specifically mentioned their anti-Jewish tenor.

Mel Gibson Seeks Forgiveness From Jews

A statement read on state television after a long day of speculation and rumor gave few details about Fidel Castro's condition.

Castro Is ‘Stable,’ but His Illness Presents Puzzle

Because of the evolution of its working farms, Columbia County has kept its scruffy, genuinely rural charm, even while being “discovered” again and again by city people.

Welcome to the Country

Sites like Amazon.com and eBay are bolstering the number of packages shipped via the Postal Service.

Postal Service Finds a Friend in the Internet

Trying to forestall the effects of the fiercest heat wave of the summer, New York City undertook an extraordinary range of preventive measures.

City Dims Lights as Heat Strains the Power Grid

The festival’s newest staging of Wagner’s four-part epic, “Der Ring des Nibelungen,” concluded Monday night, eliciting both boos and bravos from the audience.

A ‘Ring’ at Bayreuth, as Beauty Shines Through Newness

Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. said Tuesday that he recognized the economy was not benefiting all Americans.

A New Page in the Script for Paulson

Federal prosecutors said leaders of a powerful union used violence and intimidation to control the construction industry in the Niagara Falls area.

Union Leaders on Trial for Racketeering and Extortion Plead Guilty

In a further illustration of the copycat economics of Wall Street, Lehman Brothers is now raising a private equity fund. 

These Days, Wall Street Does It All

Lawmakers’ traditional moving sanctums are filling up with unelected interlopers invited in by their colleagues.

Washington Traffic Jam? Senators-Only Elevator

For years baby food changed little. Now there has been a growth spurt of alternatives, from single-ingredient purées to complete toddler meals in designer packages.

A New Tasting Menu in the Baby Section

Given Wal-Mart’s formidable record at home, the company’s recent setbacks have exposed a rare vulnerability overseas.

Wal-Mart Finds That Its Formula Doesn’t Fit Every Culture

The Jura region defies many expectations, nowhere more so than in its wines. Even in France, the wines of the Jura are little-known, but they are as distinctive as any in the world.

Surprises From the Jura, Jagged in a Velvet-Smooth Universe

Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, speaks on theft of Russian objects made of silver and enamel that were stolen from museum; does not accuse any specific employees of theft, but notes that only three employees had access to area and that many of objects had been seen only by curator who recently died; notes that incident points to fact that museum workers can no longer be blindly trusted and museum must be as strict with employees as with visitors; photo (M)

August 2, 2006

Headlines from August 2, 2006

Hermitage Is Reeling From Loss of Artworks

Israel Expands Ground Forces Inside Lebanon

Tony Bennett at 80, Keeping the Flame

In Lieberman Fight, Some Faithful Feel Torn

Anxiety Rises as Paychecks Trail Inflation

Billboard 200

NOW 22

Sacred

If You're Going Through Hell

St. Elsewhere

High School Musical

Historical Context for August 2, 2006