IHT Quick Read: Saturday, Oct. 27

NEWS Sectarian violence in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine has surged again in recent days, with 64 people reported killed in clashes between Buddhist and minority Muslim communities. More Muslims fled to overcrowded refugee camps, and the U.N. secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said Myanmar's transition to democracy could be jeopardized if “vigilante attacks, targeted threats and extremist rhetoric” are not stopped. Thomas Fuller reports.

Though hardly a surprise, Friday's report that Spain's unemployment rate had surpassed 25 percent was bad news for a government that recently trumpeted a streamlining of its labor market rules. Still, analysts saw some perverse good news for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy: The picture is so bleak that it could help Mr. Rajoy make the case that lenders cannot risk imposing more austerity measures. Raphael Minder reports.

The mining giant Anglo American, troubled by labor unrest in South Africa and under fire from sharehold ers, said Friday that its chief executive, Cynthia Carroll, would step down after nearly six years. Ms. Carroll, an American and a geologist by training, was the first woman and the first non-South African to lead the company. David Jolly reports.

WINE The vinters of Montalcino say they have moved on from the 2008 scandal known as Brunellogate, in which some were suspected of breaking a rule restricting Brunello di Montalcino, one of the great Tuscan reds, to one variety, the indigenous sangiovese. But while adding international varieties is a clear no-no, some producers are persisting with other innovations, like aging the wine in small barrels rather than the giant casks traditionalists favor. Eric Pfanner finds plenty to like.

ARTS Auction houses bring great fanfare to their sales of Old Master paintings adorned with famous names, expected to fetch millions. Meanwhile, thousands of paintings are in limbo because no one is quite sure who did them, and littl e attention is paid when they change hands. But these sales are fun, Souren Melikian writes.

SPORTS Talking to the soft-spoken, matter-of-fact, unassuming Narain Karthikeyan, it is easy to forget that he is currently India's fastest man. It is also easy to forget that he is a trailblazer for world motorsport, as the first Indian to race in Formula One. Brad Spurgeon spoke with him ahead of the Indian Grand Prix this weekend.