Shorts (left)
Taliban insurgents seized control of a district in southwestern Afghanistan on Monday as the Afghan police abandoned their post and fled, officials said. The district is the second to fall into Taliban hands this month, and its capture underlines the precarious hold of the government and NATO troops in the remote districts of southern Afghanistan.
Shorts (right)
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton told an audience of black voters on Monday that they would be “breaking barriers” if they supported her for president in 2008 — deliberately signaling that they could still take pride in making history if they chose a woman over one of their own, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.
Giant Frogs! Giant Frogs!
In the midst of several cold spells that have brought temperatures around 10°F cooler than climatology, as well as the first major snowstorm of the year, we are looking at some incoming precipitation that presents a bit of a challenge.
Violent Algerian Group Plans to Unite North African Extremists
The plan, hatched for months in the arid mountains of North Africa, was to attack the U.S. and British embassies here. It ended in a series of gunbattles in January that killed a dozen militants and left two Tunisian security officers dead.
Federal Authorities Investigate Payments to Nevada Governor
Federal authorities are investigating gifts and payments that Gov. Jim Gibbons of Nevada received as a congressman from an executive of a software company that got millions of dollars in federal contracts, government officials said Thursday.
A Thousand Dogs and Cats Killed After Disease Outbreak at Shelter
An outbreak of disease that national experts say was of an unprecedented magnitude prompted a weeklong closing of the region's main animal shelter and the killing of about 1,000 dogs and cats.
Shorts (left)
President Vladimir V. Putin on Thursday added intrigue to the unsettled but widely debated question of who might succeed him as Russia's leader in 2008 when he promoted his minister of defense in an unexpected Cabinet tinkering.
Iraqi Cleric al-Sadr's Location Questioned, Said to be in Iran
Questions and accusations continued to swirl about the whereabouts of the militant Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Thursday, and American and Iraqi forces deepened their security push in Baghdad.
Democrats Gamble They Can Finish Senate's Squabbling on Iraq Debate
As the House prepared to pass a symbolic resolution denouncing President Bush's war policy, Senate Democratic leaders on Thursday abruptly scheduled a weekend debate on Iraq in an effort to break a stalemate and avoid impressions that partisan bickering was weighing down deliberations over the war.
Shorts (right)
A federal bankruptcy judge on Thursday ordered Bear Stearns to pay nearly $160 million to investors in a hedge fund for failing to properly monitor the activities of the fund before it collapsed in early 2000.
President Warns of Expected Confrontation in Afghanistan
President Bush warned on Thursday that he expected "fierce fighting" to flare in Afghanistan this spring, and he pressed NATO allies to provide a bigger and more aggressive force to guard against a resurgence by the Taliban and al-Qaida that could threaten the fragile Afghan nation.
No Warm-up in Sight
Even though Wednesday's Valentine's Day Storm is long gone, the low-pressure is leaving behind windy conditions. The system continued to strengthen over Nova Scotia yesterday causing the pressure gradient to increase and consequently the blustery conditions that will stay with us for another 24 hours. For any curious readers, the 2.5 inches of snowfall in Boston brings the total to 4.3 inches this season. (According to one TV meteorologist, the record lowest snowfall total for the entire season is 9 inches.)
Defense Secretary Gates Meets With Pakistan President Musharraf Mon.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates made an unannounced trip to Pakistan on Monday for talks with one of America’s most complicated partners. He offered strong words of support for the government, even as he urged it to do more to halt the flow of Taliban fighters into Afghanistan.
Bush’s Claims About Iran Are Met With Skeptical Response
Three weeks after promising it would show proof of Iranian meddling in Iraq, the Bush administration has laid out its evidence — and received in return a healthy dose of skepticism.
Moves to Insure More Children Face Possible Federal Obstacles
In the absence of federal action, governors and state legislators around the country are transforming the nation’s health care system, putting affordable health insurance within reach of millions of Americans in hopes of reversing the steady rise in the number of uninsured, now close to 47 million.
In Book, Ex-CIA Chief Tenet Will End Silence on Role in Iraq War
For the past two years, George J. Tenet has maintained a determined silence even as senior White House officials have laid the blame for the prewar mistakes about Saddam Hussein on him. But now Tenet, the nation’s former spy chief, is preparing to return fire.
Shorts (left)
Jerusalem’s mayor late Sunday postponed plans for construction work near a religious compound in Jerusalem’s Old City, but Muslim protests continued Monday over preparatory work at the site.
Shorts (right)
Tracey C. Rembert, the coordinator of corporate governance and engagement for the Service Employees International Union, acknowledges that Wells Fargo is America’s largest purchaser of renewable energy offsets and has specialists on staff studying all of the implications of climate change on its businesses.
House Democrats Unveil Iraq Resolution, Vote to Be Friday
Democrats unveiled a resolution on Monday that would formally express the House’s disapproval of President Bush’s troop buildup in Iraq, beginning an intense debate and political struggle that is to end in a vote on Friday.
Valentine’s Day Storm
December, January, and the first half of February have passed without a major snowstorm. As a result of this remarkable calm, Boston has only received 1.8 inches of snowfall to date this season, which is over two feet short of the climatological norm. But the quiet streak will be broken Wednesday, as the Northeast Corridor braces for the first Nor’easter of 2007.