Pocket Reader - News in English

No Passports, No Study Abroad: China Limits Public Employees’ Travel NYT &rt; World News Even low-level government employees like elementary school teachers and nurses have been ordered to hand in their passports, to enforce “discipline.”

New Hostage Videos Sow Fear and Horror in Israel NYT &rt; World News A “living skeleton, buried alive” in Gaza’s tunnels, was how the family of one hostage described him after seeing a video circulated by Hamas this week.

With a Joyous Festival, the Vatican Aims to Draw In the Digital Generation NYT &rt; World News In a mass gathering that has been called the “Catholic Woodstock,” the church has embraced influencers on social media as a way to engage young people.

A Fish Falls From the Sky and Sparks a Brush Fire in British Columbia NYT &rt; World News Officials say a flying osprey dropped its catch, which then struck power lines, causing sparks that ignited dry grass.

Protesters in Thailand Denounce Prime Minister After Clashes With Cambodia NYT &rt; World News Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra of Thailand had already been suspended after a leaked phone call that many say showed her selling out her country.

A Letter to the Future NYT &rt; World News Writing yourself a letter is a good way to identify the things in your life that matter — as well as those things that you can let go.

What Do Trump’s Tariff Hikes Mean for Canada’s Trade-Dependent Economy? NYT &rt; World News After Canada failed to strike a trade deal with Washington, the president raised tariffs on some Canadian exports this week.

An American Team Went to Combat Haiti’s Gangs, Then Lost Two of Its Own NYT &rt; World News A Haitian American Navy veteran and his police officer cousin who were working in Haiti with Studebaker, an American military contractor, are missing and presumed dead.

Iran Is Holding at Least 4 US Citizens, Rights Groups and Families Say NYT &rt; World News Two were seized after Israel and the United States attacked Iranian targets in June, and two others have been held since 2024.

Mike Huckabee, Israel’s Passionate Defender as Gaza War Drives Allies Away NYT &rt; World News Mr. Huckabee, a Baptist minister, is the first evangelical to serve as American ambassador to Israel. Christian conservatives and the Netanyahu government are pleased.

U.S. Victims of Hamas and Hezbollah Attacks Sue UNRWA NYT &rt; World News Relatives of people killed in terrorist attacks accuse the agency that aids Palestinians of providing support to the armed groups.

India Will Buy Russian Oil Despite Trump’s Threats, Officials Say NYT &rt; World News President Trump said last week that he would punish India if it did not cut off Russian oil imports, but he did not specify what the penalty might be.

A Bid to Undo a Colonial-Era Wrong Touches a People’s Old Wounds NYT &rt; World News An Oxford museum’s collection of objects taken from the Naga people includes human remains. What to do with them now is not a simple matter.

Photos From a Gaza Airdrop NYT &rt; World News A photographer accompanied a Jordanian aircrew as it dropped aid to Gaza, where starvation is rising.

SpaceX, NASA Launch Astronauts to Space Station as Clouds Stay Just Far Enough Away NYT &rt; World News After a scrubbed launch on Thursday, four astronauts lifted off from Florida and will dock at the International Space Station on Saturday.

Putin Blames Frustration Over Ukraine Talks on ‘Inflated Expectations’ NYT &rt; World News The Russian president didn’t directly respond to President Trump’s ultimatum that Moscow halt its offensive by the end of next week or face financial penalties.

Trump Turns to Untested Tariffs to Reorder Global Trade NYT &rt; World News President Trump has long wanted to rework world trade. The tariffs set to go into effect next week will carry out that plan.

Why Trump’s Tariffs Are Closing Factories in Lesotho NYT &rt; World News The closure of a factory in the small southern African nation of Lesotho is an early effect of the global disruption caused by President Trump’s tariffs. John Eligon, the Johannesburg bureau chief for The New York Times, talks with Katrin Bennhold, a senior writer, about what he has seen there.

Derk Sauer, Champion of Free Press in a New Russia, Dies at 72 NYT &rt; World News He was a socialist reporter turned magnate who earned a fortune in the 1990s. He defended press freedoms even after the industry became beleaguered and unprofitable.

Trump Envoy Witkoff Is Set to Visit Gaza as Aid Crisis Deepens NYT &rt; World News Steve Witkoff is set to visit the enclave on Friday amid growing pressure on Israel to ease the hunger crisis. Hamas said the trip would be a “propaganda show.”