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What to Know About the Rare Earths Mining Boom in Myanmar

In the chaos of war, there’s nothing to stop Chinese firms from ravaging the landscape and extracting the minerals, which end up in China.

© Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times

A gold mine in Karen State in Myanmar last year. Chinese state-owned firms and criminal networks control the extraction of many natural resources in Myanmar.

Rare Earths Mining in Myanmar Is Polluting Thailand’s Kok River

Unregulated activity led by Chinese enterprises in conflict-ravaged Myanmar is creating an environmental calamity in neighboring Thailand.

Levels of arsenic and other toxic metals have spiked to dangerous levels in Thai waterways like the Kok River, seen here in June.

At Least 13 People Died by Suicide Amid U.K. Post Office Scandal, Report Says

A public inquiry into the wrongful prosecutions of about 1,000 postal workers has uncovered more victims than previously known, according to a report.

© Andy Rain/EPA, via Shutterstock

Thousands of postal workers were wrongfully accused of crimes over more than a decade in the British post office scandal, according to a report.

Targeting Brazil, Trump Tests Legal Limit of His Tariff Powers

The president signaled he would seek to use the threat of steep levies to reorient trade and protect his political allies.

© Victor Moriyama for The New York Times

President Trump linked his threat of a 50 percent tariff on Brazil this week to that country’s treatment of its former president Jair Bolsonaro, above.

US-Brazil Tariffs: What to Know About Trump’s History With Bolsonaro

The fight is rooted in years of political history between President Trump and the last two presidents of Brazil.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

Then-President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil with President Trump during a visit to the White House in 2019. In Mr. Trump’s first term, few world leaders were a more reliable ally than Mr. Bolsonaro.

Four More Rescued in Red Sea, as Houthis Vow to Keep Up Attacks

A total of 10 crew members have been rescued so far after Yemeni militants sank a Greek-owned cargo ship in the Red Sea.

© Ansar Allah Media Office, via Associated Press

This image released by the Houthis’ Ansarullah Media Center on Wednesday shows what the group says is the Eternity C, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, sinking after it was attacked by the Houthis.

Some of Iran’s Enriched Uranium Survived Attacks, Israeli Official Says

The assessment came as experts are trying to determine how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program in the aftermath of U.S. and Israeli strikes.

© Reuters

A uranium processing site in Isfahan, which hosts Iran’s nuclear laboratory, seen in 2005.

U.K. Faces Rising Threat From Iranian Plots, Intelligence Committee Says

An official report warned that Iran was targeting dissidents and gathering intelligence on Jewish and Israeli targets in Britain.

© UK Parliament, via Reuters

Kevan Jones, the chairman of Britain’s parliamentary intelligence committee, in a photo provided by the British Parliament.

UK Braces for Record Temperatures as Third Heat Wave Spreads

A third official heat wave is expected to descend this weekend, with record-breaking temperatures possible in Scotland.

© Julian Finney/Getty Images

A spectator on Day 11 of Wimbledon in London on Thursday. In the coming days, most of England, eastern Scotland and eastern Northern Ireland are likely to meet the official heat wave criteria.

Israel Will Allow More Aid Into Gaza, Officials Say

The decision followed discussions with the European Union, which has pressed Israel to ease the dire humanitarian conditions for Palestinians in the territory.

© Saher Alghorra for The New York Times

Palestinians waiting in line to receive flour from an aid center in Gaza City in June.

La Scala Warns Opera Patrons: No Flip-Flops or Tank Tops Allowed

Milan’s famed opera house is cracking down on the underdressed, even as it and other European opera companies try to attract a wider audience.

© Maurizio Fiorino for The New York Times

Visitors dressed in formal attire in the Teatro alla Scala bar in December.

L.A.-Area Bishop Excuses Faithful From Mass Over Fear of Immigration Raids

Bishop Alberto Rojas of the Diocese of San Bernardino lifted the obligation for members to celebrate Mass if they had a “genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions.”

© Will Lester/MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, via Getty

Bishop Alberto Rojas leading Mass at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Chino Hills, Calif., in 2023.

As Israel and Ukraine Advance Drone Warfare, U.S. Sees Its Own Vulnerabilities

Israel and Ukraine have used drones against their adversaries in audacious ways that have helped the Pentagon see the need for new technology.

© Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

Ukrainian soldiers at an air defense position, where they monitor for, and shoot down armed Russian drones in May.

A Lethal Israeli Airstrike Hits Near a Gaza Aid Clinic

The attack struck near a facility run by an American aid organization as negotiators from Hamas and Israel wrangle over a potential new cease-fire agreement.

© via Reuters

A screen grab from a video shows a wounded child being treated in Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the town of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza on Thursday.

Denmark Aims to Use Copyright Law to Protect People From Deepfakes

A pioneering bill would give citizens the right to demand that social media platforms remove digital forgeries of themselves.

© Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix Denmark, via Reuters

Referring to the effort to counter internet fakes, the Danish minister of culture, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, said, “Technology has outpaced our current legislation.”

How El Salvador Is Reaping Rewards From Trump’s Deportation Agenda

In exchange for jailing more than 200 deportees, El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, has become a favorite of the Trump administration.

© Eric Lee/The New York Times

President Donald Trump and President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador holding a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office in April.

Trump Seems to Be Warming to What Europe Wants for Ukraine: New Russia Sanctions

Flattery and pressure — coupled with President Trump’s growing dissatisfaction with President Vladimir V. Putin — have helped build momentum for new economic punishments.

© Reuters

An oil refinery in Volgograd, Russia, in 2022. Oil production is a crucial source of revenue for the country’s war machine.

Russia Bombards Ukraine as U.S. Frustration Mounts

Kyiv was the main target of an hourslong assault that killed at least two people, officials said. The barrage came hours before the top American and Russian diplomats met.

© Gleb Garanich/Reuters

A blast in Kyiv during the Russian attack on Thursday. In the overnight assault, Russia launched 18 missiles and around 400 drones on Ukraine.

The Calgary Stampede Captures Canada’s Western Spirit

The Calgary Stampede, an event that started more than 100 years ago, has grown into one of the world’s most popular rodeos and a reflection of Western Canada’s culture.

© Amber Bracken for The New York Times

White cowboy hats were a popular choice at a reception hosted by Devin Dreeshen, a Legislative Assembly of Alberta member, during the Calgary Stampede.

How El Salvador Is Reaping Rewards From Trump’s Deportation Agenda

In exchange for jailing more than 200 deportees, El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, has become a favorite of the Trump administration.

© Eric Lee/The New York Times

President Donald Trump and President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador holding a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office in April.

China Surveys Seabeds Where Naval Rivals May One Day Clash

Chinese research ships are studying the seas for science and resources, but the data they gather could also be useful in a conflict with Taiwan or the United States.

© The New York Times

U.K. and France Sign First Nuclear Pact to Fend Off Threat to Europe

At a summit on Thursday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron also announced a “one in, one out” pilot program on migrants crossing the English Channel.

© Pool photo by Alberto Pezzali

Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, left, with President Emmanuel Macron of France at Downing Street in London on Wednesday.

Rubio Tells Top Russian Diplomat of Trump’s Frustration Over Putin’s War

The U.S. secretary of state met with his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of a gathering of Southeast Asian nations, where he also defended new U.S. tariff threats.

© Pool photo by Mandel Ngan

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arriving at Subang Air Base outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday.

Mexico Sentences 10 Men to 140 Years Each in Prison for Links to Killing at Cartel Ranch

The men were convicted of killing one person and disappearing two others at a ranch in Jalisco state, where the authorities found piles of shoes, clothing and hundreds of personal items.

© Fred Ramos for The New York Times

The Izaguirre ranch in Teuchitlán, a village near Guadalajara in Jalisco state, which Mexican officials said was used as a recruitment, training and operations center by the Jalisco cartel.

Yemen’s Houthi Militia Took Sailors Hostage After Red Sea Attack, U.S. Says

The Yemeni militia, backed by Iran, said it had sunk a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the Red Sea. Liberia said the attack killed two crew members.

© Diaplous, via Reuters

An image released by Diaplous, a maritime security organization, shows crew members being rescued after an attack in the Red Sea. Eunavfor Aspides, a European Union military operation, said on Wednesday that it had rescued six castaway crew members of the cargo ship Eternity C.

Henry Mount Charles, Whose Castle Was a Mecca for Rock, Dies at 74

To preserve his Irish manor, he staged concerts on its grounds, drawing the likes of U2, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Madonna, 50 Cent and the Rolling Stones as well as tens of thousands of fans.

© Haydn West/PA Images, via Getty Images

Henry Mount Charles holds tickets for the “Eminem and 50 Cent European Tour” in 2005. To generate funds for the upkeep of Slane Castle, he turned its grounds into an amphitheater.

Trump Pledges 50% Tariffs Against Brazil, Citing ‘Witch Hunt’ Against Bolsonaro

Tensions between the United States and Brazil have suddenly burst open. Brazil’s president promised to reciprocate against President Trump’s tariffs.

© Victor Moriyama for The New York Times

Former President Jair Bolsonaro in January at his political party’s headquarters in Brasília.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea Is Arrested on New Charges

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, already ​accused of insurrection, faced additional ​criminal charges after a special counsel expanded the investigation into his ill-fated declaration of martial law.

© Pool photo by Kim Hong-Ji

Yoon Suk Yeol, former president of South Korea, arrived in court in Seoul on Wednesday for a hearing to address a new arrest warrant requested by a special prosecutor.

A British Surgeon Shares What She Saw in Gaza’s Hospitals

Dr. Victoria Rose spent 21 days in the territory, treating people who were shot trying to get food and children with life-changing injuries from Israeli bombs.

© Alaa Y. M. Abumohsen/Anadolu, via Getty Images

Dr. Victoria Rose at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza in May, in a picture distributed by Anadolu Agency, a Turkish state news outlet. “I’ve not seen this volume and this intensity before,” she said of the traumatic injuries she treated.

Thune Says Russia Sanctions Vote Could Come as Soon as This Month

Momentum has been building behind a bipartisan bill to impose sanctions on countries that purchase Russian oil, as Republicans work behind the scenes to win President Trump’s support.

© Reuters

An oil refinery in Volgograd, Russia, in 2022.

Israel Launches New Ground Incursion in Lebanon, Raising Fears for Truce

Israel has been conducting near-daily strikes against what it says are Hezbollah targets as the Iranian-backed group comes under pressure to disarm amid fears of a renewed war.

© Rabih Daher/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon last week. Israel has conducted near-daily strikes in southern Lebanon since it agreed to a cease-fire in November.

Recipients of a U.S. Climate Science Fellowship Are Put on Unpaid Leave

Researchers in the NOAA program were furloughed because funds to pay them were not available.

© Kevin Moloney for The New York Times

The National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., which administers the fellowship program.

Trump Discusses Economic Investment With African Leaders at White House Meeting

The administration is aiming to strike deals to expand the United States’ access to critical minerals and to counter China’s rising influence in Africa.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Trump hosted the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal at the White House on Wednesday.

New Research Questions Severity of Withdrawal From Antidepressants

Warnings about withdrawal from antidepressants have rippled through society in recent years. A new study claims they are overblown.

© Diana Vyshniakova/Alamy

A 37,000-Year Chronicle of What Once Ailed Us

In a new genetic study, scientists have charted the rise of 214 human diseases across ancient Europe and Asia.

© CNRI/Science Source

Yersinia pestis, the microbe that causes plague. DNA in human fossils has revealed a surge in the disease about 5,000 years ago.

Putin Escalates His War Against Ukraine, Undeterred by Trump’s Words

The Russian leader is convinced that Moscow’s battlefield superiority is growing, and that Ukraine’s defenses may collapse in the coming months, according to people close to the Kremlin.

© David Guttenfelder/The New York Times

Ukrainian officials collect pieces of an exploded Russian drone after multiple strikes on Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Monday.

Not Invited to Dior’s Show in Paris, a Fashion Influencer Hosts a Watch Party Instead

Denied a seat at Jonathan Anderson’s Dior debut, a fashion critic invited all of Paris to watch it with him at a bar. Hundreds took him up on the offer.

Israel Launches New Ground Operations in Lebanon Despite Truce

For months, Israel has conducted near-daily strikes against what it says are Hezbollah targets. Hezbollah has not responded militarily since a November truce.

© Rabih Daher/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon last week. Israel has conducted near-daily strikes in southern Lebanon since it agreed to a cease-fire in November.
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