Amid protests, Vladimir Putin returns to presidency in Russia
MOSCOW — In the lustrous, vaulted throne room of the czars who came before him, Vladimir Putin on Monday reclaimed the Russian presidency. A 30-gun salute cracked over the eerie quiet of the city, and Russia’s defense minister returned to Putin the black suitcase that contains the controls to a vast nuclear arsenal.
Europe focuses on growth, but is divided on path ahead
BERLIN — In the volatile aftermath of raucous elections, which nearly destroyed the political establishment in Greece and ended 17 years of conservative reign in France, the emphasis across Europe, even in the austerity heartland of Germany, has shifted to the very real problem of growth for the stagnant Continent.
Obama hands Congress a five-point economic to-do list
WASHINGTON — With a polarized Congress already on the defensive, President Barack Obama on Tuesday will outline a five-point “to do” list for lawmakers that packages job creation and mortgage relief ideas he has proposed before, administration officials say.
Unsettled weather moving into the region
An area of high pressure sitting just off Cape Cod last night will drift away today. Rainy conditions from an approaching low pressure system will move in from the West, bringing an end to the sunny weather of the past two days. The rain, however, will stick around for a while, perhaps until Friday as the associated warm and cold fronts stall over the area by mid-week.
France and Greece poised for crucial votes on Sunday
PARIS — France and Greece vote Sunday in elections that will be closely watched for the future of the European Union and the euro. The votes will once again highlight the emerging crux of the euro crisis: Will democratic politics offer a solution to the economic crisis or just make it worse?
Brazil increasing military presence along Amazon borders
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil is deploying more than 8,500 troops to the far reaches of the Amazon rain forest this month in an operation aimed at cracking down on drug smuggling, gold mining, and illegal deforestation, officials said.
Leaving presidency, Russia’s Medvedev fights for relevance
MOSCOW — President Dmitry A. Medvedev spent last Friday trying to persuade the grandees of United Russia that he is a conservative who can lead the party to victory. But many looked at him and saw Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin’s liberal sidekick, who emboldened the opposition and supported the West in Libya.
Shorts (right)
BARCELONA, Spain — Ahead of crucial elections this weekend in France and Greece, Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, warned governments Thursday against the “easier road” of raising taxes to fill public coffers, saying it would not solve Europe’s economic problems.
Shorts (left)
MEXICO CITY — The bodies of three photojournalists were found dismembered Thursday in the eastern state of Veracruz, days after a crime reporter for a national magazine was killed in her house there.
Cambridge weather finally ‘seasonable’
The cold damp weather that has plagued the Cambridge area for the past few days will persist into Saturday. Expect rain today with daytime temperatures in the upper 50’s. Saturday will be a bit better, with scattered showers and temperatures reaching the mid 60’s. By Sunday, expect to see the sun come out and temperatures remain in the 60’s, which is close to the average value for this time of year.
Study finds concerns regarding readiness for cyberattacks
WASHINGTON — A study commissioned by President Barack Obama to assess the nation’s ability to respond to terrorist attacks and man-made and natural disasters has found that state and local officials have the most confidence in their public health and medical services but are the most concerned about whether agencies can respond to cyberattacks.
Egypt’s military rulers deny role in fatal clashes
CAIRO — Egypt’s temporary military rulers delivered a sweeping defense of their tenure Thursday, saying they were committed to handing over power to a civil authority by the end of June, and denying any role in clashes the day before that left at least 11 people dead.
Loyalist soldiers in Mali appear to seek countercoup
BAMAKO, Mali — Gunfire rang out over this West African capital Monday night as soldiers loyal to the president who was deposed in a coup in March appeared to be attempting a countercoup against the ruling military junta.
Shorts (left)
PARIS — Stocks fell modestly in Europe on Monday, after confirmation that Spain had slumped back into recession in the first three months of 2012. The Spanish economy contracted by 0.3 percent in the January-March quarter, the same rate of contraction as in the last quarter of 2011, the National Statistics Institute said in Madrid.
Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser defends drone strikes
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Monday offered its first extensive explanation of how U.S. officials decide when to use drones to kill suspected terrorists — a tactic that the government often treats as a classified secret even though it is widely known around the world.
Antagonists in Syria accuse each other of subverting truce
BEIRUT — Syria’s official media reported a series of attacks against government buildings Monday, including two bombings that targeted two key security headquarters in the northern city of Idlib and a small rocket assault on the Central Bank in downtown Damascus.
Shorts (right)
WASHINGTON — Democratic senators who lead the intelligence and armed services committees took issue Monday with claims from Bush administration officials that the Central Intelligence Agency’s coercive interrogation methods produced information that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden a year ago.
Rainfall to help alleviate drought conditions soon
The Boston and Cambridge areas will experience a soaking, day-long rainstorm today as a low pressure system moves in from the west and eventually heads out to sea. While the storm will make for rather cold and dreary conditions for those out and about today, it will also bring some much-needed precipitation to an area that has received an abnormally low amount of rain so far this spring.
Malaysian police to investigate violence at protest supporting free elections
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysian police pledged Monday to investigate violence at a rally supporting free elections that spiraled out of control when protesters broke through barricades in central Kuala Lumpur.
Dispute over tiny island in Persian Gulf unites Iran
TEHRAN — For Iranians, whose country’s borders have shrunk in the past 200 years after wars and unfavorable deals by corrupt shahs, territorial issues are a delicate matter. So a renewed claim by the United Arab Emirates to the tiny island of Abu Musa in the Persian Gulf has touched a raw nerve.