News Wire | May 2023 Archive

Russia Fires 30 Cruise Missiles at Ukrainian Targets; Ukraine Says 29 Were Shot Down

By Susie Blann | Associated Press (free)

Russia fired 30 cruise missiles against different parts of Ukraine early Thursday in the latest nighttime test of Ukrainian air defenses, which shot down 29 of them, officials said.

More from WPR: Pentagon Document Leaks Foreshadow a Long War in Ukraine

Xi Jinping Courts Central Asia as Russian Influence Weakens

By Joe Leahy | Financial Times

President Xi Jinping is stepping up efforts to boost China’s influence in Central Asia by hosting his first in-person regional summit dedicated to tightening ties with an area traditionally dominated by Russia.

More from WPR: China Is Taking Advantage of Russia’s Weakness in Central Asia

Biden Seeks to Rally G-7 Allies Against Russia and China, as Debt Talks Cloud Message

By Ken Thomas & Annie Linskey | The Wall Street Journal

President Biden will seek to maintain unity among allies in supporting Ukraine and countering China’s economic clout at a summit of the Group of Seven industrialized nations, as the threat of default in the U.S. complicates that message and prompts him to curtail his international travel.

El Salvador Sends Troops to Surround Town After Police Officer Killed

Associated Press (free)

More than 5,000 soldiers and 500 police encircled a small town in northern El Salvador after President Nayib Bukele said Wednesday gang members had killed a member of the national police there.

More from WPR: Bukele’s ‘Cool Authoritarian’ Model Makes for a Dangerous Export