News Wire | January 2023 Archive
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Germany Approves Leopards for Ukraine, as U.S. Promises M1 Tanks
By Loveday Morris, Emily Rauhala, Karen DeYoung & Dan Lamothe | The Washington Post
The German government announced plans Wednesday to deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and allow other countries to send theirs, ending months of debate among Western allies and unlocking a package for scores of tanks that could help shift the balance on the battlefield.
More from WPR: Delivering Tanks to Ukraine Could Be a Gamechanger in Europe
King Abdullah Meets Israeli PM Netanyahu in Surprise Jordan Visit, Royal Court Says
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi | Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a surprise trip to Jordan on Tuesday for talks with King Abdullah, who the royal court said underlined the need for Israel to respect the status quo of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
Rwanda Shoots at Congolese Military Jet Over Alleged Airspace Violation
Reuters
Rwandan forces Tuesday fired at a fighter jet from Democratic Republic of Congo that it said had violated its airspace, prompting the Congolese government to accuse it of an act of war.
More from WPR: The War in Eastern Congo Matters, Too
Pentagon Will Increase Artillery Production Sixfold for Ukraine
By John Ismay & Eric Lipton | The New York Times
The Pentagon is racing to boost its production of artillery shells by 500 percent within two years, pushing conventional ammunition production to levels not seen since the Korean War as it invests billions of dollars to make up for shortfalls caused by the war in Ukraine and to build up stockpiles for future conflicts.
More from WPR: Why the War in Ukraine Hasn’t Polarized Western Democracies
U.S. and Canada Not Interested in Sending Armed Force to Haiti
By Edith M. Lederer | Associated Press (free)
The United States and Canada—the two countries most often mentioned as possible leaders of an international armed force to help Haiti combat gangs—showed no interest Tuesday in deploying security personnel despite renewed appeals from the United Nations and Haiti for help to end worsening violence in the Western hemisphere’s poorest nation.
More from WPR: Haitians Have a Solution to Haiti’s Crisis
Blinken Ponders the Post-Ukraine-War Order
By David Ignatius | The Washington Post
The Biden administration, convinced that Vladimir Putin has failed in his attempt to erase Ukraine, has begun planning for an eventual postwar military balance that will help Kyiv deter any repetition of Russia’s brutal invasion.
Latin America, Caribbean Call for More International Funding at CELAC Summit
Reuters
Countries from Latin America and the Caribbean on Tuesday called for more international funding in the region following economic and climate crises, in a final declaration after a summit held in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires.
More from WPR: Latin America Is Paying the Cost of Its Zombie Regionalism
Lula Blames Bolsonaro for Yanomami Hunger, Opens ‘Genocide’ Probe
By Victoria Bisset | The Washington Post
Brazil’s justice minister requested an investigation into potential crimes of genocide against the Indigenous Yanomami people Monday, as the country sent further aid and personnel to respond to a crisis of malnutrition and disease that officials have directly linked to illegal mining.
Guatemala to Require Visa for Dominicans Amid Spike in Migrants
Reuters
Guatemala’s migration institute Tuesday announced it would require visas for visitors from the Dominican Republic starting next month, citing increased numbers of Dominicans arriving in Guatemala en route to the United States.
Venezuela’s National Assembly Approves First Reading of Bill to Regulate NGOs
Reuters
Venezuela’s National Assembly on Tuesday passed a first reading of a bill to regulate and inspect non-governmental organizations in the South American country, which has caused uproar among activists.
More from WPR: Protests in Peru and Venezuela Should Be a Warning for Latin America
Bulgaria Gears for Its Fifth Election in Two Years on April 2
Reuters
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Tuesday said he would set April 2 as the date for the country's fifth parliamentary election within two years after inconclusive October polls failed to produce a working government.
The Spanish Police Make an Arrest in the Letter Bomb Case
By Euan Ward & José Bautista | The New York Times
A 74-year-old man was arrested by the police in Spain on Wednesday on suspicion of carrying out a recent letter bomb campaign that U.S. officials have said was intended to signal how Russia and its proxies could carry out terrorist strikes in NATO member states, the Spanish Interior Ministry said.
Norway Releases Former Top Wagner Group Member
Associated Press (free)
Norwegian authorities said Wednesday that they have released a former high-ranking member of the Russian private military contractor Wagner Group who has sought asylum after entering the country illegally.
More from WPR: For Putin and Russia, the Wagner Group Could Be a Recipe for Disaster
Cameroon Denies Asking for Help to Mediate Separatist Conflict
Reuters
Cameroon’s government said it had not asked any country to mediate in its conflict with Anglophone separatists, despite Canada saying it had received a request to work on a peace process.
More from WPR: In Biya’s Cameroon, ‘Stability’ Is a Costly Mirage
Tanzania’s Top Opposition Figure Returns From Exile
By Abdi Latif Dahir | The New York Times
Tundu Lissu, Tanzania’s leading opposition figure, returned home on Wednesday after more than two years in exile, one of the strongest indications yet that efforts by the East African nation’s first female president to increase political freedoms and rights protections were being realized.
More from WPR: Tanzania’s Opposition Fears Election Violence Because, Lissu Says, ‘We Are Winning’
Uganda Launches First Oil Drilling Program, Targets 2025 Output
Al Jazeera (free)
Uganda on Tuesday launched its first oil drilling program, its petroleum agency said, a key milestone as the country races to meet its target of first oil output in 2025.
Peace Deal Ending Ethiopia’s Tigray War Yet to Dispel Fear of More Atrocities
By Katharine Houreld & Stefanie Le | The Washington Post
A three-month-old peace deal in Ethiopia has revived humanitarian aid and restored telephone links and electricity to the northern region of Tigray, but many families there are still fearful because of the continued presence of soldiers from neighboring Eritrea, blamed for a wave of atrocities during the two-year war.
More from WPR: With the Guns Silenced, Ethiopia and Tigray Must Now Secure the Peace
India, Egypt to Promote Trade, Investment, Fight Terrorism
By Ashok Sharma | Associated Press (free)
India and Egypt agreed Wednesday to boost trade between their countries during a visit by the Egyptian president that underscores Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to fortify ties with other emerging economies.
Kurdish Forces Seize Dozens of Suspected IS Members in Syria
Associated Press (free)
U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters in northeastern Syria launched an operation Wednesday against suspected Islamic State militants in the area in retaliation for an attack by the extremist group there last month, according to a statement.
U.S. Reroutes $72 Million in Aid for Wages for Lebanese Army, Police
By Kareem Chehayeb | Associated Press (free)
The United States is rerouting $72 million of America’s assistance to Lebanon to help the country’s cash-strapped government boost wages of its soldiers and police officers, the U.S. ambassador said Wednesday.
Hipkins Sworn In as New Zealand PM, Pledges Focus on Economy
By Nick Perry | Associated Press (free)
Chris Hipkins was sworn in Wednesday as New Zealand’s 41st prime minister, following the unexpected resignation last week of Jacinda Ardern.
More from WPR: Ardern Was the Face of a Different Kind of Leadership
Natural Gas Shortages Hit China as Temperatures Plunge
By Keith Bradsher | The New York Times
Local governments starved for cash after enormous spending on costly “zero Covid” measures cannot afford to keep up adequate supplies of gas.
Former Vice President Chen to Become New Taiwan Premier
Reuters
Former vice president Chen Chien-jen will be Taiwan’s new premier, the presidential office said Wednesday, as part of a Cabinet reshuffle following heavy losses for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party at local elections last year.
More from WPR: Waiting for Tsai’s Departure Won’t Solve China’s ‘Taiwan Problem’
North Korea Locks Down Capital City Over ‘Respiratory Illness’
Reuters
Authorities in the North Korean capital Pyongyang have ordered a five-day lockdown due to rising cases of an unspecified respiratory illness, the Russian embassy and Seoul-based NK News reported Wednesday, citing a government notice.
Former Senior FBI Official Accused of Working for Russian He Investigated
By Shayna Jacobs, Spencer S. Hsu, Devlin Barrett & Shane Harris | The Washington Post (free)
The FBI’s former top spy hunter in New York was charged Monday with taking secret cash payments of more than $225,000 while overseeing highly sensitive cases, and breaking the law by trying to get Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska removed from a U.S. sanctions list—accusations that shocked the cloistered world of his fellow high-ranking intelligence officials.
More from WPR: Lifting U.S. Sanctions on a Russian Aluminum Giant Is Not a Gift to the Kremlin
Top Ukrainian Officials Ousted in Anti-Corruption Sweep
By David L. Stern | The Washington Post
Several senior Ukrainian officials were swept out of their posts Tuesday, including a close adviser of President Volodymyr Zelensky, in part over corruption allegations, as Kyiv moved swiftly to show zero tolerance for graft that could undermine the confidence of Western nations that have kept the country alive with vast shipments of donated weapons and billions in economic assistance.
Burkina Faso Orders French Troops to Leave the Country
By Aanu Adeoye | Financial Times
Burkina Faso’s transitional government has ordered French troops to withdraw from its territory, saying its own forces would defend the country against the Islamist jihadis it has battled for almost a decade.
More from WPR: West Africa Is Replicating France’s Failed Security Strategy
White House Taps First North Korean Human Rights Envoy in Six Years
By Michelle Ye Hee Lee | The Washington Post
The White House nominated a special envoy for North Korean human rights issues Tuesday, taking a step to fill the position that has remained vacant for six years.
More from WPR: The North Korean Nuclear Threat Is Creating a Regional Arms Race
Extreme Israeli Group Takes Root in U.S. With Fundraising Bid
By Uri Blau & Tia Goldenberg | Associated Press (free)
An Israeli group raising funds for Jewish extremists convicted in some of the country’s most notorious hate crimes is collecting tax-exempt donations from Americans, according to findings by The Associated Press and the Israeli investigative platform Shomrim.
Mastermind Behind Amazon Murders of Journalist and Activist Is Caught, Police Say
By Jack Nicas & Flávia Milhorance | The New York Times
An illegal-fishing trafficker ordered henchmen to kill an expert on Indigenous tribes in June because he was disrupting the illicit game trade, Brazilian authorities said Monday, leading to an assassination that also left a British journalist dead. The killings attracted international attention to the bloody conflict over the Amazon rainforest.
Mexican Ex-Lawman Took Money From Cartels He Pursued, Prosecutors Say
By Alan Feuer | The New York Times
Genaro Garcia Luna is accused of helping traffickers move drugs to the United States. But his defense says he is being targeted by the men he helped to send to prison.
Colombia Shifts Strategy in Drug War Away From Coca Eradication
By Christina Noriega | Al Jazeera (free)
After promising to radically change Colombian drug policy, the administration of President Gustavo Petro has announced plans this month to reduce forced eradication efforts that, for decades, have remained one of the country’s chief strategies to curb coca, the raw ingredient in cocaine.
More from WPR: Forced Coca Eradication Could Undermine Colombia’s Peace
Alvaro Colom, Former President of Guatemala, Dies at 71
By Sonia Perez D. | Associated Press (free)
Former Guatemala President Alvaro Colom, who governed from 2008 to 2012 and supported a United Nations anti-corruption mission that later investigated him, died Monday, lawmakers from his party announced. He was 71.
Finland’s Foreign Minister Signals Country Could Join NATO Without Sweden
By Emily Rauhala | The Washington Post
Finland still hopes to join NATO alongside its neighbor Sweden but could be forced to reconsider if Stockholm’s application is stalled, the Finnish foreign minister said Tuesday.
More from WPR: Sweden and Finland’s NATO Bids Hit a Roadblock Named Erdogan
Germany Charges Suspects in Plot to Kidnap Minister and Trigger Civil War
By Loveday Morris & Vanessa Guinan-Bank | The Washington Post
Germany on Monday charged five suspects in a plot to kidnap the country’s health minister, stir civil unrest and violently overthrow the government.
More from WPR: Germany’s ‘Comical’ Coup-Plotters Were the Tip of a Dangerous Iceberg
$20 Million Worth of Looted Art Returns to Italy From the U.S.
By Elisabetta Povoledo | The New York Times
The authorities of the two countries have worked together to round up statues, vases and bronzes, some of which had appeared in American museums.
Islamists Suspected of Killing About 20 People in Eastern Congo Raid
Reuters
Suspected Islamists killed about 20 people in a raid on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday night, a local chief and a military official said Monday.
More from WPR: The War in Eastern Congo Matters, Too
Governor Declares Emergency in Sudan Province After Four Killed
Associated Press (free)
Armed men opened fire on a bus station in southern Sudan on Monday, officials said, killing at least four people and prompting authorities to declare a monthlong state of emergency.
Nigeria Bets on Chinese-Funded Port to Drive Economic Growth
By Chinedu Asadu | Associated Press (free)
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has marked the opening of a $1.5 billion, Chinese-funded deep seaport in the commercial hub of Lagos that authorities hope will help grow the West African nation’s ailing economy.
Kuwait PM Submits Resignation of Cabinet in Tussle With Parliament
Reuters
Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah on Monday submitted the resignation of his Cabinet to the country’s crown prince, state news agency KUNA reported, in the latest standoff between government and the elected parliament.
More from WPR: Kuwait’s Political Gridlock Is Taking a Toll
Lebanese Blast Investigator Charges Former PM, Top Public Prosecutor
By Timour Azhari & Laila Bassam | Reuters
The judge probing the 2020 Beirut blast has charged Lebanon’s top public prosecutor, the then-premier and other senior current and former officials in connection with the devastating explosion, judicial sources said and court summons show.
Indian University Warns Students Not to Screen BBC Documentary on Modi
Reuters
A top Indian university has threatened strict disciplinary action if its students’ union carries out plans Tuesday to screen a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the move might disturb peace and harmony on campus.
More from WPR: In Modi’s India, Reporting on Religious Violence Puts Journalists at Risk
Rights Group Files Suit in Germany Against Myanmar Military
By Grant Peck | Associated Press (free)
A human rights group and 16 people from Myanmar have filed a criminal complaint in Germany seeking punishment of Myanmar’s generals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity they alleged were committed in that country after their 2021 government takeover and during a 2017 crackdown on minority Rohingya Muslims.
More from WPR: As Myanmar’s Crisis Gets Bloodier, the World Still Looks Away
FBI Says North Korea-Related Hacker Groups Behind U.S. Crypto Firm Heist
Reuters
Two hacker groups associated with North Korea, the Lazarus Group and APT38, were responsible for the theft last June of $100 million from U.S. crypto firm Harmony’s Horizon bridge, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said Monday.
More from WPR: North Korea’s Sanctions-Busting Gets More Sophisticated—and More Lucrative
Russian Agents Suspected of Directing Far-Right Group to Mail Bombs in Spain
By Edward Wong, Julian E. Barnes & Eric Schmitt | The New York Times
American and European officials believe that Russian military intelligence officers directed associates of a white supremacist militant group based in Russia to carry out a recent letter bomb campaign in Spain whose most prominent targets were the prime minister, the defense minister and foreign diplomats, according to U.S. officials.
Lula Ousts Head of Brazil’s Army in Wake of Insurrection
By Anthony Faiola & Marina Dias | The Washington Post
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ousted the head of Brazil’s army Saturday, moving against the most senior military officer to be held accountable after the Jan. 8 insurrection, when right-wing rioters rampaged through this nation’s halls of power.
More from WPR: The Roots of Brazil’s Capital Riot Run Deep—and Far
Netanyahu Fires a Top Minister to Comply With a Supreme Court Ruling
By Isabel Kershner | The New York Times
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Sunday dismissed a senior minister recently convicted of tax fraud to comply with a Supreme Court ruling that disqualified the minister from serving, shaking the right-wing government just weeks after it came to power.
More from WPR: Netanyahu’s New Partners Could Spell Trouble for U.S.-Israel Ties
U.S. Extends Troop Deployment in Romania, at Ukraine War’s Doorstep
By Lara Jakes | The New York Times
The Pentagon will keep several thousand American troops in southeast Romania for at least nine more months, closer to the war in neighboring Ukraine than any other U.S. Army unit, officials said Saturday.
More from WPR: Ukraine Needs More Than Perfect Heroes to Defeat Russia
The U.S. Will Name the Wagner Mercenary Group a Transnational Criminal Organization
By Katie Rogers | The New York Times
The United States has decided to designate the Russian private military group Wagner as a significant transnational criminal organization, the White House said Friday, a move that will expand the number of nations and institutions that can be prevented from doing business with the company.
More from WPR: For Putin and Russia, the Wagner Group Could Be a Recipe for Disaster
U.S. Ambassador Heading to Africa as Part of Biden’s Big Push
By Edith M. Lederer | Associated Press (free)
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, is the second Cabinet member heading to Africa as part of President Joe Biden’s big push to engage with the world’s second-largest continent.
More from WPR: After a Feelgood Summit, Biden Has to Make Good on U.S.-Africa Ties
How the U.S. Can Support Cuba’s Emerging Private Sector
By William M. LeoGrande | Americas Quarterly (free)
The Biden administration can take four key steps to increase support for Cuban entrepreneurs.
More from WPR: Biden Finally Realized He Can’t Ignore Cuba Any Longer
Colombia, ELN Rebels to Resume Peace Talks in Mexico in February
By Mayela Armas & Luis Jaime Acosta | Reuters
Colombia and the National Liberation Army rebel group said Saturday they will resume peace talks in Mexico next month, overcoming a recent impasse after the government recently declared and then called off a bilateral cease-fire.
More from WPR: Petro’s Road to ‘Total Peace’ for Colombia Passes Through Venezuela
Police Violently Raid Lima University and Shut Machu Picchu Amid Peru Unrest
By Dan Collyns | The Guardian (free)
Scores of police raided a Lima university Saturday, smashing down the gates with an armored vehicle, firing teargas and detaining more than 200 people who had come to the Peruvian capital to take part in anti-government protests.
More from WPR: Peru’s Challenge Runs Deeper Than the Current Crisis
Brazil and Argentina to Start Preparations for a Common Currency
By Michael Stott & Lucinda Elliott | Financial Times
Brazil and Argentina will this week announce that they are starting preparatory work on a common currency, in a move which could eventually create the world’s second-largest currency bloc.
He Is Brazil’s Defender of Democracy. Is He Actually Good for Democracy?
By Jack Nicas | The New York Times
Alexandre de Moraes, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice, was crucial to Brazil’s transfer of power. But his aggressive tactics are prompting debate: Can one go too far to fight the far right?
More from WPR: Brazil’s ‘Capital Riot’ Highlights the Challenges Lula Faces
Poland Sees ‘Glimmer of Hope’ for Getting Leopard Tanks to Ukraine
By Loveday Morris & Emily Rauhala | The Washington Post
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Monday that Warsaw would submit a request to Germany to reexport its tanks to Ukraine, after Berlin indicated it would not block such a move.
More from WPR: Delivering Tanks to Ukraine Could Be a Gamechanger in Europe
France Asks Burkina Faso to Clarify Troop Departure Reports
Associated Press (free)
French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday he was awaiting “clarifications” from Burkina Faso’s new junta leader following a report saying authorities in the West African country ordered hundreds of French troops to leave within a month.
Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz Meet in Bid to Improve Strained Relations
By Leila Abboud & Guy Chazan | Financial Times
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday pledged to strengthen the EU and reinvigorate a bilateral relationship that has been strained by the fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and ensuing energy crisis.
More from WPR: France—and Europe—Have a Germany Problem
Russia, Estonia Expel Ambassadors Amid ‘Destroyed’ Relations
Associated Press (free)
Russia and Estonia on Monday were expelling the ambassadors from each other’s countries in a tit-for-tat move, saying that their diplomatic missions will be headed by charges d’affaires.
Canada Says Cameroon Warring Parties Agree to Enter Peace Process
Reuters
The government of Cameroon and some separatist factions in the English-speaking regions of the country have agreed to enter into a process aimed at resolving a conflict that has killed over 6,000 people, Canada’s foreign ministry said.
More from WPR: In Biya’s Cameroon, ‘Stability’ Is a Costly Mirage
South Africa Defends Planned Military Drills With Russia and China
By Carien Duplessis | Reuters
South Africa’s foreign minister Monday deflected criticism of joint military drills planned with Russia and China, saying that hosting such exercises with “friends” was the “natural course of relations.”
Unknown Gunmen Kill Popular Eswatini Opposition Politician
Al Jazeera (free)
Gunmen in Eswatini killed a prominent opposition politician and human rights lawyer at his home, hours after the country’s absolute monarch challenged activists opposed to his rule.
Prominent Cameroon Journalist Found Dead After Abduction
Reuters (free)
The mutilated body of a prominent Cameroonian journalist has been found near the capital, Yaounde, five days after he was abducted by unidentified assailants.
Erdogan Announces Turkish Elections to Be Held on May 14
Associated Press (free)
Turkey’s president has announced May 14 as the date for the country’s next parliamentary and presidential elections.
More from WPR: Dissent Is Getting Even More Dangerous in Turkey
EU Agrees New Iran Sanctions, Won’t Label Guards as ‘Terrorist’ for Now
By Bart H. Meijer & Ingrid Melander | Reuters
The European Union on Monday introduced new sanctions against Iran for a “brutal” crackdown on protests, but the bloc’s top diplomat said the country’s Revolutionary Guards cannot be listed as a terrorist group without a court decision.
More from WPR: Iran’s Domestic Upheaval Only Makes It More Dangerous
Iraqi PM Replaces Central Bank Governor Over Currency Drop
Associated Press (free)
Iraq’s prime minister Monday replaced the governor of the country’s Central Bank following a weekslong plunge of the Iraqi dinar, the state news agency reported.
New Zealand’s Incoming PM Says He Is ‘Making Haste’ on Changes in Priorities
By Lucy Craymer | Reuters
New Zealand’s incoming Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said Monday that his government would be “making haste” on reprioritizing and looking at whether current policies need to be scaled down.
More from WPR: Ardern Was the Face of a Different Kind of Leadership
Pakistan Scrambles to Restore Power After Second Major Grid Breakdown in Months
By Asif Shahzad | Reuters
Pakistan’s government said it was scrambling to restore power to millions of people Monday after a breakdown in the grid triggered the worst electricity outage in months and highlighted the weak infrastructure of the heavily indebted nation.
More from WPR: Pakistan’s Political Crisis May Be Reaching a Breaking Point
Pakistan Strengthens Already Harsh Laws Against Blasphemy
By Salman Masood | The New York Times
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which can already mean death for those deemed to have insulted Islam or the Prophet Muhammad, can now also be used to punish anyone convicted of insulting people who were connected to him.
CIA Director Visited Kyiv for Meeting With Zelensky
By Julian E. Barnes | The New York Times
William J. Burns, the CIA director, traveled to Kyiv last week for secret consultations with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, according to two U.S. officials.
More from WPR: The War in Ukraine Will End With a Deal, Not a White Flag
Somalia, Extremists Claim Over 100 Killed in Intense Battle
By Omar Faruk | Associated Press (free)
Somalia’s government and al-Qaida-linked fighters both claimed more than 100 people were killed Friday in their deadliest battle since the government launched a major military offensive against the extremists in August.
Janet Yellen Pledges to Deepen Africa Ties as U.S. Wards Off Russian, Chinese Influence
By Andrew Duehren | The Wall Street Journal
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen pledged further U.S. investment in and trade with Africa as she began a three-country tour of the continent, where the Biden administration is trying to deepen ties in the face of Chinese and Russian influence.
More from WPR: After a Feelgood Summit, Biden Has to Make Good on U.S.-Africa Ties
Biden Border Plan Expands Use of 1950s-Era Immigration Parole Powers
By Nick Miroff & Maria Sacchetti | The Washington Post
The Biden administration has greenlit an expanded use of a 1950s-era program to allow tens of thousands of migrants temporary residency in the United States for humanitarian or other urgent reasons, deepening its use of executive authority to shape border policy.
More from WPR: U.S. Border Policy Must Adapt to the Region’s New Migration Patterns
Flames Erupt in Peru’s Capital as Protesters Call for President to Resign
By Samantha Schmidt | The Washington Post
Flames erupted in the heart of Peru’s capital Thursday night as police launched tear gas at protesters demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte.
More from WPR: Peru’s Challenge Runs Deeper Than the Current Crisis
Lawyer for Jailed Guatemalan News Director Is Arrested
Associated Press (free)
Guatemalan authorities arrested a lawyer representing the jailed director of an investigative newspaper Thursday and pursued a second lawyer for alleged obstruction of justice.
More from WPR: Guatemala’s Authoritarian Slide Under Giammattei Is Putting Biden in a Bind
U.S. Hands Over to Mexico Suspect in Missing Students Case
By Fabiola Sánchez | Associated Press (free)
U.S. authorities handed over a key suspect in the 2014 disappearance of 43 college students to Mexico, after the man was caught trying to cross the border Dec. 20 without proper documents.
More from WPR: Accountability for Mexico’s Ayotzinapa Massacre Won’t Come Easy
Colombia Extradites to U.S. Brother of Powerful Left Lawmaker
By Joshua Goodman | Associated Press (free)
Colombia on Thursday extradited to the U.S. the brother of powerful leftist senator on charges that he conspired with dissident guerrillas to smuggle huge quantities of cocaine.
More from WPR: Ending the ‘War on Drugs’ Is Much Easier Said Than Done
Peru’s Democratic Dysfunction
By Will Freeman | Foreign Affairs
How to fix the country’s broken system.
Russia’s Nuclear Entity Aids War Effort, Leading to Calls for Sanctions
By Catherine Belton | The Washington Post
Russia’s state nuclear power conglomerate has been working to supply the Russian arms industry with components, technology and raw materials for missile fuel, documents show, aiding Moscow’s deadly onslaught on Ukraine and leading to calls for the company, Rosatom, to be put under sanctions.
Macron to Boost French Defense Spending in Wake of Ukraine War
By Leila Abboud | Financial Times
President Emmanuel Macron promised to boost French defense spending through 2030 so as to adjust to global threats and learn lessons from last year’s Russian invasion of Ukraine.
More from WPR: Why the War in Ukraine Hasn’t Polarized Western Democracies
What Europe’s ‘Qatargate’ Is—and Isn’t
By Caroline de Gruyter | Foreign Policy
The European Union is plagued by a corruption scandal—but not quite in the way many suggest.
More from WPR: The EU Parliament’s Qatar-gate Scandal Doesn’t Make Sense—Yet
Security Sources: Two Attacks Kill 18 in Burkina Faso
Al Jazeera (free)
Two suspected attacks have killed at least 18 people, including 16 vigilantes supporting the army, in Burkina Faso, security sources said Friday.
Kenyan Security Forces Kill 10 Suspected Al-Shabab Fighters
Al Jazeera (free)
Kenyan security forces have killed 10 fighters from the Somalia-based al-Shabab group in eastern Kenya, a government official says.
John Williams Ntwali, Rare Rwandan Journalist Critical of Government, Dies
Reuters
John Williams Ntwali, one of Rwanda’s few journalists who published stories critical of the government, has died, his newspaper The Chronicles reported.
Israel’s Judicial Standoff Deepens as Netanyahu Delays Firing Minister
By Patrick Kingsley | The New York Times
The new right-wing Israeli government and the country’s judiciary were locked in a standoff Thursday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed upholding a Supreme Court ruling that called for the dismissal of a key government minister.
More from WPR: Netanyahu’s New Partners Could Spell Trouble for U.S.-Israel Ties
Jacinda Ardern Will Be Gone Soon but New Zealand’s Economic Troubles Are Here to Stay
By Natasha Frost | The New York Times
Ardern maneuvered through one crisis after another but had less success confronting persistent challenges that have hobbled successive governments.
India Backs Sri Lanka to Secure IMF Bailout Plan Amid Crisis
By Krishan Francis | Associated Press (free)
India’s foreign minister said Friday his country has given financial assurances to the International Monetary Fund to facilitate a bailout plan to help neighboring Sri Lanka emerge from its worst economic crisis, in a first formal announcement from one of the island nation’s creditors.
More from WPR: Sri Lanka Needs More Reforms to Turn the Page on the Rajapaksa Era
Deputy U.N. Chief Visits Southern Afghan City of Kandahar for Talks With Taliban
Reuters
The United Nations’ deputy secretary-general met the deputy governor of Afghanistan’s Kandahar, provincial authorities said Friday, a rare meeting by a foreign envoy with the Taliban’s leaders in its southern heartland.
More from WPR: The U.S. Can Do More for Afghan Women Than Shame the Taliban