Refugee, prisoner, wine merchant, spy: Peter Sichel was many things in his long, colorful life, but he was probably most often identified as the man who made Blue Nun one of the most popular wines in the world in the 1970s and ’80s. At its peak, in 1985, 30 million bottles of this slightly sweet … Read more
Ever since the Berlin Wall fell and the country reunited, Germans could be expected to keep budget deficits relatively low, military spending even lower, and politics at a plodding pace. The next German government is smashing all those traditions before it even takes office. Friedrich Merz, the leader of the center-right Christian Democrats and the … Read more
“What was once a kind of erotic, playful love poem,” Professor Shapiro said, had “been repurposed to speak to people in the midst of a civil war — in which their loved ones are fighting and dying.” Consider the opening lines of “Sonnet 116”: Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments; … Read more
On Sunday evening, Mariarosa Cavañas lit a candle in front of a small chapel in the Church of Santa Maria Addolorata — the national church of Argentina in Rome — where a photo of Pope Francis was affixed on a dais next to a prayer for his good health. On the back wall of the … Read more
A top European official on Tuesday laid out a sweeping framework aimed at rearming the continent, trying to fill a void as President Trump retreated from supporting Ukraine and pressured Europe to spend more on its own defense. The official, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, the European Union’s executive branch, set … Read more
At the Trump Pizza Station in Kyiv, where the internet password is “TrumpLovesYou,” one woman burst into tears when she learned that the United States was suspending military aid to Ukraine. Another sipped a cappuccino with banana milk and lamented that the whole world seemed to be abandoning her country. Most people at the neighborhood … Read more
Mexico Vows Retaliatory Tariffs on the United States
Vice President JD Vance has sparked a storm of criticism in Britain after declaring that an American economic deal in Ukraine was a “better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.” Britain, which along with France has pledged troops to a peacekeeping force … Read more
A revival of “Fiddler on the Roof,” the much-loved 1964 musical, received the most nominations on Tuesday for this year’s Olivier Awards, Britain’s equivalent of the Tonys. The show got 13 nods — seven more than any other musical or play — including best musical revival, where it is up against a production of “Hello, … Read more
Global stocks tumbled on Tuesday as investors’ concerns over the future health of the economy mounted after President Trump’s broad tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China went into effect. The S&P 500 fell 0.7 percent at the start of trading on Tuesday, adding to the 1.8 percent loss on Monday that was its sharpest decline … Read more