Obama’s new approach takes a humorous turn
WASHINGTON — In “Between Two Ferns,” an off-color online parody of celebrity interview shows, comedian Zach Galifianakis has spanked Justin Bieber with his belt, discussed Charlize Theron’s thighs
U.S. and Russia hit roadblock trying to start Crimea talks
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration’s effort to solicit Russia’s help to defuse the crisis in Ukraine appeared to hit a dead end on Monday when Secretary of State John Kerry delayed an anticipated trip to Russia and the two sides issued dueling accounts of their recent diplomacy.
Snowden tries to rally tech conference to buttress privacy shields
AUSTIN, Texas — Edward J. Snowden wants the technology industry to get serious about protecting the privacy of its users and customers.
Rollercoaster weather this week
Strong swings in the weather conditions will occur this week. Today, the high temperature is expected to reach into the 50°Fs, but over the next two days temperatures will plummet in association with a winter storm and Thursday temperatures will only reach the mid 20°Fs.
Shorts (left)
CONCORD, N.H. — The state’s Republican-dominated Senate voted Thursday to expand health care coverage to an estimated 50,000 adults using Medicaid funding made available through the Affordable Care Act.
Crimea approves secession vote as tensions rise
SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine — The volatile confrontation over the future of Ukraine took another tense turn Thursday as Russian allies here in Crimea sought annexation by Moscow and the United States imposed its first sanctions on Russian officials involved in the military occupation of the strategic peninsula.
Abortion law pushes Texas clinics to close doors
McALLEN, Texas — Shortly before a candlelight vigil on the sidewalk outside, employees of the last abortion clinic in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas shut the doors Thursday evening, making legal abortion unavailable in the poorest part of the state in the wake of tough new restrictions passed last year by the Texas Legislature.
Decades after racial killing, inquiry shows police spied on victim’s parents
LONDON — More than 20 years after the murder of a young black man became a symbol of Britain’s troubled race relations, an inquiry published Thursday disclosed that undercover officers spied on the victim’s parents as they campaigned for a thorough investigation into their son’s killing.
Shorts (right)
LOS ANGELES — An explosion during a training exercise that killed four Marines at Camp Pendleton last year was most likely caused by a dropped or kicked grenade, and two Marines have been relieved of duty as a result, military officials announced Thursday.
Weekend provides a break from winter
It is the first week of March, and that typically means spring is just around the proverbial corner. The signs are everywhere: Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, duck boats have been spotted driving around town, the vernal equinox and Spring Break are just two weeks away. However, although the amount of sunlight has been increasing, the weather has remained staunchly entrenched in the season of winter. Although the normal high temperatures for this time of year are around 43°F (6°C), Boston hasn’t experienced a day above 40°F since February 24. This morning’s low temperature, expected to be in the single digits, will provide little relief.
U.N. voices worry over excessive force in Venezuela
CARACAS, Venezuela — A group of U.N. human rights experts voiced concern Thursday over reports of excessive use of force against protesters and journalists during the recent wave of anti-government demonstrations that has spread across the country.
European Central Bank holds rates steady
FRANKFURT, Germany — Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, offered a spirited defense of the wisdom of doing nothing Thursday. That was after he and his fellow policymakers dashed expectations for an interest-rate cut or other action to stimulate the still ailing eurozone economy.
Libyan rioters charge parliament building
CAIRO — Dozens of armed rioters stormed into the Libyan Parliament in Tripoli on Sunday, setting fire to the grounds, looting furniture and wounding a prominent lawmaker in a spasm of anger at the clotted and chaotic transition after the ouster of Moammar Gadhafi.
Shorts (left)
WASHINGTON — The familiar, piercing tone of an emergency alert jolted television viewers to attention. Then came the frightening images: the White House surrounded by terrorists, landmarks in flames in the nation’s capital and military convoys patrolling the city. “THIS IS NOT A TEST,” read the on-screen advisory.
MITx raises big questions about how information is used
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — With the success of its free open online course system, called MITx, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology finds itself sitting on a wealth of student data that researchers might use to compare the efficacy of virtual teaching methods, and perhaps advance the field of Web-based instruction.
Winter clings on before arrival of spring
Although this winter featured no particularly notable blizzard in Boston like last year’s did, it does care very much to keep it cold for as long as it can. Highs will remain below freezing for much of this week, although it is now less than a month before this becomes unusual.
Shorts (right)
NEW DELHI — Hoping to clean a trash-strewn pathway to the world’s highest peak, Nepal’s tourism authority declared Monday that those climbing Mount Everest must return from the trip with an extra 18 pounds of garbage.
North Korean officials expel Australian evangelist
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Monday said it had decided to expel an Australian Christian missionary it arrested last month after he apologized for violating North Korean laws.
Mutation found that kills off gene responsible for diabetes
A new study based on genetic testing of 150,000 people has found a rare mutation that protects even fat people from getting Type 2 diabetes. The effect is so pronounced — the mutation reduces risk by two-thirds — that it provides a promising new target for developing a drug to mimic the mutation’s effect.