When Jacinda Ardern announced this week that she would step down as New Zealand’s prime minister, her decision caught the world by surprise. She called leading a country “the most privileged job anyone could ever have,” but said she would leave office by February. It was particularly striking to see a leader voluntarily relinquish power […]
Month: January 2023
Despite German Reluctance, Ukraine Expresses Optimism About Receiving Tanks
As frustration at Germany for seemingly dragging its feet on sending Ukraine advanced Leopard 2 tanks mounted on Saturday, Ukrainian officials indicated that they believed it would be only a matter of time before the sophisticated weapons arrived. Ukraine’s defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, said that he was “optimistic” that Germany would decide to allow transfers […]
Dozens of Women and Girls Kidnapped by Extremists Are Freed in Burkina Faso
DAKAR, Senegal — More than 60 women and girls who had been abducted last week in the West African nation of Burkina Faso were freed on Friday, the national broadcaster said. The kidnappings took place outside two villages near the northern city of Arbinda as the women were foraging for wild fruits and leaves. But […]
Guatemala Targets Colombia’s Defense Minister in Crackdown on Anticorruption Forces
As the Guatemalan authorities intensify a methodical, yearslong crackdown on officials who were tasked with rooting out government corruption in the country, the government announced this week that it was investigating Colombia’s defense minister, who had led a United Nations-backed anticorruption body that was active in Guatemala until 2019. The announcement, which is straining bilateral […]
Church of England Will Bless Same-Sex Couples, but Won’t Marry Them
The Church of England apologized for its past treatment of L.G.B.T.Q. people on Friday, but said it would continue its practice of not allowing same-sex marriages in church, a reflection of a delicate balancing act that has once again highlighted stark divisions in the nearly 500-year-old institution. Instead of backing same-sex unions, the church said […]
Allies Pile Pressure on Germany Over Tanks for Ukraine: Live Updates
Ammunition inside a Ukrainian self-propelled howitzer near Kreminna, Ukraine, last week.Credit…Nicole Tung for The New York Times BRUSSELS — A number of countries announced new military aid packages for Ukraine on Thursday, the day before their defense ministers are to gather at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to coordinate their help for Ukraine. The meeting […]
Your Friday Briefing – The New York Times
Ukraine’s allies pledge military aid Around 50 allies of Ukraine will meet at Ramstein Air Base in Germany today to chart the next steps in the defense of Ukraine. Already, they have made it clear that they intend to furnish a major infusion of military aid that is expected to total billions of dollars’ worth […]
CIA Director Burns Visited Ukraine to Meet With Zelensky
William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, traveled to Kyiv last week for secret consolations with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, according to two U.S. officials. Since just before the invasion, Mr. Burns has made periodic visits to Ukraine to meet with intelligence officials and to convey information to Mr. Zelensky. Mr. Burns, whose trip was […]
Israel’s Judicial Standoff Deepens as Netanyahu Delays Firing Minister
The new right-wing Israeli government and the country’s judiciary remained locked in a standoff Thursday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed upholding a Supreme Court ruling that called for the dismissal of a key government minister. Mr. Netanyahu had taken no action on removing his interior minister, Aryeh Deri, by the early afternoon, a day […]
Russian Fighters Claim Control of Key Village Near Bakhmut: Live Updates
Ukraine’s interior minister, Denys Monastyrsky, in the town of Borodianka after Ukrainian forces retook it last year.Credit…Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency, via Getty Images The helicopter crash that killed top Ukrainian officials on Wednesday created a void atop a cabinet ministry critical to the war just as Kyiv prepares for a possible Russian offensive in the spring […]