News about daily life

EBay Is Said to Have Deal to Sell Skype

Private investors, most likely including a new venture capital firm headed by Marc Andreessen, are expected to buy the unit.

For Longtime Captives, a Complex Road Home

Therapists say Jaycee Dugard’s biggest challenge may prove to be shaking the influence of her abductors.

After the Transistor, a Leap Into the Microcosm

With silicon nanowires, computer scientists seek a basic building block for a new kind of electronics to outpower today’s transistors.

Victors in Japan Are Set to Abandon Market Reform

Japan’s opposition party, which has returned to power, pledged a shift away from deregulation and market-led growth, but its economy may in fact need more of that.

Justice Dept. to Recharge Enforcement of Civil Rights

The Obama administration is planning a revival of high-impact civil rights enforcement against policies that disproportionally affect minorities.

Disney to buy Marvel in $4bn deal

Walt Disney is to buy Marvel Entertainment in a shares and cash deal which will add 5,000 characters to the Disney stable.

More Diploma courses are launched

The number of Diploma vocational courses available to students in England doubles from five to 10.

New ‘booze Asbos’ come under fire

Powers to impose Drinking Banning Orders on people who behave anti-socially when drunk are criticised by magistrates.

India diarrhoea outbreak kills 26

An outbreak of diarrhoea in the eastern Indian state of Orissa claims 26 lives, the state health minister says.