Sarkozy Says Non-Nuclear Iran Must Be International Priority
In his first major foreign policy speech as president, Nicolas Sarkozy of France said Monday that Iran could be attacked militarily if it did not live up to its international obligations to curb its nuclear program.
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The political deadlock over Kosovo’s future is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon despite the start of new negotiations on the province this week, according to two leading politicians involved in the talks.
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Opium cultivation in Afghanistan grew by 17 percent in 2007, reaching record levels for the second straight year, according to a U.N. report released Monday.
Federal Gov’t Plans Improvements At Immigration Detention Center
The federal government and lawyers for immigrant children have announced an agreement to improve living conditions at the nation’s main family detention center for illegal immigrant suspects.
China to Restrict Foreign Acquisitions Citing Growing Nat’l Security Concerns
After a quarter-century of welcoming and even courting foreign investors, Beijing officials are starting to show considerably more caution. Chinese lawmakers are set to pass legislation this week that would limit foreign acquisitions in China on national security grounds.
Ten Arrested For Assassination Of Prominent Russian Reporter
Russia’s prosecutor general said Monday that 10 people had been arrested in the contract killing of Anna Politkovskaya, the prominent journalist and Kremlin critic. Those arrested included a Chechen crime boss and career officers from the country’s police and intelligence services, he said.
Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan Prompt Criticism of NATO, U.S.
Afghan elders said Sunday that airstrikes had killed 12 civilians in the southern province of Helmand on Saturday night, but an American military spokesman blamed Taliban militants for the civilian deaths.
Bush Defends Iraq Occupation Despite Its Low Public Approval
President Bush’s Iraq strategy faces a crisis of faith these days — from the American public. And he is confronting it the way he has previous crises: with a relentless campaign to persuade people to see things his way.
Aides to Pakistani Pres. Reported In Talks With Two Main Opponents
Close aides to Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and the chief of the country’s intelligence agency are in London to hold talks with Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, the president’s two main political opponents, generally reliable Pakistani newspapers reported Sunday.
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The head of the Central Bank of Iran resigned Sunday, bringing the number of key economic figures who have left President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Cabinet to three this month.
Greek Forest Fires Continue To Advance; 12 More Killed
At least 12 more people were reported dead Sunday in fierce forest fires in Greece, as walls of flame, though slowed in somewhat calmer winds, continued to consume homes and to advance on the ruins where the Olympic Games were first played.
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The retirement of thousands of baby boomer teachers coupled with the departure of younger teachers frustrated by the stress of working in low-performing schools is fueling a crisis in teacher turnover that is costing school districts substantial amounts of money as they scramble to fill their ranks for the fall term.
Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Maliki Angry At Two American Senators’ Criticism
Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki on Sunday extended his tongue-lashing of foreign politicians who have questioned his government, saying that Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Carl Levin needed to “start making sense again” after the senators, both Democrats, called for his ouster.
Comfort Is in the Air
While freshmen and first-year graduate students are likely being comforted by Orientation leaders and various MIT administrators, mother nature is providing comfort in her own way. Not only was it hot on Saturday, where Boston tied the all-time record high temperature of 96°F, it was also humid. Generally, dew point readings above 60°F is considered humid and over 70°F is oppressive. We topped off at 74°F Saturday afternoon, a reading normally observed near the Gulf of Mexico. Is it always this humid in Boston? According to the National Climatic Data Center, the average dew point reading in Boston is 62°F for August and a much drier 55°F for September.
California Struggles to Resolve Disruptive Financial Deadlock
California lawmakers scrambled Wednesday to end a deadlock over the state’s overdue budget, as $1 billion in payments to hospitals, nursing homes, colleges and dozens of state suppliers ground to a halt.
House Votes to Ensure Equal Leave Time; Bill Unlikely to Pass Congress
House Democrats, in their latest challenge to Bush administration war policy, voted on Thursday to limit how quickly American troops can be sent back to Iraq after serving a rotation there.
Minnesota Interstate Bridge Collapses, Kills Seven People
An Interstate highway bridge in downtown Minneapolis loaded with rush-hour traffic dropped more than 60 feet into the Mississippi River on Wednesday night, sending at least 50 vehicles and passengers into the water.
European Bank Announces September Interest Rate Rise to Control Inflation
The European Central Bank signaled Thursday that it would raise interest rates in September to curb inflation amid an expanding economy. Its president, Jean-Claude Trichet, also vowed to pay “great attention” to volatile developments in global financial markets.
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President Bush said Thursday that the United States would freeze the property and assets of anyone trying to undermine Lebanon’s democratically elected government — a move intended as a sharp warning to Syria and its ally, Hezbollah, not to meddle in Lebanese affairs.
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Sudan’s foreign minister told reporters Wednesday that the government supported the deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping force for Darfur, as authorized by the Security Council, while a number of countries in Africa, Asia and Europe volunteered to send troops to join it.