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Dalai Lama consoles victims Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama blesses the survivors and victims of last month’s massive mudslides triggered by Typhoon Morakot during a Buddhist ceremony on Tuesday in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan.
AP photo
BOSTON
AG seeks Senate seat
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has jumped into the special election for the Senate seat left open by the death of Edward Kennedy last week.
A Coakley campaign aide confirmed that she picked up nomination papers for Coakley from the Secretary of State’s office Tuesday morning. Coakley, a Democrat, is hoping to become the first woman from Massachusetts elected to the U.S. Senate.
Other Democrats said to be weighing a race include former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, Kennedy’s nephew; and Reps. Stephen Lynch and Michael Capuano. Republicans include former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey and state Sen. Scott Brown.
DUXBURY, Vt.
Same-sex marriages start
After 17 years together, Bill Slimback and Bob Sullivan couldn’t wait another minute to get married. So they didn’t.
With Vermont’s new law allowing same-sex marriage only a minute old, they tied the knot in a midnight ceremony at a rustic lodge, becoming one of the first couples to legally wed under a law that took effect at midnight Monday.
Vermont is one of five states that now allow same-sex couples to marry. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa currently allow same-sex marriage, and New Hampshire’s law takes effect Jan. 1, 2010.
TEHRAN, Iran
Nuke talks are proposed
Iran’s top nuclear negotiator offered an opening Tuesday for possible compromise with the West, saying the Islamic regime is ready to hold talks with world powers over its nuclear program.
But Iranian lawmakers also sent a message of defiance to the world community — displaying strong support for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s nominee for defense minister even though he is wanted by Argentina for the bombing of a Jewish community center in 1994 that killed 85 people.
Iran’s main nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, told reporters that his nation will present a new “package of proposals” and will open talks “in order to ease common concerns in the international arena.”
TORONTO
Opposition party vows fight
Canada’s main opposition party vowed Tuesday to try topple Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s minority government at the first opportunity, which could force a fourth election in the last five years and the second in just a year.
Liberal opposition leader Michael Ignatieff’s announcement means the Conservative government could be toppled in a confidence vote if Canada’s two other opposition parties also vote to bring down the government.
Harper now needs support from at least one of three opposition parties to stay in power. The Bloc Quebecois and New Democrats would have to do an about-face to back Harper.
The Liberals will have their first opportunity to present a motion of non-confidence in the first week of October. Liberal lawmaker Bob Rae later said the party would push for a vote at the first opportunity.
Harper’s Conservative Party was re-elected last fall.