News Wire | August 2023 Archive
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Russia’s Central Bank Makes Huge Interest Rate Hike to Try to Prop Up Falling Ruble
By Dasha Litvinova and David McHugh | Associated Press
Russia’s central bank made a big interest rate hike Tuesday, an emergency move designed to fight inflation and strengthen the ruble after the country’s currency reached its lowest value since early in the war with Ukraine.
More from WPR: Can Putin Change Russia’s Role From Spoiler to Global Power?
China Stop Reporting Youth Unemployment as Economic Pressures Mount
By Thomas Hale | Financial Times
China has said it will stop publishing data on youth unemployment, weeks after the gauge hit a record level, in a sign of mounting pressure on policymakers as new data pointed to weakness in the recovery of the world’s second-largest economy.
Argentina’s Markets Recoil After Shock Primary Election Results
By Mary McDougall, Ciara Nugent and Jennifer Hughes | Financial Times
Markets in Argentina reeled on Monday after the shock victory of Javier Milei, a radical libertarian economist and outsider candidate, in the country’s primary poll ahead of its presidential election later this year.
Political Leader in Ecuador is Killed Less Than a Week After Presidential Candidate's Assassination
By Regina Garcia Cano | Associated Press
The unprecedented violence shaking Ecuador claimed the life of another political leader Monday, bringing the number of politics-related slayings within the last four weeks to three, including that of a presidential candidate.
More from WPR: A Surge in Crime and Violence Has Ecuador Reeling
Twenty-Two Russian Diplomats Leave Moldova as Relations Slide
Reuters
Twenty-two Russian diplomats flew out of the Moldovan capital of Chisinau on Monday, leaving behind a skeleton staff as relations between the two countries deteriorated after Moldova last month ordered Moscow withdraw most of its delegation.
More from WPR: Moldova Could Be the Next Flashpoint in Europe’s Standoff With Putin
Airstrike in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region Kills at Least 26 People
The Guardian
An airstrike on a busy town square in Ethiopia’s Amhara region has killed at least 26 people, in the latest instance of violence in Ethiopia’s second-biggest state, where militia have been fighting the army.
More from WPR: The Tigray War Is Over. Ethiopia’s Conflict in Oromia Is Raging On
Tripoli Clashes Widen Overnight in Worst Fighting This Year
Reuters
The Libyan capital's most powerful armed factions battled in several districts overnight and into Tuesday morning in the city's worst violence this year, raising fears of a wider escalation.
More from WPR: Libya’s Two Governments Make for One Intractable Crisis
Israeli West Bank Raid Kills 2 Palestinians
By Tia Goldenberg | Associated Press
Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians, including a 16-year-old, in a raid in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Palestinian health officials said, the latest violence to shake the region.
Thai Election Winners Reject Plea to Back Ally's 'Distorted' PM Bid
By Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat | Reuters
Thailand's election-winning Move Forward Party declined on Tuesday to back former alliance partner Pheu Thai's bid to form the next government, calling it a distortion of the election outcome and against the will of the public.
More from WPR: Thailand’s Opposition Will Need More Than Votes to Win Upcoming Elections
Far-Right Libertarian Wins Argentina’s Presidential Primary
By Jack Nicas, Natalie Alcoba and Lucía Cholakian Herrera | The New York Times
A far-right libertarian candidate, Javier Milei, 52, won Argentina’s open presidential primary election on Sunday, a surprising showing for a politician who wants to adopt the U.S. dollar as Argentina’s official currency and embraces comparisons to Donald Trump.
More from WPR: A Corruption Scandal Could Trip Up Argentina’s Milei
Chinese Defense Minister to Visit Russia and Belarus in Show of Support Despite West’s Objections
Associated Press
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu is visiting Russia and Belarus in a show of support for those nations which the West has sought to isolate over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Andrea González picked to replace Ecuador’s assassinated presidential candidate
The Guardian
Villavicencio’s Build party, or Construye in Spanish, announced on social media that Andrea González was replacing the 59-year-old as its presidential candidate in the Aug. 20 vote. González, 36, is an environmental activist who has not previously held public office.
More from WPR: A Surge in Crime and Violence Has Ecuador Reeling
Latvian Prime Minster Announces Resignation
Deutsche Welle
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins on Monday said he would resign later in the week, along with the rest of his government. Karins is reportedly hoping an election will help him reconfigure the government after current coalition partners rejected his proposed Cabinet reshuffle.
At Least 10 Killed in Southwest Congo as Intercommunal Violence Worsens Over Land Rights and Taxes
By Jean-Yves Kamale | Associated Press
A militia group armed with guns and machetes killed at least 10 people in intercommunal violence in southwestern Congo, local authorities said Saturday. The attack is the latest episode in a deepening crisis that has been overshadowed by conflict on the other side of the vast Central African nation.
Riyadh Appoints Envoy to Palestinians Amid Push for Saudi-Israeli Ties
By Patrick Kingsley | The New York Times
Saudi Arabia has appointed its first envoy to the Palestinian administration in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a move widely seen as linked to efforts led by the United States to forge diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
More from WPR: The U.S. and Israel Are Deluding Themselves About the Abraham Accords
Pakistan Appoints Caretaker Prime Minster
By Farhan Bokhari | Financial Times
Pakistan has appointed Anwar ul-Haq Kakar, a little-known politician from its volatile western Balochistan province, to serve as caretaker prime minister until elections are held in the coming months.
U.S. Reaches Deal With Iran to Free Americans for Jailed Iranians and Funds
By Farnaz Fassihi and Michael D. Shear | The New York Times
The United States and Iran have reached an agreement to win the freedom of five imprisoned Americans in exchange for several jailed Iranians and eventual access to about $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue, according to several people familiar with the deal.
More from WPR: What Comes Next in the Standoff Between the U.S. and Iran?
6 Colombians Arrested in Assassination of Presidential Candidate in Ecuador
By José María León Cabrera, Julie Turkewitz and Genevieve Glatsky | The New York Times
The six suspects arrested in connection with the assassination of a presidential candidate in Ecuador are Colombian nationals, Ecuador’s interior minister, Juan Zapata, said Thursday, marking another twist in a killing that has rocked a nation consumed by violence fueled by drug trafficking.
More from WPR: A Surge in Crime and Violence Has Ecuador Reeling
Voter Anger, Apathy Hang Over Argentina Primary Elections
By Nicolás Misculin | Reuters
Argentina will hold primary elections on Sunday, a nationwide ballot that will act as a giant voter poll ahead of general elections in October, with many people angry or apathetic over triple-digit inflation and rising poverty.
More from WPR: A Corruption Scandal Could Trip Up Argentina’s Milei
Ukraine Neighbor Romania Readies $6.5 Billion F-35 Jet Purchase
By Andra Timu and Irina Vilcu | Bloomberg
Romania is poised to sign a $6.5 billion contract to upgrade its air force with US-made F-35 aircraft, the Black Sea nation’s biggest such deal to date as Russia’s war with Ukraine rages on the other side of the border. Defense Minister Angel Tilvar said the government is awaiting parliamentary approval for the acquisition of 32 Lockheed Martin Corp.-made fighter jets along with logistics equipment, training and ammunition.
Ethiopia’s Government Recaptures Amhara Region Towns From Militia, Government and Residents Say
By Cara Anna | Associated Press
Ethiopia’s government and residents say the country’s military recaptured several areas in the embattled Amhara region from local militia fighters as details of dozens of civilian deaths began to emerge from the region amid an internet shutdown.
More from WPR: The Tigray War Is Over. Ethiopia’s Conflict in Oromia Is Raging On
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Fires Nearly All Governors in West Bank in Major Upheaval
Associated Press
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas fired most of the governors in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, responding to long-standing demands for a political shake-up as frustration grows with the semi-autonomous Palestinian Authority.
Taiwan Steeling Itself for Chinese Drills Over VP's US Visit
By Yimou Lee | Reuters
China is likely to launch military drills next week near Taiwan, using Vice President William Lai's stopovers in the United States as a pretext to intimidate voters ahead of an election next year and make them "fear war", Taiwanese officials said.
Presidential Candidate in Ecuador Is Assassinated During Rally
By José María León Cabrera, Julie Turkewitz and Genevieve Glatsky | The New York Times
A presidential candidate in Ecuador who had been outspoken about the link between organized crime and government officials was assassinated Wednesday evening at a political rally in the capital, just days before voting begins in an election that has been dominated by concerns over drug-related violence.
More from WPR: A Surge in Crime and Violence Has Ecuador Reeling
Biden Orders Ban on New Investments in China’s Sensitive High-Tech Industries
By Peter Baker and David E. Sanger | The New York Times
President Biden escalated his confrontation with China on Wednesday by signing an executive order banning new American investment in key technology industries that could be used to enhance Beijing’s military capabilities, the latest in a series of moves putting more distance between the world’s two largest economies.
Cuban Oil Tankers Becoming Regular Visitors to Mexican Ports
By Marianna Parraga | Reuters
Cuba has begun using its own tankers to ramp up crude imports from Mexico, which in the second quarter surpassed Russia as a key oil provider to the fuel-thirsty island. Following days-long lines to fill drivers' tanks and power blackouts, the communist-run nation saddled with harsh U.S. economic sanctions has broadened its sources of oil imports in a move to ease fuel scarcity, replenish stocks and reduce dependence on its traditional and largest supplier, Venezuela.
Poland Plans to Deploy 10,000 Troops to its Border With Belarus
Associated Press
Poland’s defense minister said Thursday that the country intends to put 10,000 soldiers along its border with Belarus. The statement comes as Warsaw worries about the presence of Russian-linked mercenaries in Belarus and migrants trying to cross the border.
More from WPR: The EU Scrambles to Respond to ‘Hybrid Warfare’ on the Poland-Belarus Border
World Bank Freezes New Lending to Uganda Over LGBT+ Crackdown
By Andrews Schipani | Financial Times
The World Bank said it would freeze new lending to Uganda in response to the LGBT+ crackdown in the east African country that has introduced some of the most punitive anti-gay bills in the world.
More from WPR: Uganda’s Escalating LGBT Crackdown Feels Eerily Familiar
Lebanese Army Takes Hezbollah Truck Containing Munitions After 2 Die in Clashes
By Kareem Chehayeb | Associated Press
Lebanon’s army moved a truck that had carried Hezbollah munitions from the road where it crashed to a military post early Thursday after clashes at the scene killed two people. The truck overturned on a mountain road near the Lebanese capital in the Christian town of Kahaleh on Wednesday, on the highway that links Beirut to the eastern Bekaa Valley.
More from WPR: Lebanon’s Military Could Be the Next Casualty of Its Economic Crisis
Pakistan’s Parliament is Dissolved to Pave Way for Elections as Imran Khan Seeks Release From Prison
By Munir Ahmed | Associated Press
Pakistan’s president on Wednesday dissolved the National Assembly, or lower house of parliament, a first step in the countdown to a general election by mid-November. The move came as the country’s top opposition leader is fighting to overturn a corruption conviction that landed him in a high-security prison over the weekend.
More from WPR: Pakistan’s Political Crisis May Be Reaching a Breaking Point