business 
Dollar Tree is selling the Family Dollar brand to two private capital firms for just over $1 billion, the company announced on Wednesday after years of struggling with Family Dollar’s operation. The private equity firms Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management are buying Family Dollar together, according to the statement. In the announcement, Dollar … Read more
A spending plan approved by Israel’s Parliament hands Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a big political victory and devotes a significant chunk to military spending, signaling that Israel expects to stay on a war footing for the longer term. The $206 billion budget was approved on Tuesday with broad enough support — 66 votes to 52 … Read more
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to cease fighting in the Black Sea in a U.S.-brokered deal, but it remains unclear whether the agreement can come into force soon — if at all. Russia had a major caveat: it would abide by the deal only after various restrictions were removed from its agricultural exports. The penalties … Read more
South Korea on Wednesday admitted for the first time that in its rush to send children to American and European homes decades ago, its adoption agencies committed widespread malpractices, including falsifying documents, to make them more adoptable. The findings by South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a government agency, which said children were sent away … Read more
A gleaming new data center sits less than half a mile from the electric substation where a fire plunged Heathrow Airport into darkness last week. The data center’s own power was also cut that day. But no one who relied on it would have noticed, thanks to a bank of batteries and backup generators designed … Read more
As the minutes ticked closer to sundown, the crowd grew more impatient, pressing against the glass display case, shouting and shoving bills toward the young men filling order after order of the Ramadan sweet bread. “If you please—” “What is this stuffed with?” “Sir, take my money!” “Just be patient!” The high-pressure volley of queries, … Read more
European leaders have gotten the message from Washington about doing more for their own defense and for Ukraine, too. They are talking tough when it comes to supporting Ukraine and about protecting their own borders, and they are standing up to a demanding and even hostile Trump administration. But there is an inevitable gap between … Read more
Deadly Wildfires Destroy Historic Landmarks in South Korea
South Korean fire crews battled what the acting president said on Wednesday were some of the worst wildfires ever in the country. At least 18 people have died, according to the authorities, as strong winds and dry conditions helped fuel the fires. Two ancient Buddhist temples were among the more than 200 buildings damaged or … Read more
