Tag Archives: world politics

WASHINGTON (AP) — China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow in turn is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry for use in its war against Ukraine, according to a U.S. assessment. Two senior Biden administration officials, who discussed the sensitive findings Friday on the condition of anonymity, said that …

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish lawmakers voted Friday to move forward with proposals to lift a near-total ban on abortion, a divisive issue in the traditionally Roman Catholic country, which has one of the most restrictive laws in Europe. Members of the lower house of parliament, the Sejm, voted to work on four separate bills. Two of them propose legalizing …

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced on Friday an investigation into suspected Russian interference in Europe-wide elections in June, saying that his country’s intelligence service has confirmed the existence of a network trying to undermine support for Ukraine. “Belgian intelligence services have confirmed the existence of pro-Russian interference networks with activities in several European countries and also here in …

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean voters have handed liberals extended opposition control of parliament in what looks like a massive political setback to conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol. Some experts say the results of Wednesday’s parliamentary elections make Yoon “a lame duck” — or even “a dead duck” — for his remaining three years in office. Others disagree, …

Mali’s ruling junta has issued a decree suspending all political activities until further notice, saying it needs to preserve public order, a move that follows last year’s decision to call off elections indefinitely. Junta spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga read out the statement on state television late Wednesday evening, while the country was celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of …

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s parliament held a long-awaited debate Thursday on liberalizing the country’s strict abortion law. The traditionally Catholic nation has one of the most restrictive laws in Europe, but many women terminate pregnancies at home with pills mailed from abroad. Lawmakers in the lower house of parliament considered four proposals and will vote Friday on whether to …

A Belarusian man who was in jail awaiting trial on charges of insulting the authoritarian president has died in custody, the country’s leading human rights group said Thursday. Aliaksandr Kulinich, 51, died Tuesday in a detention center in the western city of Brest that is notorious for harsh treatment of opposition activists, the Viasna human rights center said. NOBEL LAUREATE …

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Thursday mocked a scheduled round of Ukraine peace talks in Switzerland, warning that Moscow will not accept any enforced plans that ignore its interests. Switzerland’s government said Wednesday it will host a high-level international conference in June to help chart a path toward peace in Ukraine after more than two years of …

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Messages by two influential Taliban leaders in Afghanistan this week showed tensions between hardliners and more moderate elements who want to scrap harsher policies and attract more outside support, experts said Thursday. The messages for Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan were delivered by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, who defended the imposition of Islamic law …

GENEVA (AP) — The Swiss government Wednesday announced steps to bolster its “too big to fail” rules aimed at avoiding potentially disastrous fallout from banking sector turmoil after woes last year at Credit Suisse before it was taken over by rival UBS. Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter told reporters that the measures will aim to protect taxpayers — who were briefly …