Shorts (left)
NEW DELHI — The maker of one of the costliest drugs in the world announced Monday that it had struck deals with seven generic drugmakers in India to sell lower-cost versions of the medicine — a $1,000-a-pill hepatitis C treatment — in poorer countries.
North Korea sentences American to 6 years of labor
SEOUL, South Korea — The Supreme Court in North Korea on Sunday sentenced one of the three Americans known to be held in the country to six years of hard labor for committing “hostile acts” against the North.
US, Europe back new economic sanctions against Russia
BRUSSELS — The United States and Europe agreed on Thursday to place additional economic sanctions on Russia over its role in promoting separatist warfare in eastern Ukraine despite a fragile new cease-fire that went into effect last week.
Shorts (left)
In a move that could shore up the dire shortage of opinions on the Internet, Google has acquired Polar, an online poll company. The deal was announced on Polar’s website and through Google’s social network, Google Plus.
Cool, fall weather in store
It definitely feels like fall in Cambridge! Yesterday, temperatures reached a warm 80°F (27°C) thanks to breezy southwest winds ahead of an approaching cold front. This cold front passed through the area late last night, leaving us with cooler conditions and cloudless skies in its wake. Expect a high temperature of 68°F (20°C) today with winds from the north. More clouds should start filtering in tomorrow, but temperatures will remain cool with a high near 66°F (19°C). Tomorrow evening, a low-pressure system will form off of the coast to our south and travel northeastward along the coast of New England. We may see some rain showers associated with this system tomorrow evening into early Sunday. Otherwise, Sunday and Monday look dry with mostly sunny skies and high temperatures in the upper sixties (Sunday) to low seventies (Monday).
Deal reached on Gaza reconstruction
JERUSALEM — President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority said Thursday night that he had reached an agreement with Israel and the United Nations to allow imports of reconstruction materials into the Gaza Strip, apparently bypassing Hamas to fulfill a key tenet of the cease-fire agreement that halted hostilities on Aug. 26.
Shorts (right)
Two days after a graphic video surfaced showing star running back Ray Rice knocking out his then-fiancée, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell continued to scramble to get ahead of the brewing controversy about whether he had seen the video before suspending the player for two games.
Documents unsealed in Yahoo’s case against US data requests
The federal government was so determined to collect the Internet communications of Yahoo customers in 2008 that it threatened the company with fines of $250,000 per day if it did not immediately comply with a secret court order to turn over the data.
72-hour wait for abortion is enacted in Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Republican-controlled Missouri Legislature has enacted one of the most stringent waiting periods for women seeking abortions, overriding a veto by the state’s Democratic governor, Jay Nixon.
September returns to normal
The beginning of September has seen abnormally scorching temperatures at the Institute this year. Three days above 90°F (32°C) have contributed to September being the warmest month of the year so far in Boston. However, the cold front that sent a series of severe thunderstorms over Massachusetts on Saturday afternoon also ushered in a regime of more seasonable weather, and the observed high and low temperatures on each of the last two days have each been within 4°F of their climatological normals.
Princeton faculty to vote on sexual misconduct policies
Princeton University may soon make significant changes in the way it handles allegations of sexual misconduct, including lowering the standards required to find someone guilty in its disciplinary proceedings.
Shorts (left)
Annie’s Homegrown, the organic food company known for its mac and cheese and earthy vibe, is joining the General Mills empire.
US plan to destroy Islamic State could stretch past 2016
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is preparing to carry out a campaign against the Islamic State that may take three years to complete — requiring a sustained effort that could last until after President Barack Obama has left office, according to senior administration officials.
Qatar’s support of extremists alienates allies near and far
CAIRO — The visiting sheik told his audience of wealthy Qataris in Doha that to help the battered residents of Syria, they should not bother with donations to humanitarian programs or the Western-backed Free Syrian Army.
Shorts (right)
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said on Sunday that it would put Matthew Todd Miller, one of the three Americans known to be held in the country, on trial in a week.
Google is target of European backlash on US tech dominance
BRUSSELS — A top German official called for Google to be broken up. A French minister pronounced the company a threat to his country’s sovereignty. A European publishing executive likened it to a Wagnerian dragon.
Syrian bombs hit militant-held territory
BEIRUT — Raids by Syrian warplanes killed at least 25 people, most of them civilians crowding into a bakery, in the northeastern province of Raqqa on Saturday as government forces continued air attacks on territory controlled by the Islamic State, the extremist Sunni militant group.
Apple nears introduction of smartwatch, bigger iPhones
SAN FRANCISCO — When Apple wants to make a big splash, it returns to its history.
Scorching September
Although Labor Day has come and gone and the fall semester has begun, summer is still in full swing at the Institute. This past Tuesday’s high temperature of 93°F (34°C) was the hottest temperature of the year so far in Boston. Strengthening offshore flow in advance of an approaching cold front will cause temperatures to flirt with the 90-degree mark once again today and tomorrow. The best chance for heat will come tomorrow afternoon, right before the cold front passes through. As the front arrives, expect thunderstorms to develop and move across New England tomorrow afternoon and evening. There is a chance that some of these storms could produce hail and/or damaging winds.
Shorts (right)
NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge here upheld Louisiana’s ban on same-sex marriage Wednesday, going against what had been a unanimous trend of federal court decisions striking down such bans since the Supreme Court ruled on the matter last year.