WORLD NEWS

Biden’s Afghan Pullout Is a Victory for Pakistan. But at What Cost?

A Pakistani soldier on guard at the border with Afghanistan in North Waziristan in 2017.

Seeking Cooperation on Climate, U.S. Faces Friction With China

The dockside of Zhongan United Coal Industry Chemical Company in Anhui Province, China, last month.

A Bitter Family Feud Dominates the Race to Replace Merkel

Armin Laschet, left, and Markus Söder at a news conference in Berlin last week.

Will Japan Confront China? A Visit to Washington May Offer a Clue.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan was to arrive in Washington on Thursday.

Key Chains and Teddy Bears in Riot Gear: Hong Kong Promotes National Security

The riot-gear-clad teddy bears were selling for more than $60.

Iran Talks Resume, Gingerly, After Attack on Nuclear Site

Thursday’s meeting in Vienna brought together diplomats from Iran, five other countries and the European Union, with senior U.S. officials in a nearby hotel.

France Lawmakers Pass Contentious Bill Extending Police Powers

Protesters rallied against the security bill and police violence last month in Paris.

How Mario Draghi Is Making Italy a Power Player in Europe

Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy during a ceremony remembering Covid-19 victims in Bergamo in March.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, Visits Afghanistan

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, right, with Mohammad Haneef Atmar, Afghanistan’s foreign minister, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday.

How the G.O.P. Lost Its Clear Voice on Foreign Policy

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina held a news conference to criticize President Biden’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Biden Administration Says Russian Intelligence Obtained Trump Campaign Data

Konstantin V. Kilimnik had been a longtime business partner during Paul Manafort’s time as a political consultant in Ukraine.

John Williamson, 83, Dies; Economist Defined the ‘Washington Consensus’

Eritrean Troops Continue to Commit Atrocities in Tigray, U.N. Says

A building is seen through a broken window in Shire, in the Tigray region of Ethiopia last month.

Biden Sanctions on Russian Debt Called a ‘First Salvo’ That Send a Message

The United States was able to sever Iran from the global financial system, in part because the American dollar is the world’s reserve currency. Isolating Russia would be more difficult.

Prince Philip’s Funeral Will Include a Call to Battle

Members of the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery riding their horses into the grounds of Windsor Castle on Thursday.

Your Friday Briefing

White House Warns Russia on Bounties, but Stops Short of Sanctions

A U.S. military member in Afghanistan in 2019. The C.I.A. concluded that Russia had offered payments to militants to encourage more killings of American and coalition troops in Afghanistan.

Top health officials urge Americans to get vaccinated, but barely address the J.&J. pause.

Vaccines Won’t Protect Millions of Patients With Weakened Immune Systems

U.S. Imposes Stiff Sanctions on Russia, Blaming It for Major Hacking Operation

President Biden announced new sanctions on Russia on Thursday at the White House.

The Iran Question

The Natanz nuclear site in Iran last year.

How the U.S. Plans to Fight From Afar After Troops Exit Afghanistan

Traffic last month in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. American intelligence analysts say security in the country could worsen almost immediately.

Japan May Yet Cancel Olympics, Top Politician Says, Then Walks It Back

The 2020 Olympic Games are set to begin in late July after a year’s postponement because of the pandemic.

How Working From Home Changed Wardrobes Around the World

Your Thursday Briefing

In South Africa, health officials have temporarily stopped giving the Johnson & Johnson shot, the only one they have. They dropped AstraZeneca from their arsenal in February.

Biden Administration to Impose Tough Sanctions on Russia

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Tuesday in Moscow. The Biden administration will enact a new round of sanctions against Russia.

Biden, Setting Afghanistan Withdrawal, Says ‘It Is Time to End the Forever War’

President Biden said on Wednesday that he had ordered an end to the country’s longest and costliest military conflict.

Michigan’s governor again resists imposing new restrictions, as cases keep surging.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan implored her state’s residents to follow precautions.

Intelligence Chiefs Warn of Russian Troops Near Ukraine and Other Threats

William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, center, and Avril B. Haines, the director of national intelligence, warned Congress of threats from Russia and China on Wednesday.

U.S. Is Expected to Approve Some Arms Sales to U.A.E. and Saudis

The Biden administration will approve $23 billion in weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates, including F-35 fighter jets, according to a State Department spokesman.

Iran’s Top Leader Signals That Nuclear Talks Will Resume Despite Natanz Sabotage

In a photograph made available by the office of the Iranian presidency, President Hassan Rouhani, second from left, visited an exhibition in Tehran on Iran’s nuclear program.

Changing Strategy, E.U. Bets Big on Pfizer to Battle Covid

Receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at an inoculation center in Milan last month.

Empty Middle Seats on Planes Cut Coronavirus Risk in Study

The study used aerosol dispersal data from before the coronavirus pandemic that did not take into account any protective effect of masks worn by passengers.

Your Thursday Briefing

NATO forces and Afghan commandos on patrol in 2018 in Nangarhar.

What the Coronavirus Variants Mean for Testing

A mobile coronavirus testing site in Queens in early April.

Western Warnings Tarnish Covid Vaccines the World Badly Needs

In South Africa, health officials paused giving the Johnson & Johnson shot, the only one they have, a repeat blow after dropping AstraZeneca from their arsenal in February.

Once again, South Africa finds itself halting use, at least temporarily, of a Covid-19 vaccine it had bet on.

Health workers prepare to test a patient for coronavirus in Elandsdoorn, South Africa.

A Man Who Shipped Himself in a Crate Wants to Find the Men Who Helped

Brian Robson, 19, after he tried to send himself from Australia back to Britain in 1965. 

US Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan: What to Know

A view of Kabul last year.

Denmark says it’s permanently stopping use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

About 15 percent of people vaccinated in Denmark so far were given the AstraZeneca vaccine. 

The Israel Prize Is Meant to Unify. More Often, It’s Mired in Controversy.

Oded Goldreich, a professor of mathematics and computer science at the Weizmann Institute of Science, was to receive the Israel Prize this year.

In India, Second Wave of Covid-19 Prompts a New Exodus

Migrant workers in Mumbai waiting for trains on Monday. Health experts fear that as large numbers return home, the spread of the virus could accelerate and devastate poorly equipped villages.

Somalia’s President Extends Term by Two Years, Drawing Condemnation

Western allies had invested their hopes for Somalia’s stability on President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed of Somalia, a onetime American citizen.

A panel of independent experts to the C.D.C. says it needs more time to assess data and risks during the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause.

Preparing doses of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine in Houston last month.

Her Boss Sent Harassing Texts. So She Beat Him With a Mop.

European Union Promises Extra Covid-19 Vaccine Doses From Pfizer

Registering for a dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine at the Parc des Expositions in Angers, France, on Tuesday.

NATO Is Expected to Confirm Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal

NATO forces and Afghan commandos on patrol in 2018 in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

Afghans Wonder ‘What About Me?’ as US Troops Prepare to Withdraw

Students at Mawoud Academy in Kabul, Afghanistan, last month. The planned withdrawal of U.S. troops and the Taliban’s likely return to power have raised fears about the future of education for women and girls.

Serious and Rare

Administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a clinic in Florida.

Carlton Tavern Was Reduced to Rubble. They Fought to Bring It Back.

Pubs across England reopened on Monday as coronavirus restrictions eased. But the Carlton Tavern in London had been closed for years, not months. 

Make Way for the Travel Agents. Again.

With 100 Days Till Olympics, Japan Confronts a New Virus Wave

Outside the National Stadium in Tokyo on Wednesday. The Olympics are scheduled to begin there on July 23.

Highlighting a rare potential vaccine side effect has risks of its own, public health officials warn.

Prepaing doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Chicago earlier this month. Officials are concerned that the rush to pause use of the vaccine may do more harm than good.

Denmark Strips Some Syrians of Residency Status

Ghalia al-Asseh, who fled Syria in 2015, and one of her brothers at their parents’ home in Helsingoer. Ms. al-Asseh was notified on March 30 that she would soon be asked to leave Denmark.

Your Wednesday Briefing

A man receives his first dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre in Pristina on April 13, 2021 as the government begins the country's vaccination rollout for people aged over 85 with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Will Afghanistan Become a Terrorism Safe Haven Once Again?

United States and Afghan military personnel in Afghanistan in 2019. U.S. spy agencies do not believe terrorist groups in the country pose an immediate threat to strike the United States.

With Afghan Decision, Biden Seeks to Focus U.S. on New Challenges

In setting a firm timetable for withdrawal, President Biden signaled that he wanted the United States to focus on new priorities like fighting poverty and racial inequities.

Biden to Withdraw Combat Troops From Afghanistan by Sept. 11

Army troops returning in December from a deployment to Afghanistan.