London Journal: Growth Spurt Creates Alarm Over the House of (Many) Lords

London Journal: Growth Spurt Creates Alarm Over the House of (Many) Lords
A Political Deal in a Deeply Divided Tunisia as Islamists Agree to Yield Power
Unease as an Opposition Party Stands Out in Ukraine’s Protests
Putin Is Expected to Offer Ukraine a Financial Lifeline
U.S.-Germany Intelligence Partnership Falters Over Spying
Pope Replaces Conservative U.S. Cardinal on Influential Vatican Committee
Judge Questions Legality of N.S.A. Phone Records
Study Links Autism and Somalis in Minneapolis
Glaxo Says It Will Stop Paying Doctors to Promote Drugs
Two Saudi Prisoners Sent Home From Guantánamo
Video: Times Minute | Watching North Korea
President Says a Coup Failed in South Sudan
Video: The New Collectors
Bits Blog: Amazon Workers in Germany Strike Again
News Analysis: In Thailand, Standing Up for Less Democracy
Well: Three Biological Parents and a Baby
Neanderthals and the Dead
Video: Times Minute | Corruption Investigation in China
Israel and Lebanon Try to Defuse Tensions After Cross-Border Shooting
U.N. Seeks Record Sum for Humanitarian Aid in 2014
Scholars’ Group Endorses an Academic Boycott of Israel
Carrefour of France to Buy 127 Shopping Malls
India Ink: Are Women Any Safer in India?
Well: Music and the Young Brain

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 08:16 PM PST

After the latest influx this summer, the House of Lords has 836 members, and 781 of them have the right to revise or delay legislation, question ministers and take part in debates.

A Political Deal in a Deeply Divided Tunisia as Islamists Agree to Yield Power

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 08:04 PM PST

The deal between longtime enemies among the Islamists and the secular old guard aims to put in place an independent caretaker government until new elections next year.

Unease as an Opposition Party Stands Out in Ukraine’s Protests

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 07:23 PM PST

Marginalized before the protests, Svoboda is benefiting from them and its role has grown, though groups that monitor hate speech have criticized the party in the past.

Putin Is Expected to Offer Ukraine a Financial Lifeline

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 06:38 PM PST

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia will meet Tuesday in Moscow with Ukraine's embattled president, Viktor F. Yanukovich.

U.S.-Germany Intelligence Partnership Falters Over Spying

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 06:36 PM PST

As President Obama considers his options on the surveillance of allies, damage to the United States' relationship with Germany has proved difficult to repair.

Pope Replaces Conservative U.S. Cardinal on Influential Vatican Committee

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 06:21 PM PST

Pope Francis, in naming bishops to a powerful Vatican committee, replaced a conservative American cardinal with another American considered more of a moderate on social issues.

Judge Questions Legality of N.S.A. Phone Records

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 06:09 PM PST

A decision finds that keeping records of Americans' phone calls probably violates the Constitution and orders the government to stop collecting data on two plaintiffs.

Study Links Autism and Somalis in Minneapolis

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 04:00 PM PST

A long-awaited study has confirmed the fears of Somali residents in Minneapolis that their children suffer from higher rates of a disabling form of autism compared with other children there.

Glaxo Says It Will Stop Paying Doctors to Promote Drugs

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 04:00 PM PST

The announcement appears to be a first for a major drug company in ending a common practice that is criticized for posing a conflict of interest.

Two Saudi Prisoners Sent Home From Guantánamo

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 03:10 PM PST

Two Sudanese nationals were also expected to be repatriated, leaving the detainee population at 158.

Video: Times Minute | Watching North Korea

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 03:04 PM PST

Also on the Minute, artifacts from closed churches find new life and discovering the color of pressure.

President Says a Coup Failed in South Sudan

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 02:42 PM PST

President Salva Kiir said that soldiers loyal to the former vice president had tried to orchestrate a coup but that his government was firmly in control.

Video: The New Collectors

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 02:41 PM PST

Liu Yiqian, a Shanghai multimillionaire who got his start driving a taxi, is one of China's most prolific collectors of art.

Bits Blog: Amazon Workers in Germany Strike Again

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 02:32 PM PST

Amazon employees in Germany have been battling the retailer with a series of wildcat strikes, and on Monday, the strikers are hoping to take the battle to the retailer's headquarters.

News Analysis: In Thailand, Standing Up for Less Democracy

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 12:52 PM PST

A majority wants more democracy, but a minority, including many rich and powerful people, is petrified by the thought of it.

Well: Three Biological Parents and a Baby

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 12:51 PM PST

Progress in fertilization techniques intended to avoid birth defects has rekindled a debate on genetics. Mixing the DNA of two women in a single baby can't be ethical, one critic says.

Neanderthals and the Dead

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 12:31 PM PST

A re-examination of remains supports claims that our ancient human relatives held burials, thus narrowing the behavioral distance between them and us.

Video: Times Minute | Corruption Investigation in China

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 11:14 AM PST

Also on the Minute, actor Peter O'Toole dies and a phone-answering competition in Japan.

Israel and Lebanon Try to Defuse Tensions After Cross-Border Shooting

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 10:58 AM PST

Military liaison officers met with representatives of the United Nations peacekeeping force after an Israeli soldier was killed and Israeli forces returned fire.

U.N. Seeks Record Sum for Humanitarian Aid in 2014

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 10:12 AM PST

Half the unprecedented $13 billion sought by the United Nations for emergency relief would go to the Syria crisis.

Scholars’ Group Endorses an Academic Boycott of Israel

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 08:55 AM PST

An association of American professors with almost 5,000 members has become the largest academic group in the country to support a push to isolate Israel over its treatment of Palestinians.

Carrefour of France to Buy 127 Shopping Malls

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 08:52 AM PST

Aiming to spur its underperforming European business, the retailer plans to become part-owner of scores of malls in France, Spain and Italy.

India Ink: Are Women Any Safer in India?

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 06:33 AM PST

In the year after the Dec. 16, 2012, gang rape in Delhi, human rights lawyers and activists say key milestones were reached in the campaign against sexual violence, yet much work needs to be done.

Well: Music and the Young Brain

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 05:30 AM PST

Two new randomized trials do not support the belief that exposing preschoolers to music aids their cognitive development in other areas.