NEWS North Korea’s leader on Sunday announced a “new strategic line†that defied warnings from Washington, saying that his country was determined to rebuild its economy in the face of international sanctions while simultaneously expanding its nuclear weapons arsenal, which the ruling party called “the nation’s life.†Choe Sang-Hun reports from Seoul.
As President Obama negotiates a spending and revenue deal, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is warning there will be “significant changes†at the Pentagon. Thom Shanker reports from Washington.
In his first Easter Sunday message, Pope Francis passionately called for “peace in all the world,†urging Israelis and Palestinians to “resume negotiations to end a conflict that has lasted all too long,†calling for an end to the civil war in Syria, and promoting a “renewed spirit of reconciliation†on the Korean Peninsula. Elisabetta Povoledo reports from Vatican City.
Clashes that erupted Saturday night in Kenya after the Supreme Court ruled that Uhuru Kenyatta was legitimately elected president were nowhere near as chaotic as the 2007 disputed election. Jeffrey Gettleman reports from Nairobi.
Lowrider culture, with roots in East Los Angeles, is spreading in parts of Asia and Europe, and is raising eyebrows in South America’s largest city. Simon Romero reports from São Paulo.
Sudan’s archaeological record is pivotal to understanding the history of Africa itself, experts say, and a wave of new discoveries may be adding crucial new information. Ismaïl Kushkush reports from Khartoum.
Bloodied by a harsh bailout deal that drives a stake through the heart of this Mediterranean country’s oversize financial industry, Cyprus now faces a further blow to its role as an offshore tax haven: the vultures from competing territories are circling. Andrew Higgins reports from Limassol, Cyprus.
In an effort to cool the resurgent property market, two of China’s biggest cities announced over the weekend that they would put in place a series of new restrictions and penalties on housing sales. David Barboza reports from Shanghai.
Israel moved closer to its goal of energy independence on Sunday as natural gas from a large offshore field began flowing into the country, a harbinger of important change that will benefit the country strategically and economically, officials said. Isabel Kershner reports from Jerusalem.
ARTS “A Handbook of California Design,†a new book edited by Bobbye Tigerman, is an incisive history of a design scene from the Depression to 1965. Alice Rawsthorn reviews from London.
SPORTS In soccer, this was an extraordinary weekend for goal scorers: Lionel Messi set a record, Claudio Pizarro hit four goals for Bayern Munich and Blerim Dzemaili scored three times for Napoli. Rob Hughes reports from London.
