Othello and Iago, a Marriage Made in Both Heaven and Hell

Othello and Iago, a Marriage Made in Both Heaven and Hell

Who exactly is in charge here? Is it the strutting general or his self-effacing ensign? The man celebrated for his “free and open nature” or the sociopath who keeps stockpiling secrets? That question has been occupying the minds of theatergoers and readers since Shakespeare’s “Othello” was first performed in London …

Read more

Wealth and Warfare Empower a Rwanda-Backed Militant Group in Congo

Wealth and Warfare Empower a Rwanda-Backed Militant Group in Congo

Rare-earth minerals critical for smartphone manufacturing. Lucrative trafficking routes and dizzying stockpiles of weapons. The lives of millions of people. All are now under the control of the M23 militia and its powerful backer, Rwanda. M23 reigns over a vast territory in eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, …

Read more

Why Congo’s Vast Army Is Struggling to Fight M23

Why Congo’s Vast Army Is Struggling to Fight M23

Its soldiers are underpaid and underarmed. Its ranks are riddled with factions pursing their own interests. And successive presidents are said to have kept it weak for fear of a coup. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s army has appeared too weak and dysfunctional to stop a militia that has swept …

Read more

Paul Plishka, Prolific Soloist at the Met, Dies at 83

Paul Plishka, Prolific Soloist at the Met, Dies at 83

Paul Plishka, an American singer acclaimed for his sonorous, liquid bass tones and near-perfect diction during a career at the Metropolitan Opera that spanned a half-century, died on Monday in Wilmington, N.C. He was 83. His death was confirmed by his wife, Sharon Thomas, who did not cite a cause …

Read more

Rwanda, the West’s ‘Donor Darling,’ Seizes an Opportunity in Congo

Rwanda, the West’s ‘Donor Darling,’ Seizes an Opportunity in Congo

After Rwanda-backed rebels seized the Congolese city of Goma in 2012, powerful nations across the world registered their disapproval, announcing sanctions against Rwanda and other measures that led to the rebels’ defeat a year later. When those same rebels battled to capture Goma on Sunday, several nations once again voiced …

Read more

Wembanyama Prepares to Become ‘Genuine’ Face of the N.B.A.

Wembanyama Prepares to Become ‘Genuine’ Face of the N.B.A.

One day last summer, Harrison Barnes, a longtime N.B.A. veteran, was finishing up an off-season workout with Victor Wembanyama, his 7-foot-4, then-20-year-old San Antonio Spurs teammate and one of the league’s most dazzling young stars. Barnes was new to the team — he had recently been traded from the Sacramento …

Read more