Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, Republican presidential contender and Baptist minister, was confirmed as ambassador to Israel by a vote of 53 to 46 on Wednesday, with senators largely divided along party lines. President Trump announced Mr. Huckabee as his nominee for the role shortly after the election in November. “He loves Israel and…
On a bench in Newbury, England, the country’s most beloved bear sits once more, wearing his familiar red bucket hat and blue duffel coat. Around his neck, a label reads, “Please look after this bear.” Local officials unveiled a repaired statue of Paddington Bear on Wednesday, adding another element of joy to the already perfect…
The European Union voted on Wednesday to approve its first retaliation measures in response to President Trump’s tariffs, moving closer to placing increased duties on a range of manufactured goods and farm products including soybeans and corn. The new tariffs would take effect in phases starting on April 15, and would affect about 21 billion…
Nicolas Puech is an heir to the Hermès fortune whose riches are shrouded in mystery. He either is or is not a billionaire, and may or may not have a sizable stake in his family’s luxury brand, depending on when and where these matters come up. A new lawsuit filed in federal court late last…
Germany’s centrist parties announced on Wednesday that they had formally reached a coalition agreement to allow Friedrich Merz, a conservative, to take the reins as chancellor at a tumultuous moment when Europe’s economic and security order is being upended. Since Mr. Merz’s Christian Democrats came out on top in elections in February, he has been…
An Israeli airstrike on a home in a neighborhood in Gaza City left a heavy death toll on Wednesday and others missing, with rescuers struggling to pull people out of the rubble with little equipment, Gaza’s civil defense service said. The Israeli military said it had been targeting a Hamas operative who it said was…
The arrest of an American academic in Thailand on charges of criticizing the monarchy has alarmed U.S. officials, the State Department said on Tuesday. The case represents a rare detention of a foreign citizen under Thailand’s strict lèse-majesté laws. The academic, Paul Chambers, a lecturer in civil-military relations in Southeast Asia at Naresuan University in…
A doubling of American tariffs on Chinese goods. Nationalist Chinese bloggers comparing President Trump’s levies to a declaration of war. China’s Foreign Ministry vowing that Beijing will “fight to the end.” For years, the world’s two biggest powers have flirted with the idea of an economic decoupling as tensions between them have risen. The acceleration…
A doubling of American tariffs on Chinese goods. Nationalist Chinese bloggers comparing President Trump’s levies to a declaration of war. China’s Foreign Ministry vowing that Beijing will “fight to the end.” For years, the world’s two biggest powers have flirted with the idea of an economic decoupling as tensions between them have risen. The acceleration…
A mere month ago, luxury businesses were looking forward to a new era of deregulation, lower taxes and a booming stock market — and dreaming of well-heeled buyers splurging on opulent ball gowns and statement watches. Instead, as the Trump administration imposes 20 percent tariffs on products from the European Union, they are bracing for…
