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China Wants Its Ethnic Minorities to Blend In. Now It’s the Law.

Under a new “ethnic unity” law, Mandarin Chinese must now be the language of teaching. Parents must guide their children to love the Communist Party. Neighborhoods should be mixed.
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Trump’s Iran War Is Causing Problems For His Ally in Italy, Giorgia Meloni

War in the Middle East has left Italy’s prime minister in a domestic bind, presenting her with one of the biggest challenges of a previously stable tenure.
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How Russia’s Scorched-Earth Attacks Put Ukraine’s Power Grid Near Collapse

Strikes on Ukrainian energy systems have tripled this winter. Continuous repairs and Western aid staved off a total breakdown.
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Iran War Live Updates: Oil Tops $100 a Barrel as Attacks Spread Across Middle East

Global oil prices surged despite pledges from the United States and other countries to release reserves. Airstrikes shook Beirut and Tehran, and more ships were attacked in the Persian Gulf.
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At China’s Big Political Meeting, a Rare Debate About Inequality

China’s plan to raise pensions for farmers by less than $3 a month prompted rare criticism from lawmakers about the country’s threadbare social safety net.
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Starmer Was Warned About Risk of Appointing Friend of Epstein As Ambassador

British officials told Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Peter Mandelson’s close ties to Jeffrey Epstein before Mr. Mandelson was appointed U.S. ambassador.
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Iran’s Retaliatory Strikes Appear to Be Slowing

U.S. officials say the country’s weapons have been diminished, slowing its attacks on Gulf nations and Israel. Iran may also be holding some weapons in reserve in case the conflict is prolonged.
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Live Updates: At Least 3 Ships Come Under Attack Near Key Oil Passage

The Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil, is all but closed as war in the Middle East expands. A British agency said three ships were hit by unidentified projectiles in or near the strait.
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A Trump-Xi Summit Nears, but China Doesn’t Know What Trump Wants

Trump’s agenda for the high-stakes meeting remains unclear to Beijing, Chinese analysts say, while American executives say they haven’t been invited along.
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Why Did the UK Police Repeatedly Decline to Investigate Claims About Epstein and Prince Andrew?

The police in London interviewed Virginia Giuffre three times over her allegations about Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Ghislaine Maxwell, but never began a criminal investigation.