NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
1 EU penalties: The European Union has extended restrictions on doing business with companies or officials in Ukraine’s Crimea region and the city of Sevastopol for a year over Russia’s annexation of the peninsula. EU headquarters said in a statement Monday from Brussels that the measures, which include bans on importing products and real estate purchases, were extended until June 23, 2019. The restrictions also bar European investment in Crimea or Sevastopol and operating any tourism services there. The export of some goods and technologies that could be used for transport, telecommunications or in the energy sector are also prohibited.
2 Syria fighting: Iraqi Shiite forces and Syria on Monday accused the United States of hitting their troops inside Syria with an air strike, a charge the U.S. denied but which ratcheted up tensions in the area. Iraq’s Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces, the units’ umbrella organization, said U.S. aircraft fired two missiles that hit a group of its fighters who were deployed late Sunday along the Iraq-Syria border to prevent Islamic State militants from penetrating the Iraqi border. The statement said the attack left 22 fighters dead and 12 wounded. Officials said the dead were mostly members of Iraq’s Hezbollah Brigades, which have been active in Syria’s civil war fighting alongside government forces.
3 Afghanistan march: Dozens of Afghans arrived in the capital on Monday after trekking across the country on foot calling for an end to the 17-year war. The Helmand Peace Convoy reached Kabul after traveling more than 300 miles over nearly 40 days. The march began in the southern city of Lashkar Gah, in Helmand province, an area largely under Taliban control.
4 Name dispute: Macedonia’s government on Monday set in motion the process of asking parliament to ratify an agreement with southern neighbor Greece, under which it will change its name to “North Macedonia” and hopefully end a bitter 27-year dispute. While the deal will see Greece lifting its objections to Macedonia joining NATO and the European Union, many still oppose it on both sides of the border. Seven Macedonian police officers were injured and 25 protesters detained during clashes late Sunday in the capital of Skopje, as demonstrators opposed to the name deal tried to push their way into parliament.
5 Voyeurism law: Britain’s Conservative government said Monday it would propose a ban on “upskirting” photos after an opposition attempt to outlaw the practice was derailed by a lone Conservative lawmaker. Christopher Chope sparked outrage Friday when he blocked a bill to ban covertly photographing under people’s clothes, even though the government had expressed support for it. Because the legislation was introduced by a single lawmaker, rather than by the government, the objection of one parliamentarian was enough to stop it. Chope has a history of blocking private members’ bills. Over the weekend, the door to his office in Parliament was festooned with women’s underpants. Prime Minister Theresa May’s office said Monday that the government would adopt the Voyeurism (Offenses) Bill, giving it more parliamentary time and a better chance of becoming law. Upskirting involves taking a photo or video under someone’s clothing without their consent. The practice is illegal in Scotland, where it carries a maximum two-year prison sentence. It is not specifically banned in England and Wales.