Month: September 2022

The death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has sparked renewed debate in many Commonwealth countries — most of them former British colonies — about their future ties to the monarchy. Henry Ridgwell reports from London. …

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When Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II first visited India in 1961, huge crowds lined up to catch a glimpse of her as her royal carriage moved through the streets of New Delhi. News reports spoke about affection among Indians for the monarch, who had ascended the throne five years after the country gained independence from Britain. But on her third and last visit on the 50th anniversary of India’s independence in 1997, the headlines were very different – they were dominated by calls for an apology from the Queen for a bloody massacre in which hundreds of Indians were shot in …

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European Union lawmakers on Thursday declared that Hungary has become “a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy” under the leadership of its nationalist government, and that its undermining of the bloc’s democratic values had taken Hungary out of the community of democracies. In a resolution that passed 433-123 with 28 abstentions, the parliamentarians raised concerns about Hungary’s constitutional and electoral systems, judicial independence, possible corruption, public procurement irregularities, LGBTQ+ rights, as well as media, academic and religious freedoms. The lawmakers said that Hungary — which its populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban characterizes as an “illiberal democracy” — has left behind many …

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A mass grave with more than 440 bodies was discovered in Izium, in northeastern Ukraine, where Russian forces were ousted just days ago, Ukrainian officials said Thursday. “I can say it is one of the largest burial sites in a big town in liberated [areas] … 440 bodies were buried in one place,” Serhiy Bolvinov, the chief police investigator for Kharkiv region, told Sky News, according to Reuters. “Some died because of artillery fire … some died because of airstrikes.” A Ukrainian counteroffensive pushed Russian troops from the region last weekend. The Russians had been occupying the city in the …

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Armenia and Azerbaijan appear to have negotiated a cease-fire in the past day, pausing fighting that has reportedly killed more than 170 troops on both sides since fighting erupted earlier this week. Armenian officials announced the cease-fire starting Wednesday in a television broadcast. There has been no confirmation from Azerbaijan’s government. “We welcome the cessation of hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia and will continue to work with the parties to seek to cement it,” tweeted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday. The renewed fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia has stoked fears of further military escalation in the decades-old …

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Russia’s war on Ukraine has seen scores of hospitals and clinics bombed, and frequent power cuts that can turn off lifesaving machines. Medical aid groups are using a Kenyan-manufactured breathing device for premature babies that works without electricity, helping save vulnerable newborns in countries affected by conflict. Victoria Amunga reports from Nairobi, Kenya. Camera – Jimmy Makhulo. …

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The U.S. on Thursday imposed new economic sanctions on an array of Russians, including some that it accused of stealing Ukrainian grain, an official who allegedly has directed the deportation of tens of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia, and relatives of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.  “The United States continues to hold the Russian government to account for its war against Ukraine,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.  The top American diplomat said those targeted include major Russian defense entities, key advanced-technology firms that support Russia’s defense industrial base and financial infrastructure, a Russian military intelligence agency and individuals …

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The U.N. nuclear watchdog’s board of governors has adopted a resolution demanding that Russia end its occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, diplomats who attended a closed-door meeting on Thursday in Vienna said. The resolution adopted by the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) calls on Russia to “immediately cease all actions against, and at, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and any other nuclear facility in Ukraine.” The 35-member board passed the resolution with 26 votes in favor, two against, and seven abstentions, diplomats said, adding that Russia and China voted against. The resolution also …

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As Catalan separatists mark the fifth anniversary of a failed independence referendum next month, polls have shown support for splitting from Spain is on the decline. The October 2017 referendum asked voters whether they wanted Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic. Ninety percent voted yes. Shocking images of police clashing with voters were beamed around the globe during the vote, prompting international condemnation from some European countries and calls for a peaceful resolution. The unofficial vote, which was declared illegal by the country’s Constitutional Court, caused Spain’s biggest political schism since a failed military …

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is hosting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for talks Thursday in Kyiv that von der Leyen said would include “getting our economies and people closer while Ukraine progresses towards accession.” Ukraine applied to join the European Union in late February, days after Russia launched its invasion.  The EU granted Ukraine candidacy status in June. “In Kyiv, for my 3rd visit since the start of Russia’s war. So much has changed. Ukraine is now an EU candidate,” von der Leyen tweeted. In Uzbekistan, the Ukraine conflict was on the agenda for talks between Russian President …

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