business 
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered diplomats overseas to scrutinize the social media content of some applicants for student and other types of visas, in an effort to ban those suspected of criticizing the United States and Israel from entering the country, U.S. officials say. Mr. Rubio laid out the instructions in a long … Read more
The incoming German chancellor, more convinced than ever that the defense and trade relationship with Washington is crumbling, has made plans to execute on his goal of “independence from the U.S.A.” He’s not the only one. The new Canadian prime minister said last week that “the old relationship we had with the United States” — … Read more
The body of a fourth U.S. Army soldier was found on Tuesday in Lithuania, a week after the soldier and three others were reported missing when the armored vehicle they were riding in sank in a bog, the U.S. military said. The Army did not immediately release the name of the fourth soldier, whose body … Read more
When the verdict from a Paris criminal court flashed across screens in Hénin-Beaumont, many customers in the Café de la Paix received it with the outrage and disappointment Marine Le Pen predicted. The far-right political leader was found guilty embezzlement, sentenced to four years in prison — two years suspended, two in a form of … Read more
People of Italian descent have for decades been able to dig through their family trees, find an Italian ancestor and apply for citizenship to Italy, securing a powerful passport that allows them to enter more countries without a visa than travelers of almost any other nationality. But so many have tried to claim the benefit … Read more
Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far right and a leading candidate to become the country’s next president, has been barred from running for public office for five years, after she and her party were convicted of embezzling millions of euros of European Union funds. Ms. Le Pen, an anti-immigrant, populist politician, was also … Read more
A volcano in southwestern Iceland began erupting on Tuesday, prompting the closure of the popular Blue Lagoon tourist destination and threatening the town of Grindavik, about 25 miles southwest of the capital, Reykjavik. The country’s meteorological office said that the length of the magma intrusion — about seven miles — was the longest measured since … Read more
Pope Francis’ health has continued to improve in the week since he left the hospital after a weekslong stay, the Vatican said Tuesday. During Francis’ 38-day stay at Policlinico A. Gemelli in Rome, he was treated for pneumonia and other infections. He experienced two episodes — a breathing crisis and a bronchial spasm that caused … Read more
The travel agency offered tours aimed solely at men, and that was enough to attract the attention of the police enforcing new Russian laws that restrict the rights of gay people. One night in December, officers stormed the apartment of the agency’s owner and tied him up, he later told a court. “Fifteen people came … Read more
