Chilly weather ahead
Temperatures cooled down this week, with highs in the 40s°F and lows near 30°F, thanks to a high pressure system influencing the region over the last few days. Although it’s been dry for most of the week, that will likely change today — as a low pressure moves into Quebec, its associated warm front will likely bring us some light rain this morning. Otherwise, temperatures should be mild today, with a high of around 47°F (8°C).
China’s highest court seeks to curtail abuses of justice
HONG KONG — China’s highest court issued demands Thursday that judges bar confessions obtained through torture and avoid applying the death penalty when the evidence is shaky. The directive was unlikely on its own to curb such abuses but reflected a growing official recognition of the need to stop gross injustices, experts said.
German chancellor makes plea on behalf of former Soviet republics
BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded on Monday that Russia allow its onetime subjects — particularly in Ukraine — to exercise the sovereign right to make alliances as they choose.
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A bill that would give the Food and Drug Administration more power to police compounding pharmacies passed its final hurdle in Congress on Monday, in what experts said was an important step to a safer drug supply in the United States.
Republicans block another Obama nominee for judgeship
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Monday denied President Barack Obama his third nominee in as many weeks to the nation’s most powerful and prestigious appeals court and insisted they would not back down, inflaming a bitter debate over a president’s right to shape the judiciary.
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WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday turned away an unusual challenge to a National Security Agency program that collects the telephone records of millions of Americans, as congressional critics of the data collection stepped up efforts to force more disclosure about the scope of the surveillance.
China details new policy; investors seem to like it
HONG KONG — If the initial summary of China’s highly anticipated economic policy plan disappointed analysts last week, the far more detailed plan that was released by the Chinese authorities late Friday more than made up for it. The reaction among investors and analysts to the document of more than 21,000 characters — roughly the equivalent of 17,000 words in English — that laid out the Communist Party’s decisions on how to overhaul the Chinese economy was overwhelmingly positive.
Slowdown in carbon emissions worldwide
Global emissions of carbon dioxide are slowing somewhat from the rapid pace of the last decade, new figures show, but growth in coal burning continues to outstrip the growth in other forms of energy, and experts said the world remains far from meeting international goals on climate change.
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WASHINGTON — The CIA is secretly collecting bulk records of international money transfers — including transactions into and out of the United States — under the same law that the National Security Agency uses for its huge database of Americans’ phone records, according to current and former government officials.
Last shipment of nuclear fuel from Russian bombs departs
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — The final shipment of civilian nuclear reactor fuel made from Soviet atomic bombs left port for the United States on Thursday, ending a post-Cold War program that has been a long-running boon for the American nuclear power industry.
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TOKYO — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan is now under more pressure to deliver on his much-promoted effort to improve the country’s long-term growth prospects, after a government estimate on Thursday showed that the economy had slowed in the quarter that ended in September.
Obama tells lawmakers to give Iran sanctions more time
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama, defending his diplomatic efforts in the face of congressional criticism, pleaded with lawmakers Thursday to hold off on imposing new sanctions against Iran while negotiators seek a six-month interim agreement that would freeze Tehran’s nuclear program.
Hezbollah leader says his forces will remain in Syria
LONDON — The head of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group whose armed followers are fighting in Syria on the side of President Bashar Assad, pledged Thursday that his forces would remain there as long as necessary.
In Venezuela, campaign takes on form of a fire sale
CARACAS, Venezuela — The transportation minister appeared on live television from an auto-parts store, trumpeting prices that had been slashed in half, at least. A top regional official, broadcasting from another shop, boasted that prices of toys and other goods had been cut to the bone. From an appliance store, the commerce minister called on shoppers to buy washers and dryers at new, low-low prices.
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WASHINGTON — Michelle Obama, after nearly five years of evangelizing exercise and good eating habits, will begin a new initiative on Tuesday that seeks to increase the number of low-income students who pursue a college degree. The goals of the program reflect the first lady’s own life and will immerse her more directly in her husband’s policies.
Problems with federal health portal stymie Medicaid
WASHINGTON — Problems with the federal health insurance website have prevented tens of thousands of low-income people from signing up for Medicaid even though they are eligible, federal and state officials say, undermining one of the chief goals of the 2010 health care law.
Shopping spree in China sets record in online sales
HANGZHOU, China — Unmarried men across China used to spend Nov. 11 lamenting their single status with a drink. Now that unofficial holiday has become the world’s largest online shopping event.
Arctic air mass brings chilly temperatures
A frontal passage early this morning brought the first snow showers of the season to our region. While at the time of this writing it was unknown whether Logan Airport would record measurable snowfall, it would be comparable timing to the date of the first snowfall last year (on Nov. 7, 2012, 0.10” of snow was recorded at Logan Airport).