Shorts (right)
Suicide bombers attacked two major Pakistani cities on Monday — one of them the garrison city of Rawalpindi — as the army claimed control of one more Taliban stronghold in the northwestern tribal region of South Waziristan, officials said.
Transition Time
November has arrived, and this week will begin the slow descent from brisk autumn temperatures to those more typically associated with chilly New England winters. The steadily decreasing amount of daylight present during this time of year contributes to a drop of 10°F (5.5°C) in normal temperatures over the course of the month. The winter solstice will be here soon enough, but until then, 4:30 p.m. sunsets will be a regular feature.
Democrats Say House Bill Cuts Premiums for Many
As the House moved toward climactic votes on legislation to remake the health care system, the Congressional Budget Office said Monday that middle-income families might be required to pay 15 percent to 18 percent of their income on insurance premiums and co-payments under the proposal.
Urban Clinics Face Scrutiny In Health Bill
As Congress struggles to rein in health care costs as part of its sweeping reform efforts, hospitals in New York City and other urban areas that provide some of the most expensive care are among the primary targets.
People’s Republic of China Dismisses Its Minister of Education
Facing rising criticism over the quality of schools and a crush of jobless college graduates, China’s legislature announced Monday that it had removed the minister of education after six years on the job and replaced him with a deputy.
Tehran Rejects Nuclear Accord, Officials Report
Iran told the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Thursday that it would not accept a plan its negotiators agreed to last week to send its stockpile of uranium out of the country, according to diplomats in Europe and U.S. officials briefed on Iran’s response.
Clinton Challenges Pakistanis On Al-Qaida
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on a visit meant to improve relations with Pakistan, strongly suggested Thursday that some Pakistani officials bore responsibility for allowing al-Qaida terrorists to operate from safe havens along this country’s frontier.
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Every year, the single largest gathering in the world is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca: 2.5 million people from 160 countries packed into a small city in Saudi Arabia for five days.
The Senate’s ‘Dr. No’ Poses a Health Bill Hurdle
Sen. Tom Coburn’s office is the rare Capitol Hill work space without a “me wall” — the display of photographs of a lawmaker standing beside presidents, foreign leaders and other dignitaries, all illustrating How Big a Deal he is.
Iraq Arrests Police Officers and Soldiers After Bombings
Iraq announced Thursday that it had arrested dozens of police officers and army soldiers responsible for security in the neighborhood where car bombs killed and wounded hundreds of people outside government buildings this week.
U.S. Economy Grew in 3rd Quarter, First Time in a Year
The United States has emerged from the longest economic contraction since World War II.
69 On Halloween
A tight pressure gradient will be in place this weekend between a high pressure system off the coast of Nova Scotia and a strong low pressure system over southwestern Ontario. This will cause a strong flow from the southwest, bringing hot, steamy air to our region. High temperatures on Saturday will top out around 69°F (21°C), well above average, so no need to cover up your Halloween costume. The remainder of the weekend will be dry with the next chance for rain on Sunday night.
Shorts (right)
House Democrats on Thursday unveiled their bill to remake the health care system and said they had the votes to pass it. But Republicans said gimmicks had been used to hide the measure’s long-term costs.
Shorts (left)
The NFL and its doctors have consistently dismissed independent studies showing unusual cognitive decline in former players. They insist that a long-term study by the league’s committee on concussions, expected to be published in several years, will be the authoritative analysis.
Pilots Who Missed Airport Cite Computer Distraction
Any employee at a company that has gone through a merger knows how distracting it can be when the new owner imposes new rules. That distraction, not a nap, was what two Northwest Airlines pilots insist caused them to fly far beyond the Minneapolis airport last week, federal investigators reported Monday.
Ex-Chief of AIG Is Busy Building a New Venture
Maurice R. Greenberg, who built the American International Group into an insurance behemoth with an impenetrable maze of on- and offshore companies, is at it again.
Senate Leader Vows to Pursue Public Option
The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, sided with his party’s liberals on Monday and announced that he would include a government-run insurance plan in health care legislation that he plans to take to the Senate floor within a few weeks.
Iraq Blast Toll, Worse Than Feared, Includes Children
Iraqi officials reached a tentative agreement on a new election law on Monday, even as workers continued to recover more bodies from the wreckage of Sunday’s bomb attacks, including an uncertain number of children from two day care centers.
Engaging in War Is Now Part Of Germany’s Afghan Mission
Forced to confront the rising insurgency in once peaceful northern Afghanistan, the German army is engaged in sustained and bloody ground combat for the first time since World War II.
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The two-decade erosion in newspaper circulation is looking more like an avalanche, with figures released Monday showing sales down about 10 percent since last year, depressed by rising Internet readership, price increases, recession and papers intentionally shedding unprofitable circulation.