Tim Sullivan

Afghan president says Pakistan has 'important' role to play in any peace talks with Taliban. Pakistan will play a major role in peace talks with the Taliban, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday, apparently trying to dismiss speculation that Kabul was trying to sideline Islamabad, once a close ally of the militants.

After nearly a year without work, Gary LaPlante was happy to take a three-week construction job. What he didn't know was that the job would cost him more than two-thirds of his benefits when he went back on unemployment. LaPlante, a union carpenter, is among thousands of unemployed in Massachusetts and across the nation who are discovering an unexpected kink in the system that can mean drastic cuts in their unemployment benefits. Workers who seek to renew their benefits for a second year - not uncommon during this recession - are finding that their new benefits are based on their most recent wages, even if it was low pay for temporary or part-time work. LaPlante's benefits, for example, were slashed to $178 a week from more than $600. He was forced to move in with a friend, who supported him for several months before he found a full-time job a few weeks ago. ``You can't take care of yourself with that amount of money,'' said LaPlante, 42, a member of Carpenters Local 40 in Cambridge. `

Wis. governor proposes bill to create commuter rail service linking Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and five state lawmakers are proposing legislation that could help remove obstacles for a commuter-rail service linking Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine in the southeastern corner of the state.

Clinton confronted by Pakistanis over Predator drone attacks - 'executions without trial'. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton faced sharp rebukes from Pakistani audiences Friday, including one woman who accused the U.S. of conducting "executions without trial" in aerial drone strikes. Slapping back, Clinton questioned Pakistan's commitment to fighting terrorists.

Strong earthquakes hit Indian Ocean and Japan, killing 1 and injuring dozens. A pair of powerful earthquakes struck at opposite ends of Asia just 12 minutes apart Tuesday, leaving one dead and more than 100 injured in Japan and sending panicked islanders in the Indian Ocean running into the streets.

Schools will close, municipal employees will be laid off, and waits for a new driver's license will grow under a $27.4 billion state budget approved yesterday by House and Senate lawmakers. The vote - 110 to 46 in the House and 31 to 8 in the Senate - came as mayors, town managers, social service agencies, and local activists across Massachusetts began to digest the massive cuts the budget proposal calls for, including up to a 15 percent cut in noneducation local aid for municipalities. For many across the state, the proposed cuts were little surprise because lawmakers have warned for months that the next fiscal year looked dire. But the cold, hard reality of the reductions hit home yesterday from Cape Cod to the Berkshires. ``It's depressing; it really is depressing,'' said Mayor John Barrett of North Adams, which closed a middle school yesterday because of budget woes. ``There is no light at the end of the tunnel, not even a flicker of hope. It looks like it's going to be worse next

Poor countries likely to suffer most in a swine flu outbreak have the smallest stockpiles of antiviral medicines to fight it.

Tamiflu stockpiles vary widely throughout world, with rich countries generally well supplied. Poor countries likely to suffer most in a swine flu outbreak have the smallest stockpiles of antiviral medicines to fight it.