“The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat Al Qaeda. But his death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that Al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must and we will remain vigilant at home and abroad.’’ — PRESIDENT OBAMA , announcing ...

With great responsibility comes a great need for a way to relax.

No American ally in memory has been so castigated and reviled by US officials as has Karzai.

As the climate warms, Lilac Sunday comes earlier and earlier.

Closing tax loopholes that benefit oil companies could be an early test of bipartisan commitment to cutting the deficit.

Horse racing is in decline across the United States, but the Kentucky Derby remains an inspiring event — harkening back to the early days of one of the nation’s most beautiful sports.

The Boston Fire Department is justified in adjusting hiring rules to bring in 15 new Spanish speakers, because such skills are necessary to communicate with a large portion of the Boston population; it’s the veteran’s preference that needs to be adjusted. It’s okay to give veterans some boost, but the current preference is too extreme.

“It is the influence of people such as Naumann that drives gay kids to feel less a part of the world, and that leads to a sense of alienation, depression, and suicide.”
— Kathy Phillips

“What was more distressing was that Nathan thinks that only people who pay taxes have a right to speak out on any issue.”
— Joan Sheridan

Singer Lady Gaga says she doesn't agree with Arizona's tough immigration law and wrote the song "Americano" as a response to it.

A Travel Channel crew has been crisscrossing the state this week taping an upcoming episode of “Off Limits.’’ The new show hosted by handsome Don Wildman explores the intrigue of secluded spots that even locals rarely see. Among the places visited by Wildman was the Quabbin Reservoir, which was created in the 1930s and resulted in the flooding of four ...

As recently as this week, Boston Symphony Orchestra officials said they still hoped James Levine might finish his tenure by conducting at Tanglewood this summer. But yesterday, in a brief press release, the BSO confirmed what many had suspected: Levine has led his last concert as the orchestra’s music director.

Warner Music Group Corp. , the world’s third-largest recording company with such artists as Eric Clapton, Michael Buble, and Paramore, is being sold for about $1.3 billion as a global decline in compact disc sales weighs down the industry.

It should be a good week for opera in Boston, as the city’s companies big and small are displaying their wares for scores of industry professionals who are converging from across the country for the Opera America conference.

Having already presented a faithful wife (“Fidelio’’) and a jealous, secretive jeweler (“Cardillac’’), Opera Boston finished its season with Gaetano Donizetti’s 1841 “Maria Padilla,’’ an opera about a jealous, secretive, faithful wife. Maria, realizing her lover is the heir to the Spanish throne in disguise (the historical Pedro the Cruel), coerces a betrothal, a bond strained as the new king ...

Derrick Rose shook off the sore ankle and that shocking loss at home. With his team scuffling through the playoffs, he decided it was time to take matters in his own hands.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points, Jason Terry had 23 and Peja Stojakovic scored 11 of his 15 in the fourth quarter, rallying the Dallas Mavericks to a 98-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night that puts the two-time defending champions on the brink of elimination.

Darren Helm scored with 1:27 left in the third period, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to an elimination-avoiding 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal series on Friday night.

The Glendale City Council is scheduled to vote next week on a plan to pay the NHL up to $25 million to buy more time to find a buyer for the Phoenix Coyotes .

Philadelphia 0 1 0--1 Boston 1 0 4--5 First Period--1, Boston, Lucic 1 (Horton, Krejci), 12:02 (pp). Penalties--Hnidy, Bos (slashing), 3:10 van Riemsdyk, Phi (hooking), 5:44 Versteeg, Phi (interference), 9:28 Marchand, Bos (diving), 9:28 Carcillo, Phi (cross-checking), 11:31 Giroux, Phi (tripping), 15:03 Hartnell, Phi (roughing), 19:52 Chara, Bos, double minor (roughing), 19:52. Second Period--2, Philadelphia, Versteeg 1 (Richards), 13:22. Penalties--Hartnell, ...

Philadelphia 0 1 0--1 Boston 1 0 4--5 First Period--1, Boston, Lucic 1 (Horton, Krejci), 12:02 (pp). Second Period--2, Philadelphia, Versteeg 1 (Richards), 13:22. Third Period--3, Boston, Boychuk 2 (Ryder), 2:42. 4, Boston, Lucic 2 (Horton), 15:03. 5, Boston, Marchand 5 (Recchi, Peverley), 18:04 (en). 6, Boston, Paille 2 (Campbell, Thornton), 19:35 (en). Shots on Goal--Philadelphia 6-7-10--23. Boston 13-7-7--27. Goalies--Philadelphia, ...

Milan Lucic scored twice, Johnny Boychuk got the go-ahead goal, and the Boston Bruins stopped any chance of another historic comeback by the Philadelphia Flyers with a 5-1 win Friday night that completed a sweep of the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

No collapse for the Boston Bruins this time. Not even close. And for the Philadelphia Flyers , no chance to return to the Stanley Cup finals.

Ron Roenicke hopes that perhaps less is more for his slumping Milwaukee Brewers . After Jaime Garcia took a perfect game into the eighth inning and finished with a two-hitter in the St. Louis Cardinals' 6-0 victory Friday night, the Brewers' first-year manager decided to try a different approach for a team that has lost seven in a row. On ...

Trailing by a run in the 10th inning, the Florida Marlins were on the verge of another comeback when they put runners at the corners with none out.

Curtis Granderson quickly put the New York Yankees ahead with the first of his two homers into the upper deck.

Andre Ethier wasted little time becoming the first major league player in two years with a 30-game hitting streak.

Texas Rangers left-hander Matt Harrison was finally mowing down an opposing lineup again, starting to resemble the pitcher who began this season by winning his first three starts.

Brendan Ryan hit a game-ending RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning to make a winner of Felix Hernandez, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox 3-2 on Friday night.

Cliff Lee was almost unhittable. The four batters who did get hits off him did enough damage to overshadow Lee's 16 strikeouts, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-0 Friday night.

Torii Hunter hit an RBI single in the 11th inning to give the Los Angeles Angels a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night.

Freddy Sanchez hit a game-ending RBI single in the ninth inning off Felipe Paulino, lifting the Giants to a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies on a Friday night when San Francisco celebrated Willie Mays' 80th birthday.

Sox captain Jason Varitek and his fiance, Catherine Panagiotopoulos (above), were among the VIPs at the MSPCA-Angell’s annual Animal Tales Gala the other night. Also attending the sold-out event were Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton and Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon and his wife, Ashley .

Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell are engaged, nearly four years after they were first spotted together. McCartney, 68, started dating the 51-year-old New York socialite and businesswoman after his bitter split from second wife Heather Mills . The marriage will be McCartney’s third; his first wife, Linda , died of cancer in 1998. His 2002 marriage to Mills ended in ...

US Attorney General Eric Holder (right) joined state AG Martha Coakley , top cop Ed Davis , and a slew of others at the JFK Library yesterday for a sneak peek at “Children of Promise: The Legacy of Robert F. Kennedy,’’ a new documentary about the work of the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps.

Now that she’s departing the “ CBS Evening News,’’ Katie Couric is suddenly very much in demand. The anchor spoke at Tufts a few weeks ago and now BU has announced that Couric will deliver the commencement address at Nickerson Field May 22. The onetime “Today’’ host, who’s reportedly in negotiations for her own talk show, will also receive an ...

In New York to rehearse for his next Carnegie Hall concert, James Taylor bumped into Cars singer Ric Ocasek , who was rehearsing in an adjacent studio with bandmates Elliot Easton , David Robinson , and Greg Hawkes . (The Cars have a new CD, “Move Like This,’’ and are doing a few live dates.) Taylor and Ocasek had never ...

Patti LaBelle let the cat out of the bag yesterday at the annual Exceptional Women Awards at the Westin Boston Waterfront. LaBelle (above) told the crowd that she’ll be among the surprise guests at the finale of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,’’ which signs off May 25. We’re told LaBelle’s manager winced as soon as LaBelle made the remark, and she ...

Former “Bachelorette’’ beefcakes Chris Lambton and Kasey Kahl were in the crowd at this week’s fund-raiser for Falmouth-based Compassionate Care ALS. Lambton, who brought along his girlfriend, Peyton Wright , spoke about his own family’s experience with CCALS. . . . Plastic surgeon Paul Nassif , husband of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’’ cast member Adrienne Maloof , dined at ...

Muckety-mucks too numerous to mention made the scene at the Perkins School for the Blind’s annual spring fund-raiser. The event, co-chaired by Corinne and Wyc Grousbeck , Staples founder Tom Stemberg and wife Katherine Chapman , and “Friends’’ creator Kevin Bright , was attended by former governor Mitt Romney , former Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker and wife Lauren , ...

A Travel Channel crew has been crisscrossing the state this week taping an upcoming episode of “Off Limits.’’ The new show hosted by handsome Don Wildman explores the intrigue of secluded spots that even locals rarely see. Among the places visited by Wildman was the Quabbin Reservoir, which was created in the 1930s and resulted in the flooding of four ...

The winning numbers in Friday evening's drawing of the "Megaplier" game were: 3

The winning numbers in Friday evening's drawing of the "Mega Millions" game were: 06-18-26-37-41, Mega Ball: 9

The winning numbers in Friday evening's drawing of the "Mega Millions" game were: 06-18-26-37-41, Mega Ball: 9

The winning numbers in Friday evening's drawing of the "Megaplier" game were: 3

SCITUATE, R.I. — Rhode Island State Police arrested two dozen suspected mobsters and their associates yesterday following a wiretap investigation into what authorities said was an illegal sports-betting ring.