Raymond Aubrac, leader of the French resistance, dies at 97
Raymond Aubrac, who took that nom de guerre as a storied leader of the resistance effort in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, died Tuesday in a military hospital in Paris. He was 97
Germans’ anti-Israel whispers grow louder over poem
BERLIN — To judge by the outpouring of comments from politicians and writers and from the newspaper and magazine articles in response to the Nobel laureate Gunter Grass’ poem criticizing Israel’s aggressive posture toward Iran, it would appear that the public had resoundingly rejected his work.
Warmer weather ahead
After yesterday’s showers, the next few days look to bring some nice weather to the Cambridge area. Today will be partly cloudy with a high around 60°F.
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In his first interview since ending his presidential campaign, Rick Santorum said Thursday that what pushed him out of the Republican race was his campaign’s dwindling bank account.
Day in court and new lawyer for defendant in Martin case
SANFORD, Fla. — A tall, lanky red-headed lawyer named Mark O’Mara appeared in court here Thursday, standing next to his newest client, George Zimmerman, one of the most recognizable defendants in the country but a man he had met for the first time only the night before at the county jail.
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KUROSHIO, Japan — The simulations shocked this sleepy community nestled on the tip of Japan’s Shikoku island: A huge undersea quake could bring a tsunami as high as 112 feet here, a government-appointed expert panel said.
Seasonable weather will continue this week
After a historically warm winter, and a spring that featured temperatures upwards of 80°F in its first few days, the Boston area has returned to more seasonable temperatures for the past two weeks. This trend will continue this week, with daily highs and lows expected to be within a few degrees of their normal values.
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The global gold rush in technology patents gained pace Monday when Microsoft agreed to pay more than $1 billion for 800 patents held by AOL.
Food prices push rate of inflation up in China
HONG KONG — The China inflation rate edged up in March, data released Monday showed, in a development that may dampen, but not eliminate, the chances of Beijing’s announcing added steps to prop up the flagging pace of growth.
Tunisia cracks down again on protestors defying a ban
CAIRO — The 6-month-old government of Tunisia cracked down with tear gas and batons Monday on thousands of protesters who filled a central artery of the capital in defiance of a new ban on demonstrations there.
Facebook buys popular photo app Instagram for $1 billion
SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook took steps Monday to bolster its mobile strategy, acquiring popular photo-sharing application Instagram for about $1 billion in cash and stock.
Iran sends mixed signals as nuclear talks near
LONDON — A senior Iranian official hinted Monday that Iran would consider limits on its home-grown stockpile of enriched uranium, offering what seemed a modest compromise to partly meet Western concerns ahead of the planned resumption this week of nuclear talks with a group of six global powers.
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WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Wednesday announced its most significant moves yet to open relations with Myanmar, lifting the travel ban on its senior leaders and easing some sanctions that have starved the country of most American investments for more than two decades.
Energy Department to rouse a loan guarantee program
WASHINGTON — Six months after the expiration of a federal loan guarantee program that backed $16 billion in loans to solar, wind and geothermal energy projects, the Energy Department has decided to offer a smaller set of similar guarantees by tapping another pot of money appropriated by Congress last year.
Seasonable in Cambridge; severe weather in the South
In Cambridge, expect mostly clear skies with seasonable temperatures for today and tomorrow as a high pressure system dominates the region. Starting on Sunday, moisture from distance ocean storms may result in clouds and slight precipitation.
Syrian government assures cease-fire despite reports of widespread violence
BEIRUT — Spasms of fighting convulsed parts of Syria on Thursday, with clashes reported only miles from the capital. The leader of the United Nations said the conflict was getting worse — contradicting the Syrian government’s assurances to a special envoy that it was complying with his cease-fire plan.
Stock prices in China rise due to push to increase investment
HONG KONG — Stocks in China rallied on Thursday, helped by the country’s newly announced decision to open its markets to more foreign investment and expectations that Beijing might soon take additional steps to bolster flagging economic growth.
Low growth in corporate earnings is expected
Corporate profits have been among the brightest lights of the economic recovery, helping to lift the stock market more than 25 percent since October.
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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Pakistani government and opposition on Thursday united in criticism of a newly announced $10 million U.S. bounty for Hafiz Saeed, a militant leader accused of orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai attacks, during a heated session of Parliament in which lawmakers demanded that Washington provide proof of Saeed’s terrorist credentials.
Presidential rivals Sarkozy and Hollande trade attacks
PARIS — The French presidential election finally began to heat up on Thursday, less than three weeks before the first round of voting, with President Nicolas Sarkozy accusing his Socialist rival, Francois Hollande, of “promising a festival of new spending that no one knows how to pay for” and risking turning France into Greece or Spain.