Just days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Moscow’s forces massing on the border, officials in the medieval town of Lützen, Germany, afforded landmark status to a Soviet-era World War II memorial standing outside a kindergarten in the town center. “Glory to the great Russian people — the nation of victors,” reads an inscription […]
Month: April 2023
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Russia’s Intelligence Agency for Detaining Americans
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on the F.S.B., Russia’s intelligence agency, for its role in detaining Americans like Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter who has been accused of espionage. The administration also announced sanctions on Iran’s intelligence services and four senior Iranian officials, who the administration says have participated […]
What Soledar’s Salt, Lost in the Fight for Bakhmut, Means to Ukraine
“Salt gave us work and salt gave us life,” said Ruslan, a salt miner turned soldier. Ruslan, 45, was working 1,000 feet below the earth in one of Europe’s largest salt mines when the Russians launched their full-scale invasion. Almost a year later, he was fighting near the ruined city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine […]
Brittney Griner Speaks to Reporters for First Time Since Release From Russia
PHOENIX — Brittney Griner, the W.N.B.A. star who became the center of a geopolitical showdown between the United States and Russia last year, is expected to speak with reporters on Thursday for the first time since her release in December in a prisoner exchange. Ms. Griner, 32, planned to speak with reporters as her team, […]
Russia-Ukraine War News: Live Updates
In Kyiv, people took a class in kozachky, the oldest Ukrainian traditional style of dance, and danced to traditional music performed by US Orchestra at an outdoor cafe.Credit…Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times KYIV, Ukraine — On a recent Wednesday evening, in a third-floor dance studio, half a dozen 20-somethings spun and stomped to […]
Facing China, the Philippines and U.S. Join in Biggest Military Drill Yet
When China’s foreign minister visited the Philippines last weekend, he had a stern message for President Ferdinand E. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines: It was vital that Manila “properly handle issues” related to Taiwan and the South China Sea, and follow through on its earlier commitment not to choose sides, he said. On Wednesday, Mr. […]
High-Ranking Iranian Cleric Gunned Down by Bank Guard
A senior Iranian cleric and member of a powerful government committee was shot and killed by a security guard at a bank in the northern province of Mazandaran on Wednesday, according to the Iranian authorities. In CCTV camera footage shown on the Iranian news media, the cleric, Ayatollah Abbas Ali Soleimani, is seen sitting on […]
Xi and Zelensky Speak in First Known Contact Since Russia’s Invasion: Latest News
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, and Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, spoke by telephone on Wednesday, in the first known contact between the two leaders since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Zelensky said he “had a long and meaningful phone call” with Mr. Xi. The Chinese state news media said the two leaders had discussed “the Ukraine […]
South Africa’s Shifting Stance on Whether It Will Quit the I.C.C.
President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa said on Tuesday that his party, the African National Congress, had decided “it is prudent” to withdraw from the International Criminal Court — only for representatives for him and the party to later clarify that neither was actually advocating quitting the court, at least for now. The A.N.C. would […]
Russian Lawyers Ask Court to Ease Crackdown on Dissent
A group of leading Russian lawyers on Tuesday asked the country’s highest court to declare unconstitutional a law banning criticism of the armed forces, in a rare display of opposition to the draconian censorship imposed by the Kremlin in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. The complaint, filed by three lawyers and supported by […]