Suzanne Spector

We are thrilled to announce two high-power additions to the International desk: Jeanna Smialek as our new Brussels bureau chief and Jim Tankersley as our new Berlin bureau chief. In their respective roles, Jeanna and Jim will be central to our Europe coverage, tackling some of the biggest issues in the region, including migration, extremism, climate change and geopolitics.

Octogenarian Suzanne Spector is not afraid of change — nor starting over. In her debut memoir, “Naked at the Helm: Independence and Intimacy in the Second Half of Life,” Spector writes about her family, career and personal challenges. “At age 43, the midpoint of my life, I left my marriage, suburban family life and my career in education,” the San Diego author said.

Correspondents for The New York Times reported from more than 140 countries this year, covering war, terrorism, political upheaval, natural disaster and social change. But they also found stories about searching for mussels beneath the ice in northern Quebec, about Italian pizzamakers recognized for their intangible contributions to human culture, and about running the Beirut marathon.