French-German disputes could mar European summit
BRUSSELS — European Union leaders sought Thursday to overcome sharp differences over how to improve supervision of their banks and budgets, at the start of a two-day summit meeting aimed at resolving the eurozone crisis.
Rain to give way to warmth
A large low pressure system that has been responsible for high winds across the northern Plains and Midwestern United States earlier this week will bring rainy weather to start the weekend in the Boston area. Showers will begin in the early morning hours today and persist throughout the day, possibly becoming heavy at times as the storm persists into the evening.
Turkey & Egypt seek alliance amid upheaval of Arab Spring
ISTANBUL — With war on Turkey’s borders, and political and economic troubles in Egypt, the two countries have turned to each other for support, looking to build an alliance that could represent a significant geopolitical shift in the Middle East prompted by the Arab Spring, uniting two countries with regional ambitions each headed by parties with roots in political Islam.
Second Appeals Court rules against Federal Marriage Act
A federal appeals court in Manhattan ruled Thursday that the federal statute defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman unlawfully discriminates against same-sex married couples by denying them equal federal benefits.
Shorts (left)
The format for the second presidential debate is designed to be a little less stiff — a free-flowing question-and-answer session between the candidates and a studio audience.
Pakistani girl in Britain for care after shooting
ISLAMABAD — When the time came to choose medical treatment for Malala Yousufzai, the 14-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl who defied the Taliban and then was gunned down by them, her family and doctors faced a world of possibilities after a global outpouring of advice and offers of assistance.
Gorgeous fall weather in the week ahead
The next few days in Cambridge will display lovely fall weather, with clear skies and temperatures mainly in the 50°s F. Autumn foliage is in full color, so be sure to look outside. This weekend will bring another low pressure system through the area with its corresponding precipitation and wind, but models so far show a quick passage; most likely for at least part of the weekend it will not rain.
Shorts (right)
BRUSSELS — The European Union toughened sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear program Monday, banning trade in industries like finance, metals and natural gas, and making other business transactions far more cumbersome.
Sept. 11 war crimes case resumes at Guantanamo Bay
FORT MEADE, Md. — The Sept. 11 war-crimes case before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, resumed relatively smoothly Monday as five men accused of being co-conspirators in the attacks were calm and cooperative in the first session of a weeklong pretrial hearing. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and the other four defendants each spoke directly — some through a translator — with the judge, Army Col. James L. Pohl. The atmosphere on the first day contrasted sharply with a chaotic arraignment hearing in May, when they refused to answer the judge’s questions.
Romney campaign makes pitch for ad barrage
Mitt Romney and the Republican Party have begun a late push to raise tens of millions of dollars in the closing weeks of the election, cash that will finance a last-minute barrage of advertising that Romney’s aides believe is critical to beating President Barack Obama.
Student debt relief changes to aid well-off most, study says
With nearly 1 in 6 student loan borrowers in default, the federal government is making changes to its income-based repayment plan to help borrowers with relatively high debt and low incomes keep up with their payments.
Shorts (right)
PARIS — Libya is preparing to bring a wide range of charges against a son of Moammar Gadhafi, and to begin his trial by February, lawyers for Libya told the International Criminal Court at The Hague on Wednesday. They appeared at a hearing dealing with the question of whether Libya or the international court has the right to try the younger Gadhafi as well as a powerful intelligence chief in his father’s regime.
Lawsuit accuses equity firms of colluding on big deals
The private equity giants Blackstone Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts are longtime rivals that compete for multibillion-dollar deals. But during last decade’s buyout boom, according to newly released emails in a civil lawsuit accusing them of collusion, the two firms appeared to be on much cozier terms.
A legal brawl in Mexico as bond buyers look on
Trouble is brewing in the industrial heartland of Mexico, but it’s not the violent drug wars that have plagued the boomtown of Monterrey. It is a legal brawl over the bankruptcy of the country’s largest glassmaker, Vitro.
Chilly conditions in store for weekend
Polar air continues to move into our region, and the first frost looks imminent tonight. In fact, temperatures could reach the freezing point outside Boston! A high pressure sitting in the Midwest is pulling cold air from Canada down into New England. Winds should be somewhat stiff today as well, but will subside on Saturday. By that time, the high pressure will reach us and provide clear, dry conditions. The cold temperatures will not last long because a low pressure will approach the Great Lakes, pushing warm air into the Northeast by Monday. Any significant rain chances should hold off until late Sunday. So the jacket is a better choice over the umbrella this weekend.
Yemeni employee at US embassy in Sanaa is shot dead
SANAA, Yemen — A senior Yemeni officer working in the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa was killed Thursday in an attack that security sources said bore the hallmarks of the regional al-Qaida franchise. The killing comes amid sharp American scrutiny of security at foreign diplomatic posts in the wake of the militant assault one month ago on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, which killed a U.S. ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens, and three other diplomatic personnel.
Shorts (left)
PARIS — A year after the United States cut off its financing to UNESCO, following a vote to make Palestine a full member, the organization remains engaged in a frantic effort to cut back programs, reduce costs and raise emergency money.
Hezbollah flew drone into Israel, its leader says
Reporting was contributed by Hania Mourtada and Hwaida Saad from Beirut, and Isabel Kershner and Jodi Rudoren from Jerusalem.
Toyota recalls 7.4 million cars because of a fire risk
Toyota announced on Wednesday that it was recalling 7.4 million vehicles worldwide, including 2.5 million in the United States, to repair power-window switches that can break down and pose a fire risk.