Behold the Most Handsome Melons in Mexico

In the eastern city of Xalapa, what started as a joke among friends over two decades ago has become a vibrant annual tradition that highlights creativity and absurdity with melons.
Millionaire Activist James Chambers Seeks Asylum in Spain

Jailed in Madrid on an extradition request from the United States that his lawyer says is tied to pro-Palestinian activism, James Chambers fears persecution if returned.
The Kremlin Has Put Lots of Veterans on the Ballot. Could It Backfire?

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has said veterans are the “new elite,” but selecting them as candidates is a risk.
How Guyana Is Feeding the Profits of Exxon Mobil, the Largest U.S. Oil Company

Exxon Mobil found a coveted growth engine in Guyana. Now it must navigate Guyana’s fractious politics and a territorial dispute with Venezuela.
A Small Country’s Huge Windfall from the War in Iran

Oil-rich Guyana is enjoying red-hot growth. But the boom is magnifying tensions over corruption, inequality and strained ties with Venezuela.
Once Home to Batman, This Faded Mansion Is Now Plagued by Real Bats

Officials in England are alarmed at the state of Mentmore Towers, the 19th century estate that served as Wayne Manor in the 2005 film “Batman Begins.”
Protests Erupt in Nigeria After Police Pack 66 Miners Into One Cell

Thirty-seven people died in the authorities’ custody, officials said. Survivors said the cell had barely any ventilation, food, or water and people began “collapsing and dying.”
Rejecting Trump, South Korean Leader Says He Will Not Send Troops to Iran

President Lee Jae Myung’s comments followed President Trump’s repeated demand for “a little hand” from South Korea, a decades-old American ally.
Eugenia Apostol, Whose Journalism Helped Topple a Dictator, Dies at 100

A publisher in the Philippines, she used her women’s magazine as a forum for political stories that helped drive Ferdinand Marcos from power.
A Central African Hotel Has Become a Nightmare Prison for U.S. Deportees

Witnesses say men were hooded and beaten in Equatorial Guinea. The autocratic government there is a partner in President Trump’s deportation program.