Judge in Trayvon Martin case denies request for silence
MIAMI — The judge in the Trayvon Martin murder case on Monday denied a prosecution request to bar lawyers for George Zimmerman from using a website about legal issues, as well as social and traditional news media, to comment about the case.
Ford closing three plants in European downsizing
The Ford Motor Co. has broken from the pack of troubled European automakers, announcing deep cuts that include shutting three factories in the region and eliminating 5,700 jobs.
The calm before the storm…
Ever heard the above phrase? Well, our region’s weather is expected to shift dramatically over the next several days. The weekend will have tranquil conditions, similar to the weather from earlier this week. Mostly sunny skies, light winds, and normal temperatures will continue today and tomorrow. Some cloudy skies may linger this morning, but nearby high pressure and dry air should erode those clouds by afternoon. Highs will remain in the mid 60s°F (17-19°C).
Shorts (left)
JERUSALEM — Israel maintained its official silence Thursday over Sudan’s accusation that the Israel military was behind an air attack that destroyed a weapons factory in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, early Wednesday.
Obama and Romney set to raise $1 billion each
President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are both on pace to raise more than $1 billion with their parties by Election Day, according to figures released by the campaigns Thursday.
Bad luck and missteps make GOP climb steeper
WASHINGTON — The Indiana Senate candidate Richard E. Mourdock’s reintroduction of rape and abortion into the political dialogue this week is the latest in a series of political missteps that have made the Republican quest to seize control of the Senate a steeper climb.
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WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said Thursday that he and other top military commanders “felt very strongly” that deploying U.S. forces to defend against the fatal attack last month on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, was too risky because they did not have a clear picture of what was happening on the ground.
Iran said to complete underground nuclear enrichment plant soon
WASHINGTON — Intelligence officials from several countries say Iran in recent weeks has virtually completed an underground nuclear enrichment plant, racing ahead despite international pressure and heavy economic sanctions in what experts say may be an effort to give them leverage in any negotiations with the United States and its allies.
On a frenetic day, Obama votes and Romney is for change
WORTHINGTON, Ohio — Mitt Romney adopted the mantra that fueled his opponent’s victory four year ago, casting himself as the candidate of “big change” Thursday in Ohio as he began to outline a closing argument in the state that could decide the race.
Nov. 6 election looms large for monetary policy
WASHINGTON — The next significant event for monetary policy is not the Federal Reserve’s meeting Tuesday and Wednesday, which is likely to pass quietly, but the presidential election two weeks later.
China’s slowing economy puts pressure on US exporters
As China’s economy cools, U.S. exporters are increasingly feeling the chill.
Shorts (left)
MOSCOW — During a day of old-school America-bashing in the Russian Parliament on Monday, a series of lawmakers took the podium to catalog rights violations perpetrated by Americans over the years, including waterboarding, Ku Klux Klan lynchings and the abuse of children adopted from Russia.
Despite push for austerity, EU debt has soared
LONDON — As Greece and its international lenders continue tense talks on reducing the Greek budget deficit, new data from the European Union on Monday underscored the potentially Sisyphean nature of such efforts.
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WASHINGTON — The owners of a small nuclear reactor in Wisconsin said Monday that they would close the Kewaunee Power Station early next year because they were unable to sell it and it was no longer economically viable.
Seasonable weather in store for Boston
Last Friday’s muggy and wet weather provided a bit of a messy start to the weekend, but the weather rebounded to provide New England with gorgeous weather for the rest of the weekend into the beginning of this week. With sunny skies and above average temperatures, it was a great weekend to get outside, as the crowds at the Head of the Charles Regatta would surely agree. In fact, Saturday’s high temperature of 74°F was a whopping 14°F above normal! A warm front will approach the region tonight and tomorrow, so some light rain is possible tomorrow. However, a blocking pattern will keep the warm front to our south. With a high pressure from Canada in control, seasonable temperatures are in store for this week, with highs around 60°F.
Lebanon and Jordan move to contain Syria-related violence
BEIRUT — Lebanon and Jordan moved aggressively Monday to squelch the spread of violence from Syria’s deadlocked civil war, the most significant register yet of alarm over the strife spilling over Syrian borders.
South Korea bars leaflet drop over border with North
SEOUL, South Korea — Activists said Monday that they had succeeded in sending large balloons drifting into North Korea carrying tens of thousands of leaflets, despite South Korean police efforts to block the action and a threat from the North Korean government to retaliate with a military attack.
Afghan officials spar over 2014 vote
KABUL, Afghanistan — Nearly two years before Afghanistan’s presidential election, a brewing dispute between President Hamid Karzai and Afghan lawmakers over the handling of voter fraud complaints is raising questions about whether a credible election can be held — and, by extension, future international support for the country’s financially ailing government.
Shorts (right)
President Barack Obama has significant leads over Mitt Romney in Iowa and Wisconsin, two critical battleground states that could serve as a firewall for the president against a late surge by his rival in other places, according to new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls released Thursday evening.
Drilling payments cause a dispute in Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA — Four Pennsylvania townships are challenging a state regulator’s decision to withhold their share of proceeds from a statewide levy on drilling by the booming natural gas industry there.