Francis names O’Malley to Vatican anti-abuse panel

Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston was among eight people with reputations as reformers named to the commission.

Baker works to persuade female voters

Charlie Baker opened the state Republican nominating convention this morning with an appeal to the female voters.

Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein showed a note from the Chinese ambassador stating that satellite images possibly spotted debris.

China says it has photos of large object in Indian Ocean

The photos were taken Tuesday and the object was about 75 miles from the location of debris photographed two days earlier.

Pro-Russian activists rallied in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, on Saturday.

Ukraine’s east rallies for secession referendum

Thousands of residents demonstrated in favor of an effort to split off and become part of Russia.

Boston police to launch new gun buyback

“Piece for Peace,” which starts Monday, is the first city-run buyback in eight years.

Brayton Point will shut down in three years, in part a victim of “growing economic pressures.”

Dina Rudick/Globe Staff

Coal plants challenged by natural gas, tough regulations

By 2020, about 60 gigawatts of coal-fired electric-generating capacity — enough to power an estimated 48.5 million homes — is expected to disappear.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2012/11/30/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/govtcenterstationredo7.jpg Government Center closing for 2 years

The T station, which closed Saturday, will reopen in spring 2016 after an $82 million overhaul.

A lion in Winchester? The eyes have it

Despite the town's stance that a mountain lion is on the loose, state officials remain skeptical.

Anthony Masters, Jacob Sherburne, and Troy Barboza rehearse a dance number from “Sexyback: or what you will.”

At Oberon, all the world’s a boy band

“Sexyback: or what you will” is a not-exactly-classic alliance between the music of N’Sync, New Kids on the Block, and the story of “Twelfth Night.”

Opinion

opinion | Oliver Stone and Mark Weisbrot

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2014/03/22/BostonGlobe.com/EditorialOpinion/Images/5f75c98866c048f28f50344990e38747-5f75c98866c048f28f50344990e38747-0.jpg Obama wrong to isolate Venezuela

The Obama administration seems surrealistically unaware that this is a different hemisphere than it was 15 years ago.

Arts

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Music Review

Zubin Mehta led the Israel Philharmonic in Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony on Wednesday.

Much to admire from Mehta

Zubin Mehta led the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Anton Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony on Wednesday. It didn’t exactly storm heaven, but it did move with a Schubertian grace.

Lifestyle

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99 bottles

New England spring beers

It’s finally time to transition the column to lighter offerings. Here are the results of a side-by-side tasting of spring brews from Harpoon, Sam Adams, and Long Trail.