Media Decoder Blog: Brian McGrory Rises From Boston Globe Paperboy to Become the Paper's Next Editor

Media Decoder Blog: Brian McGrory Rises From Boston Globe Paperboy to Become the Paper's Next Editor


Media Decoder Blog: Brian McGrory Rises From Boston Globe Paperboy to Become the Paper's Next Editor

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:15 PM PST

In his 23 years working in the newspaper's newsroom - as opposed to delivering its copies - Mr. McGrory has been a reporter, columnist and metro editor. He succeeds Martin Baron.

Greek police clash with angry shopkeepers in Athens

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:07 PM PST

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek riot police fought a group of Athens businessmen who tried to prevent a tax inspection on their shops, officials said on Thursday, highlighting the resistance the government faces in cracking down on the country's endemic tax evasion.

U.S. government report faults Bahrain 2011 labor crackdown

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:08 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bahrain appears to have violated commitments it made to the United States to protect workers' rights in its response to a March 2011 general strike at the time of the Arab Spring, the U.S. Labor Department said in a report on Thursday.

Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:56 PM PST

A group of world-class skiers and snowboarders set out to ski Tunnel Creek. Then the mountain moved.

Newtown: Did the media go too far?

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 09:42 AM PST

Did the media go too far in Newtown?

WikiLeaks' Assange says "door open" to end London stand-off

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:43 PM PST

LONDON (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said on Thursday the "door was open" for talks to end his refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he holed up six months ago to avoid extradition to Sweden for alleged sex crimes.

U.N. authorizes African force to take on al Qaeda in Mali

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:10 PM PST

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The 15-nation U.N. Security Council on Thursday unanimously authorized the deployment of an African-led military force to help defeat al Qaeda and other Islamist militants in northern Mali.

Wright House in Phoenix Is Sold After Fight for Preservation

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:05 PM PST

A house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Phoenix, Ariz., was sold on Thursday, after it had been threatened for months with demolition.

UN approves Mali military intervention

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:59 PM PST

Security Council unanimously approves two-track resolution that stresses diplomacy backed by African-led military force.

UN backs Mali intervention force

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:09 PM PST

The UN Security Council authorises an African-led military force to try to oust Islamists who have taken over northern Mali.

Ecuador top banker's fake degree

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:21 PM PST

The governor of the Ecuadorean Central Bank, Pedro Delgado, resigns after admitting that he lied about finishing a degree in economics.

Kenya approves new, more independent, head of police

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:25 PM PST

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's parliament approved a national head of police for a fixed six-year term, in a move aimed to boost independence from political interference for security forces dogged by a reputation for corruption.

S Africa's ANC rejects mine nationalisation

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:16 PM PST

Governing party says controversial issue is "off the table" as leadership conference concludes in city of Bloemfontein.

$1,200 a Pound, Truffles Suffer in Heat

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:01 PM PST

Black Périgords are becoming scarcer and more expensive, and some scientists say it is because of the effects of global warming on the fungus's Mediterranean habitat.

The Best Classical Music Recordings of 2012

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:09 PM PST

Classical music critics from The Times select their favorite recordings of the year.

South Africa's Zuma pledges ANC renewal to dispel doubts

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 11:53 AM PST

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (Reuters) - South African President Jacob Zuma, fresh from a landslide re-election as head of the ruling ANC, on Thursday promised to crack down on corruption and feuding that has shaken confidence in the party's leadership of Africa's top economy.

French national kidnapped in northern Nigeria

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:04 PM PST

PARIS/ABUJA (Reuters) - A French energy worker has been kidnapped in northern Nigeria after 30 gunmen attacked a residence and killed a policeman and a security guard protecting the foreign employee, officials said on Thursday.

Four killed in clash in Libya's Benghazi: officials

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 11:38 AM PST

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Four people were killed when security forces clashed with armed demonstrators outside a police station in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Thursday, security sources said.

U.S. government report faults Bahrain 2011 labor crackdown

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:31 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bahrain appears to have violated commitments it made to the United States to protect workers' rights in its response to a March 2011 general strike at the time of the Arab Spring, the U.S. Labor Department said in a report on Thursday.

U.N.: Syrian fight 'overtly sectarian'

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 11:11 AM PST

Russia declared Thursday that its goal is to end the bloody conflict in Syria, not help the nation's embattled president cling to power at all costs.

White House readies gun-control plan as more children laid to rest

White House readies gun-control plan as more children laid to rest


White House readies gun-control plan as more children laid to rest

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:08 AM PST

NEWTOWN, Connecticut (Reuters) - President Barack Obama assigned Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday to find ways to curtail gun violence in America and try to avoid tragedies like the elementary school massacre in Connecticut, where the town buried one of its heroes on Wednesday.


Early Japan reactor restarts unlikely despite LDP win

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:05 AM PST

TOKYO (Reuters) - Hopes within an anxious business community that Japan's idle nuclear power stations would be rapidly restarted will almost certainly have to be placed on the backburner despite last weekend's landslide election victory by a pro-nuclear party.


Asean-China trade tops US$360bn

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:21 AM PST

China-Asean bilateral trade reached US$360 billion in the first 11 months of this year, up 9.3 per cent year-on-year.

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Rumours on riots undermine national security: Muhyiddin

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:13 AM PST

The circulation of false news that there were racial riots in Sungai Petani recently can undermine the security of the country if left unchecked, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today.

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17 detained in China over Doomsday rumours

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:53 PM PST

Beijing police said Thursday they have detained 17 members of a doomsday cult for spreading rumours of an impending apocalypse on Dec 21.

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Pakistan clerics calls for protests against polio worker killings

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:37 PM PST

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - An alliance of Pakistani clerics will hold demonstrations across the country against the killings of polio eradication campaign workers, leaders said on Thursday, as the death toll from attacks this week rose to nine.


Cathay Pacific crews call off holiday strikes

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:35 PM PST

The union representing Cathay Pacific flight crews said Thursday it had shelved plans for industrial action over the Christmas holidays after the airline agreed to improve their working conditions.

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No plan for personalised vehicle registration number

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:29 PM PST

The government has no plan as yet to introduce personalised vehicle registration numbers going by the names of individuals or companies, the Dewan Negara was told today.

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Are you sexier after a few drinks? Not likely, survey says

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:25 PM PST

In a new British survey, a third of men said they were more attractive to women after a few drinks, but women didn't agree.

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Ailing Iraq president leaves for treatment in Germany

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:29 PM PST

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has left a Baghdad hospital and is being transferred to Germany for treatment after suffering a stroke earlier this week, his office said on Thursday.


Iraq's Talabani heads to Germany for treatment - office

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:42 PM PST

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has left a Baghdad hospital and is being transferred to Germany for treatment after suffering a stroke earlier this week, his office said on Thursday.


VIDEO: 'Nazi-looted' posters to be sold

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:17 PM PST

A rare collection of turn-of-the-century posters by some of the biggest names in art are to go under the hammer in New York.

FCC launches free smartphone security tool

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:02 PM PST

Called the Smartphone Security Checker, a new tool from the FCC is designed to help consumers protect their mobile devices from viruses and other threats.

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Track Santa with Google's Chrome extension

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:00 PM PST

Google announced on Wednesday the launch of an application in its Chrome browser to help children and adults track Santa as he travels the globe distributing presents on Christmas Eve.

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PayPal president: NFC doesn't solve problems or add value for consumers

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:58 PM PST

The president of online payment company Paypal believes that there is no future in NFC technology but other disruptions, such as wallet apps and location-based services, could revolutionize the way people shop.

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The end

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:52 PM PST

Tourists visiting Tulum Archaeological Park, about 130km south of Cancun, Mexico. Mexico is one of the five countries preparing to celebrate the end of the Maya Long Count Calendar --Baktun 13-- which began in 3114 BC, on on December 21.

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Facebook updates 'Nearby' Android, iOS feature with new social elements

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:48 PM PST

Facebook announced on December 17 that it will be rolling out updates to the social network's "Nearby" feature on iOS and Android, giving it increased relevance to individual users.

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Al Qaeda grows powerful in Syria as endgame nears

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:26 PM PST

AMMAN (Reuters) - Having seen its star wane in Iraq, al Qaeda has staged a comeback in neighbouring Syria, posing a dilemma for the opposition fighting to remove President Bashar al-Assad and making the West balk at military backing for the revolt.


Rebels seize towns in central Syria

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:23 PM PST

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels have captured at least six towns in the central province of Hama, activists say, in an operation aimed at putting pressure on President Bashar al-Assad from the north as insurgents close in on the capital from its southern suburbs.


Rights group calls for release of activist missing in Laos

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:07 PM PST

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Laos should release a prominent rights activist who went missing this month, an international human rights group said on Thursday, although authorities there have said they do not know where he is or who was responsible for his disappearance.