Suicide Bomber Kills 16, Wounds 28 During Iraqi Reconciliation Meeting
A suicide bomber blew himself up Monday at a banquet intended to be a reconciliation feast between provincial officials and former Sunni insurgents in Diyala province, killing 16 people and wounding at least 28.
Ahmadinejad Sparks Protests, Debate Over Columbia Speech
He said there were no homosexuals in Iran — not one — and that the Nazi slaughter of 6 million Jews should not be treated as fact, but theory, and therefore open to debate and more research.
Shorts (right)
The United States and most of the European Union will recognize Kosovo if the Balkan province declares independence from Serbia in early December, when last-ditch negotiations end, United States and European officials said Monday.
GM Workers Strike for Job Security, Increased Benefits
They had not expected a strike this year. And when they walked out midway through the morning shift on Monday, the workers at the General Motors pickup truck plant here had no idea how long their walkout would last.
Myanmar Govt. Warns Protesting Monks of Possible Military Action
As protesters filled the streets of Myanmar’s cities in greater numbers than ever on Monday, swelling the crowds in the country’s largest city to an estimated 100,000, the government issued its first warning that it might take action against protesting Buddhist monks.
Some Like It Hot
The first full day of autumn was yesterday, but from the many sightings of shorts and T-shirts on campus, you wouldn’t have known. Don’t put away those summer clothes yet as more heat is in store the next couple of days. Strong southwest flow will make it breezy and transport an air mass more characteristic of the middle of summer over the area. In fact, high temperatures may approach record levels today. You should also notice the humidity gradually creeping up, but given the recent dry spell it should not become too soupy.
Democratic Fundraiser Accused Of Running Illegal Ponzi Scheme
Norman Hsu, the Democratic fundraiser with a habit of fleeing the law, confessed to FBI agents last week that he pressured investors in what he now admits were phony business deals to contribute to political campaigns, prosecutors said in an indictment that was unsealed Thursday.
Shorts (left)
The Iranian-American who was freed from detention here early Thursday was released after his family paid bail and has not yet been given permission to leave the country, a judiciary official said.
Shorts (right)
As the Bush administration vowed to vigorously review for national security concerns a proposed investment in the Nasdaq Stock Market by a Dubai-controlled exchange, several senior Democrats and Republicans said Thursday that the transaction did not trouble them and predicted it would be approved.
Musharraf Criticized For Running For Reelection While Army Head
Election officials have set Oct. 6 for Pakistan’s presidential vote, as opponents of the president, Gen. Perez Musharraf, continued to press their case before a Supreme Court panel that he should not run for re-election while still head of the army.
Bush Assails Congressional Democrats Over Federalized Child Healthcare Bill
President Bush accused congressional Democrats on Thursday of playing politics with the health of children, and he warned again that he would veto a children’s insurance bill if it emerged from Congress in its present form.
Blackwater Guards’ Shots Are Not Provoked, Iraq Concludes
Iraq’s Ministry of Interior has concluded that employees of a private American security firm fired an unprovoked barrage in the shooting last Sunday in which at least eight Iraqis were killed and is proposing a radical reshaping of the way American diplomats and contractors here are protected.
Summer Holds On
With the passage of the autumnal equinox early Sunday morning, the summer season will soon draw to a close. Nevertheless, rather summer-like conditions will prevail through the middle of next week, as a ridge of high pressure stations itself over the eastern portion of the country. For the weekend, the wind will switch to offshore from the recently prevailing onshore direction, allowing daytime temperatures to rise above 80°F (27°C). The wind direction on Monday is uncertain, but if it stays offshore, the temperature will be warmer than currently expected.
Euro Climbs to All-Time High; Canadian Dollar Exceeds USD
The world dumped the dollar on Thursday, pushing it to an all-time low of $1.40 against the euro and to parity with the Canadian dollar for the first time in three decades as currency traders around the world digested the full implications of the Federal Reserve’s new course for interest rates.
Baghdad Bans U.S. Contractor After Gunfire Kills Eight Iraqis
Blackwater USA, an American contractor that provides security to some of the top American officials in Iraq, has been banned from working in the country by the Iraqi government after a shooting that left eight Iraqis dead and involved an American diplomatic convoy.
A Place in the Sun
After this past weekend’s cooler weather, we can expect temperatures to rise for the next few days. A high pressure system is keeping the New England skies clear, so look forward to plenty of sun on this beautiful September afternoon. The lack of cloud cover and subsequent radiation cooling will contribute to an overnight low in the lower 50s°F.
Officials Say Israeli Raid Was Result Of Nuclear Aid to Syria From N. Korea
The Sept. 6 attack by Israeli warplanes inside Syria struck what Israeli intelligence believes was a nuclear-related facility that North Korea was helping to equip, according to current and former American and Israeli officials.
Dems Warn They May Delay Approval of Bush’s Nominee
Two Senate Democrats warned Monday that they might delay confirming President Bush’s choice to be the next attorney general unless the White House turns over documents relating to several investigations, a move that could provoke the kind of confirmation fight the administration was hoping to avoid.
Shorts (right)
France’s foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, sought on Monday to tone down remarks he made in a radio and television interview the day before that the world had to prepare for possible war against Iran.
Shorts (left)
Gov. Deval L. Patrick unveiled a proposal on Monday to allow three resort-style casinos in Massachusetts. The revenues, he said, would help the commonwealth pay for road and bridge and repair, and provide property tax relief to homeowners.