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A French scientist was prevented from entering the United States this month because of an opinion he expressed about the Trump administration’s policies on academic research, according to the French government. Philippe Baptiste, France’s minister for higher education and research, described the move as worrying. “Freedom of opinion, free research and academic freedom are values … Read more
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel was expected on Thursday to formally fire the head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency despite growing street protests over the move. The Israeli cabinet was set to convene for a nighttime vote on the dismissal of the Shin Bet chief, Ronen Bar, just days after Mr. Netanyahu … Read more
Canada is in advanced talks with the European Union to join the bloc’s new project to expand its military industry, a move that would allow Canada to be part of building European fighter jets and other military equipment at its own industrial facilities. The budding defense cooperation between Canada and the European Union, which is … Read more
A French citizen who spent over two years in detention in Iran on spying charges was released this week, the French government said on Thursday. President Emmanuel Macron of France had earlier denounced Iran’s detention of the man, Olivier Grondeau, 34, and two other French citizens as “disgraceful and arbitrary.” Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s foreign minister, … Read more
Indonesia’s Parliament on Thursday unanimously passed a controversial overhaul of a law that will allocate more civilian posts for military officers, defying student protests and raising fears of the erosion of freedoms in the world’s third-largest democracy. The revisions were proposed by allies of President Prabowo Subianto, a feared former general who served under the … Read more
When he returned to Syria recently for the first time in 13 years, Kazem Togan asked the passport control agent to check whether he “had a name” — meaning that he was among the millions of citizens named on wanted lists under the ousted Assad dictatorship. “You’re wanted by branch 235,” the man told him, … Read more
Snow plows rumbled and salt trucks spewed de-icing pellets onto Toronto’s streets, barely visible under two feet of snow. A stocky man brandished a comically small red shovel as he helped dig out a car trapped at an intersection. The helping hand was provided by Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province … Read more
Ukraine agreed to halt strikes on energy sites President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine agreed yesterday to Russia’s offer of a mutual pause in attacks on energy targets for 30 days as a step toward a broader cease-fire. He accepted the pause in a phone call with President Trump, who described the conversation as “very good.” … Read more
The visit had been advertised for weeks. Former President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines was going to a rally in Hong Kong during the second weekend in March. But as soon as it began, the trip took on a tantalizing element of intrigue: Was he ever coming back? To many Filipinos, it appeared that Mr. … Read more
