News Wire | January 2023 Archive
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Pakistan Reels After Bombing Kills Almost 100, Fears More Terrorism To Come
By Haq Nawaz Khan & Pamela Constable | The Washington Post (free)
After frantically combing through the debris of the devastated mosque throughout the night and Tuesday morning, police called off the search for survivors of a terrorist suicide bombing in the highly guarded site where several hundred police and army men had gathered for afternoon prayers.
IMF Upgrades Global Outlook as Inflation Eases
By Alan Rappeport | The New York Times
The International Monetary Fund said on Monday that it expected the global economy to slow this year as central banks continued to raise interest rates to tame inflation, but it also suggested that output would be more resilient than previously anticipated and that a global recession would probably be avoided.
U.S. Military Poised to Secure New Access to Key Philippine Bases
By Ellen Nakashima & Rebecca Tan | The Washington Post
The U.S. military is poised to secure expanded access to key bases in the Philippines on the heels of a significant revamp of U.S. force posture in Japan—developments that reflect the allies’ concern with an increasingly fraught security environment in the region and a desire to deepen alliances with the United States, according to U.S. and Philippine officials.
Blinken Heads to West Bank After Surge in Violence
By Michael Crowley & Patrick Kingsley | The New York Times
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the occupied West Bank on Tuesday for a meeting with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, in the final stop of a whirlwind regional tour aimed, in part, at calming a spasm of tensions in the region.
Dems Urge Biden to Halt Aid to Peru Over Protest Crackdown
By Joshua Goodman | Associated Press (free)
A group of House Democrats is urging the Biden administration to suspend all U.S. security assistance to Peru over a “pattern of repression” of antigovernment protests that has resulted in more than 50 civilian deaths.
More from WPR: Protests in Peru and Venezuela Should Be a Warning for Latin America
Peru Congress Agrees to Debate Measure on Earlier Elections
By Franklin Briceño | Associated Press (free)
Pressed by Peru’s embattled president to take action in response to weeks of deadly protests, Congress narrowly agreed Monday to reconsider a proposal to move the 2026 national elections up to this October.
More from WPR: Peru’s Challenge Runs Deeper Than the Current Crisis
Germany Pledges Millions to Help Brazil Protect Amazon Rainforest
Al Jazeera (free)
Germany has pledged tens of millions of dollars to help Brazil defend the Amazon rainforest, a critical global ecosystem that experienced years of devastation under former far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
More from WPR: Brazil’s Presidential Election Could Be the Amazon’s Last Chance
Authorities in Honduras Order Exhumation of Land Activist
By Marlon González | Associated Press (free)
Honduran authorities Monday ordered the exhumation of the body of a land defender who died under unclear circumstances near the country’s Caribbean coast.
More from WPR: Castro Will Have Her Hands Full Cleaning Up Honduras’ Mafia State
Brazil’s Bolsonaro Applies for Six-Month U.S. Visitor Visa
By David Biller | Associated Press (free)
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has filed a request for a six-month visitor visa to stay in the U.S., indicating he may have no immediate intention of returning home, where legal issues await.
More from WPR: The Roots of Brazil’s Capital Riot Run Deep—and Far
Colombia’s Attorney General Says He Will Not Drop Extradition Warrants
Reuters
Colombia’s attorney general will not drop arrest warrants aimed at extraditing drug-trafficking bosses and will only suspend them if Congress approves a law to allow these targets to surrender themselves, he said Monday.
France Open to Sending Fighter Jets to Ukraine
By Leila Abboud, Henry Foy & Ben Hall | Financial Times
France has signaled openness to sending fighter jets to Ukraine as western countries weigh the next steps in military assistance to help Kyiv resist Russian attacks.
More from WPR: The War in Ukraine Will End With a Deal, Not a White Flag
Strikes, Protests Hit France in Round Two of Pension Battle
By Jade Le Deley & John Leicester | Associated Press (free)
From tiny islands to major cities, demonstrators poured by the thousands into France’s streets Tuesday in the latest clash of wills with the government over its plans to push back the retirement age. Labor unions aimed to mobilize more than 1 million protesters in what one veteran left-wing leader described as a “citizens’ insurrection.”
Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez Under Fire Over Release of Sex Offenders
By Barney Jopson | Financial Times
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez is engulfed in a political storm after a sexual consent law introduced by his government resulted in sex offenders being released early from prison.
Recent Extremist Attacks Kill 32 People in Burkina Faso
By Arsene Kabore & Sam Mednick | Associated Press (free)
Multiple jihadi attacks across Burkina Faso over several days have resulted in the death of at least 32 people, including soldiers and civilians, government authorities said Tuesday.
Under Pressure Liberia President George Weah to Seek Second Term
Al Jazeera (free)
Liberia’s president, George Weah, has told parliament he would run for reelection this year after a first term marred with corruption allegations and an economic downturn.
Family Says Sudan Freed Man Convicted of Killing U.S. Diplomat
By Samy Magdy | Associated Press (free)
Sudanese authorities have released a man convicted of the 2008 killing of a U.S. diplomat in a drive-by shooting in the capital, Khartoum, his family said Tuesday. The release followed a 2020 deal between Sudan and the Trump administration that included compensation settlements for killings of Americans.
U.N. Experts Seek Probe Into Possible War Crimes by Mali, Russia’s Wagner
By Edward Mcallister & Nellie Peyton | Reuters
United Nations experts Tuesday called for an independent investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity by government forces and Russian private military contractor Wagner Group in Mali.
More from WPR: The Wagner Group Is the Last Thing Mali Needs
Cyprus Picks New President Amid Economic Doubt, Ethnic Split
By Menelaos Hadjicostis | Associated Press (free)
Cypriots are voting Sunday for a new president who they’ll expect to decisively steer the small island nation through shifting geopolitical sands and uncertain economic times that have become people’s overriding concern, eclipsing stalemated efforts to remedy the country’s ethnic division.
Iran, Russia Link Banking Systems Amid Western Sanction
Reuters
Iran and Russia have connected their interbank communication and transfer systems to help boost trade and financial transactions, a senior Iranian official said Monday, as both Tehran and Moscow are chafing under Western sanctions.
More from WPR: Iran and Russia’s ‘Partnership of Convenience’ Expands to Ukraine
Defence Chiefs of U.S., South Korea Vow to Step Up Drills to Counter North
By Hyonhee Shin | Reuters
The defense chiefs of the United States and South Korea vowed Tuesday to expand military drills and boost nuclear deterrence planning to counter North Korea’s weapons development and prevent a war.
More from WPR: The North Korean Nuclear Threat Is Creating a Regional Arms Race
Azerbaijan to U.N. Court: Armenia Must Stop Sowing Land Mines
By Mike Corder | Associated Press (free)
A U.S. warship sailed through the strait separating Taiwan and China on Tuesday, the navy said, the first such passage since leaders from the two rival superpowers held a video summit.
More from WPR: Azerbaijan Presses Its Advantage Against an Isolated Armenia
Rights Groups Say Myanmar Military Is Increasing Air Attacks
By Grant Peck | Associated Press (free)
Myanmar’s military is increasingly turning to airstrikes with deadly results to try to crush stiff armed resistance two years after it seized power and plunged the country into a prolonged civil war, a human rights monitoring group said in a report Tuesday.
More from WPR: As Myanmar’s Crisis Gets Bloodier, the World Still Looks Away
Suicide Bombing at a Pakistan Mosque Kills Dozens
By Salman Masood | The New York Times
A suicide bombing ripped through a mosque frequented by police officers in a highly secured part of the northwestern city of Peshawar on Monday, killing at least 32 and wounding at least 120, officials said, the worst attack in the country in months.
Czech Republic Elects Retired NATO General as Its President
By Andrew Higgins | The New York Times
The Czech Republic on Saturday elected Petr Pavel, a retired senior NATO general and political novice, as president, according to nearly complete results, with voters decisively rejecting the rival candidacy of a populist billionaire and cementing the country’s position as a robust supporter of Ukraine.
Blinken to Meet Netanyahu at Turbulent Moment for Israel
By Michael Crowley | The New York Times
Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in a turbulent Jerusalem on Monday, as the Biden administration tries to contain a new surge of Israeli-Palestinian violence and navigate relations with the country’s new right-wing government.
Source: Dutch, Japanese Join U.S. Limits on Chip Tech to China
By Dee-Ann Durbin & Aamer Madhani | Associated Press (free)
Japan and the Netherlands have agreed to a deal with the U.S. to restrict China’s access to materials used to make advanced computer chips, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press on Sunday.
More from WPR: The U.S. Takes Aim at China’s Semiconductor Ambitions
DEA Mexico Chief Quietly Ousted Over Ties to Drug Lawyers
By Joshua Goodman & Jim Mustian | Associated Press (free)
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration quietly ousted its former top official in Mexico last year over improper contact with lawyers for narcotraffickers, an embarrassing end to a brief tenure marked by deteriorating cooperation between the countries and a record flow of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl across the border.
Peru Congress Rejects President’s Early Elections Request
Al Jazeera (free)
Peru’s Congress has rejected a request by embattled President Dina Boluarte to bring forward elections to December 2023, as protests that have killed dozens rage on against her leadership.
More from WPR: Protests in Peru and Venezuela Should Be a Warning for Latin America
Brazil Police Raid Bolsonaro Nephew’s Home in Uprising Probe
By Carla Bridi | Associated Press (free)
Brazil’s federal police searched the home of a nephew of former President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday in connection with the Jan. 8 storming of government buildings in the capital by far-right protesters.
More from WPR: The Roots of Brazil’s Capital Riot Run Deep—and Far
Rights Group: Leaked El Salvador Data Confirm Abuses
By Marcos Alemán | Associated Press (free)
Human Rights Watch says it has obtained a database leaked from El Salvador’s government that corroborates massive due process violations, severe prison overcrowding and deaths in custody under the emergency powers put in place last March to confront a surge in gang violence.
More from WPR: Bukele’s ‘War on Gangs’ Is Reopening El Salvador’s Civil War Wounds
U.K. Prime Minister Ousts Top Party Official
By Mark Landler | The New York Times
Struggling to dispel an ethical cloud that has hung over his government, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday fired the chairman of Britain’s Conservative Party, Nadhim Zahawi, over his personal tax affairs.
Turkey Favors Approving Finland’s NATO Bid Before Sweden’s
By Suzan Fraser | Associated Press (free)
Turkey could greenlight Finland’s membership in NATO before that of Sweden, if the military alliance and both Nordic countries agree to it, the Turkish foreign minister said Monday.
More from WPR: Turkey Is Still Holding Sweden’s NATO Bid Hostage
Scholz Downplays Differences on Ukraine on South America Tour
By Sarah Marsh | Reuters
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sought to drum up support for Ukraine during his first South American tour although differences with his hosts emerged, with Argentine President Alberto Fernandez declaring the region was not planning on sending weapons.
Zimbabwe Court Grants Bail to 26 Opposition Party Members
Reuters (free)
A Zimbabwean court granted bail Friday to 26 opposition party members who were arrested for holding what authorities said was an unlawful gathering.
More from WPR: Zimbabwe’s New Opposition Party Faces the Same Old Problems
Eritrea Troops Still on Ethiopian Soil, U.S. Says
Reuters
A senior U.S. official said Saturday that Eritrean troops are still in Ethiopia although they have moved back the border, contradicting Ethiopian authorities who say the Eritreans have already left.
More from WPR: With the Guns Silenced, Ethiopia and Tigray Must Now Secure the Peace
Israel Launched Drone Attack on Iranian Facility, Officials Say
By Ronen Bergman, David E. Sanger & Farnaz Fassihi | The New York Times
A drone attack on an Iranian military facility that resulted in a large explosion in the center of the city of Isfahan on Saturday was the work of the Mossad, Israel’s premier intelligence agency, according to senior intelligence officials who were familiar with the dialogue between Israel and the United States about the incident.
Tunisians Elect Weakened Parliament on 11 Percent Turnout
By Tarek Amara & Angus Mcdowall | Reuters
Tunisia announced that a mere 11 percent of the electorate had voted Sunday in parliamentary runoffs, with critics of President Kais Saied saying the empty polling stations were evidence of public disdain for his agenda and seizure of powers.
More from WPR: Tunisia’s Low-Turnout Elections Just Backfired for Saied
Syrian Army Responsible for Douma Chemical Weapons Attack, Watchdog Confirms
By Louisa Loveluck | The Washington Post
A unit of elite Syrian troops was responsible for a 2018 chemical weapons attack that killed 43 civilians in the Syrian town of Douma, the global chemical weapons watchdog said Friday.
NATO Chief Urges Seoul to Send Military Support to Ukraine
By Kim Tong-Hyung | Associated Press (free)
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday called for South Korea to provide direct military support to Ukraine, saying Kyiv is in urgent need of weapons to fight off the prolonged Russian invasion.
Czech President-Elect to Speak to Taiwan President in Diplomatic Breakthrough
Reuters
Czech President-elect Petr Pavel is due to speak with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday, Pavel’s spokeswoman said, a highly unusual move given the lack of formal ties and a diplomatic coup for Taipei that is likely to anger China.
Maldives President Solih Wins Presidential Primary, Party Says
By Mohamed Junayd | Reuters
Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party’s presidential primary election, the first time an incumbent has faced a primary challenge, according to preliminary results Sunday.
Haitian Police, Angered by Officer Killings, Attack PM’s Home, Airport
By Widlore Mérancourt & Claire Parker | The Washington Post
Angry police officers in Haiti descended on the prime minister’s residence and the country’s main airport Thursday to protest the killings of more than a dozen of their comrades in the past two weeks.
More from WPR: The World Can’t Afford to Ignore Haiti’s Deepening Security Crisis
Ukraine Corruption Scandal Stokes Longstanding Aid Concerns in U.S.
By Michael Crowley & Edward Wong | The New York Times
A top State Department official said the ouster of several Ukrainian officials this week after corruption charges “sends a very strong signal.”
More from WPR: Why Has the West Stepped Up on Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine?
Philippines Defiant, Says Won’t Cooperate With ICC Investigation
Reuters
The International Criminal Court’s decision to allow a probe into the Philippines’ drugs war to resume is an “irritant,” the country’s justice secretary said Friday, maintaining the ICC has no jurisdiction over the country’s affairs.
More from WPR: In a Surprise, Marcos Is Turning the Page on the Philippines’ Duterte Era
U.S. Sanctions Paraguay VP, Former President for Corruption
By Daniel Politi | Associated Press (free)
The United States issued sanctions against Paraguay’s former President Horacio Cartes Jara and current Vice President Hugo Velázquez Moreno on Thursday, unveiling explosive accusations that they participated in widespread schemes of corruption and have ties to members of a terrorist organization.
More from WPR: Drugs, Corruption and Organized Crime Make for a Deadly Mix in Paraguay
Senior ISIS Leader in Somalia Killed in U.S. Special Operations Raid
By Eric Schmitt & Helene Cooper | The New York Times
U.S. Special Operations commandos killed a senior Islamic State leader in an early-morning helicopter raid in a remote area of northern Somalia on Thursday, U.S. officials said.
Blinken Headed to Mideast as U.S. Alarm Over Violence Grows
By Matthew Lee | Associated Press (free)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt, Israel and the West Bank this weekend, the State Department announced Thursday, as the U.S. expressed alarm about escalating violence after Israel’s single deadliest operation in the West Bank in two decades.
More from WPR: Netanyahu’s New Partners Could Spell Trouble for U.S.-Israel Ties
Peru Recalls Ambassador to Honduras for ‘Unacceptable Interference’ as Diplomatic Spat Deepens
Reuters
Peru withdrew its ambassador to Honduras, Jorge Raffo, due to Honduras’ “unacceptable interference” in the internal affairs of Peru, the South American nation’s foreign ministry said Thursday.
More from WPR: Peru’s Challenge Runs Deeper Than the Current Crisis
Mexico Finds 57 Adolescent Migrants Crammed Into Truck
Associated Press (free)
Mexican immigration authorities said they found 57 Guatemalan adolescents packed into a trailer on a highway near the U.S. border Thursday.
More from WPR: U.S. Border Policy Must Adapt to the Region’s New Migration Patterns
Venezuela Former Chief Justice Indicted in U.S. for Money Laundering
Reuters
Venezuela’s former chief justice Maikel Moreno has been indicted on money laundering charges related to bribe payments he allegedly received in exchange for influencing court decisions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Southern District of Florida said.
Russia Outlaws Top Independent News Site in Latest Crackdown
By Jim Heintz & Dasha Litvinova | Associated Press (free)
An independent news website that has been critical of Russia’s military action in Ukraine was declared “undesirable” by the government Thursday, effectively outlawing its operation within the country as part of the Kremlin’s latest crackdown on dissent.
Hundreds of Children Seeking Asylum in U.K. Are Missing
By Megan Specia | The New York Times
Around 200 unaccompanied minors—mostly Albanian teenagers—are missing from hotels they were housed in as they awaited decisions on asylum claims, leading to outrage among rights advocates calling for better protections and to demands from lawmakers to fix the issue.
Greek Government Wins No-Confidence Vote Over Wiretapping Scandal
Reuters
Greece’s conservative government Friday survived a vote of no confidence put forward by the leftist opposition over a wiretapping scandal targeting politicians, army top brass and journalists.
Fighting Intensifies in Eastern Congo, Displacing Hundreds
By Justin Kabumba & Sam Mednick | Associated Press (free)
Fighting intensified around a town in eastern Congo Thursday as a rebel group seeking to expand the territory it controls increased pressure on government troops defending it, forcing hundreds of civilians to flee their homes.
More from WPR: The War in Eastern Congo Matters, Too
Russia’s FM Lavrov Meets Eritrean President on Africa Tour
Al Jazeera (free)
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki in Asmara during the Russian diplomat’s second tour of Africa to boost international support for Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.
More from WPR: Russia’s ‘Return’ to Africa Is Less Than the Sum of Its Parts
Development Partners Commit $30 Billion to Food Production in Africa
Reuters
Development partners have committed $30 billion to boost food production in Africa over the next five years, said Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank, during closing remarks at a food security summit Friday.
Fatal Shooting at Azerbaijan Embassy in Iran Raises Tensions
By Jon Gambrell | Associated Press (free)
A gunman stormed the Azerbaijan Embassy in Iran’s capital Friday, killing its security chief and wounding two guards in an attack that spiked long-simmering tensions between the two neighboring countries.
France and Iraq Sign Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement
Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron met with Iraq Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Thursday, said the French presidency, signing a set of strategic agreements meant to boost Iraq’s economic cooperation with Paris, especially in the energy and publics transportation sectors.
Amid Standoff in Beirut Blast Probe, U.S. National Released
By Bassem Mroue & Kareem Chehayeb | Associated Press (free)
Scores of protesters Thursday scuffled with riot police in Beirut as they tried to break into the offices of Lebanon’s judiciary, after the country’s chief prosecutor filed charges against the judge investigating the massive 2020 port explosion and ordered the release of all suspects in the case.
Myanmar Army Set to Cement Rule With Tough New Election Criteria
Reuters
Myanmar’s ruling junta Friday announced tough requirements for parties to contest an election this year, including a huge increase in their membership, a move that could sideline the military’s opponents and cement its grip on politics.
More from WPR: As Myanmar’s Crisis Gets Bloodier, the World Still Looks Away
South Korea to Support Civilian Aid to North in Hopes of Talks
By Kim Tong-Hyung | Associated Press (free)
South Korea’s government said Friday it will promote civilian efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to North Korea in hopes of softening a diplomatic freeze deepened by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s growing nuclear ambitions.
More from WPR: The North Korean Nuclear Threat Is Creating a Regional Arms Race
Marshall Islands, Feeling Neglected by the U.S., Enjoys New Leverage
By Pete McKenzie | The Washington Post
The leaders of the Marshall Islands, a collection of 29 coral atolls lying halfway between Hawaii and Australia, know exactly why the United States just agreed to a deal promising $700 million in new support over four years.
New Fiji Government Suspends Police Commissioner, Scraps China Policing Arrangement
By Kirsty Needham | Reuters
Fiji’s president Friday suspended the commissioner of police after a general election saw the first change in government in the Pacific island nation in 16 years, after the military earlier warned against “sweeping changes.”
Major Israeli Raid on Palestinian City Kills Nine Amid Growing Violence
By Sufian Taha & Victoria Bisset | The Washington Post (free)
Israeli forces conducted a massive raid on the Palestinian city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, killing at least nine people in a lengthy shootout that left extensive destruction.
Ukraine Under New Missile Barrage as Russia Warns West About Tank Pledges
By Matthew Luxmoore & Georgi Kantchev | The Wall Street Journal
Explosions rocked Ukraine’s capital Thursday after Russia launched a fresh barrage of missiles at targets across the country, as officials in Moscow warned of consequences for Western pledges to send dozens of battle tanks to Ukraine.
More from WPR: The War in Ukraine Will End With a Deal, Not a White Flag
Biden Vowed to Punish Saudis Over Oil Cut. That’s No Longer the Plan
By Missy Ryan | The Washington Post
Months after the White House vowed to punish Saudi Arabia for cutting oil output in defiance of American wishes, the Biden administration has ended its talk of retaliation against the Persian Gulf kingdom, emphasizing the two countries’ long-standing security ties and Riyadh’s steps to back Washington’s priorities in Yemen and Ukraine.
More from WPR: The U.S.-Saudi Spat Is Over More Than Just Oil Prices
U.S. Leans on Turkey to End Russian Flights With American-Made Planes
By Jared Malsin | The Wall Street Journal
U.S. officials are pressuring Turkey to stop Russian airlines from flying American-made airplanes to and from the country, said officials familiar with the talks, signaling a new push in Washington to persuade countries to enforce sanctions imposed on Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine last year.
Former Colombian Drug-Trafficking Magnate Pleads Guilty in U.S.
Al Jazeera (free)
A former Colombian drug trafficker has admitted to overseeing a vast network of criminal operations and cocaine smuggling, including a violent paramilitary group known as the Clan del Golfo or the Gulf Clan cartel.
More from WPR: A Colombian Drug Lord’s Victims Protest His Extradition to the U.S.
New U.S. Ambassador Arrives in Moscow Amid High Tension
Associated Press (free)
The United States’ new ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, has arrived in Moscow, the U.S. embassy said Thursday.
Group of Peruvian Lawmakers Submits Motion Seeking to Impeach New President
Reuters
A group of Peruvian lawmakers Wednesday submitted a motion seeking to impeach President Dina Boluarte after a little over a month in power citing “permanent moral incapacity.”
More from WPR: Peru’s Challenge Runs Deeper Than the Current Crisis
Ecuador Accuses 28 Local Election Candidates of Possible Crime Links
Reuters
Ecuador’s government Wednesday accused 28 candidates in local elections in cities across the country of having possible ties to drug trafficking and illegal mining in a report submitted to prosecutors, Interior Minister Juan Zapata said.
Organization of American States Backs Peru’s President as Protests Mount
Reuters
The Organization of American States’ permanent council expressed its “full support” for Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Wednesday, following weeks of anti-government protests that have left dozens dead.
More from WPR: Protests in Peru and Venezuela Should Be a Warning for Latin America
U.S. Bars Panamanian Ex-President Martinelli From Entering the Country
Reuters
The United States will bar former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli and his immediate family from entering the country, accusing him of accepting bribes, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.
The Real Reason Behind Peru’s Political Crisis
By Simeon Tegel | Foreign Policy
It can be boiled down to a single historical factor: corruption.
France Recalls Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Pulls Out Troops
By Sylvie Corbet | Associated Press (free)
The French foreign ministry said Thursday it is recalling its ambassador to Burkina Faso for consultations, one day after Paris decided to withdraw troops from the West African country following a demand by its military rulers.
More from WPR: West Africa Is Replicating France’s Failed Security Strategy
Greek Government to Face No-Confidence Vote Over Wiretapping Scandal
By Eleni Varvitsioti | Financial Times
An opposition leader called a no-confidence vote in the Greek government after naming officials put under surveillance by intelligence services, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis over the country’s wiretapping scandal.
Germany Arrests Second Suspect in Russia Spying Case
Associated Press (free)
German authorities said Thursday that they have arrested a second person in connection with a high-profile espionage case that embarrassed Germany’s foreign intelligence agency.
Mauritanian Ex-President in Court for Landmark Corruption Trial
Al Jazeera (free)
Former Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has gone on trial, accused of amassing an illicit personal fortune during his 11 years in power.
Ethiopia’s PM Abiy Ahmed in Sudan on First Visit Since 2021 Coup
Al Jazeera (free)
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has visited neighboring Sudan on Thursday for meetings with army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, his first visit to Khartoum since a 2021 military coup there.
Witnesses: Drone Strike Kills 21 Civilians in North Nigeria
By Chinedu Asadu | Associated Press (free)
A weapon fired from the air in Nigeria killed at least 21 members of a civilian defense group as they responded to an attack by gunmen in the country’s volatile north, witnesses said Wednesday.
Witnesses Say Latest Ethnic Clashes in Ethiopia Kill Dozens
By Cara Anna | Associated Press (free)
Witnesses allege that several dozen civilians and fighters have been killed in the latest clashes between Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups in central Ethiopia.
Top Prosecutor Orders Release of Beirut Port Blast Detainees
By Kareem Chehayeb & Bassem Mroue | Associated Press (free)
Lebanon’s top prosecutor Wednesday ordered the release of all suspects detained in the investigation into the deadly 2020 port blast in Beirut and filed charges against the judge leading the probe, he told The Associated Press.
As Tough Elections Loom in Turkey, Erdogan Is Spending for Victory
By Ben Hubbard | The New York Times
Just months before pivotal elections that could reshape Turkey’s domestic and foreign policy, the government is spending billions of dollars in state funds to bolster President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his governing party at the ballot box while unleashing an array of legal threats to weaken those who seek to unseat him.
Syrian Kurdish Forces Arrest IS Commander in Eastern Region
By Hogir Al Abdo | Associated Press (free)
Syrian Kurdish-led forces captured a local commander of the Islamic State group in eastern Syria as part of an ongoing operation targeting sleeper cells in the city of Raqqa, the U.S.-backed forces announced Thursday.
Turkey’s Problem Isn’t Sweden. It’s the United States
By Halil Karaveli | Foreign Policy
Erdogan has focused on Stockholm’s stance toward Kurdish exile groups, but Ankara’s real demand is the end of U.S. support for Kurds in Syria.
Pakistan’s Economy Nears Collapse as Foreign Currency Reserves Plunge
By Benjamin Parkin & Farhan Bokhari | Financial Times
Pakistan’s economy is at risk of collapse, with rolling blackouts and a severe foreign currency shortage leaving businesses struggling to operate as authorities attempt to revive an IMF bailout to relieve the deepening crisis.
U.N.: Myanmar Opium Cultivation Has Surged 33 Percent Amid Violence
By David Rising | Associated Press (free)
The production of opium in Myanmar has flourished since the military’s seizure of power, with the cultivation of poppies up by a third in the past year as eradication efforts have dropped off and the faltering economy has led more people toward the drug trade, according to a United Nations report released Thursday.
More from WPR: As Myanmar’s Crisis Gets Bloodier, the World Still Looks Away
Taiwan Appoints New, British-Educated Intelligence Chief
Reuters
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen appointed a new intelligence chief Thursday, a British-educated senior diplomat, as part of a broader government reshuffle currently underway and as the island faces growing military threats from China.
More from WPR: Waiting for Tsai’s Departure Won’t Solve China’s ‘Taiwan Problem’