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News Wire | April 2023 Archive
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Large-Scale Russian Attack on Ukraine Kills at Least 19 People
By Marc Santora & Victoria Kim | The New York Times
A rocket slammed into an apartment block in central Ukraine on Friday morning, as a Russian aerial assault against towns and cities across the country killed at least 19 people and injured dozens more, officials said.
More from WPR: Pentagon Document Leaks Foreshadow a Long War in Ukraine
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Russia’s Intelligence Agency for Detaining Americans
By Michael D. Shear | The New York Times
The Biden administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on the FSB., Russia’s intelligence agency, for its role in detaining Americans like Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter who has been accused of espionage.
More from WPR: Sanctions on Russia Are a Long Game, Not a Quick Fix
U.S. Seizure of Oil Vessel Triggered Iran Tanker Capture
By Najmeh Bozorgmehr, Felicia Schwartz, Stefania Palma, David Sheppard & Chris Cook | Financial Times
U.S. authorities ordered a tanker of Iranian crude oil to redirect towards the U.S. in recent days, in a move officials believe was the trigger for Iran’s decision to capture a U.S.-bound tanker Thursday.
U.S. to Open Immigrant Processing Centers in Latin America
By Nick Miroff | The Washington Post
The Biden administration said Thursday that it will set up new immigration processing centers in Colombia and Guatemala as part of a wider hemispheric effort to curb human smuggling and the soaring number of illegal crossings at the U.S. southern border.
More from WPR: U.S. Border Policy Must Adapt to the Region’s New Migration Patterns
U.S. Asks Brazil to Extradite Alleged Russian Spy Who Posed as Student
By Greg Miller | The Washington Post
The United States has asked Brazil to extradite an alleged Russian spy charged last month by the Justice Department with posing as a foreign student in Washington while carrying out espionage operations against the West, according to U.S. and Brazilian officials.
Sudan’s Descent Into Chaos
By Alex de Waal | Foreign Affairs
What Washington and its Arab partners must do to stop the shootout.
More from WPR: Sudan’s Crisis Risks Sparking a Regional Conflagration
Coalition Challenges Paraguay’s Long-Ruling Colorado Party
By Débora Rey | Associated Press (free)
Voters will decide Sunday whether to stay with the party that has governed Paraguay for seven decades or back a broad opposition coalition that has mounted a strong challenge amid discontent over health, schools and corruption.
More from WPR: Drugs, Corruption and Organized Crime Make for a Deadly Mix in Paraguay
Hundreds Stuck at Peru-Chile Border in Crackdown on Migrants
Associated Press (free)
A migration crisis at the border between Chile and Peru intensified Thursday as hundreds of people remained stranded, unable to cross into Peru in an effort to return to their home country of Venezuela.
More from WPR: Venezuelans Seeking Asylum Now Have No Good Options
Chile’s Lithium Takeover Plan Faces Technical, Political Challenges
By Fabian Cambero | Reuters
While Chile’s plan to take control of its lithium industry has caused global shockwaves, state-led production of the metal used to make electric vehicle batteries is seen by analysts as likely years away given technical and political challenges.
BBC Chairman Resigns Over Million-Dollar Boris Johnson Loan Deal
By William Booth | The Washington Post
The chairman of the BBC, Richard Sharp, announced his resignation Friday following the release of an independent report that found he breached government rules by failing to declare his role in helping then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson get a personal loan.
The EU Will Keep Letting In Ukrainian Grains Without Tariffs
By Matina Stevis-Gridneff | The New York Times
Ukraine’s grains will continue to enter the European Union tariff-free for another year despite protests from neighbors such as Poland, which have seen their own farmers hurt by the influx of cheaper foodstuffs.
More from WPR: The EU Scrambles to Head Off Eastern Europe’s Ukraine Grain Bans
Macron Honors Haitian Revolutionary, but Leaves Much Unsaid
By Constant Méheut & Catherine Porter | The New York Times
The French president paid tribute to Toussaint Louverture, the leader of the Haitian Revolution, but said nothing about the lingering effects of France’s slaving past.
More from WPR: France’s Incomplete Reckoning With Its Colonial Past
Turkish Evacuation Plane Shot At as Latest Cease-Fire Flounders in Sudan
By Katharine Houreld | The Washington Post
Gunmen fired on a Turkish plane trying to evacuate stranded citizens from Sudan’s battered capital Friday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said, hours after French troops swooped across the border from Chad to evacuate more than 100 U.N. staff and aid workers from another city.
More from WPR: For Civilians in Sudan, Self-Protection Is the Only Option
Uganda Police Arrest 11 Female Lawmakers During Protest
Reuters
Police in Uganda detained 11 female members of parliament Thursday who they accused of staging of an unlawful protest, with some of the lawmakers sustaining injuries during their arrest.
More from WPR: For Uganda, the ‘Day After Museveni’ Looms With Peril
Another Kenyan Pastor Arrested Over Deaths of Followers
By Evelyne Musambi | Associated Press (free)
Police in Kenya arrested another popular pastor on the country’s Indian Ocean coast as the number of deaths linked to a cult in the area rose to 103 on Thursday.
Attack on Burkina Faso Military Post Kills at Least 33 Soldiers
Al Jazeera (free)
An attack on a military base in eastern Burkina Faso has killed 33 soldiers and wounded 12 others in the latest outburst of violence in the West African country.
Supporters of Israel’s Judicial Overhaul Rally in Jerusalem
Associated Press (free)
Tens of thousands of right-wing Israelis who support a plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to overhaul the judiciary flocked to Jerusalem on Thursday to rally for the proposal, which has prompted some of the biggest protests in Israel’s history.
More from WPR: Israel’s Protests Are a Battle Over the Meaning of a Jewish State
Philippines and Taiwan Disclose China Maritime and Drone Incursions
By Kathrin Hille | Financial Times
The Philippines and Taiwan have disclosed new details about recent coercive Chinese actions in nearby waters and airspace, as both countries push back against Beijing’s use of its growing military capabilities to enforce its territorial claims.
More from WPR: China Has Nothing to Gain From Invading Taiwan
Japan to Restore Preferred Trade Status for South Korea
By Mari Yamaguchi | Associated Press (free)
Japan’s trade ministry on Friday said it has begun procedures to restore preferential trade status for South Korea, days after Seoul took a similar step for Tokyo and requested reciprocity, and more than three years after the countries downgraded each other during a bitter historical dispute.
China Says India Border Stable, Contrasting With Indian View
Associated Press (free)
China’s defense minister says conditions along the tense, high-altitude border with India are “stable overall,” in sharp contrast with the far more pessimistic view from New Delhi.
More from WPR: Two Years After Border Clashes, India Still Lacks a Coherent China Policy
Germany Deems Youth Wing of Far-Right Party an Extremist Group
By Erika Solomon | The New York Times
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency Wednesday classified the youth wing of a prominent far right nationalist party as an extremist group that threatens the constitution, dealing another blow to an organization that has come under increasing scrutiny over concerns of radicalization.
More from WPR: For Germany, Far-Right Extremism Is a Problem From Hell
Fighters Rampage in Darfur City Despite Sudan Truce
By Samy Magdy | Associated Press (free)
Armed fighters rampaged through a main city in Sudan’s war-ravaged region of Darfur on Thursday, battling each other and looting shops and homes, residents said. The violence came despite a fragile three-day truce between Sudan’s two top generals whose power struggle has killed hundreds.
More from WPR: For Civilians in Sudan, Self-Protection Is the Only Option
Erdogan Forced to Cancel Events After Falling Ill Weeks Before Turkish Vote
By Adam Samson | Financial Times
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cancelled several campaign events over the past two days after falling ill on live television, fueling concerns about the Turkish president’s health less than three weeks before a tightly contested national election.
More from WPR: For Turkey’s Opposition, Defeating Erdogan Might Not Be Enough
Russia Denies Visit to American Reporter in Visa Retaliation
Associated Press (free)
Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday denied a U.S request for a consular visit to Evan Gershkovich, an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal who is jailed on espionage charges.
Biden to Make Historic Visit to Papua New Guinea Next Month
By Kirsty Needham | Reuters
U.S. President Joe Biden will briefly visit Papua New Guinea on May 22, officials from the Pacific island nation said Thursday, as Washington seeks to counter growing Chinese influence in the strategically important region.
U.S. Indictments Trace Fentanyl Supply Lines From China to Mexico
By David Ovalle & Nick Miroff | The Washington Post
But experts say there’s little chance the companies selling ingredients to Mexican cartels will be prosecuted.
Brazil’s Bolsonaro Gives Testimony to Police on Jan. 8 Riot
By Laís Martins | Associated Press (free)
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro gave testimony at the Federal Police headquarters Wednesday about his actions related to the Jan. 8 attacks on government buildings in the capital, Brasilia.
More from WPR: Brazil’s ‘Capital Riot’ Highlights the Challenges Lula Faces
Brazilian Court Orders Suspension of Telegram Over Neo-Nazi Groups
By Samantha Pearson | The Wall Street Journal
A Brazilian court ordered internet providers to suspend the messaging app Telegram in the country, saying it failed to supply information on neo-Nazi groups connected to school shootings—the latest in a series of clashes between Brazil’s authorities and the platform.
USMCA Commission to Open Environmental Probe of Mexico Train
By Mark Stevenson | Associated Press (free)
The trilateral Commission for Environmental Cooperation established by the U.S., Mexico and Canada has recommended opening an investigation into Mexico’s multibillion-dollar tourist train project on the Yucatan peninsula.
U.K. House of Commons Backs Controversial Migration Bill
By Jill Lawless | Associated Press (free)
British lawmakers on Wednesday approved a sweeping bill that will dramatically curb migrants’ ability to seek asylum in the U.K., despite critics’ allegations that it breaks international law.
More from WPR: For the U.K.’s Migration Policy, the Cruelty Is the Point
A Rocket Took Off From Sweden. Part of It Landed in Norway
By Isabella Kwai | The New York Times
The research rocket landed in a mountain range across the border, creating some rare friction between the two neighbors, with Norway saying protocols hadn’t been followed.
NATO Allies Send 1,500 Combat Vehicles, 230 Tanks to Ukraine
By David Rising & Lorne Cook | Associated Press (free)
NATO countries have delivered more than 98 percent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine amid its war with Russia, the military alliance’s chief said Thursday, giving Kyiv a bigger punch as it appears poised to launch a counteroffensive.
Horn of Africa Drought Not Possible Without Climate Change, Study Says
By Gloria Dickie | Reuters
The drought that has left some 4.35 million people in the Horn of Africa in dire need of humanitarian aid—with 43,000 in Somalia estimated to have died last year—would not have been possible without climate change, according to an analysis released Thursday.
Looting, Roadblocks: Paramilitary Is a Scary Neighbor in Sudan’s Capital
By Lynsey Chutel & Abdi Latif Dahir | The New York Times
In parts of Khartoum that have been taken over by a feared paramilitary force, the civilians who have not fled endure an uneasy coexistence with fighters who are battling the regular army.
More from WPR: Sudan’s Crisis Risks Sparking a Regional Conflagration
29 People Abducted in Nigeria’s Capital as Attacks Persist
By Chinedu Asadu | Associated Press (free)
At least 29 people were abducted by gunmen in Nigeria’s federal capital territory, Abuja, a local government official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Boat Sinks in Mediterranean, and at Least 55 People Drown
By Emma Bubola | The New York Times
At least fifty-five people drowned after their boat sank off the coast of Libya, the United Nations migration agency said Wednesday, the latest in a series of deadly accidents in just a few days involving migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
More from WPR: African Migration to Europe Is a Lifeline, not a Threat
U.S. Navy Says Iran Seized Marshall Islands-Flagged Oil Tanker
By Jon Gambrell | Associated Press (free)
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday amid wider tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program, the U.S. Navy said.
UAE and Cambodia Agree Terms for Bilateral Trade Deal
Reuters
The United Arab Emirates and Cambodia have agreed on the terms of a bilateral trade deal, as the Gulf state looks to strengthen trade and commerce ties, particularly in Asia, in strategic economic sectors.
Chinese Police Question Employees at Bain’s Shanghai Office
By Demetri Sevastopulo, Ryan McMorrow & Leo Lewis | Financial Times
Chinese police have visited the Shanghai offices of Bain & Company and questioned employees at the U.S. management consulting firm, in the latest case of heightened scrutiny of foreign businesses in China as tensions between Beijing and Washington rise.
More from WPR: Rising or Falling, China Is a Serious but Manageable Competitor
Buildup Resumed at Suspected Chinese Military Site in UAE, Leak Says
By John Hudson, Ellen Nakashima & Liz Sly | The Washington Post
American spy services detected construction at a suspected Chinese military facility in the United Arab Emirates in December—one year after Washington’s oil-rich ally announced it was halting the project because of U.S. concerns, according to top-secret intelligence documents obtained by The Washington Post.
‘Best Friends’ Australia and New Zealand Patch Up a Major Difference
By Natasha Frost | The New York Times
A reversal in Australian immigration policy toward New Zealand is part of a reset in relations, but some tensions remain.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Held ‘Meaningful’ Call With China’s Xi Jinping
By Isabelle Khurshudyan | The Washington Post
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and China’s Xi Jinping spoke by phone Wednesday—their first conversation since Russia invaded Ukraine 14 months ago and a signal that Beijing may be angling to play a mediatory role.
More from WPR: Xi’s Visit to Russia Was About China’s Interests, not Ukraine
U.S., South Korea Pledge Cooperation on Potential Use of Nuclear Arms
By Michael R. Gordon | The Wall Street Journal
The U.S. has agreed to give Seoul a greater voice in consultations on a potential American nuclear response to a North Korean attack in return for swearing off developing its own nuclear weapons, U.S. officials said.
More from WPR: The North Korean Nuclear Threat Is Creating a Regional Arms Race
Taliban Kill Head of ISIS Cell That Bombed Kabul Airport
By Karoun Demirjian & Eric Schmitt | The New York Times
The Taliban have killed the leader of the Islamic State cell responsible for the suicide bombing at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, in August 2021 that killed 13 U.S. troops and as many as 170 civilians, the White House said Tuesday.
More from WPR: The Laws of War Don’t Apply to the Kabul Drone Strike
Tobacco Company Pleads Guilty to Violating U.S. Sanctions on North Korea
By Perry Stein & Spencer S. Hsu | The Washington Post
A subsidiary of one of the world’s largest tobacco companies pleaded guilty in a D.C. courtroom Tuesday morning to conspiring to commit bank fraud and violating U.S. sanctions by selling tobacco products to North Korea and illegally concealing those sales so American banks would process the transactions.
Inside Biden’s Renewed Promise to Protect South Korea From Nuclear Weapons
By David E. Sanger & Choe Sang-Hun | The New York Times
President Biden’s emphasis on America’s willingness to defend South Korea is a striking admission that North Korea’s arsenal is here to stay.
Colombia’s President Says Majority in Congress Lost Over Reform Setbacks
By Joe Daniels | Financial Times
Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, said that his majority coalition in congress has fallen apart following reports that he asked his Cabinet to resign, throwing the fate of his eight-month-old government into question.
More from WPR: Colombia’s ‘Invisible’ Violence Persists Despite Petro’s ‘Total Peace’
Colombia Hosts Conference on Venezuela’s Political Crisis
By Manuel Rueda | Associated Press (free)
Diplomats from 20 countries gathered Tuesday in Colombia to discuss the political crisis in Venezuela, where Nicolas Maduro’s socialist administration has strengthened its autocratic rule despite international efforts to expand political freedoms in the South American nation.
More from WPR: Recognizing Guaido as Venezuela’s President Now Looks Like a Failed Strategy
Mexico Immigration Agency Head Arraigned in Deadly Fire
By María Verza | Associated Press (free)
The head of Mexico’s immigration agency was arraigned on charges Tuesday that he failed in his responsibility to protect those in his custody when 40 migrants died in a fire at a border detention center last month.
After the Insurrection, Brazil Can’t Decide Whom to Blame
By Terrence McCoy | The Washington Post
There was a moment, shortly after the insurrection, when it seemed Brazil might finally wake from its fever dream.
More from WPR: The Roots of Brazil’s Capital Riot Run Deep—and Far
EU Agrees to Boost Green Fuels for Aviation, Cut Emissions
By Samuel Petrequin | Associated Press (free)
New rules requiring airlines to use more sustainable fuels across the European Union have been agreed by negotiators from member countries and the EU Parliament in a bid to help decarbonize the sector.
Dutch Court Bars Return of African Migrants to Italy
By Mike Corder | Associated Press (free)
The Netherlands’ top administrative court ruled Wednesday that immigration authorities can’t send migrants back to Italy, because they face possible human rights violations there—a decision that will likely put further pressure on the strained Dutch asylum system.
More from WPR: The EU Debate Over Migration Is Heating Up—Again
Poland: Prosecutors Open Probe Into Opposition Leader Tusk
By Vanessa Gera | Associated Press (free)
Polish prosecutors have opened an investigation into alleged abuse of power by opposition leader Donald Tusk when he was prime minister a decade ago, a step that critics of the ruling authorities are describing as politically motivated due to its timing ahead of elections later this year.
Poland Under Fire for Banning Ukrainian Grain Imports
By Andy Bounds & Raphael Minder | Financial Times
EU countries criticized Warsaw and other capitals Tuesday for refusing to reverse unilateral import bans on grain from war-torn Ukraine.
More from WPR: The EU Scrambles to Head Off Eastern Europe’s Ukraine Grain Bans
Mystery of Ex-Dictator’s Whereabouts Adds to Crisis in Sudan
By Abdi Latif Dahir | The New York Times
As Sudan is ripped apart in a battle between rival generals, one question was swirling around the country Wednesday: Where is the former dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir?
More from WPR: For Civilians in Sudan, Self-Protection Is the Only Option
South Africa’s Shifting Stance on a Sensitive Question: Quit the ICC?
By John Eligon | The New York Times
President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa said Tuesday that his party, the African National Congress, had decided “it is prudent” to withdraw from the International Criminal Court—only for representatives for him and the party to later clarify that neither was actually advocating quitting the court, at least for now.
Farmers Say Zimbabwe Government Compensation Deal Comes Up Short
By Nyasha Chingono & Wendell Roelf | Reuters
Some farmers say they will reject the government’s $3.5 billion compensation package for being inadequate financially and for paying scant regard to land restitution or restoring property rights.
Iran Says Senior Cleric on Assembly of Experts Shot Dead
Associated Press (free)
A senior Shiite cleric in Iran was shot and killed Wednesday in an attack in a northern province along the Caspian Sea, authorities said.
Panic Spreads in Iran After New Suspected Poison Attacks on Girls Schools
By Babak Dehghanpisheh | The Washington Post
In recent months across Iran, about 300 suspected gas attacks have hit more than 100 girls schools, according to Amnesty International. Deputy Health Minister Saeed Karimi said last month that 13,000 students had been treated for symptoms of suspected poisoning, according to the Shargh daily newspaper. No deaths were reported.
China Detains Taiwan-Based Publisher in National Security Investigation
By Amy Chang Chien | The New York Times
A Taiwan-based publisher who disappeared while in China has been detained for suspected violations of security laws, Chinese authorities confirmed Wednesday, fanning concerns in Taiwan that Beijing is sending a warning to the island’s vibrant publishing sector.
Facing China, the Philippines and U.S. Join in Biggest Military Drill Yet
By Sui-Lee Wee | The New York Times
After years of saying it would not choose sides, the Philippines is now asserting a need to stand up to China’s territorial moves in the South China Sea.
More from WPR: Marcos Is Bringing the Philippines Back Into the U.S. Fold
Japanese Bid to Make First Commercial Moon Landing Ends in Failure
By Leo Lewis | Financial Times
A Japanese company’s bid to achieve history’s first commercial landing on the Moon was declared a failure Wednesday after the module crashed on to the lunar surface.
Sri Lanka Seeks $17 Billion Debt Reduction by Restructuring
By Krishan Francis | Associated Press (free)
Sri Lanka’s president urged lawmakers Wednesday to approve a four-year International Monetary Fund program to reduce the country’s debt by $17 billion through restructuring.
More from WPR: Despite Some Progress, Sri Lanka Isn’t Out of the Woods Yet
South Korea’s President to Seek Assurances on Chips and Nuclear Threat at Biden Meeting
By Christian Davies & Demetri Sevastopulo | Financial Times (free)
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to receive a warm welcome in Washington this week, spending two days with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on a state visit that will underline Seoul’s position on the front lines of U.S. economic and security concerns in Asia.
More from WPR: Despite Its Rhetoric, South Korea Has Picked a Side on China and Taiwan
Violence in Sudan Cuts Through U.S.-Brokered Cease-Fire
By Abdi Latif Dahir | The New York Times
A United States-brokered cease-fire in Sudan appeared to be on shaky ground Tuesday as gunfire and loud explosions erupted in Khartoum, the capital, threatening continued efforts by thousands of people to flee a conflict that has ripped through Africa’s third-largest nation for more than a week.
More from WPR: For Civilians in Sudan, Self-Protection Is the Only Option
Opposition Leader Says He Left Venezuela After Being Threatened
By Julie Turkewitz | The New York Times
Venezuela’s most prominent opposition leader, Juan Guaido, said late Monday that he had been forced out of Colombia, hours after crossing the border into the country after receiving threats from the Venezuelan government.
More from WPR: Recognizing Guaido as Venezuela’s President Now Looks Like a Failed Strategy
Biden Announces He Is Running for Reelection in 2024
By Toluse Olorunnipa, Tyler Pager & Michael Scherer | The Washington Post
President Biden officially announced his bid for reelection Tuesday morning, saying in a solemn launch video that he wants to “finish the job” he started when the country was racked by a deadly pandemic, a reeling economy and a teetering democracy.
Allies Resist U.S. Plan to Ban All G-7 Exports to Russia
By Henry Foy, Kana Inagaki & Demetri Sevastopulo | Financial Times
The EU and Japan have pushed back against a U.S. proposal for G-7 countries to ban all exports to Russia, as part of negotiations ahead of a summit of the world’s most advanced economies.
U.S. Sends First Deportation Flight to Cuba Since 2020
By Ted Hesson & Kanishka Singh | Reuters
The United States on Monday sent its first deportation flight to Cuba since 2020, months after Cuba agreed for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic to accept flights carrying Cubans caught at the U.S.-Mexico border.
More from WPR: Biden Finally Realized He Can’t Ignore Cuba Any Longer
America Has Dictated Its Economic Peace Terms to China
By Adam Tooze | Foreign Policy
By refusing negotiation over China’s rise, the United States might be making conflict inevitable.
More from WPR: Rising or Falling, China Is a Serious but Manageable Competitor
Mob Kills 13 Suspected Haiti Gangsters With Gas-Soaked Tires
By Evens Sanon | Associated Press (free)
A mob in the Haitian capital beat and burned 13 suspected gang members to death with gasoline-soaked tires Monday after pulling the men from police custody at a traffic stop, police and witnesses said.
More from WPR: The World Can’t Afford to Ignore Haiti’s Deepening Security Crisis
Guatemala Leader in Taiwan Expresses ‘Rock-Solid Friendship’
By Johnson Lai | Associated Press (free)
The president of Guatemala appealed to other governments to respect Taiwan’s sovereignty during an official visit Tuesday at a time when China’s ruling Communist Party is stepping up efforts to isolate the self-ruled island democracy Beijing claims as its own territory.
More from WPR: Taiwan Needs a New Approach in Latin America
Brazil’s Lula Visits Spain With Mercosur Deal on Agenda
By Jennifer O'Mahony & David Biller | Associated Press (free)
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was due to arrive in Spain on Tuesday on the second stop of a European tour aimed at resetting relations and making progress on a long-delayed trade deal between the EU and the Mercosur bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
More from WPR: In Brazil, Lula’s Global Focus Is Distracting Him From Regional Opportunities
Why Lula’s Visit to Beijing Matters More Than Macron’s
By Howard W. French | Foreign Policy
The world’s economic dynamism is shifting to the global south.
More from WPR: Don’t Dismiss Non-Western Efforts to End the War in Ukraine
Russia’s Lavrov Spars With Western Officials at U.N.
By Karen DeYoung | The Washington Post
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov squared off against the United States and its allies at the U.N. Security Council on Monday, warning that their aggression and bullying have brought the world to a “dangerous threshold.”
Russian Lawyers Challenge Censorship Law, in Rare Display of Dissent
By Ivan Nechepurenko | The New York Times
A group of leading Russian lawyers Tuesday asked the country’s highest court to declare a law banning criticism of the Russian armed forces unconstitutional, in a rare display of opposition against draconian censorship measures imposed by the Kremlin in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
More from WPR: Don’t Look to Russian History to Understand Putin
Sweden Expelling Five Russian Diplomats, Ministry Says
Reuters
Sweden is expelling five Russian diplomats for carrying out activities incompatible with their diplomatic status, Sweden's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
Idrissa Seck Exits Senegal Economic Council to Run for President
Al Jazeera (free)
Senegal’s presidency has announced it has released politician Idrissa Seck from his duties as head of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, paving the way for the former prime minister to run for the presidency in the February election.
More from WPR: Senegal’s Democratic Credentials Have Taken a Beating Under Macky Sall
IMF Approves Immediate Disbursement of About $153 Million to Tanzania
Reuters
The executive board of the International Monetary Fund on Monday approved the first review of Tanzania’s three-year extended credit facility, allowing immediate disbursement of about $153 million in budgetary support, the IMF said in a statement.
Turkey: 110 Detained Over Suspected Kurdish Militant Links
Associated Press (free)
Police in Turkey carried out raids on homes in 21 provinces Tuesday, detaining some 110 people for alleged links to Kurdish militants, the country’s state-run news agency reported.
EU Curbs Syria’s Assad Cousins, Others Over Suspected Drug Trade
Reuters
The European Union on Monday placed sanctions on people and groups linked to what it described as the Syrian government’s “large-scale drug trafficking operations,” and the EU also included one Russian company.
Jordan Says Israel Detains Lawmaker on Suspicion of Arms Smuggling
Reuters
Israel has detained a Jordanian lawmaker on suspicion of smuggling arms and gold into the West Bank and Amman is working to secure his release, the kingdom’s foreign ministry said Sunday.
Deadly Blasts Destroy Police Station in Pakistan
By Salman Masood & Zia ur-Rehman | The New York Times
Two explosions at a compound for counterterrorism police in northern Pakistan killed at least 15 people and wounded dozens late Monday, police officials said, after months of increased terrorist attacks that have raised alarms across the country.
Ex-U.N. Head Ban Ki-Moon Urges Army to End Myanmar Violence
By Grant Peck | Associated Press (free)
Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday urged Myanmar’s ruling military to take the initiative in finding a way out of the country’s violent political crisis, including releasing political detainees, after a surprise meeting with the army leader who seized power two years ago.
More from WPR: As Myanmar’s Crisis Gets Bloodier, the World Still Looks Away
Singapore to Execute Man for Conspiring to Traffic Two Pounds of Cannabis
By Kelsey Ables | The Washington Post
Singapore is set to execute a man on charges of conspiring to traffic 2.24 pounds of cannabis that he is not alleged to have directly handled, in the final step of a case that has put the spotlight back on the Southeast Asian city-state’s harsh stance toward a drug that has become decriminalized in much of the West.
Hong Kong Plans Electoral Overhaul for District Councils
By Kanis Leung | Associated Press (free)
Hong Kong is planning to overhaul its last major political representative body that is mostly comprised of popularly elected seats, its leader said Tuesday. The move ensures the municipal-level organization will be run by Beijing loyalists, quashing any future challenges.
More from WPR: Lee Will Be Beijing’s Man in Hong Kong