Egypt’s civilian government submits offer to resign
CAIRO — Egypt’s interim prime minister and cabinet offered to resign Monday in the face of a bloody third day of protests in Tahrir Square and elsewhere, adding to the crisis of legitimacy for the nation’s ruling military council.
Pleasant November weekend in Cambridge
The recent rain should move away for the weekend as a high pressure system takes hold of New England. Temperatures will gradually increase from Friday until Sunday, creating a pleasant mid-November weekend. Though it is too far away to predict with good certainty, it looks as though clear weather should dominate for much of Thanksgiving break as well.
New premier offers economic rescue plan for Italy
ROME — Mario Monti, the newly chosen prime minister of Italy, unveiled an ambitious growth-boosting program before the Italian Senate on Thursday, warning that Italy and Europe faced a moment of “serious emergency” and calling on lawmakers for national unity and responsibility.
Armed attacks on Syrian sites appear to rise
BEIRUT — Deserters from the Syrian army reportedly carried out attacks against the offices of the Syrian ruling Baath party in northwestern Syria on Thursday, a day after they claimed an assault on an intelligence base that Russia, Syria’s closest ally, said was bringing the country closer to civil war.
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LOS ANGELES — The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that proponents of Proposition 8 — which banned same-sex marriage in California — have legal standing to overturn the challenge of the law by a lower-court judge, after the state’s governor and attorney general refused to defend the proposition.
African Union considers sending Ethiopian troops to Somalia
NAIROBI, Kenya — The African Union is considering an ambitious plan to stabilize Somalia that could involve using thousands of Ethiopian troops to open a new front against the al-Shabab militant group, officials of the union said Thursday.
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WASHINGTON — The bankruptcy of Solyndra, the solar power company that took $528 million in government loans, was “extremely unfortunate,” Secretary of Energy Steven Chu told lawmakers on Thursday. But he rejected a suggestion put forward by a Republican that he or his department should apologize.
Occupy protesters clash with police in New York City
NEW YORK — Nearly a thousand protesters took to the streets of Lower Manhattan on Thursday, clashing with the police and tossing aside metal barricades to converge again on Zuccotti Park after failing in an attempt to shut down the New York Stock Exchange.
Man charged with trying to assassinate President Obama
WASHINGTON — Federal authorities charged a 21-year-old Idaho man on Thursday with trying to assassinate President Barack Obama. They said he had told friends that he believed the president was “the Antichrist” and that he “needed to kill him,” according to a complaint filed in federal court.
In Egypt, Mubarak loyalists are ousted but still feared
MANSOURA, Egypt — Mortada Mansour, the man accused of directing the notorious Battle of the Camel during the Tahrir Square protests in February, came to a courtroom in this provincial city to defend the right of former regime stalwarts to run in the coming parliamentary elections.
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Herman Cain became badly flustered on Monday when asked to assess President Barack Obama’s policy toward Libya, raising new questions about his command of foreign policy as he lurched over five minutes from awkward pauses to halting attempts to address the issue.
Italy’s new leader is qualified but faces uphill fight
ROME — In the news media he is known simply as “Super Mario.” But Mario Monti, the new leader of Italy’s new government, which is being formed amid a crisis that threatens the European monetary union itself, will face a strong challenge in living up to his admiring nickname as he tries to steer his country from the brink of economic turmoil and through the machinations of Italian politics.
Congress turns to spending bills, deficit panel negotiates
WASHINGTON — As members of the congressional deficit reduction panel retreated to conference rooms Monday to continue negotiations, House Republicans and Senate Democrats were putting their final touches on a series of spending bills that they hope will avert another showdown over short-term financing of the government.
Taliban spokesman denies reports of his arrest on Monday
KHOST, Afghanistan — A Taliban spokesman whose provocative and taunting media reports have often infuriated Afghan and Western officials firmly denied that he had been captured Monday.
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At a special session of the Nebraska Legislature, a state senator announced Monday that TransCanada had agreed to adjust its intended route of the Keystone XL oil pipeline to avoid the environmentally sensitive Sand Hills region of the state.
Clouds and showers lingering through Thursday
The bright sunny weather from last week is giving way to more unsettled weather. Gloomy skies, typical of impending fall storms, will sweep across our area through Thursday. Any time from now until then, showers will be possible and you shouldn’t stow away the umbrella. The highest probability of rain should arrive on Tuesday night into Wednesday. These increased chances will come from two developing low pressure centers across the southeastern U.S. These lows will meander northeastward toward New England, and should dissipate just off Cape Cod by late Thursday. Any rainfall in our area should be light however, since the systems are quite weak.
King of Jordan calls for Syria’s leader to step down
James Kanter contributed reporting from Brussels, and Neil MacFarquhar from Cairo.
Political turmoil further sinks Greece and Italy
ROME — With political turmoil still plaguing Greece and descending upon the much larger economy of Italy on Monday, the fate of the euro and market stability worldwide hinged on whether two of Europe’s most tangled and unresponsive political cultures could deal with their tightening fiscal gridlock.
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WASHINGTON — Republican members of a congressional panel seeking ways to cut the federal budget deficit indicated Monday that they might allow some additional tax revenue as part of a deal with Democrats.