Shorts (left)
Annie’s Homegrown, the organic food company known for its mac and cheese and earthy vibe, is joining the General Mills empire.
US plan to destroy Islamic State could stretch past 2016
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is preparing to carry out a campaign against the Islamic State that may take three years to complete — requiring a sustained effort that could last until after President Barack Obama has left office, according to senior administration officials.
Qatar’s support of extremists alienates allies near and far
CAIRO — The visiting sheik told his audience of wealthy Qataris in Doha that to help the battered residents of Syria, they should not bother with donations to humanitarian programs or the Western-backed Free Syrian Army.
Shorts (right)
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said on Sunday that it would put Matthew Todd Miller, one of the three Americans known to be held in the country, on trial in a week.
Google is target of European backlash on US tech dominance
BRUSSELS — A top German official called for Google to be broken up. A French minister pronounced the company a threat to his country’s sovereignty. A European publishing executive likened it to a Wagnerian dragon.
Syrian bombs hit militant-held territory
BEIRUT — Raids by Syrian warplanes killed at least 25 people, most of them civilians crowding into a bakery, in the northeastern province of Raqqa on Saturday as government forces continued air attacks on territory controlled by the Islamic State, the extremist Sunni militant group.
Apple nears introduction of smartwatch, bigger iPhones
SAN FRANCISCO — When Apple wants to make a big splash, it returns to its history.
Scorching September
Although Labor Day has come and gone and the fall semester has begun, summer is still in full swing at the Institute. This past Tuesday’s high temperature of 93°F (34°C) was the hottest temperature of the year so far in Boston. Strengthening offshore flow in advance of an approaching cold front will cause temperatures to flirt with the 90-degree mark once again today and tomorrow. The best chance for heat will come tomorrow afternoon, right before the cold front passes through. As the front arrives, expect thunderstorms to develop and move across New England tomorrow afternoon and evening. There is a chance that some of these storms could produce hail and/or damaging winds.
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NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge here upheld Louisiana’s ban on same-sex marriage Wednesday, going against what had been a unanimous trend of federal court decisions striking down such bans since the Supreme Court ruled on the matter last year.
Al-Qaida announces new branch in India
NEW DELHI — Al-Qaida has released a video announcing the establishment of a new branch on the Indian subcontinent, saying it is meant to revive jihadist activity in a region that was once “part of the land of Muslims, until the infidel enemy occupied it and fragmented it and split it.”
Shorts (left)
UNITED NATIONS — One in 10 girls worldwide have been forced into a sexual act, and 6 in 10 children aged 2 to 14 are regularly beaten by parents and caregivers, according to a report issued Thursday by the United Nations’ children’s agency, UNICEF.
FCC to promote high-speed broadband competition
WASHINGTON — Americans lack real choices among providers of high-speed Internet service, with fewer than 1 in 4 homes having access to two or more providers of the broadband speeds that are quickly becoming “table stakes” in modern communications, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission said Thursday.
Justice Department to investigate Ferguson police practices
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department will open a broad civil rights investigation into police practices in Ferguson, Missouri, where a white police officer killed an unarmed black teenager last month and set off days of racially charged unrest, the city’s police chief and other officials said Wednesday.
Shorts (right)
MOSCOW — Five geckos launched into space by Russia for an experiment on sexual reproduction in near-zero gravity were found dead Monday after their spacecraft returned to earth, the Russian space agency Roscosmos announced in a statement.
Islamic State adds cluster bombing to its tactics
The Islamic State, the extremist militant group now almost universally vilified for atrocities that include boastful beheadings, summary mass executions and enslavement in the areas it aspires to control, also has attacked enemies with cluster bombs, the banned weapons that kill and maim indiscriminately, Human Rights Watch said Monday.
Summer weather continues into semester
A series of above-normal temperatures is expected this week, as summer-like weather rolls on into September. Warm temperatures will be encouraged today by a southerly breeze ahead of a cold front currently approaching from our west. These winds will bring warmer air up from the south, although slightly cooler ocean temperatures will prevent the mercury from climbing too high this afternoon. The aforementioned cold front will pass through overnight, bringing with it a band of showers and thunderstorms. After the frontal passage, skies will clear, and winds will shift to be from the north and west. This offshore flow will allow the temperature to climb once again tomorrow, with highs reaching the mid-80s (°F).
Fast-food workers plan strike for higher wages
The next round of strikes by fast-food workers demanding higher wages is scheduled for Thursday, and this time, labor organizers plan to increase the pressure by staging widespread civil disobedience and having thousands of home-care workers join the protests.
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BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel told lawmakers Monday that her government had decided to break with a taboo on delivering weapons to conflict zones because Germany and all of Europe faced a security threat from the extremists of the Islamic State.
St. Louis Rams cut Michael Sam, the first openly gay NFL draft pick
Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team, was cut by the St. Louis Rams on Saturday.
Three Americans held in North Korea plead for US help
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea granted two U.S. news organizations interviews with three incarcerated Americans on Monday, with all three prisoners apologizing for violating its laws and beseeching Washington to send an emissary to negotiate their release.