Why China Won’t Lean Hard on Iran

Despite the economic risks from the war, Beijing will likely stick to a hands-off approach. It is wary of being entangled in a conflict it opposed and has little sway over.

Got $100 Million? Ukraine Has Just the Fertilizer Plant for You.

An effort to privatize the facility is a key test of whether Kyiv can overcome concerns about Russian attacks and corruption to attract foreign investment.

Trump Deported Them. A Costa Rican Mountain Town Took Them In.

In a cloud forest village, a network of residents, foreigners and pacifist Quakers offered a precarious yet vital sanctuary for families expelled by the U.S. government.

‘Woe to Those Who Manipulate Religion,’ Pope Says Amid Standoff With Trump

For days, Pope Leo XIV has attracted criticism from President Trump and his allies for refusing to back the war in Iran. On Thursday, he reiterated his calls for peace.

Orban’s Defeat Punctures Europe’s Far Right, but Also Offers It a Road Map

Corruption and economic mismanagement brought down Hungary’s authoritarian leader. Will his political disciples avoid those pitfalls?

Russian Strikes Kill at Least 18 in Biggest Barrage on Ukrainian Cities in Months

Moscow is again ramping up missile and drone attacks on civilian targets, dispelling any notion that a temporary cease-fire for Orthodox Easter might become more lasting.

Pakistan Looks to Play Peacemaker Between U.S. and Iran, Again

After talks in Islamabad last weekend led to a two-week cease-fire, Pakistan is offering to host another round in an attempt to sustain continuing peace efforts.

Bahrain Charges Intelligence Officer in the Death of a Detainee

The officer was charged with assault leading to death, in the case of a man who was accused by Bahraini authorities of espionage during a domestic crackdown tied to the war in Iran.

South African Politician Julius Malema Is Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

The leftist lawmaker has been a prime target of President Trump’s attacks on South Africa. The ruling, handed down after a conviction on gun charges, leaves Mr. Malema’s political future in doubt.

U.S. Completes Handover of Military Bases in Syria

The transition signals the end of a formal U.S. military presence in Syria for the first time in more than a decade.

Xi Alludes to Trump’s Policies to Make a Case for Closer Ties to Vietnam

China used a visit by the Vietnamese leader to show a deepening of security ties that analysts say far outpaces U.S. defense ties in the region.

He Was Among Dozens Crammed Into a Trawler’s Cargo Hold. Then the Boat Capsized.

Hundreds of migrants from Bangladesh, including Rohingya refugees, are feared dead after a boat to Malaysia overturned.

Shakespeare Bought One Property in London. Now We Know Exactly Where.

In confirming the precise location of William Shakespeare’s Blackfriars house, a British scholar raises fresh questions about what he intended to do with it.

The Long-Term Plan to Scrub Carbon From the Sky

Microsoft is pulling back from efforts to remove carbon from the atmosphere. But the nascent industry’s proponents say they are thinking in decades, not years.

Hegseth Again Threatens Attacks on Iran’s Civilian Infrastructure

The U.S. blockade of shipments through the Strait of Hormuz would last “for as long as it takes,” the defense secretary said.

White House Declines to Offer Congress an Estimate of Iran War Cost

Russell T. Vought, the White House budget director, said the fluctuating nature of the U.S.-Israeli war made it difficult to pinpoint expenses.

A Timeline of the Lebanon-Israel Relationship

Israeli and Lebanese officials this week met in Washington for direct talks between two nations, which have technically been at war since 1948.

White House Shrugs Off Shaky Economy as War Exceeds Trump’s Timeline

Stocks may be soaring again, but the war in Iran has started to pinch the finances of many Americans.

Sri Lanka Uses U.S.-Iran Cease-Fire to Repatriate Iranian Sailors

Sri Lanka had been refusing to send back the Iranian Navy personnel, including survivors from a warship that the United States torpedoed, during active hostilities.

What the U.S. Blockade Means for Iran’s Economy

Putting a stop to Iranian shipping will further add to Iran’s economic pain, analysts said, but it might not be enough to force concessions or lessen the global energy crunch.

The Slow-Motion Battle for Hormuz

Iran’s stranglehold over the waterway completely reshaped shipping during the war. The U.S. naval blockade is an attempt to stop that.

Trump and Lebanese President Discuss Cease-Fire Efforts

President Trump had said that Israeli and Lebanese leaders would speak directly, but a Lebanese official said the country’s president had rejected the idea.

Carbon Removal Industry Reels as Microsoft Retreats

Once held up as a key solution to climate change, a field that aims to remove carbon from the atmosphere is struggling to catch on.

Here’s the latest.

3 Killed in Boat Strike in the Pacific, Pentagon Says

It was the third such attack by the U.S. military in three days, and the 51st attack in a campaign against people who the United States has accused of smuggling drugs.

China’s G.D.P. Stronger Than Expected, Led by Infrastructure Spending

A steep slide in housing prices has left consumers less prosperous and less willing to spend, but the government is pouring money into new rail lines and other projects.

Iran Will Be in U.S. for World Cup, FIFA Leader Says

The comments come as peace talks between Iran and the United States have not yet resumed and a cease-fire is set to expire next week.

Sudan Enters Fourth Year of War Amid World’s Most Severe Humanitarian Crisis

Fighting that erupted in 2023 has forced millions from their homes and left widespread hunger that is now being compounded by strife in the Middle East.

Done and Dusted? Trump’s Portrayal of the War in Iran Collides With Reality.

President Trump is confronting a crisis that is not bending to his narrative of a “pretty reasonable” new regime in Iran and all-but-assured victory for the United States.

Starmer Summons U.S. Social Media Companies Over Child Safety Online

The British prime minister will meet with executives from Meta, Google and other companies on Thursday as his government explores how to protect children from online harms.

Iran could struggle to enforce all of its latest shipping threats, experts say.

The Pope in Africa

The continent is crucial to the future of the church, but it’s also the center of long-running tensions over some of Catholicism’s most charged issues.

Pakistani Mediators Arrive in Iran in Bid to Keep Peace Talks Alive

The diplomacy came as the U.S. Navy locked down trade to Iranian ports, and Iran responded by threatening critical shipping routes across the region.

Saudi Fund to Back Away From LIV Golf Under Mounting Financial Pressures

The Saudi league, established in 2022, attracted some of the sport’s biggest stars with huge contracts.

Getting the Pope to Answer a Pointed Question at 30,000 Feet

The Times’s Rome bureau chief is still getting a feel for a pontiff who is willing to challenge President Trump and use his sense of humor.