Running Against the Wind
On every day this month, the mean temperature has been lower than the climatological average. This cold spell looks almost certain to continue through at least the middle of next week, as we will not get the southwesterly flow necessary for warm conditions this time of year. Instead, after a couple days of chilly northwesterly winds, we will have a potent Nor'easter to ride out. All of the long-range numerical weather prediction models develop the storm just off the mid-Atlantic coast on Sunday, and then park it somewhere off the south coast of New England on Patriot's Day. This means we will likely see a prolonged period of stiff easterly winds and heavy rain from Sunday night through Monday, with the timing of the heaviest rain and strongest winds dependent on the exact trajectory of the storm. Anyone participating in the Boston Marathon or planning to go out and cheer on the runners should keep a close eye on this late-season Nor'easter as it develops.
Shorts (left)
For American law enforcement agencies the smuggling investigations were among their most elaborate, producing dozens of arrests and hard evidence that Chinese criminal gangs had smuggled counterfeit U.S. currency, cigarettes and drugs made in North Korea into the United States.
Shorts (right)
U.S. officials said Thursday that they were working assiduously for the release of Amir Mohamed Meshal, an American who had been jailed in Ethiopia on suspicion of terrorist activities, and that they hoped he would be freed very soon.
Off the Air: the Light Goes Out For Radio Personality Don Imus
CBS brought the weeklong confrontation over racial and sexual insults by the radio host Don Imus to an end Thursday when it canceled the "Imus in the Morning" show, effective immediately.
Suicide Bomber at Parliament Kills Eight People in International Zone
A suicide bomber wearing an explosives vest struck deep inside the heavily fortified International Zone on Thursday, killing eight people when he detonated inside the Parliament building just a few feet from the main chamber.
Loyalists to Militant Cleric Rally Against U.S. in Massive Protest
Tens of thousands of protestors loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shiite cleric, took to the streets of the holy city of Najaf on Monday in an extraordinarily disciplined rally to demand an end to the American military presence in Iraq, burning American flags and chanting "Death to America!"
The Day After Tomorrow
Following the cold Easter weekend, we can expect warmer temperatures for the near future. A high pressure system is sweeping across the New England region, accompanied by clear skies and smooth sailing. For today and tomorrow, expect daytime highs in the high forties and overnight lows near freezing.
Iran Says It Can Now Enrich Uranium on Industrial Scale
Iran claimed on Monday that it is now capable of industrial-scale uranium enrichment, a development that would defy two U.N. resolutions passed to press the country to suspend its enrichment program.
Pfizer's Inhaled-Insulin Diabetes Drug Falters in Domestic Sales
Exubera, the first and so far only commercially available inhaled-insulin diabetes treatment, is on the verge of turning into an expensive flop for its maker, Pfizer.
Challenge Over Emissions Rule Set To Begin in Vermont Federal Court
The fight over cars and carbon dioxide moves Tuesday from the Supreme Court to a federal courtroom in Burlington, Vt., in a case that automakers say could reshape vehicles sold on the East and West coasts.
In Reversal, Britain Says Ex-Captives Can Not Sell Stories to Media Sources
After howls of protest from former military commanders, opposition politicians and relatives of service personnel who had been killed, Britain's defense secretary, Des Browne, on Monday abruptly reversed a decision to allow some of the sailors and marines captured by Iran to sell their stories to the media.
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Gao Zhisheng, one of China's most outspoken dissidents until his conviction on sedition charges late last year, said in a recorded statement made available over the weekend that while his confession had resulted in a light sentence, it had been made under mental and physical duress.
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A group of radical clerics has issued a religious decree against Pakistan's tourism minister after some local newspapers printed photographs showing her holding onto a male colleague after landing from a parachute jump in France.
Dry Weekend Ahead
Perhaps the most startling weather event of the past week was the batch of heavy snow that paid us a visit Wednesday afternoon. Fortunately, it was too warm for any significant accumulation or ice hazards. As it turns out, April snowfalls are not uncommon in Boston. The average total snowfall for April is around 1.5 inches, which accounts for a little under 4 percent of the seasonal total. The record monthly snowfall for April is 22.4 inches, which occurred in 1996 (and is more than we've gotten for the entire year). Surprisingly, the latest snowfall ever was on June 17 in 1952! (Source: <i>http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/AveragesTotals.shtml</i>)
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The conservative presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy abruptly canceled a campaign visit to a neighborhood of the eastern city of Lyon on Thursday as demonstrators gathered there and warned that he would not be welcome.
Bhutto Arranges Return to Pakistan After Exile, Promotes Anti-Terrorism
As the Pakistani president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, wrestles with swelling public disaffection over his rule, one of his key political rivals, Benazir Bhutto, has embarked on an international campaign to revive her political standing.
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The controversy surrounding the World Jewish Congress, the tiny nonprofit organization that won billions for Holocaust survivors, continued this week, as its chief patron, Edgar M. Bronfman, accused its former leader, Israel Singer, of misusing funds and concealing "significant information."
Sailors and Marines Released After Two Week Captivity in Iran
The 15 British marines and sailors held captive in Iran for nearly two weeks arrived back home on Thursday. But Britain's relief at their safe return was tarnished by questions about how they behaved during their detention and why they had been captured in the first place.
Companies Reopen Debate on How to Fix Health Care System
Ever since Hillary Rodham Clinton's effort to overhaul the nation's medical system was rejected in 1994, most big employers have stayed out of the debate on health care reform.
Wealthy Conn. School District Confronts Racial Imbalance
More than half a century after the landmark desegregation ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, this overwhelmingly white and wealthy town is beginning to confront the yawning racial imbalance in its cozy, well-groomed neighborhood schools.