Author: NY TIMES

Taylor, Taylor, Taylor, Taylor, Taylor, Taylor, Taylor, Taylor.For two months now, Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” has dominated the Billboard album chart, fending off challenges from Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and the K-pop group Ateez, often with the help of special “versions” featuring extra tracks.This week, “Tortured Poets” logs its eighth consecutive time at No. 1, with the equivalent of 128,000 sales in the United States, including 136 million streams and 23,000 copies sold as a full package, according to the tracking service Luminate.Although two of Swift’s previous albums have posted more times at No. 1 overall — “Fearless”…

Fourteen Jordanian pilgrims died as they performed rituals related to the hajj, a holy trip to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that Muslims are encouraged to take once in their lives, Jordan’s official news agency said on Sunday.The pilgrims died as a result of exposure to extreme sun and heat, the agency said, based on a report from Jordan’s Foreign Ministry. In Mecca, temperatures reached nearly 110 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, and recent studies have indicated that climate change will increase health risks there.An additional 17 pilgrims were missing, the agency said.The hajj is one of the largest mass gatherings in…

The mayor of Derry gave a speech. The first and deputy ministers of Northern Ireland took to the stage. All were women, and all were in the city on Thursday to celebrate the opening of Yes festival, an ode to female artists and creativity that also rounds off a two-year celebration of the 100th anniversary of the publication of “Ulysses,” James Joyce’s sprawling, encyclopedic novel.“Ulysses,” which Joyce modeled on Homer’s “Odyssey,” is devoted mostly to the ruminations and actions of men — the protagonist Leopold Bloom, his friend Stephen Dedalus and a variety of Dublin characters — as Leopold traverses…

INDIANAPOLIS — Athletes often talk in generalities as a defense mechanism. Rather than delving into a potentially controversial topic or even addressing the issue at all, they offer non-answers, using clichés and pre-programmed talking points to keep a safe distance.Part of me wants to believe that’s what Caitlin Clark did Thursday morning When I asked her if she was troubled by fans using her name as a weapon in the culture wars dividing the country. The Indiana Fever star guard isn’t shutting down the topic. She refused to even open it.”No,” she declared. “I don’t see that. I don’t see…

Charles Leclerc, one of the fastest drivers in Formula 1, looked a tad sleepy. Despite being between races and time zones — a rainy Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal last week and the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks after — he was up very early on a video call from Lake Como in Italy, to talk about his new business venture: LEC, a low-calorie ice cream.It’s not uncommon for world-famous sports stars to release brand extensions that include ventures like sneakers, perfumes and fashion lines, but ice cream?Throw into the mix Scuderia Ferrari, a team with the highest of racing…

A call to arms to rethink social media Just in: The U.S. surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, called for a warning label for social media platforms in a Times Guest Essay, advising parents that the technology may be helping fuel a mental health crisis among adolescents.It’s the latest effort by regulators to impose restrictions on social networks — particularly over their effects on children and teens — and is a reminder of the increasing scrutiny of global tech giants.Such a label would be similar to those placed on cigarettes and alcohol products. In his guest essay, Murthy writes that the issue…

The European Union said on Wednesday that it would impose additional tariffs of up to 38 percent on electric cars built in China, a move it said would help level the playing field for automakers in Europe.The tariffs, which have been expected for months, come on top of existing 10 percent duties, but the level of their impact has been disputed. Some European automakers argue they will set off a trade war, but other experts have said they will not stop China’s dominance in the industry.Instead, they argue that incentives to make low-emission cars more attractive to drivers are needed…

On a busy day at the Kwapong Health Centre in rural Ghana, Beatrice Nyamekye put contraceptive implants into the arms of a half-dozen women, and gave eight or nine more a three-month hormonal injection to prevent pregnancy. A few sought condoms or birth control pills, but most wanted something longer lasting.“They like the implants and injections best of all,” said Ms. Nyamekye, a community health nurse. “It frees them from worry, and it is private. They don’t have to even discuss it with a husband or a partner.”The bustle at the Kwapong clinic is echoed all over Ghana, and across…

The 22-year-old rapper is so popular — he recently held three sold-out concerts at Hungary’s largest stadium — that even Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a stodgy champion of traditional values not known for being in tune with youth or its culture, claims he is a fan.Mr. Orban has said he particularly likes the song “Rampapapam,” a reggae-flavored ode to the joys of cannabis. It’s a surprising choice given the prime minister’s conservative views and one that raised questions about whether he has actually listened to it or just watched its video showing the musician playing soccer, the leader’s favorite sport.But…

The crew of the Tutor, a Greek-owned bulk carrier sailing across the Red Sea to India, were on the deck on a sunny morning last week when they spotted in the distance what looked like a fishing vessel with two people aboard. The crew members thought it was nothing unusual, but moments later, the ship captain said, they noticed a vessel rushing toward their ship.The boat appeared to be remote-controlled — the fishermen they thought they had glimpsed were dummies — and crew members shouted, “Inside! Inside!” as they raced for cover, according to a video one of them posted…