Month: August 2024

RABAT, Morocco — France has thrown its support behind Morocco’s autonomy plan for the disputed Western Sahara, shifting a decades-old position and adding itself to a growing list of countries to align with Morocco as a United Nations-mediated peace process remains stalled. In a letter to King Mohammed VI, France’s President Emmanuel Macron called the plan …

Read more “France shifts Western Sahara stance, seeking closer ties with Morocco”

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london — Protesters attacked police and started fires in the northeast English city of Sunderland on Friday as violence spread to another northern city following Monday’s killing of three children in Southport.  Anti-immigrant demonstrators threw stones at police in riot gear near a mosque in the city before overturning vehicles, setting a car on fire and …

Read more “Protests turn violent as UK unrest spreads after children’s killings”

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washington — American permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza told reporters on Friday he had expected to die in a Russian prison. The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, who had been serving a 25-year prison sentence following a 2022 arrest, was freed Thursday in a historic prisoner swap negotiated by the U.S. and its allies with Russia. Kara-Murza spoke to …

Read more “Activist freed in prisoner swap feared dying in Russian prison”

PARIS — The stands at Champs de Mars filled up quickly. One fan dressed in a white martial arts uniform waved a French flag back and forth. A woman next to him held up a poster with the face of one of the biggest sports stars in France. Crowds of people bounced up and down so …

Read more “French judo icon Teddy Riner wins 3rd individual Olympic gold”

LONDON — Several suspects arrested in violent protests that erupted after the fatal stabbing of three children in northwest England were due in court Friday as officials braced for more clashes that Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned and blamed on “far-right hatred.” Starmer vowed to end the mayhem and said police across the United Kingdom would …

Read more “UK police brace for more far-right protests”

KYIV — A Russian drone hit a bus in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region early on Friday, injuring six construction workers, including one who was in a critical condition, the regional governor said. Governor Oleh Syniehubov said the incident took place near the town of Derhachi, about 40 km (25 miles) from Hlyboke one of the border …

Read more “Russian drone hits bus in Kharkiv region, injuring six, official says”

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s communications authority blocked access to the social media platform Instagram on Friday, the latest instance of a clampdown on websites in the country. The Information and Communication Technologies Authority, which regulates the internet, announced the block early Friday but did not provide a reason. Sabah newspaper, which is close to the government, …

Read more “Turkey blocks access to Instagram, gives no reason”

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Americans Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, Evan Gershkovich, and others are freed from Russian prisons in a deal involving 16 political prisoners exchanged for eight individuals requested by the Kremlin. With Liam Scott and Cristina Caicedo Smit, Jessica Jerreat reports. Patsy Widakuswara contributed. Cameras: Martin Bubenik, Krystof Maixner, Hoshang Fahim. …

moscow — President Vladimir Putin gave Russian nationals freed in a historic prisoner exchange with the West a hero’s welcome on Thursday as they stepped off a plane in Moscow, promising them state awards and a conversation about their futures.  Eight people were returned to Russia as part of the biggest East-West prisoner exchange since the …

Read more “Putin welcomes Russians freed in prisoner swap as heroes “

washington — The historic prisoner swap with Russia that freed U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich and 15 other Westerners was the fruit of painstaking, secret talks — and one crucial phone call from President Joe Biden an hour before he dropped his reelection bid. Biden welcomed the families of the three U.S. citizens and one U.S. resident …

Read more “How Russia swap happened: Secret talks, a hitman and Biden’s fateful call”

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washington — The United States is facing a series of unprecedented threats from foreign intelligence agencies, some of which are increasingly cooperating with each other to gain an advantage, according to a newly approved strategy to blunt the impact of espionage. The National Counterintelligence Strategy, signed by President Joe Biden on Thursday, calls out Russia, China, …

Read more “Russia, China leading wave of ‘unprecedented’ intelligence threats to US “

SAINT-DENIS, France — The best high jumper in Ukraine, and maybe the world, hasn’t spent much time at home the last few years. Home for Yaroslava Mahuchikh is Dnipro, a city of 1 million located only about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the front lines of the war with Russia that shows no signs of ending. …

Read more “Ukraine in her heart, world-record high jumper goes for Paris gold”

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London — A British organization that focuses on bringing more transparency to ties between China and the United Kingdom says one of the country’s biggest China institutes at a top university, King’s College London, received almost all of its funds from one single donor — a wealthy Hong Kong businessman who has ties to the Chinese …

Read more “Critics question Beijing-friendly donor’s ties to UK-China institute”

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Washington — The U.S. on Thursday confirmed a historic prisoner swap with Russia that included the release of American journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza.  In total, the U.S. secured the release of 16 individuals, including five wrongfully detained Germans and seven Russian citizens, in return …

Read more “Historic prisoner swap sees Americans Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva freed from Russia”

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Solar panels, battery stations and generators have become allies for Ukrainian homeowners as they start getting ready for another winter of Russian attacks on their nation’s power grid. Lesia Bakalets reports from Kyiv. (Camera: Vladyslav Smilianets) …