The United States imposed new sanctions Friday on about two dozen Russians accused of human rights violations, and Moscow vowed to retaliate as a fractious dispute between the two countries escalated further into a cold war-style, tit-for-tat clash. The Obama administration barred 18 Russians from traveling to the United States and froze any assets they may have here under a new law intended to punish human rights violations. A handful of other more highly placed officials, including the head of the Russian region of Chechnya, were put on a list not publicly revealed. Russian officials promised to ban a like number of Americans. Peter Baker reports from Washington and Ellen Barry from Moscow.
As they have every April for decades, wine merchants from around the world donned their tweed jackets, tucked in their pocket squares and descended on Bordeaux this week to assess the latest vintage. In visits to revered chateaus in localities like Pomerol, Margaux and Saint-Estèphe, they swirled, sniffed, spat and scored the 2012 Bordeaux. But this year one of the biggest names, Château Latour, will not be available when the other 2012 wines go on sale in the coming weeks. Anyone who wants the 2012 Latour will have to wait years, thanks to a decision by the chateau’s owner, the French billionaire François Pinault, to withhold the wine from the annual sale of Bordeaux futures. Eric Pfanner reports from Pauillac, France.
As Zimbabwe prepares to choose a new president this year in long-awaited elections, voters are increasingly questioning the erstwhile opposition, the only serious challenger to the tight grip Mr. Mugabe and his party, ZANU-PF, have held on this nation for decades. Morgan Tsvangirai’s underdog movement has long been the vessel of millions of Zimbabweans’ hopes for a more democratic, peaceful and prosperous future in what was once one of Africa’s most stable and wealthy nations. But four years of governing alongside Mr. Mugabe â€" and in some ways, analysts say, being co-opted by him and his allies â€" has taken a toll on its reputation. Lydia Polgreen reports from Harare, Zimbabwe.
Silicon Valley is battling in Washington to make the immigration process easier for thousands of people, many of them Indian engineers, while also pushing to hire many more guest workers from abroad. Rarely has the industry been so single-mindedly focused on a national policy issue, with executives like Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and John T. Chambers of Cisco personally involved. Its efforts seem to be paying off, as a group of eight senators negotiate details of a comprehensive immigration deal to be announced early next week. Somini Sengupta reports from San Francisco.
ARTS For those who are thinking of hanging Old Master paintings on their walls without spending millions, there is good news: it can be done in those midseason events that auction house marketing departments omit to hype. This week, Sotheby’s held one of those sessions, where the offerings Wednesday ranged from works vaguely reminiscent of the work of known masters to newly discovered masterpieces of considerable importance. Souren Melikian reports from London.
SPORTS The elite Formula One racing series faces a test as broadcasting rights change hands, shifting Formula One’s traditional free television base to pay TV, raising the question of whether it can maintain audience levels. Brad Spurgeon reports.
