A Secretive Banking Elite Rules Trading in Derivatives

By LOUISE STORY

In theory, clearinghouses exist to safeguard the integrity of the multitrillion-dollar derivatives market. In practice, they also defend big banks’ dominance.

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Jailed Afghan Drug Lord Was Informer on U.S. Payroll

By JAMES RISEN

Hajji Juma Khan, described as an Afghan drug lord, was also a longtime informer for the Central Intelligence Agency and other agencies.

China’s Army of Graduates Struggles for Good Jobs

By ANDREW JACOBS

Villagers who will work in China’s factories are in demand, but many college graduates seeking professional jobs find their value plunging.

• Video: China's 'Ant Tribe'

As the Ground Shifts, Biden Plays a Bigger Role

By HELENE COOPER

Halfway through a term in which the president has relied mostly on counsel from an inner circle, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s influence is growing.

• Times Topics: Joseph R. Biden Jr.
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Madoff’s Son Found Dead in Suicide

By DIANA B. HENRIQUES and AL BAKER

Bernard L. Madoff’s son Mark was found dead in his Manhattan apartment on the second anniversary of his father’s arrest.

Angry Birds, Flocking to Cellphones Everywhere

By JENNA WORTHAM

A game is one of the least likely pop-culture crazes of the year, and perhaps the first to make the leap from cellphones to the mainstream.