Iran Takes Charm Offensive to the Persian Gulf

Iran Takes Charm Offensive to the Persian Gulf
Tense Bangkok Is Quiet on King’s Birthday
Suicide Bomber Attacks Yemen’s Defense Ministry
Internet Firms Step Up Efforts to Stop Spying
Documents Say Phones Outside U.S. Are Tracked
Gang Members Said to Consider Blackmailing Toronto’s Mayor
U.N. Official Details Plans for Removing Syria’s Chemical Arms
Amsterdam Has a Deal for Alcoholics: Work Paid in Beer
Mobile Payments Gain Traction Among India’s Poor
Memo From Bangladesh: Two Leaders’ Enmity Stokes Concern Over Vote in Fragile Democracy
Major Hezbollah Figure Is Assassinated Near Beirut
Swiss Open Inquiry Into Collection That Was Transferred to Unicef
Lawson, Celebrity Chef, Admits Cocaine Use, but Denies Ex-Husband’s Claims
Indian Voters Poised to Weaken Governing Congress Party
DealBook: E.U. Imposes $2.3 Billion in Fines Over Rate-Rigging Scandal
NATO Cites Urgency in Reaching Pact Between U.S. and Afghanistan
Lawmakers in France Move to Discourage Sex Trade
Kiev Protesters See Potent Ally Under a Spire
A U.S. Reply, in English, to Terrorists’ Online Lure
The Lede: Daughter Says Mandela Is on His ‘Deathbed’
OPEC Stands Pat on Oil Production Quotas
In Newtown 911 Calls, Voices From a Nightmare
Russia’s First Smartphone Goes on Sale
Rockwell Painting Sells for $46 Million

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 11:51 PM PST

Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, is touring the region, trying to undo years of tensions with Arab neighbors, which harbor deep suspicions of Tehran.

Tense Bangkok Is Quiet on King’s Birthday

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 11:50 PM PST

The antigovernment protests that have left five people dead took a pause to allow celebrations for the 86th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Suicide Bomber Attacks Yemen’s Defense Ministry

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 11:16 PM PST

A suicide bomber drove a car packed with explosives into the gate of Yemen's Defense Ministry on Thursday, causing a large number of casualties.

Internet Firms Step Up Efforts to Stop Spying

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 09:11 PM PST

After surveillance by the National Security Agency, major Internet companies like Microsoft and Yahoo have moved to strengthen protections of users' data.

Documents Say Phones Outside U.S. Are Tracked

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 07:06 PM PST

The National Security Agency is tracking the location and movements of cellphones outside the United States in an effort to find suspicious travel patterns or activities by intelligence targets, according to documents leaked by Edward J. Snowden.

Gang Members Said to Consider Blackmailing Toronto’s Mayor

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 06:44 PM PST

Interviews and wiretaps suggested that Mayor Rob Ford regularly used drugs, the Toronto police wrote, and that dealers discussed blackmailing him.

U.N. Official Details Plans for Removing Syria’s Chemical Arms

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 06:29 PM PST

The official said the most dangerous materials would be sealed and sent to the Mediterranean port of Latakia, where ships would take them to a second foreign port.

Amsterdam Has a Deal for Alcoholics: Work Paid in Beer

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 06:06 PM PST

Under an unusual government-funded program, the city of tolerance is giving alcoholics street-cleaning jobs and paying them partly in beer, but conservative politicians denounce the project as misguided.

Mobile Payments Gain Traction Among India’s Poor

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 04:48 PM PST

India's huge population, broad adoption of cellphones and low airtime rates could make it the world's largest market for wireless money transfers.

Memo From Bangladesh: Two Leaders’ Enmity Stokes Concern Over Vote in Fragile Democracy

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 03:53 PM PST

The rivalry between the opposition leader Begum Khaleda Zia and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is eliciting international concern as elections loom and the country is tossed into chaos.

Major Hezbollah Figure Is Assassinated Near Beirut

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 03:50 PM PST

As questions swirled about why and by whom the leader, Hassane Laqees, was killed, Hezbollah accused Israel, saying it would have to bear "ramifications."

Swiss Open Inquiry Into Collection That Was Transferred to Unicef

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 02:54 PM PST

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into how one of the world's largest private art collections was transferred from a private foundation to the global charity Unicef.

Lawson, Celebrity Chef, Admits Cocaine Use, but Denies Ex-Husband’s Claims

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 02:47 PM PST

In a trial involving the sorts of humiliations that feed Britain's tabloids, Nigella Lawson said she had used illegal drugs occasionally but was not an addict, as her ex-husband had portrayed her.

Indian Voters Poised to Weaken Governing Congress Party

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 01:24 PM PST

Voters in the Indian capital turned out in record numbers and appeared most likely to oust the Indian National Congress party, which also controls the national government.

DealBook: E.U. Imposes $2.3 Billion in Fines Over Rate-Rigging Scandal

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 01:21 PM PST

Joining a chorus of regulators worldwide, European Union antitrust officials fined a group of global financial institutions — including for the first time two American banks.

NATO Cites Urgency in Reaching Pact Between U.S. and Afghanistan

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 12:49 PM PST

International officials want the United States and Afghanistan to agree on a security deal, but there seemed little movement to end the deadlock.

Lawmakers in France Move to Discourage Sex Trade

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 12:07 PM PST

The legislation approved by the lower house of Parliament would fine customers of prostitutes, an issue that has caused heated debate.

Kiev Protesters See Potent Ally Under a Spire

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 12:05 PM PST

The Kyivan Patriarchate, part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, strongly favors European integration and is offering support, even refuge, to protesters.

A U.S. Reply, in English, to Terrorists’ Online Lure

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 12:02 PM PST

Analysts will for the first time post messages on English-language websites that jihadists use to recruit, raise money and promote their cause.

The Lede: Daughter Says Mandela Is on His ‘Deathbed’

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 11:39 AM PST

The oldest daughter of Nelson Mandela gave a statement about the health of the former South African president, details of which have been scant in much of the period since his health took a turn for the worse.

OPEC Stands Pat on Oil Production Quotas

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 11:08 AM PST

The big exporters, meeting in Vienna, saw no reason to make changes that would affect prices, which have held relatively high this year.

In Newtown 911 Calls, Voices From a Nightmare

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 11:04 AM PST

The Newtown Police Department was inundated with calls on Dec. 14, all reporting some version of the same scene: A shooter was inside the school.

Russia’s First Smartphone Goes on Sale

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 09:53 AM PST

The quirky device has two screens, one color and the other black-and-white, to save battery life.

Rockwell Painting Sells for $46 Million

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 09:20 AM PST

Norman Rockwell's "Saying Grace," one of the artist's most popular covers for The Saturday Evening Post, sold for more than double its estimated price.