Worldwide Pulse

Exploring the Latest in International Breaking News and Features

Francis, the First Latin American Pope, Dies at 88

Pope Francis at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York in 2015. He was elected after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, but few expected him to seek to transform his church with such zeal.

Latest Updates: Pope Francis Died After Cerebral Stroke, Vatican Says

China Warns Countries Not to Team Up Against It to Gain Trump Tariff Reprieve

China’s leader, Xi Jinping, met with his Vietnamese counterpart, To Lam, in Hanoi as part of a push to boost trade relations in the face of U.S. tariffs.

What the Battered Ancient Syrian City of Palmyra Looks Like Now

Israeli Minister Says Freeing Hostages Not ‘Most Important’ Aim of the War

Protesters in Tel Aviv demanding the immediate release on Saturday of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Thailand Arrests Executive Linked to Bangkok Tower Felled by Earthquake

The site of a building collapse in Bangkok after an earthquake struck last month.

South Korean Police Seek Arsonist After Deadly Seoul Fire

A forensic investigation team examining an apartment building in Seoul after a deadly fire on Monday.

Israeli Security Chief Accuses Netanyahu of Making Improper Requests

Ronen Bar, the chief of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security agency.

Ukraine Says Russia Violated Easter Truce

A fighting position in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine on Friday.

Why Saudi Arabia Supports Trump’s Nuclear Talks With Its Rival, Iran

A daily paper in Tehran on Saturday shows headlines discussing the Iran-U.S. nuclear talks.

Israel’s Military Cites ‘Professional Failures’ in Killings of Gaza Medics

A still image from a cellphone video taken by a paramedic and released by the Palestinian Red Crescent showed the moments before he and other rescue workers were killed by Israelis in Gaza on March 23.

Syria’s Easter Celebrations Pass Peacefully, in Early Test of New Government

Easter celebrations at the Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus, Syria, on Sunday.

Inside a City Swept by Roving Gunmen, Deadly Grudges and Fear

In the center of Baniyas, emergency workers had turned a looted furniture store into a makeshift morgue, filled with dead bodies in body bags, in early March.

Strawberries Aren’t Ripe for Africa? His Farms Disprove That, Deliciously.

For a Times Reporter Who Covered Him, Francis Was Always a Surprise

Pope Francis in 2017 in Bangladesh, meeting Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar. The New York Times reporter Jason Horowitz said the meeting was one of his most memorable moments covering Francis’ papacy.

Trump and Pope Francis Had Sharply Different Views, and Sharp Disagreements

Pope Francis and President Trump met at the Vatican in 2017.

Romans Mourn Francis, Their Bishop and Their ‘Man of Peace’

People Gather to Mourn, and Honor, Pope Francis

Filipinos attend a mass to honor Pope Francis at the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Manila, on Monday.

Francis transformed the inner workings of the church.

Cardinals and bishops attending Francis’ Easter Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in April 2021.

U.S. Catholics, and some Protestants, mourn a pope who ‘tried to understand.’

Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on Monday.

‘Conclave’ Offers a Glimpse Inside the Secretive Process of Choosing a Pope

Ralph Fiennes in a scene from "Conclave."

How Meta’s News Ban Could Disrupt Canada’s Election

Canadians Confront News Void on Facebook and Instagram as Election Nears

A campaign debate among Canada’s party leaders in Montreal last week. Online content around the April 28 federal election has veered into misinformation.

Who Will Be the Next Pope? Here Are Some Possible Candidates to Succeed Francis.

Catholic faithful gathered for a Mass led by Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City in February 2025.

In pictures: Looking back at Francis’ life.

Francis made climate change a central concern of his papacy.

Pope Francis with António Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations in 2019.

Who Is Kevin Farrell, the Vatican’s New De Facto Administrator?

Cardinal Kevin Farrell will run the ordinary affairs of the Vatican but cannot make major decisions affecting the Church.

How Will a New Pope Be Chosen After Francis’ Death?

The crowd in St. Peter’s Square as white smoke rose from the roof of the Sistine Chapel in 2013, when Pope Francis was elected to succeed Benedict XVI.

Remembering Francis’ visit to Indonesia and East Timor.

Pope Francis arriving to say Mass in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2024.

On Busy Last Day, Pope Francis Met JD Vance and Gave an Easter Blessing

Pope Francis appearing on a hospital balcony to speak to crowds in Rome last month.

Mourners Gather Outside the Vatican After Pope Francis’ Death

A group in Vatican City after the death of Pope Francis was announced on Monday.

A conclave will be held to choose a new pope. Here’s how it will work.

A signal from the roof of the Sistine Chapel in 2013, indicating that a consensus on a new pope had not been reached.

In his final remarks, Francis focused on a hallmark theme of his papacy: migrants.

Pope Francis speaking to migrants during a visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa in 2013.

Francis faced defiant, conservative U.S. Catholic leaders.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2022.

Pope Francis Celebrated Easter and Met With JD Vance the Day Before He Died

Pope Francis after Easter mass at the Vatican on Sunday.

‘I love opposition’: How Francis opened space for debate within the church.

A Pride parade in Milan in June 2021. During his papacy, Pope Francis met with priests who reached out to gay, lesbian and transgender Catholics.

What Are the Plans for Pope Francis’ Funeral?

Pope Francis presiding over the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Square in 2023.

Trump, Macron and Other World Leaders React to Pope Francis’ Death

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy seated next to Pope Francis during a Group of 7 summit in June. “I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice and his teachings,” she said.

Francis had made several public appearances in the past week.

Pope Francis blessing the gathered faithful from a balcony at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Sunday.

A Timeline of the Life of Pope Francis

Pope Francis became head of the Catholic church in 2013 after Pope Benedict XVI stepped down.

South Carolina Says PFAS-Contaminated Farmland Should Be Superfund Site

Pope Francis’ Life in Photos

Pope Francis waving to attendees before a Mass in Cuba in 2015.

Francis Worked to Make Catholic Church More Inclusive

Pope Francis in Qaraqosh, Iraq, in March 2021.

Here’s more on the pope’s legacy and what comes next.

Monday Briefing: A Broken Truce in Ukraine

A Ukrainian position in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, on Friday.

Monday Briefing: A Broken Truce in Ukraine

A Ukrainian position in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, on Friday.

Pope Francis Blesses Faithful at Easter Mass

Pope Francis blessing the gathered faithful from a balcony at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Sunday.

6 Killed as Giant Waves Batter Australia

Waves breaking at a beach in Sydney on Friday.

Trump Draft Order Would Drastically Overhaul U.S. State Department

The draft order calls for cutting offices at State Department headquarters that address climate change and refugee issues, as well as democracy and human rights concerns.

How Violence Erupted On Syria’s Coast

Putin Declares Easter Truce, Drawing Skeptical Ukrainian Response

Firing at a Russian target in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, on Friday. Russia previously declared a unilateral truce for the Eastern Orthodox Christmas in January 2023.

Can Trump Really Negotiate Peace in Ukraine, Russians Wonder

The site of a deadly Russian missile strike in Kryvyi Rih, central Ukraine, this month.

Israeli Attacks Kill Dozens in Gaza, Health Ministry Says

Mourning at a hospital in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis on Saturday after more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks.

Tunisia Hands Heavy Sentences to Prominent Opposition Figures

President Kais Saied of Tunisia has brought ever-harsher repression in the four years since his power grab.

Say, Old Sport

At a Time of Crisis, Canadians Rush to Vote

A sign outside an advance poll site in Ottawa for Canada’s federal election

Despite His Shaky French, Carney Is a Hit in Quebec

An election poster for Prime Minister Mark Carney, in Blainville, Quebec. In polls on this month’s federal election, Mr. Carney and his Liberal Party now have a huge lead in Quebec.

What to Know About Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre, Battling to Become Canada’s Next Leader

Mark Carney, left, leads the Liberal Party of Canada, and Pierre Poilievre, right, is leader of the Conservative Party.

How China and the E.U. Are Reacting to Trump’s Tariffs

As Famine Rages in Sudan, U.S. Aid Remains Scarce

In Iran Talks, Trump Is Edging Toward Reviving an Old Deal

Members of the Iranian military on Friday during the National Army Day parade in Tehran.

A Fireball Near Mexico City Lit Up the Sky and the Internet

Load more