Tuesday briefing
King Charles has cancer
Less than 18 months into his reign, British King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer.
The announcement came from Buckingham Palace a week after the 75-year-old sovereign left a London hospital following a procedure to treat an enlarged prostate. The palace did not reveal what type of cancer Charles had, but a palace official said it was not prostate cancer.
Charles will take a break from his public duties for treatment, but he will continue responsibilities such as his weekly meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The palace said Charles “remains completely positive about his treatment” and that he looked forward to resuming public activities.
Background: Charles waited longer than any other British monarch to take the throne after the 70-year reign of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and was well known to the public when he became king in September 2022. Since then he has become a confident man. elder statesman, who travels extensively and speaks out on issues such as climate change.
Context: Members of the royal family often reveal little about their health, and palace officials made it clear they would not provide regular updates on the king's condition.
Blinken is trying to ease tensions in the Middle East
Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia to rally allies around a proposed ceasefire in Gaza and prevent U.S. attacks on Iranian-backed militias from spiraling into a broader regional war.
Blinken met Saudi Arabia's crown prince on the first stop of the trip, his fifth to the Middle East since Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
The visit follows US-led airstrikes on the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen, as well as dozens of recent US strikes on targets in Iraq and Syria.
Yesterday, a drone strike killed six Kurdish fighters at a military base hosting US and allied troops in eastern Syria, according to media reports from a Kurdish-led group that blamed it on an Iran-linked militia.
A US official said Blinken would tell allies in the region that the Biden administration's recent attacks should not be interpreted as an escalation of fighting.
Related: Hamas was considering a proposal to stop the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release the remaining hostages there, a broadcaster affiliated with the group said.
Zelensky hinted at a major shake-up of the government
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said a review of the country's military and civilian leadership was necessary to revive the war effort against Russia at a time when the conflict is in a bloody stalemate.
Zelensky indicated he would likely go beyond replacing General Valeriy Zaluzhny, Ukraine's popular top military commander, whose strained relationship with Zelensky is increasingly well known.
Problems between the military and civilian government represent the most serious schism in Ukraine's leadership since the war began, and a new mobilization law that could lead to the drafting of up to 500,000 people has heightened tensions in the country.
Related: The parent company of Yandex, a tech giant often referred to as “Russian Google” agreed to sell all its Russian assets for about $5 billion, marking one of the largest corporate exits from Russia to date.
THE LAST NEWS
Europe News
A growing number of therapists are ditching their couches to treat patients away from home. They say combining traditional talk therapy with nature and exercise can help clients feel more open, find new perspectives and express their feelings.
Some professionals are skeptical of the practice, but studies have shown that immersion in nature can benefit mental health.
SPORTS NEWS
World Championship 2026: The biggest knockout tournament in football history.
Blooming between worlds: That of Formula 1 Pierre Gasly is learning on the course and on the golf course.
A reminder of golf talent: Wyndham Clark shot a record round at Pebble Beach.
ARTS AND IDEAS
Women triumphed at the Grammys
Women thoroughly dominated the Grammy Awards. Taylor Swift became the first artist to win album of the year, the Grammys' top prize, four times, beating Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon, who each won three. Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, SZA, Lainey Wilson, Karol G and the band boygenius all won awards. The show also featured powerful performances from Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman – two godmothers of modern songwriting who have rarely appeared in public in recent years.
Overall, “the show was exceptionally cheerful, slick and thoughtful,” our critics wrote. The Grammys captured pop music as it really is: centerless and subject to change at every moment. We also have an assessment of Chapman's performance and thoughts on Jay-Z's speech, which he used to excoriate the Recording Academy, which awards the Grammys, for mistreating and short-sighting black artists.