President Emmanuel Macron of France called a second emergency meeting of European allies on Wednesday seeking to recalibrate relations with the United States as President Trump upends international politics by rapidly changing American alliances. Mr. Macron had already assembled a dozen European leaders in Paris on Monday after Mr. Trump and his new team angered … Read more
Decades before the actress Natasha Rothwell ever set foot in London, she dreamed of living there. The historic charm — the regal theaters and terraced houses — was part of the pull. The other reason was the city’s connection to classic rom-com films. “‘Notting Hill’ and ‘Love Actually’ and ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ definitely made it … Read more
When Vice President JD Vance criticized his German hosts last week for sidelining far-right parties, he did not mention by name the Alternative for Germany, known as the AfD. But soon after his speech at the Munich Security Conference, in which he stunned the room by comparing democracy in today’s Europe to Soviet-era totalitarianism, Mr. … Read more
Pope Francis, who has been diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs, slept well overnight and ate breakfast on Wednesday, the Vatican said, as concerns grew about the health of the 88-year-old pontiff. In a brief early-morning update, the Vatican said that Francis “spent a peaceful night, woke up and had breakfast.” Francis was admitted to … Read more
News that the Trump administration had agreed with Russia to try to negotiate a peace settlement for Ukraine, without including Ukraine in the talks, was a revelation that many believed reversed years of efforts to isolate Moscow. But prominent voices in the right-wing media world interpreted the development this week as cause for celebration. “Every … Read more
For more than a decade, the West has faced off against the East again in what was widely called a new cold war. But with President Trump back in office, America is giving the impression that it could be switching sides. Even as American and Russian negotiators sat down together on Tuesday for the first … Read more
Dickson Despommier, a microbiologist who proposed that cities should grow food in high-rises, popularizing the term “vertical farming” — an idea that crossed over from the realm of the purely fanciful to become a reality around the globe — died on Feb. 7 in Manhattan. He was 84. His wife, Marlene Bloom, confirmed the death, … Read more
European defense stocks continued their rally on Tuesday, as President Trump’s threats to reduce American military support to the continent and NATO raised the prospect that Europe’s governments will increase military spending. The flurry of trading helped push the Pan-European Stoxx 600 index to a record high; the Stoxx Europe Total Market Aerospace & Defense … Read more
Pope Francis will not be participating in a Mass scheduled for Sunday, the Vatican announced on Tuesday, citing the pontiff’s ongoing health issues. The pope, who was admitted to a hospital in Rome on Friday, had rested well, eaten breakfast and had read some newspapers “as he usually does,” Matteo Bruni, a Vatican spokesman, told … Read more
