Warm weather won’t last
Today will be likely be more than a dozen degrees warmer than the normal temperature for December 4th, as warm air continues to be advected from the south ahead of an approaching cold front.
Automakers report strong November sales
DETROIT — Automakers said Monday that new vehicle sales in the United States rose 15 percent in November, as the replacement of cars and trucks damaged in Hurricane Sandy contributed to the industry’s best monthly sales rate since 2008.
Republicans make counteroffer in fiscal talks with Obama
WASHINGTON — Republican congressional leaders Monday countered President Barack Obama’s deficit reduction proposal with a plan of their own that is far heavier on spending cuts but that embraces $800 billion in new taxes over the next 10 years.
US companies will face tax crackdown in Britain
PARIS — The British government announced plans Monday to crack down on tax dodgers as a parliamentary report criticized U.S. companies for what it described as tax avoidance.
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Philip J. Hanlon, the provost of the University of Michigan, will be the next president of Dartmouth College, starting in July.
UN, in blow to US, heightens the status of Palestine
UNITED NATIONS — More than 130 countries voted Thursday to upgrade Palestine to a nonmember observer state of the United Nations, a triumph for Palestinian diplomacy and a sharp rebuke to the United States and Israel.
Main airport and web are disrupted in Syria
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syria lost two major links with the outside world Thursday as the largest commercial airport in the capital canceled flights because of fighting nearby and Internet access disappeared across the country, perhaps signaling an impending escalation by the government against the uprising, opponents of the Syrian government said.
Israeli success in downing Hamas rockets draws interest
WASHINGTON — The success cited by Israel for its Iron Dome anti-missile system in its confrontation with Hamas has re-energized U.S. missile defense advocates and generated new interest in the global arms bazaar from nations like South Korea that face a short-range rocket threats from hostile neighbors.
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SEOUL, South Korea — Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader, has replaced his defense minister with a hard-line general as part of his effort to fill the army leadership with a new generation of officers loyal to him, South Korean officials said Thursday.
Cold weather to warm next week
A series of unsettled weather will move through New England this weekend, bringing alternating periods of precipitation and warmth. Today and tomorrow will remain cold; however, expect temperatures to warm up by early next week.
Senate committee approves stricter privacy for email
WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved a bill that would strengthen privacy protection for emails by requiring law enforcement officials to obtain a warrant from a judge in most cases before gaining access to messages in individual accounts stored electronically.
Illinois sets election to replace Jesse L. Jackson Jr.
CHICAGO — A special primary election to replace Jesse L. Jackson Jr. in Congress will be held in February, Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois announced Monday, as numerous potential candidates were already floating their names in public, calling leaders in search of financial and political backing, and sizing up the competition.
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Grover Norquist on Monday found a new way of dismissing the handful of Republican lawmakers — including the House majority leader — who are now publicly wavering about his pledge they signed not ever to raise taxes.
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BARCELONA, Spain — Artur Mas, the president of Catalonia, was hoping to lead Spain’s economically most powerful region toward secession from the rest of the country.
Chilly weather sticking around for the week
Below normal temperatures will be common across our area in the coming days. No significant southerly surface winds are expected this week, keeping cool polar air in place. A low pressure just to our southeast will slowly strengthen tonight just offshore. As it does, we could get some spotty precipitation today and into the overnight hours. Given the cold temperatures some snow could fall tonight, before the low departs towards Canada on Wednesday. Following the low a high pressure will slowly build off the Carolina coast and bring clear weather back to New England. The high’s southerly flow looks somewhat weak at this point, hence it will keep cool air over the northeastern U.S. through late week. Wind speeds should also remain fairly calm as the high moves closer. So despite cool temperatures, wind chill readings will not be significant even during nighttime hours.
Egypt’s president agrees to limit scope of decree
CAIRO — President Mohamed Morsi agreed Monday to scale back a sweeping decree he had issued last week that raised his edicts above any judicial review, according to a report by a television network allied with his party. The agreement, reached with top judicial authorities, would leave most of Morsi’s actions subject to review by the courts but preserve a crucial power: protecting the constitutional council from being dissolved by the courts before it finishes its work.
Politics in play over safety net in deficit talks
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s re-election and Democratic gains in Congress were supposed to make it easier for the party to strike a deal with Republicans to resolve the year-end fiscal crisis by providing new leverage. But they could also make it harder as empowered Democrats, including some elected on liberal platforms, resist significant changes in entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.
Church of England prepares for vote on female bishops
LONDON — Two decades after it supported the introduction of women as priests, the Church of England began three days of deliberations Monday that will include a critical vote on the ordination of women as bishops — a notion that still splits its members into rival camps.
As it emerges from scandal, News Corp. looks to buy again
News Corp. is starting to look like its old self again. The media conglomerate, which had been on its heels for more than a year because of the phone hacking scandal in Britain, is looking to make acquisitions. First on the list could be a 49 percent stake in the Yes Network in New York, a purchase that could aid in the formation of a new nationwide sports network to compete with ESPN.
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LONDON — The leader of Britain’s biggest business lobby issued a stark warning Monday about the growing risk that the country will leave the European Union and urged British business executives who favor staying in the bloc to speak out in response to skeptics of further European integration.