As ISIS affiliate expands in central Africa, escapees recount horrors
The group, the Allied Democratic Forces, has been abducting children, honing bombmaking skills, and launching ferocious attacks on churches, clinics and villages. #press
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/08/12/congo-uganda-adf-isis/?utm_source=press.coop
Tensions between Ukraine and Poland over grain hint at exhaustion from war
Neighboring Poland has been one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters since Russia's invasion but tensions have flared over new limits on Ukrainian grain sales. #press
Death of porter left behind on K2 sparks debate over high-altitude ethics
Climber Kristin Harila said drone footage showing she continued a record-breaking ascent as porter Muhammad Hassan lay dying does not tell the full story. #press
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/08/11/k2-climber-kristin-harila/?utm_source=press.coop
Ramzi Choueiri, who brought foodie celebrity to Arab world, dies at 51
For millions of food lovers across the Arab world, "Chef Ramzi" was their first celebrity in the kitchen. #press
https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2023/06/23/chef-ramzi-lebanon-dies/?utm_source=press.coop
U.S. imposes sanctions on prominent Russian financiers with ties to West
The Treasury Department imposed penalties on Petr Aven, Mikhail Fridman, German Khan and Alexey Kuzmichev, billionaires behind the Alfa Group financial services conglomerate. #press
Zelensky fires military recruitment center chiefs after corruption probe
The Ukrainian leader said the investigation uncovered cases of “illicit enrichment,” laundering “illegally obtained funds” and helping people avoid military service. #press
A Chinese lawyer was detained in Laos. His friends see Beijing’s reach.
Rights groups have been calling for Laos to release human rights lawyer Lu Siwei rather than deporting him back to China and almost certain imprisonment. #press
Russia launches moon mission in first attempt in almost a half-century
Russia hailed the Luna-25 rocket launch as a “new page” in its space exploration. The spacecraft is in a race to land on the moon’s icy south pole. #press
He was sentenced to a year in prison. He had been held more than nine.
More than 83 percent of inmates in Haiti's prisons are in pretrial detention, the U.N. reported, many spending more time there than the maximum sentences for their alleged crimes. #press
Ukraine live briefing: Kyiv’s wait for F-16 pilot training drags; Biden asks for $20.6 billion for Ukraine
Ukraine might not get F-16-trained pilots until next summer. Fragments of an intercepted missile hit a children’s hospital in Kyiv, officials said. #press
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/08/11/russia-ukraine-war-news/?utm_source=press.coop
U.K. seeks to send migrants to Rwanda, an extreme plan others could copy
What Britain is trying to do is an outgrowth of Brexit. But the effort has captured the interest of other countries that would like to outsource migration. #press
U.S. pushes for Saudi-Israel normalization, but major hurdles remain
Israel says it is not prepared to make concessions on the issue of Palestinian statehood, while Riyadh is seeking significant security guarantees from Washington. #press
F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots faces delays and uncertainty
Ukraine wants U.S.-made fighter jets as fast as possible, but the first pilots to undergo training will likely not be ready to fly them until next summer. #press
In Israel and the U.S., ‘apartheid’ is the elephant in the room
In the United States, a growing bloc of mainstream supporters of Israel are voicing their disquiet. #press
Lebanon weary of unrest after deadly Hezbollah shootout
A suburb of Beirut erupted in gunfire Thursday, a day after clashes over an overturned truck left two people outside the city. #press
A look at the amount of U.S. spending powering Ukraine’s defense
The United States has committed more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. #press
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/08/04/ukraine-war-us-spending/?utm_source=press.coop
West African nations mobilize standby force as Niger crisis grinds on
West-African governments struggled to chart a clear path out of the crisis in Niger during an emergency summit on Thursday. #press
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/08/10/niger-ecowas-emergency-summit/?utm_source=press.coop
Robbie Robertson, guitarist and songwriter of the Band, dies at 80
Mr. Robertson was credited with helping forge a new genre called Americana that blended country, folk and rock. #press
Biden asks for $20.6 billion for Ukraine as counteroffensive sputters
The U.S. has spent tens of billions to help Kyiv already but is calling for more aid #press
Iran moves Americans out of prison in first step of major deal
The development marks a rare bright spot in U.S.-Iran relations, which have been marked by deep distrust and a failure to revive a nuclear deal. #press