Author: NY TIMES

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has dissolved his war cabinet, an Israeli official said Monday, after the departures of two significant members prompted demands from far-right politicians for representation in the influential group.The two members, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, quit Mr. Netanyahu’s small war cabinet last week amid disagreements over the direction of the war in Gaza. The men, both former military chiefs, had been seen as voices of moderation in the body, which was formed in October after the Hamas-led assault on Israel and made many decisions about the conflict.The Israeli official suggested that Mr. Netanyahu’s decision…

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia will travel to North Korea for a two-day visit starting Tuesday to meet with one of the main arms suppliers for his war against Ukraine.As the war has dragged on, Russia has found itself in dire need of conventional weapons, including artillery shells, that North Korea could supply.Here’s some background on what has happened so far and why it matters.What do we know about earlier arms shipments?The United States first accused North Korea of selling artillery to Russia as far back as September 2022, seven months after the war started. At the time, North…

Eddie Johnston, the general manager who drafted Mario Lemieux 40 years ago this month, had only one concern when he announced the historic selection at the Old Montreal Forum One question — not whether Lemieux would put a Penguins jersey over his head.Lemieux didn’t.Ironically, one of Lemieux’s first acts with the Penguins was to distance himself from the franchise he would personify, influence and own on and off the ice for the next four decades. Team.”It was his agent, not Mario – he didn’t want to do it,” Johnston said. “Mario and I never talked about it. Not that day.…

Broadway’s biggest stars descended on Lincoln Center in Manhattan on Sunday for the Tony Awards, an annual celebration of all the people — casts, crews and creatives — who make live theater the spectacle that it is. Since many attendees spend most of the week in costumes, the Tonys was also a chance to get dressed up and showcase personal style.The red carpet — technically a shade of blue — was packed with A-listers, a reflection of the star-studded productions that have recently overtaken Broadway. Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Sarah Paulson, Billy Porter and Nicole Scherzinger were among the celebrities who…

Before he started a company 15 years ago selling the world’s smelliest fruit, Eric Chan had a well-paying job writing code for satellites and robots. His family and friends were puzzled when he made the career change.The fruit, durian, has long been a cherished part of local cultures in Southeast Asia, where it is grown in abundance. A single durian is typically the size of a rugby ball and can emit an odor so powerful that it is banned from most hotels. When Mr. Chan began his start-up in his native Malaysia, durians were cheap and often sold from the…

Drinking increased during the pandemic, which may be why news of any kind about alcohol seems to have found a receptive audience in recent years. In 2022, an episode of the podcast “Huberman Lab” that was devoted to elaborating alcohol’s various risks to body and brain was one of the show’s most popular of that year. Nonalcoholic spirits have gained such traction that they’ve started forming the basis for entire nightlife guides; and more people are now reporting that they consume cannabis than alcohol on a daily basis.Some governments are responding to the new research by overhauling their messaging. Last…

It drew one of the biggest roars of the night at the Tony Awards: Alicia Keys was performing a medley from her Broadway musical “Hell’s Kitchen” on Sunday when she walked out of the auditorium and was shown joining Jay-Z on a marble staircase for “Empire State of Mind,” their 2009 love song to New York City.“Had to do something crazy — it’s my hometown!” Keys said as the cameras followed her walking out of the auditorium at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center. A video screen onstage cut to Jay-Z, the Brooklyn-born rapper and mogul, as he…

Gaza has become the most dangerous place in the world for aid workers, the United Nations said on Monday.At least 250 aid workers have been killed since the war there began on Oct. 7, the United Nations has said, and on Monday the U.N. said that nearly 200 of them worked for UNRWA, its main agency for Palestinian refugees, further hindering the work of organizations already struggling to deliver aid in the enclave.Aid groups have said that most of the dangers come from Israeli bombardment and airstrikes, which have devastated Gaza over eight months of war, killing more than 37,000…

It’s set to be another scorching summer, with extreme and prolonged heat waves forecast across many parts of the United States and Europe.The stifling conditions could impact millions of travelers and wreak havoc on vacations at some of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. Multiple heat-related deaths among tourists have been reported in Greece and Saudi Arabia in June following extreme temperatures in the Middle East and Aegean regions. Even those who have booked trips in traditionally cooler places may not be spared from the summer heat because of the growing unpredictability of weather patterns.Here are some tips on how…

Jude Bellingham doesn’t think so. He didn’t let Serbia force their way back into this game, nor did he let anyone get down on him or England’s march once the game was over.He was told at the post-match press conference that while the first half against Serbia had shown why England were one of the favorites to win Euro 2024, the second half had exposed shortcomings that could ultimately be their undoing.”I don’t quite agree with that,” said the 20-year-old, the goalscorer in England’s 1-0 win in Gelsenkirchen. “The first half showed why we can score against any team and…