What to Know About Nowruz, the Persian New Year

Nowruz, the Persian New Year, began on Thursday, kicking off a celebration of life, renewal and rebirth that people in Iran and beyond have been observing for many generations. More than 300 million people worldwide celebrate Nowruz, which means “new day” in Persian. Many of them greet one another by saying “Nowruzetan pirooz” or “Wishing … Read more

Russian Public Is Ready to End War but Skeptical of Concessions, Analysis Finds

An analysis made this week of Russian attitudes toward a possible cease-fire with Ukraine suggests that the Russian public is ready to end the war but skeptical of any concessions Moscow may have to make. Combined with new polling in Ukraine, the analysis by a Massachusetts-based company, FilterLabs, shows how difficult selling the terms of … Read more

Trump’s Judicial Defiance Is New to the Autocrat Playbook, Experts Say

President Trump’s intensifying conflict with the federal courts is unusually aggressive compared with similar disputes in other countries, according to scholars. Unlike leaders who subverted or restructured the courts, Mr. Trump is acting as if judges were already too weak to constrain his power. “Honest to god, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Steven Levitsky, … Read more

Trump Wants to Take Over Ukraine’s Nuclear Plants. What Would That Mean?

During a call with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine this week, President Trump floated a highly unusual idea: The United States could take control of Ukrainian nuclear power plants. “The United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,” the White House said in a statement after the … Read more