Moscow

MOSCOW — The poisonous smog that contributed to a higher death rate in Moscow last week returned to Russia’s capital yesterday, officials said. The concentration of carbon monoxide in Moscow air was more than five times what is considered normal, said Alexey Popikov of weather monitors Mosecomonitoring. In addition, “The level of hydrocarbon emissions — the substances that give the air this unpleasant smell — was 5.5 times higher than the usual Moscow level this morning,’’ he said, adding that by today winds will disperse most of the smog.

Will Smith may not want to talk about what happened last week in Moscow, but Tommy Lee Jones sure does. The actors met on the black carpet at the premiere of "Men in Black 3" Wednesday night, with Jones twice asking Smith, "How's life in Moscow?" Representatives from Sony Pictures and Smith's publicity team repeatedly told members of the media the star wouldn't be talking about the incident, but someone forgot to tell Jones. A Ukrainian reporter tried to kiss Smith on May 18 at the Moscow premiere of the comedy.

NEW YORK -- Moscow has eclipsed Tokyo as the world's most expensive city, a survey says. The Russian capital moved up three spots from a year ago, thanks to a property boom, while the Japanese capital slipped to third place due to the weaker yen. South Korea's Seoul ranked second, up from fifth last year. The survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting ranked 144 cities. It's designed to help multinational employers determine compensation for workers. Overall, foreign exchange rate fluctuations were behind the majority of the changes in ranking, but in Moscow's case, costs were buoyed by the surging...

Two prominent Russian opposition leaders have been released from prison after spending 15 days in a Moscow jail for disobeying police. Alexei Navalny and Sergei Udaltsov were arrested on May 9 as they protested President Vladimir Putin's inauguration. Navalny told supporters Thursday that he would continue to fight against the regime even if that entails more jail time. Russia's lower house of parliament on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a bill increasing fines for those taking part in unsanctioned protests 200-fold.

MOSCOW — Hundreds of people protested against the Russian government yesterday at two separate rallies in Moscow, with opposition activists calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and nationalists demanding greater rights for ethnic Russians. Several opposition activists were detained. A third rally with nationalist overtones drew more than 1,000 students in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don. The rally raised fears that longstanding ethnic tensions were reaching a boiling point.

Anna Whittington is a Harvard University senior who is spending a year studying at the Russian State University for the Humanities in Moscow (www.rggu.com) and at Freie Universität in Berlin (www.fu-berlin.de). Her travels have done wonders for her Russian and German, and she can now recommend a great Depeche Mode-themed bar in Estonia. You can read more about her adventures at her blog, anyamarie.wordpress.com/. TWO CAPITAL IDEAS: I was drawn to the idea of studying in these countries' capitals, and I was especially attracted by Middlebury College's language program, which...

MOSCOW - Antigovernment protesters managed to gather a third huge crowd in the center of Moscow yesterday, undeterred by arctic, bitter cold or by the near certainty that Vladimir V. Putin will win a six-year presidential term next month. This time, Russian authorities were prepared, organizing a simultaneous, and also huge, rally in defense of Putin where speakers issued dire warnings of the possible consequences of continued protest: revolution and the breakup of the country.

Russian police uprooted a protest camp in central Moscow that has become a center of opposition activity, rousting demonstrators in an early morning raid Wednesday hours before a deadline to leave. A Moscow court on Tuesday ordered activists at what had become known as Occupy Abay to leave by noon Wednesday, supporting a lawsuit by residents of Chistoprudny boulevard area. Police officials pledged that they would not try to evict the activists before the designated time, but moved in at 5 a.m., evicting several dozens.

MOSCOW — President Dmitry Medvedev pledged yesterday to provide further support to breakaway Georgian regions on the anniversary of the Russian-Georgian war. “Two years ago today, Georgia provoked a bloody conflict,’’ Medvedev said in televised remarks. “This day will forever remain in our memory as a day of mourning and the day when Russia made a decision to protect peaceful civilians.’’ Medvedev addressed Russian troops stationed in the key Black Sea port of Gudauta in Abkhazia — one of the two separatist provinces whose independence Moscow recognized...

MOSCOW — Icy rain yesterday shut down Moscow’s largest airport, coated roads with ice, and left more than 300,000 people and 14 hospitals without electricity in winter. Workers were scrambling to restore the power supply after heavy ice snapped power lines, Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said. Moscow’s Domodedovo airport closed yesterday morning after it lost power. No planes were allowed to land or take off for 15 hours until the airport opened for outbound flights to several domestic destinations.

Russian police uprooted a protest camp in central Moscow that has become a center of opposition activity, rousting demonstrators in an early morning raid Wednesday hours before a deadline to leave. A Moscow court on Tuesday ordered activists at what had become known as Occupy Abay to leave by noon Wednesday, supporting a lawsuit by residents of Chistoprudny boulevard area. Police officials pledged that they would not try to evict the activists before the designated time, but moved in at 5 a.m., evicting several dozens.

Prominent Russian novelists and poets led a street protest by more than 10,000 people in Moscow on Sunday without obtaining the required permit, and police did not intervene. The demonstrators skirted the law by remaining silent and carrying no posters, even though the demonstration had clearly been organized as an anti-President Vladimir Putin rally. The gathering was the latest of several impromptu protests that have taken place in Moscow since Putin's inauguration Monday, held by people unhappy that he is the country's formal leader once again.

MOSCOW - Some 200 activists are camping out in central Moscow to protest the election of Vladimir Putin and the arrest of two opposition leaders. Putin was Russia's president between 2000 and 2008, when he had to step down and assume a prime minister's post to avoid term limitations. On Monday, he was inaugurated as president for a six-year term. Anti-Putin street protests in Moscow erupted Sunday, and more than 400 people were arrested after the rally turned into clashes between the demonstrators and riot police.

A demonstration by at least 20,000 people on the eve of Vladimir Putin's inauguration as president turned into a battle with police Sunday after some protesters tried to split off from the approved venue and march to the Kremlin. Club-wielding officers wearing helmets seized demonstrators and hauled them to police vehicles, dragging some by the hair, others by the neck. Several protesters were injured, including one man with blood dripping from his head down the left side of his face.

MOSCOW - Russia's top military officer has threatened to carry out a preemptive strike on US-led NATO missile defense facilities in Eastern Europe if Washington goes ahead with its controversial plan to build a missile shield. President Dmitry Medvedev said last year that Russia would retaliate militarily if it does not reach an agreement with the United States and NATO on the missile defense system. Nikolai Makarov, chief of general staff, went even further Thursday. "A decision to use destructive force preemptively will be taken if the situation worsens,"...

A fire at a landmark ski-jump overlooking central Moscow has been extinguished after lighting up the night sky for nearly an hour. The ski-jump is atop the Sparrow Hills, a bluff about 60 meters (200 feet) above the Moscow River. The area affords a sweeping panorama of the city and is a popular excursion spot. The fire in the ski-jump's plastic covering was put out just before midnight, Russian news agencies cited fire officials as saying. There was no immediate word on the extent of the damage.

MOSCOW - Some 200 activists are camping out in central Moscow to protest the election of Vladimir Putin and the arrest of two opposition leaders. Putin was Russia's president between 2000 and 2008, when he had to step down and assume a prime minister's post to avoid term limitations. On Monday, he was inaugurated as president for a six-year term. Anti-Putin street protests in Moscow erupted Sunday, and more than 400 people were arrested after the rally turned into clashes between the demonstrators and riot police.

Viswanathan Anand of India has signed a contract to defend his world chess title in Moscow next year against Israeli Boris Gelfand. The match is to be held from May 10 to May 31 in the Tretyakovsky State Gallery, one of Russia's finest art museums. Anand and Gelfand signed the contract on Saturday along with Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the president of the world chess federation, FIDE. Presidential adviser Arkady Dvorkovich also signed. Anand last successfully defended his title in 2010 against Bulgarian challenger Veselin Topalov.

MOSCOW - Tens of thousands prayed outside Moscow's main cathedral on Sunday to show their support for the Russian Orthodox Church in a controversy over a punk rock protest that has added to the political tensions in Russia. Christ the Savior Cathedral was the scene of a brief surprise performance in February by a female punk rock group protesting Vladimir Putin's return to the presidency. Three members of the band remain in police custody and face up to seven years in jail on charges of hooliganism.

MOSCOW - A makeshift workers' dormitory that was cited for fire code violations a month ago caught fire early Tuesday, killing at least 17 people, officials said, and highlighting Russia's worsening problem with the enforcement of basic safety standards. The victims appeared to be seasonal immigrant laborers who worked and lived at a sprawling market complex where construction equipment is sold on the city's southern outskirts. Officials said the dormitory was not equipped with fire alarms, extinguishers, or emergency exits, and they added that it did not look like anyone inside had...