Year: 2021

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has summoned the ambassadors of the United States and nine other countries to protest a statement they issued that called for the release of imprisoned businessman and civil rights activist Osman Kavala in line with a European Court of Human Rights decision. The statement angered government officials who

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Human rights activists have urged international governments, sponsors and athletes to boycott what they call China’s “genocide games.” The appeal came as Greek officials in Athens handed over the Olympic flame to 2022 Beijing Winter Games organizers. Activists also disrupted the flame lighting ceremony in southern

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s top official has locked horns with Poland’s prime minister, arguing that a recent ruling from the country’s constitutional court challenging the supremacy of EU laws is a threat to the bloc’s foundations and won’t be left unanswered. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen

By ZEN SOO Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — After nearly seven years in China, LinkedIn says it will stop operating its localized version of the platform, replacing it with a jobs listing site. LinkedIn is the only major Western social media platform still operating in China. Others such as Facebook and Google pulled out

LONDON (AP) — Investment giant BlackRock says it is backing a new London-based research hub which will provide asset managers with information on how the companies they invest in are addressing the risk resulting from climate change. BlackRock said Tuesday it is joining the Transition Pathway Initiative, a London-based group that is already supported by

By VANESSA GERA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland will be a focus of European attention this week, with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki addressing the European Parliament. Leaders at a European Union summit are also expected to grapple with a legal conundrum created by a recent ruling by the Polish constitutional court. Some opponents

By ARNO PEDRAM Associated Press CALAIS, France (AP) — Young Sudanese men who escaped war in their country now spend their days in the French port of Calais, trying to jump onto moving trucks bound for Britain. Most attempts fail, but they’ve come this far and aren’t giving up. Politicians on both sides of the

By SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban is turning to the financial managers of the former government for help steering the nation’s battered economy away from the brink. Do your jobs, the Taliban told the experts, because we can’t. Officials from the Finance Ministry and the banks went back to

By RICHARD E. LAPCHICK For The Associated Press Richard E. Lapchick shares some of the backlash his family felt that was directed at his father for signing the first Black player to an NBA contract. Lapchick directs the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida. His father, Joe Lapchick,

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli archaeologists say a scuba diver has salvaged an ancient sword off the country’s Mediterranean coast that experts say dates back to the Crusaders. Israel’s Antiquities Authority said Monday the man was on a weekend dive in northern Israel last Saturday when he spotted a trove of ancient artifacts that included anchors,

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli police say a man is dead after falling from a hot air balloon in mid-flight. Police say the man, in his 20s, was a crew member who had been dangling from the basket when he fell Tuesday. The man’s employer said he fell from 50 meters (164 feet) up.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s disaster management agency says a strong earthquake has struck off the Turkish Mediterranean coast. There was no immediate report of any damage or casualties. The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate said the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 struck 189 kilometers (117 miles) off the resort town of

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says a net zero carbon emissions target by 2050 would be a “great positive” for Australia if it can be achieved through technology and not a carbon price. Morrison plans to attend next month’s climate conference in Scotland but his government