Putin illegally annexes Ukraine land; Kyiv seeks NATO entry
September 30, 2022 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin signed treaties Friday to illegally annex more occupied Ukrainian territory in a sharp escalation of his war. Ukraine's president countered with a surprise application to join the NATO military alliance...
Hungary: Criticism makes it hard to cooperate with West
March 25, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The West’s steady criticism of Hungary on democratic and cultural issues makes the small European country’s right-wing government reluctant to offer support on practical matters, specifically NATO’s buildup against Russia, Hungary’s foreign minister said.
Ukraine says battle for Bakhmut is ‘stabilizing’
March 25, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The top commander of Ukraine's military said Saturday that his forces are pushing back against Russian troops in the long and grinding battle for the town of Bakhmut, and British military intelligence says Russia appears to be moving to a defensive strategy in eastern Ukraine.
Today in History: March 25, Fire kills 146 garment workers
March 25, 2023 GMTToday in History
Today is Saturday, March 25, the 84th day of 2023. There are 281 days left in the year.
US-Russia dialogue must prevail in stormy Black Sea after drone crash
March 24, 2023 GMTWorryingly, the US seems unconcerned about triggering a potential conflict with Russia in the Black Sea. On March 14, its MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed into the sea after an encounter with two Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft.
Russia puts ex-Putin speechwriter on wanted list
March 24, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — Police in Russia placed a former speechwriter for President Vladimir Putin on a wanted list for criminal suspects, the latest step in a sweeping crackdown on dissent.
UN decries torture, killing of Ukrainian and Russian POWs
March 24, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.N. human rights monitors have documented dozens of summary killings of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war, as well as other possible war crimes such as the use of torture, human shields and other abuses against POWs since Russia invaded its neighbor, according to a report released Friday.
Ukraine pushes for continued Russian Olympic exclusion
March 24, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine renewed its push to keep Russian athletes out of the Olympics on Friday ahead of an International Olympic Committee board meeting next week which is expected to set the framework for their return to international sports events.
Russian strikes in Ukraine kill 10 civilians, wound 20 more
March 24, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Long-range Russian bombardment killed at least 10 civilians and wounded 20 others in several parts of Ukraine on Friday, officials in Kyiv said, as a Kremlin official boasted that its forces were prepared to repel an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive this spring.
Ukraine using Soviet-era choppers to pummel Russia from afar
March 24, 2023 GMTDONETSK REGION, Ukraine (AP) — Skimming the treetops, three Soviet-era attack helicopters bank and swoop down on a field after an early-morning mission to the front lines in the fight against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
NHL team won’t wear Pride jerseys, citing new Russian law
March 24, 2023 GMTA National Hockey League team with a Russian player has decided against wearing special warmup jerseys to commemorate Pride night, citing an anti-gay Kremlin law that could imperil Russian athletes when they return home.
House China panel turns focus to plight of Uyghurs
March 24, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Two women who experienced life in Chinese “reeducation” camps for Uyghurs told lawmakers Thursday of lives under imprisonment and surveillance, rape and torture as a special House committee focused on countering China shined a light on human rights abuses in the country.
Prince William thanks Poland for generosity to Ukrainians
March 24, 2023 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Britain's Prince William paid tribute on Thursday to Poles who lost their lives in past wars, and expressed gratitude to the nation for what it is doing today to provide humanitarian and military support to Ukraine.
A look at the uranium-based ammo the UK will send to Ukraine
March 24, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Russia threatened to escalate attacks in Ukraine after the British government announced it would provide to Ukraine a type of munition that Moscow falsely claims has nuclear components.
Ronaldo, Kane break records in wins for Portugal, England
March 23, 2023 GMTIt was a record-breaking night for Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane as qualifying for the European Championship in 2024 got underway on Thursday.
Already the leading scorer in men's international soccer, the 38-year-old Ronaldo now has more international appearances than any other male player after racking up No.
Russian officials seek another opposition activist’s arrest
March 23, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court on Thursday issued an order to arrest an opposition activist on charges of disparaging the military, and auhorities declared other activists and bloggers “foreign agents” amid efforts to muzzle criticism of Russia's action in Ukraine.
EU leaders endorse joint ammo purchases for Ukraine
March 23, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders endorsed a plan Thursday for sending Ukraine 1 million rounds of artillery ammunition within the next 12 months to help the country counter Russia’s invasion forces.
Track stymies Russian path to Olympics due to war in Ukraine
March 23, 2023 GMTTrack and field leaders signaled Thursday that it will be nearly impossible for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in that sport at the Paris Olympics next year if the war in Ukraine continues.
Ukraine president visits front-line areas as new phase nears
March 23, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's president on Thursday made his third visit in two days to areas that have felt the brunt of Russia’s war, with a trip to the southern Kherson region that was retaken from the Kremlin’s forces, and as a senior Kyiv commander hinted that a brewing Ukrainian counteroffensive could come “very soon.”
DeSantis walks back ‘territorial dispute’ remark on Ukraine
March 23, 2023 GMTCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is walking back his characterization of Russia’s war in Ukraine as a “territorial dispute,” following criticism from a number of fellow Republicans who expressed concern about the potential 2024 presidential candidate’s dismissive description of the conflict.
Russia’s security chief blasts West, dangles nuclear threats
March 23, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — A top Russian security official warned Thursday about the rising threat of a nuclear war and blasted a German minister for threatening Russian President Vladimir Putin with arrest, saying that such action would amount to a declaration of war and trigger a Russian strike on Germany.
UK central bank hikes rates like Fed amid financial turmoil
March 23, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — The Bank of England extended its battle against inflation Thursday, announcing an 11th consecutive interest rate increase despite concerns about the economic fallout from troubles in the global financial system.
‘On tour in hell’: Wounded Ukrainian soldiers evacuated
March 23, 2023 GMTDONETSK REGION, Ukraine (AP) — Their hands are blackened and grimy from the fight. Some are still wearing their combat boots, small flecks of black soil from the battlefield clinging to their torsos, bare under the emergency blanket.
Reporter for Russian paper sentenced to 3 years in Belarus
March 23, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A court in Belarus on Thursday sentenced a reporter for the now-closed local edition of one of Russia's most popular newspapers to three years in prison for insulting the country's authoritarian leader.
Ukraine: Russia hits apartments and dorm, killing civilians
March 23, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia stepped up its missile and drone attacks against Ukraine on Wednesday, killing students and other civilians, in a violent follow-up to dueling high-level diplomatic missions aimed at bringing peace after 13 months of war.
Analysis: China’s sway over Russia grows amid Ukraine fight
March 22, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — It was a revealing moment during Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s tightly scripted visit to Moscow: Standing in the doorway of the Grand Kremlin Palace, he told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the two of them were “witnessing the changes that haven't been seen in more than a century, and we are pushing them together.”
What if an America under Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis turns its back on the Ukraine war?
March 22, 2023 GMTWhile in office, US secretary of state Madeleine Albright referred to America as an "indispensable nation", a statement that is still true. Last century, America ensured that Adolf Hitler's totalitarian barbarism did not turn Europe into a dark place.
Russia, Belarus barred from next season’s ice hockey worlds
March 22, 2023 GMTZURICH (AP) — Russia and Belarus teams were excluded by the International Ice Hockey Federation on Wednesday from all its world championships next season, including the women’s event in the United States.
China calls Xi’s Russia visit one of friendship, peace
March 22, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — China on Wednesday said President Xi Jinping’s just-concluded visit to Russia was a “journey of friendship, cooperation and peace,” and again criticized Washington for providing military support to Ukraine.
Japan’s Kishida pledges aid for Ukraine-backing Poland
March 22, 2023 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Japan's prime minister pledged Wednesday to provide Poland with development support to help the European country assist neighboring Ukraine as it defends itself from Russia's invasion.
China and Russia: explaining a long, complicated friendship
March 22, 2023 GMTTAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping just concluded a three-day visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a warm affair in which the two men praised each other and spoke of a profound friendship.
Ukraine, IMF agree on $15.6 billion loan package
March 22, 2023 GMTFRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund have agreed on a $15.6 billion loan package aimed at shoring up government finances severely strained by Russia's invasion and leveraging even more support by reassuring allies that Ukraine is pursuing strong economic policies and fighting corruption.
UK inflation jumps to 10.4%, surprising analysts
March 22, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — U.K. inflation accelerated for the first time in four months in February as high food and energy prices hit consumers battered by the nation’s cost-of-living crisis.
The consumer price index jumped to 10.4% in the 12 months through February from 10.1% the previous month, the Office for National Statistics said Wednesday.
Today in History: March 22, First Stanley Cup game played
March 22, 2023 GMTToday in History
Today is Wednesday, March 22, the 81st day of 2023. There are 284 days left in the year.
Ukrainian soldiers near finish of Patriot missile training
March 22, 2023 GMTFORT SILL, Okla. (AP) — Several large, 12-wheeled military vehicles carrying mobile missile launchers rumbled across the southwest Oklahoma prairie on Tuesday as part of a training exercise at the Fort Sill Army Post.
Ukraine, Russia trade claims after blast rocks Crimean town
March 21, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian and Ukrainian officials gave conflicting accounts Tuesday of what appeared to be a brazen attack on Russian cruise missiles transported by train in the occupied Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula.
US speeds up Abrams tank delivery to Ukraine war zone
March 21, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is speeding up its delivery of Abrams tanks to Ukraine, opting to send a refurbished older model that can be ready faster, with the aim of getting the 70-ton battle powerhouses to the war zone by the fall, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Japan’s PM offers Ukraine support as China’s Xi backs Russia
March 21, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a surprise visit Tuesday to Kyiv, engaging in dueling diplomacy with Asian rival President Xi Jinping of China, who met in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin to promote Beijing's peace proposal for Ukraine that Western nations have all but dismissed as a non-starter.
Putin hosts Xi in the Kremlin with imperial palace pageantry
March 21, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — Russia and China showcased their “no-limits friendship” on Tuesday during a pomp-laden Kremlin ceremony intended to further cement ties amid the fighting in Ukraine.
After hosting Chinese leader Xi Jinping over a seven-course private dinner for 4½ hours the previous night, Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted him in the old imperial palace for talks involving top officials from both countries.
Russia’s reliance on China rises amid Ukraine sanctions
March 21, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — Like a salesman buttering up his best customer, President Vladimir Putin gushed about China's economic success as he welcomed Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the Kremlin.
Russia targets Nobel Peace Prize rights group with raids
March 21, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Russian authorities on Tuesday raided the homes and offices of multiple human rights advocates and historians with the prominent rights group Memorial that won the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
Millions in extra funding pledged for ICC work in Ukraine
March 21, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — An international conference in London raised 4 million pounds ($4.9 million) to support the International Criminal Court in its investigations into alleged war crimes in Ukraine and its work to hold Russia to account, officials said Monday.
Japan, China push opposing visions in top-level visits
March 21, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Asia’s stake in Europe’s war was made crystal clear Tuesday when the leaders of the region's two richest countries sat in the capitals of Russia and Ukraine in strong shows of support for the opposing sides.
At Ukraine’s front, police try to evacuate holdout families
March 21, 2023 GMTAVDIIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — Pale and grimy from living in a dank, dark basement for nearly a year, the teenager and his weeping mother emerged to the sound of pounding artillery and headed to a waiting armored police van that would whisk them to safety.
Ukraine hints it hit Russian missiles in occupied Crimea
March 21, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's military intelligence agency reported what appeared to be a brazen attack late Monday on Russian cruise missiles being transported by train in the occupied and illegally annexed Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula.
Russia to hold UN meeting on Ukraine kids taken to Russia
March 21, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia plans to hold an informal meeting of the U.N. Security Council in early April on what it said is “the real situation” of Ukrainian children taken to Russia, an issue that has gained the spotlight following the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes related to their abduction.
US says China and Russia blocking UN action on North Korea
March 20, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States accused China and Russia on Monday of shielding North Korea from any action by the U.N. Security Council for its unprecedented spate of intercontinental ballistic missile launches, which violate multiple U.N.
Putin welcomes China’s Xi to Kremlin amid Ukraine fighting
March 20, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin warmly welcomed Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the Kremlin on Monday, sending a powerful message to Western leaders that their efforts to isolate Moscow over the fighting in Ukraine have fallen short.
Putin sticks to protocol during Chinese leader Xi’s visit
March 20, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin wasn't waiting at the end of the red carpet to greet Chinese leader Xi Jinping upon his arrival in Russia on Monday for a high-profile visit.
Putin warns Russia could drop grain deal after 60 days
March 20, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed on Monday that Moscow has agreed to extend a deal allowing the exports of Ukrainian grain to global markets only for 60 days and could drop it altogether if its conditions aren't met.
US sending ammunition, tanker trucks, boats to Ukraine
March 20, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department announced Monday that the U.S. will send Ukraine $350 million in weapons and equipment, as fierce battles with Russian forces continue for control of the city of Bakhmut, and troops prepare for an expected spring offensive.
Digital literacy: Can the republic ‘survive an algorithm’?
March 20, 2023 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — Shawn Lee, a high school social studies teacher in Seattle, wants to see lessons on the internet akin to a kind of 21st century driver's education, an essential for modern life.
Lee has tried to bring that kind of education into his classroom, with lessons about the need to double-check online sources, to diversify newsfeeds and to bring critical thinking to the web.
China’s Xi meeting Putin in boost for isolated Russia leader
March 20, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping is due to meet with Vladimir Putin in a political boost for the isolated Russian president after the International Criminal Court charged him with war crimes in Ukraine.
Ukraine: Volunteer specialist doctors run clinics near front
March 20, 2023 GMTKHRESTYSHCHE, Ukraine (AP) — In a cramped municipal building in this former front-line village, its front window boarded up with plywood, a team of volunteer specialist doctors have set up a mobile clinic.
Today in History: March 20, Menendez brothers convicted
March 20, 2023 GMTToday in History
Today is Monday, March 20, the 79th day of 2023. There are 286 days left in the year.
Long-serving Montenegro president to face newcomer in runoff
March 19, 2023 GMTPODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — The long-serving incumbent will face a political newcomer in a runoff presidential election in Montenegro next month no one won in the first round of voting on Sunday held amid a political turmoil in the Balkan country, early projections showed.
Russia’s Putin makes surprise trip to occupied Mariupol
March 19, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the occupied port city of Mariupol, his first trip to Ukrainian territory that Moscow illegally annexed in September and a show of defiance after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest on war crimes charges.
Source: Lawyer invited to testify before Trump grand jury
March 19, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer who previously advised Michael Cohen, the key government witness in the hush money payment investigation into Donald Trump, has been invited to appear Monday before a Manhattan grand jury that is considering potential charges against the former president, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Russia, Ukraine extend grain deal to aid world’s poor
March 18, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — An unprecedented wartime deal that allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices are pushing more people into poverty was extended just before its expiration date, officials said Saturday.
Pro-Moscow voices tried to steer Ohio train disaster debate
March 18, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Soon after a train derailed and spilled toxic chemicals in Ohio last month, anonymous pro-Russian accounts started spreading misleading claims and anti-American propaganda about it on Twitter, using Elon Musk's new verification system to expand their reach while creating the illusion of credibility.
How a warrant for Putin puts new spin on Xi visit to Russia
March 18, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week highlighted China’s aspirations for a greater role on the world stage.
Facing arrest warrant, Russia’s Putin visits annexed Crimea
March 18, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Crimea to mark the ninth anniversary of the Black Sea peninsula’s annexation from Ukraine on Saturday, the day after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader accusing him of war crimes.
International court issues war crimes warrant for Putin
March 18, 2023 GMTTHE HAGUE (AP) — The International Criminal Court said Friday that it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.
Russia will extend Ukraine grain deal for 60 days — not 120
March 18, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — On the eve of the expiration of a deal enabling Ukraine to export grain, the United Nations’ humanitarian chief on Friday called its extension crucial to ensuring global food supplies and keeping prices from spiraling as they did after Russia’s invasion of its smaller neighbor.
US and other Western nations wary of Xi’s trip to Moscow
March 17, 2023 GMTWashington and other Western capitals reacted warily on Friday to the announcement of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia next week, with the US "deeply concerned" Beijing could try to pose as a peacemaker by promoting an immediate ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.
How Moscow grabs Ukrainian kids and makes them Russians
March 17, 2023 GMTOlga Lopatkina paced around her basement in circles like a trapped animal. For more than a week, the Ukrainian mother had heard nothing from her six adopted children stranded in Mariupol, and she was going out of her mind with worry.
Russia to award pilots involved in US drone incident
March 17, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — Russian fighter pilots involved in an incident with a U.S. drone that resulted in its crash will be given state awards, the Defense Ministry announced Friday. The move appears to signal Moscow's intention to adopt a more aggressive stance toward future U.S.
China’s Xi to meet Putin as Beijing seeks bolder global role
March 17, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Moscow next week, offering a major diplomatic boost to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the same day the International Criminal Court announced it wants to put the Russian leader on trial for alleged war crimes.
UN rights chief decries ‘systematic repression’ in Belarus
March 17, 2023 GMTGENEVA (AP) — The U.N. human rights chief called on Belarus Friday to end its “systematic repression” of critics and immediately release people held on political grounds, saying some violations may amount to crimes against humanity.
German Cabinet minister to visit Taiwan, 1st in 26 years
March 17, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Germany's education and research minister is making an official trip to Taiwan next week, officials said Friday. It will be the highest-level visit by a German official since 1997 to the island that China claims as part of its territory.
Montenegro presidential vote seen as test of future policies
March 17, 2023 GMTPODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Montenegro is preparing to hold a presidential election this weekend, a vote taking place amid political deadlock that has stalled the small NATO member's bid to join the European Union and questions about whether the Balkan country will align more closely with Serbia and Russia.
Pentagon video shows Russian jet dumping fuel on US drone
March 17, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Biden administration released video Thursday of a Russian fighter jet dumping fuel on a U.S.
China foreign minister in rare call with Ukraine counterpart
March 17, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — In a rare phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Thursday, China’s foreign minister says Beijing is concerned about the year-old grinding conflict with Russia spinning out of control and urged talks on a political solution with Moscow.
UN-backed inquiry accuses Russia of war crimes in Ukraine
March 16, 2023 GMTGENEVA (AP) — Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity, according to a report from a U.N.-backed inquiry released Thursday.
Russia OKs alternative civil service for mobilized believer
March 16, 2023 GMTTALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A court in Russia on Thursday affirmed the right of a man mobilized to fight in Ukraine to perform an alternative form of civil service due to his stated religious beliefs, setting a precedent that could persuade more reluctant draftees to try to get out of military service.
Russian dissident ex-mayor handed 14-day sentence
March 16, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — A former mayor of Russia's fourth-largest city was ordered to spend 14 days in custody on Thursday pending his trial on charges that could entail a longer prison term, part of authorities' efforts to muzzle dissent.
Iranians facing economic crisis find little New Year’s cheer
March 16, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's bazaars are packed ahead of the Persian New Year next week, but there's little holiday cheer as customers survey the soaring prices of meat and holiday treats, wondering if they can afford either.
Foreign policy of Brazil’s Lula takes shape, irking the West
March 16, 2023 GMTRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s new President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has so far shown little concern about defying consensus in the West on foreign policy -- even when it comes to dealing with authoritarian governments.
UK’s Cleverly tells struggling Moldova: ‘You are not alone’
March 16, 2023 GMTCHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited Moldova's capital Thursday, where he is set to pledge 10 million pounds ($12.5 million) in financial aid to help the small, embattled country tackle what his office called “malign interference” from Russia.
Haas dismisses a report alleging it broke Russian sanctions
March 16, 2023 GMTKANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (AP) — The Haas Formula One team has dismissed a report claiming its parent company broke sanctions by providing machinery to Russia as “simply false.”
Haas F1 responded in a statement Thursday to a report by American broadcaster PBS on Tuesday alleging that the Haas Automation company had provided machines and parts to Russia.