Imran Khan sentenced to jail

Imran Khan, the previous prime minister of Pakistan, was taken into custody and sentenced to three years in prison on Saturday after a courtroom discovered him responsible of illegally promoting state items and concealing the belongings. The verdict will most probably finish his probabilities of operating normally elections, set for this fall.

The verdict is the end result of a nationwide political saga that has escalated since Khan was ousted in April 2022 after a vote of no confidence. It comes on the heels of a monthslong intimidation campaign by Pakistan’s powerful military, which was aimed toward hollowing out Khan’s political occasion and stifling his comeback.

Reaction: In an indication of the effectiveness of the intimidation, there have been no mass protests after Khan was sentenced.

Also in Pakistan: At least 30 people were killed yesterday after a prepare derailed, officers stated. It was touring from Karachi to Havelian, within the north.

Villages flooded to save lots of Beijing

Chinese officers deliberately diverted floodwaters to villages round Beijing to spare the capital from the worst of final week’s file deluge. Residents were furious after practically 1,000,000 folks have been pressured to evacuate in and round Hebei Province, which borders Beijing.

The chief of Hebei stated that he had tried to “resolutely build a ‘moat’ for the capital.” The phrasing set off an outcry, as folks denounced what they perceived as an effort to appease nationwide leaders in Beijing, and the remark turned a hashtag that amassed greater than 60 million views earlier than it was censored.

His determination inundated town of Zhuozhou with water as deep as 23 toes (about seven meters). “No one ever informed us of the flood discharge or told us to prepare to evacuate,” a villager informed The Times, including, “Everything is soaked in water. I can barely calculate my loss.”

Will Russia help Putin’s warfare?

My colleague Roger Cohen spent a month in Russia, looking for clues which may clarify the nation’s nationalist lurch into an unprovoked warfare and its temper 17 months into the battle.

“I found a country uncertain of its direction or meaning,” Roger wrote. It’s torn between President Vladimir Putin’s superb myths and the on a regular basis battle — particularly in Russia’s poorest areas — of continuous a battle that U.S. diplomats suppose has now taken about 100,000 lives on both sides.

From an Indian village the place “no one wanted girls,” one father of two daughters is taking on the patriarchy by preventing prenatal intercourse testing. In simply 4 years, his marketing campaign has improved the village’s intercourse ratio from 37 women and 63 boys per hundred newborns to 51 women and 49 boys.

Lives lived: Seiichi Morimura wrote a searing exposé of the Japanese Army’s secret organic warfare program in occupied China, describing the way it forcibly contaminated 1000’s of prisoners with lethal pathogens. He died at 90.

ARTS AND IDEAS

Why China loves ‘Barbie’

“Barbie” has exceeded field workplace expectations in China, as female moviegoers celebrate a film that addresses girls’s rights. There’s solely restricted availability, however theaters have raced so as to add showings, and “Barbie” has been extensively mentioned on social media.

The film has raked in $1 billion internationally, Warner Bros. stated, however its success flies within the face of developments in China. There, U.S. film revenues have been declining normally, partially due to controls on international movies. And feminists have needed to battle towards the federal government’s repression.

But the film has touched off conversations — maybe, one 27-year-old stated, as a result of its critique of patriarchy was finally light. (For occasion: The subtitles translated “feminism” as “nu xing zhu yi,” or actually “women-ism,” slightly than “nu quan zhu yi,” or “women’s rights-ism.”) Even some Chinese state media shops have provided cautious reward of the film’s themes.

PLAY, WATCH, EAT

What to Cook

Stir grated Cheddar into mayo for nice tomato and cheese toast.

What to Read

“On Wars” seeks to uncover the causes of conflicts world wide.

What to Watch

“Shortcomings” is a captivating comedy a couple of Japanese American man’s belated coming-of-age.

Now Time to Play

Play the Mini Crossword, and a clue: Roadside inn (5 letters).

Here are the Wordle and the Spelling Bee. You can discover all our puzzles here.

That’s it for immediately’s briefing. See you tomorrow. — Amelia

P.S. MJ Franklin, an editor at The Times Book Review, shared a few of his favourite short books to read in a day.

Questions? Write to us at briefing@nytimes.com.