China’s President Xi begins state visit to France
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Swinney named new leader of Scotland’s SNP
London — Scottish political veteran John Swinney on Monday was named head of the pro-independence SNP party, leaving him poised to become Scotland’s leader. Swinney, 60, said on X, formerly Twitter, he was “deeply honored to have been elected as leader of the SNP” after Humza Yousaf resigned last week after little more than a year …
Germany recalls its ambassador in Russia for a week in protest over a hacker attack
BERLIN — Germany said Monday it recalled its ambassador to Russia for a week of consultations in Berlin following an alleged hacker attack on Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party. Germany last week accused Russian military agents of hacking into the top echelons of Scholz’s Social Democrats’ party and other sensitive government and industrial targets. Berlin has joined …
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D-Day veteran spreads message of peace ahead of 80th anniversary
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Russia says Ukrainian drone attack killed 6 in Belgorod
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Maersk says Red Sea disruption will cut capacity by 15-20% in second quarter
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The disruption to container shipping traffic in the Red Sea is increasing and is expected to reduce the industry’s capacity between the Far East and Europe by some 15%-20% in the second quarter, shipping group Maersk said on Monday. Maersk and other shipping companies have diverted vessels around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope …
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EU chief to urge ‘fair’ China competition in talks with Xi
Brussels — EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Monday she will press for “fair” competition with China in talks with its President Xi Jinping, who is in Paris on a state visit. “We have to act to make sure that competition is fair and not distorted,” she said in remarks issued hours before a face-to-face …
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‘The Fall Guy’ gives Hollywood a muted kickoff with $28.5M
New York — “The Fall Guy,” the Ryan Gosling-led, action-comedy ode to stunt performers, opened below expectations with $28.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, providing a lukewarm start to a summer movie season that’s very much to be determined for Hollywood. The Universal Pictures release opened on a weekend that Marvel has regularly dominated with …
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Thousands protest Hungary’s Orban in government stronghold
DEBRECEN, Hungary — A rising challenger to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held what he called the largest countryside political demonstration in the country’s recent history Sunday, the latest stop on his campaign tour that has mobilized thousands across Hungary’s rural heartland. Some 10,000 people gathered in Debrecen, Hungary’s second-largest city, in support of Peter Magyar, …
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Ukrainians celebrate Orthodox Easter again under threat of Russian weapons
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In photos: Orthodox Easter throughout the world
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Russian influence in Kyrgyzstan rising despite local consternation
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Madonna’s biggest-ever concert transforms Rio beach into a massive dance floor
RIO DE JANEIRO — Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro’s vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans. It was the last show of The Celebration Tour, her first retrospective, which kicked off in October in London. The “Queen …
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With another 6-year term, Putin enters new era of extraordinary power in Russia
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Chinese hip-hop performers seek a voice that reflects their lives
CHENGDU, China — In 2018, the censors who oversee Chinese media issued a directive to the nation’s entertainment industry: Don’t feature artists with tattoos and those who represent hip-hop or any other subculture. Right after that, a well-known rapper, GAI, missed a gig on a popular singing competition despite a successful first appearance. Speculation went wild: …
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Germany denounces attacks on politicians, recalling ‘darkest era’ of its history
berlin — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Union leaders denounced Saturday a recent spate of attacks on politicians in Germany, including one that sent a member of the European Parliament to the hospital with serious injuries. Matthias Ecke, 41, a member of Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), was hit and kicked Friday by a group of …
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Mystery shrouds process of designating US nationals as wrongfully detained abroad
washington — Supporters of two U.S. nationals seen as unjustly imprisoned overseas are raising concerns about what they see as a murky process by which the U.S. government decides whether to designate such individuals as wrongfully detained. Granting a wrongful detention designation to a U.S. national means the U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs is authorized …
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Netherlands honors WWII dead amid tight security due to Gaza war
amsterdam — Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Prime Minister Mark Rutte joined around 4,000 people Saturday for the country’s annual World War II remembrance ceremony amid restricted public access and heightened security due to the war in Gaza. The ceremony on Amsterdam’s central Dam square, with the traditional two minutes of silence at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) …
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French cosmetics sector seeks reprieve on Chinese import rules
PARIS — France’s world-leading cosmetics sector is counting on talks between Xi Jinping and Emmanuel Macron next week to help minimize the impact on French companies of tough new Chinese import rules requiring the sharing of formulas and manufacturing know-how. President Xi’s first visit to Europe in five years comes amid a backdrop of tense trade …
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan wins historic 3rd term
LONDON — London Mayor Sadiq Khan has a lot of cleaning up to do. Khan, who made history Saturday by becoming the city’s first mayor elected to a third term, has pledged to make the River Thames swimmable. It wasn’t a top campaign issue, but it’s an audacious goal considering the waterway was declared biologically dead …
Kentucky Derby could be a wet one
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY — Twenty horses stampeding toward the first turn in a battle for position. A screaming crowd of 150,000 and maybe some showers that dampen the Churchill Downs dirt strip. It’s the 150th Kentucky Derby. Beyond a couple early wagering favorites, it’s a wide-open race. Post time is 6:57 p.m. Saturday. The forecast calls for …
Russian drones injure 6 in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Dnipro regions
KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, injuring at least six people and hitting critical infrastructure, commercial and residential buildings, regional officials said on Saturday. The Ukrainian Air Force said the Russian forces launched 13 Shahed drones targeting the regions in the northeast and center of the country. …
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Paris Olympic athletes’ meals will have French flair
PARIS — Freshly cooked bread, select cheeses and a broad veggie offer will be among the meals to be offered to athletes and visitors during the 2024 Paris Olympics — including, of course, gourmet dishes created by renowned French chefs. About 40,000 meals are expected to be served each day during the Games to the more …
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Sanctions, hobbled economy hit Iran’s traditional carpet weavers hard
KASHAN, Iran — The historic Kashan bazaar in central Iran once sat on a major caravan route, its silk carpets known the world over. But for the weavers trying to sell their rugs under its ancient arches, their world has only unraveled since the collapse of Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers and wider tensions with …
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