diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
index f4fce00482..d4b9819af2 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ class MetadataSingleDialog(QDialog, Ui_MetadataSingleDialog):
                     self.cover_changed = True
                     self.cpixmap = pix   
             except LibraryThingError, err:
-                error_dialog(self, _('Could not fetch cover'), _('<b>Could not fetch cover.</b><br/>')+str(err)).exec_()
+                error_dialog(self, _('Could not fetch cover'), _('<b>Could not fetch cover.</b><br/>')+unicode(err)).exec_()
             finally:
                 self.fetch_cover_button.setEnabled(True)
                 self.unsetCursor()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/main.py b/src/calibre/gui2/main.py
index e6f0df58e6..01a7056d88 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/main.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/main.py
@@ -1112,7 +1112,7 @@ class Main(MainWindow, Ui_MainWindow):
             msg = ' '.join(msgs)
             print >>file, msg
         
-        def safe_unicode(self, arg):
+        def safe_unicode(arg):
             if not arg:
                 arg = unicode(repr(arg))
             if isinstance(arg, str):
diff --git a/src/calibre/libunrar.py b/src/calibre/libunrar.py
index 3348019bac..149b83d1b1 100644
--- a/src/calibre/libunrar.py
+++ b/src/calibre/libunrar.py
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ See  ftp://ftp.rarlabs.com/rar/unrarsrc-3.7.5.tar.gz
 """
 import os, ctypes
 from ctypes import Structure, c_char_p, c_uint, c_void_p, POINTER, \
-                    byref, c_wchar_p, CFUNCTYPE, c_int, c_long, c_char, c_wchar
+                    byref, c_wchar_p, c_int, c_char, c_wchar
 from StringIO import StringIO
 
-from calibre import iswindows, isosx, load_library
+from calibre import iswindows, load_library
 
 _librar_name = 'libunrar'
 cdll = ctypes.cdll
diff --git a/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py b/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
index dc9ed6527d..06ab13d913 100644
--- a/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
+++ b/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ __docformat__ = "restructuredtext en"
 
 import logging, os, cStringIO, time, traceback, re, urlparse
 from collections import defaultdict
+from functools import partial
 
 from calibre import browser, __appname__, iswindows, LoggingInterface, strftime
 from calibre.ebooks.BeautifulSoup import BeautifulSoup, NavigableString, CData, Tag
@@ -812,6 +813,14 @@ class BasicNewsRecipe(object, LoggingInterface):
                     strings.append(item['alt'])
         return u''.join(strings)
     
+    @classmethod
+    def soup(cls, raw):
+        entity_replace = [(re.compile(ur'&(\S+?);'), partial(entity_to_unicode, 
+                                                           exceptions=[]))]
+        nmassage = list(BeautifulSoup.MARKUP_MASSAGE)
+        nmassage.extend(entity_replace)
+        return BeautifulSoup(raw, markupMassage=nmassage)
+    
 class Profile2Recipe(BasicNewsRecipe):
     '''
     Used to migrate the old news Profiles to the new Recipes. Uses the settings
diff --git a/src/calibre/web/feeds/recipes/__init__.py b/src/calibre/web/feeds/recipes/__init__.py
index a531f990cd..62fc473488 100644
--- a/src/calibre/web/feeds/recipes/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/web/feeds/recipes/__init__.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ recipes = [
            'newsweek', 'atlantic', 'economist', 'portfolio', 
            'nytimes', 'usatoday', 'outlook_india', 'bbc', 'greader', 'wsj',
            'wired', 'globe_and_mail', 'smh', 'espn', 'business_week',
-           'ars_technica', 'upi',
+           'ars_technica', 'upi', 'new_yorker',
           ]
 
 import re, imp, inspect, time