Russia’s Wagner Boss Threatens Bakhmut Pullout in Ukraine

By David Rising | Associated Press (free)

The owner of Russia’s Wagner Group military contractor threatened Friday to pull his troops out of the protracted battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut next week, accusing Russia’s military command of starving his forces of ammunition and causing them heavy losses.

More from WPR: For Putin and Russia, Wagner’s Outspoken Boss Is Becoming a Problem

Early Results Show Tory Losses in England’s Local Elections

By Stephen Castle & Mark Landler | The New York Times

Britain’s Conservative Party suffered sharp losses Friday in local elections in voting viewed as a harbinger of its grip on power, early results showed. But the scale of the setback remained unclear, with thousands of regions still to declare winners.

Biden Expected to Tap Air Force General as Next Joint Chiefs Chairman

By Dan Lamothe | The Washington Post

President Biden is expected to nominate the chief of staff of the Air Force, Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr., to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, choosing a deeply seasoned officer and fighter pilot with experience commanding troops in the Middle East and the Pacific to be his next senior military adviser, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Chile’s Voters Set to Take Big Step in Constitution Redraft 2.0

By Natalia A. Ramos Miranda | Reuters

Chileans will vote to elect 50 constitutional advisers Sunday, a major step towards rewriting the constitution, after voters overwhelmingly rejected a first attempt in a plebiscite last September to replace the dictatorship-era charter.

More from WPR: Chile Takes Another Stab at Drafting a New Constitution

Serbia President Vows to Disarm Nation After Two Mass Shootings

By Frances Vinall & Ellen Francis | The Washington Post

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic pledged to disarm the country, proposing gun-control measures Friday after two shootings, one of them at a school, killed at least 16 people.

South Africa Allowed Russian Plane Under U.S. Sanctions to Land at Base

By Lynsey Chutel & John Eligon | The New York Times

South African officials allowed a cargo plane targeted by U.S. sanctions for supporting Russia’s military efforts to land at an air force base near the capital, Pretoria, last week, a move that could further increase tensions with the United States.