MOSCOW (AP) -- The Russian military have captured a British national fighting alongside Ukrainian troops in Russia’s partially occupied Kursk region, state news agency Tass reported Monday, citing unidentified sources in law enforcement. The man was identified by Tass and other media as James Scott Rhys Anderson. Tass quoted him as saying that he had served as a signalman in the British army for four years and then joined the International Legion of Ukraine, formed early on in Russia’s nearly 3-year-old war against its neighbor.  In Ukraine, Anderson reportedly served as an instructor for Ukrainian troops and was deployed to the Kursk region against his will. Tass published a video of the man saying in English that he doesn’t want to be “here.” The International Legion for Defense of Ukraine was created at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shortly after Russia’s full-scale “operation” in February 2022. The Legion is a unit of Ukraine’s Ground Forces that consists mostly of foreign volunteers. Apart from the Legion, Ukraine recruits foreigners to other units of its army, filling squads, companies, or even battalions.

 

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BEIJING (Reuters) -- China and the European Union are partners rather than adversaries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday, calling on the two sides to think from each other’s perspective and seek cooperation. Wang made the remarks in a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel in Beijing, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement. “In the face of rising unilateralism and protectionism, we hope that the EU will stay true to its original aspiration and maintain strategic independence. China is willing to make joint efforts with Luxembourg to promote the sustained and sound development of China-EU relations,” Wang said.

 

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NIAMEY, Niger (AFP) -- Niger said it could no longer work with the European Union’s ambassador and had requested a replacement “as soon as possible” after the bloc recalled its envoy over a row surrounding the disbursement of emergency aid. Niger’s military rulers on Friday accused EU ambassador Salvador Pinto da Franca of distributing 1.3 million euros ($1.36 million) in aid for flood victims to non-governmental organizations without first informing the authorities. The EU expressed its “profound disagreement” with the accusations on Saturday and recalled its ambassador for consultations in Brussels. Niger’s foreign ministry fired back Sunday, saying it had warned da Franca in October over “unauthorized operations” it claimed had nonetheless continued. “In view of this stubbornness... the Government has come to the conclusion that collaboration with the European Union Ambassador, Mr Salvador Pinto da Franca, is no longer possible, and has therefore officially requested his recall and replacement as soon as possible,” the statement said.

 

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WASHINGTON (AFP) -- While fighting between criminal groups in Haiti decreased during 2024, attacks on civilians have risen, including an expanded use of “horrific sexual abuse,” according to a new report by Human Rights Watch. “Criminal groups have often used sexual violence to instill fear in rival territories,” the New York-based group says. “The rule of law in Haiti is so broken that members of criminal groups rape girls or women without fearing any consequences,” according to HRW researcher Nathalye Cotrino.  HRW said it conducted scores of in-person and remote interviews with survivors of sexual abuse in the impoverished Caribbean nation, as well as with officials and rights and humanitarian workers.  It said that from January to October of this year, “nearly 4,000 girls and women reported sexual violence, including gang rape.” And it cited UN research showing cases involving children were up 1,000 percent from the 2023 period. “The bandits don’t care about their age,” one aid worker said. “They rape because they have the power. Sometimes they do it for days or weeks,” leaving some survivors pregnant or injured without access to care. 

 

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MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) -- Center-left opposition candidate Yamandu Orsi secured victory in Uruguay’s presidential election, official results showed, with 99% of votes tallied, in a second-round race that pollsters expected to be closely fought.

Yamandu Orsi, the pre-election favorite by a few points, secured a small but comfortable margin of 49.81% of the vote to conservative Alvaro Delgado’s 45.90%, official results showed. Orsi, a 57-year-old former mayor of Canelones - which has lured in firms such as a Google - has said he would avoid raising taxes that could scare off business and instead focus on attracting investors, spurring growth and skilling workers. His victory was celebrated by the regional Organization of American States and fellow Latin American nations across the political aisle. Both Delgado and Uruguay’s president, fellow National Party member Luis Lacalle Pou, conceded the election, swiftly congratulating Orsi and offering to help with the transition after results signaled a victory for the center-left.

 

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DHAKA (AFP) -- Japanese officials in Bangladesh are preparing the bodies of 23 soldiers who died during World War II to return them home after more than 80 years, exhumation teams said Monday. The bodies were exhumed from Bangladesh’s Maynamati war cemetery, near Comilla, where more than 700 people from multiple nations killed during the war were buried. “Japanese soldiers were treated at the Maynamati field hospital, before succumbing to their injuries,” said Hillol Sattar, Bangladesh country manager for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which runs the cemetery.