Pocket Reader - News in English

Have You Seen This Pilgrim? Lost in the Throngs of the Kumbh Mela. NYT » World News The lost-and-found center at the world’s largest religious gathering attends to the faithful’s earthly needs as they perform rituals intended to purify the soul.

Even in Death, the Kremlin Views Navalny as an Enduring Threat NYT » World News Russian authorities have zealously prosecuted people with links to Aleksei A. Navalny’s organization inside Russia in the year since he died.

A Tiny Press Took a Big Risk on Experimental Books. It Paid Off. NYT » World News The British publisher Tilted Axis specialized in innovative translated literature. It won them major awards. Now they’re coming to the U.S.

A Quick, Quiet Trip to Belarus Signals a Turn in U.S. Policy NYT » World News After years of the U.S. trying to isolate Russia’s closest ally, a meeting with Belarus’s president points to better relations, raising hopes of loosening his repression and his embrace of Moscow.

Armed Bandits in Brazil Pursue New Loot: Ozempic NYT » World News Criminals are targeting pharmacies and stealing weight-loss medication in a country with body image insecurities and where many cannot afford the drugs.

Zelensky Says Ukraine Is Unlikely to Survive the War Without U.S. Support NYT » World News His comments came on the first day of the Munich Security Conference, where anxious European officials had hoped to learn more about U.S. plans to broker peace talks.

Vance Shocks Europe With Support for Far Right, in Message Familiar to U.S. NYT » World News The vice president’s speech in Munich, expressing support for far-right, anti-immigration parties and criticizing suppression of conservative voices, was a global extension of his core political themes.

Cuts to U.S.-Backed Rights Groups Seen as a Win for China NYT » World News U.S. funding for the promotion of democracy has been frozen, disrupting the work of groups that expose abuses in China. Chinese nationalists are celebrating.

High Above Chernobyl, Workers Grapple With Ice, Fire and Nuclear Fears NYT » World News After an apparent drone strike blew a hole in the protective shell, there is an urgent need to patch what covers the wreckage of the world’s worst nuclear accident.

Diplomats in Munich Fear Trump Is Giving Up Leverage to Putin Before Talks With Ukraine NYT » World News Diplomats at the Munich Security Conference were uttering “appeasement,” with all its historical resonance, to describe the Trump administration’s approach to negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Tensions Build in Syria Between New Leaders and Kurdish-Led Militia NYT » World News The interim government in Damascus has called for a powerful Kurdish-led militia backed by the United States to disarm and integrate into a national military force.

Barbie Hsu, Taiwanese Actress and Star of ‘Meteor Garden,’ Dies at 48 NYT » World News Her role in the teen drama catapulted her to fame as a pop idol. She was also a TV host and appeared in films.

Texas County Declares an Emergency Over Toxic Fertilizer NYT » World News Johnson County is seeking federal assistance, saying its farmland has become dangerously contaminated with “forever chemicals” from the use of fertilizer made from sewage sludge.

Tensions Mount in Lebanon as Deadline Nears for Israeli Withdrawal NYT » World News The United States has reportedly told Lebanese officials that Israel’s military intends to remain in five strategic points inside Lebanon, but will withdraw from towns it still occupies.

Trump’s Funding Freeze Raises a New Question: Is the Government’s Word Good? NYT » World News Companies that get federal grants or loans usually sign a legally binding agreement and depend on getting reimbursed. The new administration has upended that expectation.

Sexual Violence Against Children Soars in Congo, U.N. Group Says NYT » World News UNICEF accused “armed men” of raping scores of children in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has been ravaged by conflict recently.

Vance Tells Europeans to Stop Shunning Parties Deemed Extreme NYT » World News His comments, a week before Germany’s elections, seemed to specifically target efforts to sideline the hard-right Alternative for Germany.

Why Trump’s Plan to Relocate Gazans Is Untenable for Jordan NYT » World News President Trump’s plan would send a huge number of refugees to Jordan, adding new frictions to the kingdom’s often tense, sometimes violent history with displaced Palestinians.

Live Updates: In Speech to Europeans, Vance Signals Support for Far-Right Parties NYT » World News Vice President JD Vance scolded an audience in Munich, saying Europe was failing to uphold democratic values. He said nothing about President Trump’s talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, which have stirred anxiety on the continent.

Man Is Briefly ‘Swallowed’ by Whale in Chile NYT » World News Paddling in the Strait of Magellan, Adrián Simancas was caught in a humpback’s lunge. “I realized that I was in something’s mouth and I had been eaten,” he said.