1. Putin Wins Disputed Victory
The Wall Street Journal March 4, 2012
Amid Middle-Class Revolt, Kremlin Boss Reclaims Russian Presidency
Associated Press
Vladimir Putin shed a tear at a victory rally in Moscow late Sunday. Known for his public displays of machismo, he later blamed the chill wind.
MOSCOW—Vladimir Putin claimed victory in Sunday's presidential election, calling the vote a rebuke of the biggest anti-Kremlin protests in two decades and a strong mandate for his prickly assertion of Russia's interests abroad.
But bitter disputes over the fairness of the closely monitored vote showed his victory isn't likely to mute a rising middle-class revolt against his 12 years of autocratic rule.
How Mr. Putin handles demands for greater political openness and competition—and whether the movement maintains momentum—will shape the course of his six-year term, his penchant for centralized governance and Russia's relations with the West.
"We have won in an open and fair fight," Mr. Putin declared at a celebration in Manezh Square near the Kremlin. "We have shown that our people can easily tell apart the desire for novelty and renewal from political provocations that have only goal in mind—to break up the Russian state and to usurp power."
"I promised you we would win," he told tens of thousands of supporters, who chanted "Putin! Putin!" during his brief speech.
2. EU Leaders Declare Crisis Turning Point in Shift to Growth
Bloomberg Mar 2, 2012
Jock Fistick/Bloomberg
Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor, center, speaks with Jose Barroso, president of the European Commission, left, and Nicolas Sarkozy, France's president, right, ahead of a European Leaders summit at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, on March 2, 2012.
European leaders declared a turning point in the Greece-fueled debt crisis, shifting their focus away from the budget-cutting spree that has dominated two years of rescue operations.
With a second Greek aid package wrapped up and the euro region slipping into recession, the leaders committed to a pro-growth agenda that sits uneasily with a deficit-control treaty that was signed today at the 17th summit since the outbreak of the crisis.
“Targets on deficits and debt are intermediate targets, no aim in itself,” European Union President Herman Van Rompuysaid. “The restoration of confidence in the future of the euro zone will lead to economic growth. This is our ultimate objective.”
3. H5N2 avian flu strikes Taiwan: COA
The China Post March 4, 2012
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Taiwan has reported its first outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza, with almost 58,000 chickens culled in two farms, agricultural authorities confirmed yesterday.
About 53,000 chickens in a Changhua County farm were culled yesterday morning, while another 4,500 in another farm in Tainan met the same fate on Feb. 10, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said.
The COA said it has already reported the outbreak to the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) but there are no signs that the bird flu has spread to other farms.
A ban has been imposed on all poultry product exports, which could incur losses of about NT$600 million, the COA said.
The COA maintained that the H5N2 virus does not affect human health.
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