Pocket Reader - News in English

Francis, the First Latin American Pope, Dies at 88 NYT &rt; World News After decades of conservative leadership, Francis tried to reset the course of the Roman Catholic Church, emphasizing inclusion and care for the marginalized over doctrinal purity.

South Carolina Says PFAS-Contaminated Farmland Should Be Superfund Site NYT &rt; World News Yes, says South Carolina. For years a textile mill gave farmers its sewage sludge as free fertilizer. Today the land is full of “forever chemicals.”

China Warns Countries Not to Team Up With U.S. Against It on Trade NYT &rt; World News Curbing trade with China to curry favor with the United States would be “selfish and shortsighted,” the government said, promising to retaliate.

Francis Worked to Make Catholic Church More Inclusive NYT &rt; World News Pope Francis sought to make the church more welcoming, global and collegial, after his predecessors adopted more doctrinaire and traditional approaches.

Thailand Arrests Executive Linked to Bangkok Tower Felled by Earthquake NYT &rt; World News The collapse has brought scrutiny of the Chinese state-owned company that was putting up the doomed building.

Pope Francis’ Life in Photos NYT &rt; World News Selected photographs from the life and papacy of Pope Francis.

South Korean Police Seek Arsonist After Deadly Seoul Fire NYT &rt; World News The fire in a 21-story building in southern Seoul killed one person and injured several others, two of them seriously.

Monday Briefing: A Broken Truce in Ukraine NYT &rt; World News Plus, a strawberry farmer on a mission.

Syria’s Easter Celebrations Pass Peacefully, in Early Test of New Government NYT &rt; World News At least in the capital, Damascus, the Christian holiday festivities were protected and joyfully observed. Religious minorities are still wary, however, about the new leaders’ commitment to inclusivity.

Monday Briefing: A Broken Truce in Ukraine NYT &rt; World News Plus, a Senegalese strawberry farmer on a mission.

Israel’s Military Cites ‘Professional Failures’ in Killings of Gaza Medics NYT &rt; World News In a statement summarizing its investigation into the deadly episode, the military said a deputy commander would be dismissed.

Pope Francis Blesses Faithful at Easter Mass NYT &rt; World News The pontiff, appearing frail from a balcony at St. Peter’s Basilica, blessed a crowd gathered on the square outside. But a Vatican aide delivered a papal address that focused on global conflicts.

Why Saudi Arabia Supports Trump’s Nuclear Talks With Its Rival, Iran NYT &rt; World News The agreements are shaping up to be very similar. But Gulf support for a nuclear deal shows how much the region has changed.

6 Killed as Giant Waves Batter Australia NYT &rt; World News The victims fell or were swept into the ocean, according to the police, as swells pounded Sydney and other places along the country’s east coast. At least two others were missing.

Trump Draft Order Would Drastically Overhaul U.S. State Department NYT &rt; World News The draft executive order to be signed by President Trump would eliminate Africa operations and shut down bureaus working on democracy, human rights and refugee issues.

Ukraine Says Russia Violated Easter Truce NYT &rt; World News President Zelensky of Ukraine said the front lines had seen artillery fire and drone attacks, and that his troops were responding in kind.

How Violence Erupted On Syria’s Coast NYT &rt; World News Massacres have spread across once-quiet towns on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, in the deadliest outbreak of sectarian violence since rebels toppled the dictator Bashar al-Assad. Christina Goldbaum, The New York Times’s bureau chief in Syria, traveled to the area to get a sense of who was responsible.

Strawberries Aren’t Ripe for Africa? His Farms Disprove That, Deliciously. NYT &rt; World News Thierno Agne left behind studying law to grow strawberries, a shocking move in Senegal, where farming is considered work for the old, poor and uneducated. His success is making the profession “sexy.”

Inside a City Swept by Roving Gunmen, Deadly Grudges and Fear NYT &rt; World News A sectarian-fueled killing spree exposed how fragile peace is in Syria, where the government’s control is limited and tension runs deep after nearly 14 years of civil war.

Can Trump Really Negotiate Peace in Ukraine, Russians Wonder NYT &rt; World News Many thought President Trump would be able to finish the war. Now they are not so sure.