World News

4 Reasons China Meddles in Local U.S. Politics

4 Reasons China Meddles in Local U.S. Politics

Mara Hvistendahl
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Politics

American intelligence agencies have warned of influence operations targeting city halls and statehouses. But what’s in it for Beijing?


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‘Pandas Are the Bait’: How China Seeks Influence in U.S. Cities

‘Pandas Are the Bait’: How China Seeks Influence in U.S. Cities

Mara Hvistendahl, Heather Knight and Vik Jolly
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Politics

Records and interviews show that Beijing has used pandas as leverage to shape policy on Taiwan and to cultivate relationships with local U.S. politicians.


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Biden, Headed to the Exit, Sets an Aggressive Climate Goal for the U.S.

Biden, Headed to the Exit, Sets an Aggressive Climate Goal for the U.S.

Brad Plumer and Lisa Friedman
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Politics

The promise of deeper emissions cuts will very likely be ignored by the Trump administration, but officials hoped it would send a signal to the world.


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Google Street View Captures a Man Loading a Bag Into a Trunk. Arrests Follow.

Google Street View Captures a Man Loading a Bag Into a Trunk. Arrests Follow.

Annie Correal
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Politics

The image, from northern Spain, showed a man with a white bag in the trunk of a car. The National Police said it helped them solve a missing-person case.


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Wednesday Briefing: Russia Arrests a Suspected Assassin

Wednesday Briefing: Russia Arrests a Suspected Assassin

Gaya Gupta
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Politics

Plus, the big stories of 2024 through our photographers’ eyes.


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U.K. Court Rules Police Can Seize £2 Million From Andrew Tate

U.K. Court Rules Police Can Seize £2 Million From Andrew Tate

Lynsey Chutel
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Politics

The online influencer has bragged about refusing to pay taxes. A London court found that he and his brother had not paid taxes on more than £21 million in business revenue.


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Killing of Russian General Sends a Message, but Doesn’t Change the War for Ukraine

Killing of Russian General Sends a Message, but Doesn’t Change the War for Ukraine

Michael Schwirtz
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Politics

Ukraine’s forces are steadily losing ground on the battlefield. The assassination of a top general in Moscow won’t improve their war effort, analysts and Western officials say.


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Cease-Fire Between Kurdish and Turkish-Backed Forces Is Extended in Northern Syria

Cease-Fire Between Kurdish and Turkish-Backed Forces Is Extended in Northern Syria

Lara Jakes
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Politics

A U.S. official announced the move about the truce in Manbij, where Kurdish and Turkish-backed fighters have clashed, as U.S. and other foreign officials try to broker a lasting armistice.


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Who Is Friedrich Merz of Germany?

Who Is Friedrich Merz of Germany?

Christopher F. Schuetze
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Politics

If polls are correct, Olaf Scholz’s successor could be Friedrich Merz, 69, leader of the Christian Democratic Union. He is offering to get the German economic engine humming again.


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China Lengthens Visa-Free Stays for Tourists

China Lengthens Visa-Free Stays for Tourists

Sara Ruberg
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Politics

In its efforts to attract visitors, the country extended stays from less than a week to up to 10 days for visitors between destinations.


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Monday Briefing: Ukraine says it killed a Russian General

Monday Briefing: Ukraine says it killed a Russian General

Gaya Gupta
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Politics

Plus, the search for a van Gogh masterpiece.


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Ahmed al-Shara Vows to Disband and Integrate Syria’s Armed Factions

Ahmed al-Shara Vows to Disband and Integrate Syria’s Armed Factions

Euan Ward, Jenny Gross, Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Thomas Fuller
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Politics

Ahmed al-Shara said that fighters would be brought under the defense ministry’s authority. The announcement came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel visited captured Syrian territory.


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Gas Exports Pose Some Risks to U.S. Economy and Environment, Study Says

Gas Exports Pose Some Risks to U.S. Economy and Environment, Study Says

Brad Plumer and Rebecca F. Elliott
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Politics

The long-awaited study was criticized by the oil and gas industry and could help environmental groups that want to stop new export terminals.


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Video Captures Blast That Killed Russian General Igor Kirillov

Video Captures Blast That Killed Russian General Igor Kirillov

Aric Toler and Eve Sampson
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Politics

A video clip that recorded the assassination of Igor Kirillov, a high-ranking general, gives a few clues about the power and the placement of the explosive device.


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Why Optimism for a Cease-Fire in Gaza Is Rising

Why Optimism for a Cease-Fire in Gaza Is Rising

Aaron Boxerman
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Politics

The pace of peace talks has picked up, pushed by multiple factors, including wars in Lebanon and Syria that have seriously weakened Hamas’s allies, and election victory of Donald J. Trump.


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