Pocket Reader - News in English

Trump Sees ‘Good Signals’ on Russia-Ukraine Cease-Fire. Zelensky Does Not. NYT » World News U.S. officials were in Moscow for talks, and the Russian leader said he was open to a cease-fire, but President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine expressed skepticism.

‘We Hear You, Mr. President’: The World Lines Up to Buy American Gas NYT » World News Facing Trump tariff threats, governments and companies are proposing major investments in American liquefied natural gas projects.

David Raven, British Drag Performer Known as Maisie Trollette, Dies at 91 NYT » World News A mainstay of England’s drag circuit, he performed for over five decades and encouraged other drag queens to flourish.

Keir Starmer Wants to Abolish NHS England: What to Know About His Plan NYT » World News The British prime minister said he would scrap an agency that was created in 2013 to help run the health service. He said the move would save money by avoiding duplication.

U.N. Accuses Israel of Targeting Reproductive Health Facilities in Gaza NYT » World News A report by a U.N. committee found that Israel has committed “genocidal acts” intended to prevent births. Israel quickly rejected the findings as biased.

Merz Challenges Germans to Make a Bold Strategic Shift. Will They Do It? NYT » World News The likely next chancellor has staked his government on a move to increase military spending. But the window for change is closing fast.

As Russia Tries to Push Ukraine Out of Kursk, Here’s What to Know NYT » World News Russia claimed to retake a key town in the area from Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s top military commander has said that its forces would continue to “hold the line.”

Bumble Bee Foods Is Accused of Tolerating Forced Labor in Supply Chain NYT » World News In a lawsuit filed in California, the plaintiffs said that Bumble Bee Foods was aware of and benefited from abuse by suppliers. The company declined to comment.

Bardella, Leader of France’s Far-Right National Rally, Heads to Israel NYT » World News As Jordan Bardella, its young president, tries to distance the party from its history of antisemitism, it is making common cause with Israel against “Islamist ideology.”

Russia Says It Has Retaken Key Kursk Town From Ukraine NYT » World News Ukrainian officials have not confirmed a retreat from the town in Russia’s Kursk region, parts of which were captured by Kyiv’s forces last summer.

Houthi Drones Could Become Stealthier and Fly Farther NYT » World News A new report documented efforts to smuggle hydrogen fuel cell components into Yemen that will provide Houthi fighters a technological leap ahead.

Israel-Hamas Talks Deadlocked as Trump Envoy Turns to Ukraine NYT » World News The two sides are supposed to negotiate a second phase of the cease-fire agreement that would end the war, but they remain far apart on how to move forward.

Live Updates: U.S. Negotiators Head to Moscow to Discuss Ukraine NYT » World News President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is weighing a 30-day cease-fire proposal from the United States and Ukraine.

U.S. Negotiators Are En Route to Moscow, Kremlin Says NYT » World News President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is weighing a 30-day cease-fire proposal from the United States and Ukraine.

Syrians Want to Go Home, but Many No Longer Have One to Return To NYT » World News Syria’s interim president has said that millions would return after President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, but many houses and other buildings were destroyed in 13 years of civil war.

Pokémon Go Maker Niantic Sells Unit to Saudi Fund for $3.5 Billion NYT » World News Scopely said it would buy Niantic’s video game business, which includes Pokémon Go, for $3.5 billion. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund acquired Scopely in 2023.

Japan’s Rice Shortage Sets Off Auction of Emergency Stockpile NYT » World News The government held a rare auction this week to make up for a rice shortage that an official called “truly unthinkable.”

In a Europe Adrift, Macron Seizes the Moment NYT » World News The French president’s prescriptions for “strategic autonomy” and a European force for Ukraine are suddenly timely in a world with a less dependable America.

Plans for a Chinese Port in the Black Sea Roil Georgia Politics NYT » World News Georgia’s government sparked an uproar by announcing that a port project on the Black Sea will be awarded to a company from China after canceling a contract with a consortium that included Western firms.

Thursday Briefing NYT » World News A widening trade war.