Lou Pearlman dies at age 62
The disgraced music impresario who launched the Backstreet Boys, NSync and other boy bands in the 1990s before being convicted of a Ponzi scheme, died Friday, according to the Texas prison where Pearlman was serving a 25-year sentence. The former producer and manager pleaded guilty in 2008 to charges that included conspiracy and money laundering. No cause of death was given.
National Zoo hosts panda party
The youngest giant panda cub at the National Zoo is celebrating his first birthday with a traditional Chinese ceremony and the sweet taste of honey. The National Zoo in Washington held a first birthday party for Bei Bei on Saturday. He was born Aug. 22, 2015.
N.Y. ends English test for drivers
New York City taxi drivers will no longer have to pass an English test under new rules designed to make it easier for immigrants to get behind the wheel of a yellow cab. The test for a taxi license will be available in several languages under regulations that went into effect Friday.
Death toll in bombing rises to 30
A bomb at an outdoor wedding ceremony in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep killed at least 30 people and injured 94, the local governor’s office said. A statement issued by the governor’s office and quoted by the state-run Anadolu news agency called it a “terror attack.” It said no group had claimed responsibility for the attack.
South African cruises to gold
Caster Semenya, who has hyperandrogenism, won the Olympic title in the 800 meters with no one close to challenging her, a result that will only stoke the complex debate over whether women with much higher levels of testosterone than normal should be allowed to compete unchecked.
Water issues linger in Brazil
Sailors and rowers apparently avoided getting ill in Rio’s polluted waters, using preventive measures to avoid contact with the water, or build immunity though long-term training. The water remains dirty and Rio organizers acknowledge they missed an opportunity to clean it for the Olympics.