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SANAA, Yemen — Thousands of pro- and anti-government demonstrators held peaceful protests in this impoverished capital Thursday, playing out themes that have rocked nations across the Arab world as autocratic leaders struggle to press back the roaring demands of movements hungry for democracy, accountability and the rule of law.
JPMorgan executives doubted Madoff months before collapse
Senior executives at JPMorgan Chase expressed serious doubts about the legitimacy of Bernard L. Madoff’s investment business more than 18 months before his Ponzi scheme collapsed but continued to do business with him, according to internal bank documents made public in a lawsuit Thursday.
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BEIJING — In another era, China’s leaders might have been content to let discussion of the protests in Egypt float around among private citizens, then fizzle out.
Sotomayor reflects on advice, race and public perception at UChicago talk
CHICAGO — Justice Sonia Sotomayor, speaking at a law school here Monday, said she had “taken heat” at her Supreme Court confirmation hearings two summers ago in part because she was the first Hispanic nominee.
Second judge strikes down Obama health care law
A second federal judge ruled Monday that it had been unconstitutional for Congress to enact a health care law that requires all Americans to obtain commercial insurance, evening the score at 2-2 in the lower courts as the conflicting opinions begin their path to the Supreme Court.
Afghan stoning video rekindles outcry in double murder case
KABUL, Afghanistan — Police officers investigating the double murder of a couple who were stoned to death in a prominent case five months ago could hardly have asked for more abundant evidence.
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Three years ago, Dr. Bradley Thach, a professor of pediatrics at Washington University in St. Louis, published findings that had the potential to upend nurseries across the nation, and perhaps save some lives too.
Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal poses challenge to US policy
WASHINGTON — New U.S. intelligence assessments have concluded that Pakistan has steadily expanded its nuclear arsenal since President Barack Obama came to office, and that it is building the capability to surge ahead in the production of nuclear-weapons material, putting it on a path to overtake Britain as the world’s fifth-largest nuclear weapons power.
Egyptian army renounces use of force, officials offer talks
CAIRO — The government of Egypt’s authoritarian president, Hosni Mubarak, shook Monday night, first as the Egyptian Army declared that it would not use force against protesters demanding his ouster, and then as Mubarak’s most trusted adviser offered to talk with the political opposition.
Messy weather arrives (again)
After a very stormy January for New England, yet another storm arrives just in time for February. A broad low pressure system, currently over the central Midwest as of noon, will meander its way across the eastern lower 48. Across the Great Plains and into the northern Midwest, snow, ice and strong winds will cause hazardous travel conditions for many of these areas. In only one day, this particular system will be making headlines in our region.
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MOSCOW — A day after an airport suicide bombing that investigators suspect was organized by Islamic militants, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday vowed retribution. President Dmitry A. Medvedev lashed out at low-ranking subordinates at the airport for failing to stop the attack, and a number of initiatives were announced to prevent future terrorist acts.
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Each year, federal inspectors find illegal levels of antibiotics in hundreds of older dairy cows bound for the slaughterhouse. Concerned that those antibiotics might also be contaminating the milk Americans drink, the Food and Drug Administration intended to begin tests this month on the milk from farms that had repeatedly sold cows tainted by drug residue.
Obama proposes national effort to ‘win the future’
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama called Tuesday night for Americans to unleash their creative spirits, set aside their partisan differences and come together around a common goal of out-competing other nations in a rapidly shifting global economy.
Financial meltdown was ‘avoidable,’ inquiry concludes
WASHINGTON — The 2008 financial crisis was an “avoidable” disaster caused by widespread failures in government regulation, corporate mismanagement and heedless risk-taking by Wall Street, according to the conclusions of a federal inquiry.
NRA clout hurts firearms research
In the wake of the shootings in Tucson, Ariz., the familiar questions inevitably resurfaced: Are communities where more people carry guns safer or less safe? Does the availability of high-capacity magazines increase deaths? Do more rigorous background checks make a difference?
More snow on the way
Another nor’easter is headed toward the Boston area, and it will bring more snowfall to the region tonight and tomorrow morning. However, as of Tuesday there was still a considerable amount of uncertainty as to the severity of the storm’s impact. The storm, which was centered over the Gulf of Mexico yesterday, will be tracking northeastward along the Atlantic coast of the United States throughout the day today. The exact track that the storm takes will dictate the amount of snow that we receive, since sharp precipitation gradients mean that a slight deviation in track direction can translate into a large difference in snowfall totals.
King’s Speech leads Oscar pack
LOS ANGELES — The Oscar race turned into a wild scramble Tuesday morning as The King’s Speech moved out front when nominations for the 83rd Academy Awards were announced. True Grit surged into second position, and The Social Network, which had seemed a front-runner,was matched by Inception, followed closely by The Fighter.
Comcast receives approval for NBC Universal merger
Comcast received government approval on Tuesday to acquire NBC Universal, emerging from a lengthy review with a list of conditions, the most important aimed at preventing the new media conglomerate from thwarting competition in online video.
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KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan’s attorney general expressed hope on Tuesday that a special court appointed by the president to look into election fraud would throw out the results of the country’s parliamentary elections, and predicted that the court would delay this week’s planned inauguration of a new Parliament.
India premier receives laurels abroad and brickbats at home
NEW DELHI — Few leaders are more respected globally than Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India. President Barack Obama has described him as a historic figure, close friend and valued adviser. (So, for that matter, did President George W. Bush.) When Newsweek ranked world leaders, Singh ranked first, winning praise for his modesty and incorruptibility.