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A high-profile politician in the far-right Alternative for Germany party was convicted for the second time Monday of knowingly using a Nazi slogan at a political event. Björn Höcke, who plans to run for governor in the eastern state of Thuringia in September, was fined for using the banned Nazi slogan "Everything for Germany." The Halle Regional Court found the 52-year-old guilty of using signs of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations and sentenced him to a fine of 130 daily rates of 130 euros each — or 16,900 euros ($18,000) — German news agency dpa reported. An appeal against the ruling is possible. The conviction won't block him from running in the election. The charge of using symbols of an unconstitutional organization can carry a fine or up to three years in prison. Höcke was already fined 13,000 euros in May, also for using symbols of an unconstitutional organization, a verdict that his lawyers are appealing. The earlier case centered on a speech in Merseburg in May 2021 in which Höcke used the phrase "Everything for Germany!" Judges last month agreed with prosecutors' argument that the former history teacher was aware of its origin as a slogan of the Nazis' SA stormtroopers. In the current case, prosecutors alleged that he repeated the offense at an Alternative for Germany, or AfD, event in Gera in December, "in certain knowledge" that using the slogan is a criminal offense. They alleged that Höcke said "Everything for ..." and encouraged the audience to shout "Germany!" Höcke again insisted that he did nothing wrong, dpa reported. "I am also completely innocent in this case," he said. "I know I will be convicted. But that doesn't feel fair to me." Höcke questioned whether using the phrase of such everyday words constitutes a criminal offense. In his ruling on Monday, Judge Jan Stengel said a video of the speech in Gera showed Höcke's "mimic approval" — meaning he had wanted people in the audience to complete the banned slogan, dpa reported. Alternative for Germany has built a strong core of support, particularly in the formerly communist east — including Thuringia. The party's strength in that region helped propel it to a second-place finish in the European Parliament election earlier this month, taking 15.9% of the vote despite recent scandals and setbacks.

At a rural penal colony in southeast Ukraine, several convicts stand assembled under barbed wire to hear an army recruiter offer them a shot at parole. In return, they must join the grueling fight against Russia. “You can put an end to this and start a new life,” said the recruiter, a member of a volunteer assault battalion. “The main thing is your will, because you are going to defend the motherland. You won’t succeed at 50%, you have to give 100% of yourself, even 150%.” Ukraine is expanding the draft to cope with acute battlefield shortages more than two years into fighting against Russia’s full-scale invasion. And its recruiting efforts have turned, for the first time, to the country’s prison population. Although Ukraine does not announce any details of troop deployment numbers or casualties, frontline commanders openly acknowledge that they are facing serious manpower problems as Russian continues to build up forces in eastern Ukraine and make incremental gains westward. More than 3,000 prisoners already have been released on parole and assigned to military units after such recruitment was approved by parliament in a controversial mobilization bill last month, Ukrainian Deputy Justice Minister Olena Vysotska told The Associated Press. About 27,000 inmates could potentially be eligible for the new program, according to Justice Ministry estimates. “A lot of the motivation comes from (inmates) wanting to return home a hero, and not to return home from prison,” Vysotska said. Ernest Volvach, 27, wants to take up the offer. He’s serving a two-year sentence for robbery, at the penal colony in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region. He works in the kitchen, ladling dollops of food into tin bowls. “It’s stupid to sit here doing nothing,” Volvach said, adding that since the start of the war he’s wanted to “do something for Ukraine” and have the opportunity to enlist. “Now it’s appeared.” Ukrainian soldiers on active duty are typically identified only by their first name, or a call sign, for security reasons. Many of the inmates at the Dnipropetrovsk penal colony also asked to be identified only by their first names to avoid difficulties if they enlist. Another inmate, 30, who gave his name only as Volodymyr, makes rivets at a penal colony workshop. He said he plans to volunteer after his sentence ends in one year, but wouldn’t do so now because there’s effectively no home leave under the parole program. Prisoners can get the conditional release after an interview, medical exam, and a review of their conviction. Those convicted of rape, sexual assault, murdering two or more people or crimes against Ukraine’s national security aren’t eligible. Ukrainian officials are keen to draw a distinction between their program and recruitment in Russia of convicts to serve in the notorious Wagner mercenary group. Those fighters typically have been funneled to the deadliest battles, the officials say, but the Ukrainian program aims to integrate the inmates into regular Ukrainian frontline units. The country has a prison population of some 42,000, according to figures forwarded by the government to the European Union. While recent reforms have reduced the number of prisoners and are credited with improving conditions at some facilities, the U.S. State Department noted credible reports of “degrading treatment or punishment” by prison authorities in its annual report on human rights last year. After screening, paroled inmates are rushed to basic training at camps where they learn how to handle weapons and other combat fundamentals. Training is completed later once they join the individual units. Paroled inmate Mykhailo joined an assault course and said it was hard to keep up with the physical demands after months of relative inactivity in prison – clambering in and out of armed personnel carriers and running through obstacle courses. “I decided to sign up for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army because I have a family at home, children, parents,” the 29-year-old said, speaking over the noise of gunfire at a shooting range. “I will be more useful in the war.” Vysotska, the deputy justice minister, said interest in the military parole program has exceeded early expectations, and that it could provide as many as 5,000 new recruits. “That would definitely help,” she said.

 At a rural penal colony in southeast Ukraine, several convicts stand assembled under barbed wire to hear an army recruiter offer them a shot at parole. In return, they must join the grueling fight against Russia. “You can put an end to this and start a new life,” said the recruiter, a member of a volunteer assault battalion. “The main thing is your will, because you are going to defend the motherland. You won’t succeed at 50%, you have to give 100% of yourself, even 150%.” Ukraine is expanding the draft to cope with acute battlefield shortages more than two years into fighting against Russia’s full-scale invasion. And its recruiting efforts have turned, for the first time, to the country’s prison population. Although Ukraine does not announce any details of troop deployment numbers or casualties, frontline commanders openly acknowledge that they are facing serious manpower problems as Russian continues to build up forces in eastern Ukraine and make incremental gains westward. More than 3,000 prisoners already have been released on parole and assigned to military units after such recruitment was approved by parliament in a controversial mobilization bill last month, Ukrainian Deputy Justice Minister Olena Vysotska told The Associated Press. About 27,000 inmates could potentially be eligible for the new program, according to Justice Ministry estimates. “A lot of the motivation comes from (inmates) wanting to return home a hero, and not to return home from prison,” Vysotska said. 12 killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine. Rescue work continues at destroyed apartment building Ernest Volvach, 27, wants to take up the offer. He's serving a two-year sentence for robbery, at the penal colony in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region. He works in the kitchen, ladling dollops of food into tin bowls. “It’s stupid to sit here doing nothing," Volvach said, adding that since the start of the war he's wanted to “do something for Ukraine” and have the opportunity to enlist. “Now it's appeared.” Ukrainian soldiers on active duty are typically identified only by their first name, or a call sign, for security reasons. Many of the inmates at the Dnipropetrovsk penal colony also asked to be identified only by their first names to avoid difficulties if they enlist. Another inmate, 30, who gave his name only as Volodymyr, makes rivets at a penal colony workshop. He said he plans to volunteer after his sentence ends in one year, but wouldn't do so now because there's effectively no home leave under the parole program. Prisoners can get the conditional release after an interview, medical exam, and a review of their conviction. Those convicted of rape, sexual assault, murdering two or more people or crimes against Ukraine's national security aren't eligible. Ukrainian officials are keen to draw a distinction between their program and recruitment in Russia of convicts to serve in the notorious Wagner mercenary group. Those fighters typically have been funneled to the deadliest battles, the officials say, but the Ukrainian program aims to integrate the inmates into regular Ukrainian frontline units. Putin offers truce if Ukraine exits Russian-claimed areas and drops NATO bid. Kyiv rejects it The country has a prison population of some 42,000, according to figures forwarded by the government to the European Union. While recent reforms have reduced the number of prisoners and are credited with improving conditions at some facilities, the U.S. State Department noted credible reports of “degrading treatment or punishment” by prison authorities in its annual report on human rights last year. After screening, paroled inmates are rushed to basic training at camps where they learn how to handle weapons and other combat fundamentals. Training is completed later once they join the individual units. Paroled inmate Mykhailo joined an assault course and said it was hard to keep up with the physical demands after months of relative inactivity in prison – clambering in and out of armed personnel carriers and running through obstacle courses. Russia fires more missiles, drones at Ukraine ahead of diplomatic efforts to stop the war “I decided to sign up for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army because I have a family at home, children, parents,” the 29-year-old said, speaking over the noise of gunfire at a shooting range. “I will be more useful in the war.” Vysotska, the deputy justice minister, said interest in the military parole program has exceeded early expectations, and that it could provide as many as 5,000 new recruits. “That would definitely help,” she said.

Voters across mainland France were casting ballots Sunday in the first round of exceptional parliamentary elections that could put the government in the hands of nationalist, far-right parties for the first time since the Nazi era. The outcome of the two-round elections, which will wrap up July 7, could impact European financial markets, Western support for Ukraine and how France's nuclear arsenal and global military force are managed. Many French voters are frustrated about inflation and economic concerns, as well as President Emmanuel Macron's leadership, which they see as arrogant and out-of-touch with their lives. Marine Le Pen's anti-immigration National Rally party has tapped that discontent, notably via online platforms like TikTok, and dominated preelection opinion polls. Paris court to decide on validity of France's arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Assad A new coalition on the left, the New Popular Front, also poses a challenge to the pro-business Macron and his centrist alliance Together for the Republic. It includes the French Socialists and Communists and the hard-left France Unbowed party and vows to reverse a deeply unpopular pension reform law that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64, among other economic reforms. There are 49.5 million registered voters who will choose 577 members of the National Assembly, France's influential lower house of parliament, during the two-round voting. Turnout at midday at the first round stood at 25.9% according to interior ministry figures, higher than the 18.43% at midday during 2022 legislative elections. Macron voted in Le Touquet, a seaside town in northern France, along with his wife, Brigitte. Le Pen cast her ballot in her party's stronghold in northern France. The vote takes place during the traditional first week of summer vacation in France, and absentee ballot requests were at least five times higher than in the 2022 elections. State Minister Palak highlights enduring Bangladesh-France partnership in satellite technology during meeting with Ambassador The first polling projections were expected at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT), when the final polling stations close. Early official results were expected later Sunday night. Voters at a Paris polling station had issues from immigration to inflation and the rising cost of living on their minds as the country has grown more divided between the far right and far left blocs, with a deeply unpopular and weakened president in the political center. The blitz campaign was marred by rising hate speech.   "People don't like what has been happening," said Cynthia Justine, a 44-year-old voter. "People feel they've lost a lot in recent years. People are angry. I am angry." She added that with "the rising hate speech," it was necessary for people to express their frustrations with those holding and seeking power. "It is important for me because I am a woman and we haven't always had the right to vote," Justine said. "Because I am a Black woman, it's even more important. A lot is at stake on this day." Pierre Leclaer, a 78-year-old retiree, said he cast his ballot for the simple reason of "trying to avoid the worst," which for him is "a government that is from the far right, populist, not liberal and not very Republican." Costly election pledges in France stoke fears of splurges that risk pushing country deeper into debt Macron called the early elections after his party was trounced in the European Parliament election earlier in June by the National Rally, which has historic ties to racism and antisemitism and is hostile toward France's Muslim community. It also has historical ties to Russia. Macron's call was an audacious gamble that French voters who were complacent about the European election would be jolted into turning out for moderate forces in national elections to keep the far right out of power. Instead, preelection polls suggested that the National Rally is gaining support and has a chance at winning a parliamentary majority. In that scenario, Macron would be expected to name 28-year-old National Rally President Jordan Bardella as prime minister in an awkward power-sharing system known as "cohabitation." While Macron has said he won't step down before his presidential term expires in 2027, cohabitation would weaken him at home and on the world stage. The results of the first round will give a picture of overall voter sentiment, but not necessarily of the overall makeup of the next National Assembly. Predictions are difficult because of the complicated voting system, and because parties will work between the two rounds to make alliances in some constituencies or pull out of others. In the past, such tactical maneuvers helped keep far-right candidates from power. But support for Le Pen's party has spread deep and wide.   Bardella, who has no governing experience, says he would use the powers of prime minister to stop Macron from continuing to supply long-range weapons to Ukraine for the war with Russia. The National Rally has also questioned the right to citizenship for people born in France, and wants to curtail the rights of French citizens with dual nationality. Critics say this undermines fundamental human rights and is a threat to France's democratic ideals. Meanwhile, huge public spending promises by the National Rally and especially the left-wing coalition have shaken markets and ignited worries about France's heavy debt, already criticized by EU watchdogs. In the restive French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, polls closed earlier due to a curfew that authorities on the archipelago have extended until July 8. Violence there flared on May 13, leaving nine people dead after two weeks of unrest, due to attempts by Macron's government to amend the French Constitution and change voting lists in New Caledonia, which the Indigenous Kanaks feared would further marginalize them. They have long sought to break free from France. Voters in France's other overseas territories from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana, French Polynesia and those voting in offices opened by embassies and consular posts across the Americas cast their ballots on Saturday.  

Russian attacks across eastern Ukraine killed at least 11 people Saturday, while rescuers in the city of Dnipro dug through rubble after a Russian strike ripped through a nine-story residential building, leaving one dead, officials said. The attacks came as Russia continues to stretch out Ukrainian forces in several areas along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front. Moscow has stepped up airstrikes in a bid to drain Ukraine’s resources, often targeting energy facilities and other vital infrastructure. The shelling of the front-line village of Niu-York in the Donetsk region also wounded five people, Gov. Vadym Filashkin said. He said that Russian forces had shelled populated areas 13 times over the past 24 hours. A further seven people were killed Saturday afternoon in Russian shelling on the town of Vilniansk, including two children, Gov. Ivan Fedorov said. Ten other people were wounded, while infrastructure was also damaged, he wrote on social media. Meanwhile, in Dnipro, at least one person died and 12 were wounded, including a 7-month-old girl, after a Russian strike destroyed the top four floors of the apartment building on Friday evening, regional head Serhii Lysak said. Rescuers confirmed that several residents remained missing. Energy shutdowns hit Ukraine after Russian attacks target infrastructure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Dnipro attack was a reminder to Ukraine’s allies that the country needed more air defense systems. The Ukrainian air force said Saturday that it had downed 10 Russian drones overnight. “This is why we constantly remind all of our partners: only a sufficient amount of high-quality air defense systems, only a sufficient amount of determination from the world at large can stop Russian terror,” he said. Russian officials also reported Ukrainian attacks, with a drone strike killing five people in Russia’s Kursk region, local officials said Saturday. A Ukrainian drone strike killed at least five people in Russia’s Kursk region, local officials said Saturday. Two children were among the victims of the attack in the village of Gorodishche on the Russian-Ukrainian border, Gov. Alexey Smirnov said on social media. Russian attacks on Ukraine power grid touch Kyiv with blackouts ahead of peak demand In its morning statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said that six Ukrainian drones had been shot down overnight over the country’s Tver, Bryansk and Belgorod regions, as well as over the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. It didn't give information on the reported strike in the Kursk region. The Ukrainian government also responded Saturday to a statement from the Belarusian military saying it had increased its forces along Ukraine’s northern border in response to what it described as security threats. The announcement came after Belarus’ border agency claimed its troops downed a Ukrainian drone that had flown across the border to gather intelligence. Kyiv denied the accusations, which it described as Russian propaganda. “The Russians’ task is simple — to draw more of our forces (to the Belarusian border), Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation said in a statement. “Any information about our activity in the border area is a lie.” Ukraine wants ships to keep exporting its grain despite Russian attacks. Some are interested Belarus’ authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has close ties with Russia and allowed Moscow to use his country’s territory to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Dutiful, managerial, a bit dull — Keir Starmer is no one's idea of a firebrand politician.The Labour Party hopes that is just what Britain wants and needs after 14 turbulent years of Conservative rule. Starmer, the center-left party's 61-year-old leader, is the current favorite to win the country's July 4 election.Starmer has spent four years as opposition leader dragging his social democratic party from the left towards the political middle ground. His message to voters is that a Labour government will bring change — of the reassuring rather than scary kind."A vote for Labour is a vote for stability — economic and political," Starmer said after Prime Minister Rishi Sunakcalled the election on May 22.If opinion polls giving Labour a consistent double-digit lead are borne out on election day, Starmer will become Britain's first Labour prime minister since 2010.A lawyer who served as chief prosecutor for England and Wales between 2008 and 2013, Starmer is caricatured by opponents as a "lefty London lawyer." He was knighted for his role leading the Crown Prosecution Service, and Conservative opponents like to use his title, Sir Keir Starmer, to paint him as elite and out of touch.Starmer prefers to stress his everyman credentials and humble roots — in implicit contrast to Sunak, who is a former Goldman Sachs banker married to the daughter of a billionaire.He loves soccer — still plays the sport on weekends — and enjoys nothing more than watching Premier League team Arsenal over a beer in his local pub. He and his wife Victoria, who works in occupational health, have two teenage children they strive to keep out of the public eye.Born in 1963, Starmer is the son of a toolmaker and a nurse who named him after Keir Hardie, the Labour Party's first leader. One of four children, he was raised in a cash-strapped household in a small town outside London."There were hard times," he said in a speech launching his campaign. "I know what out of control inflation feels like, how the rising cost-of-living can make you scared of the postman coming down the path: 'Will he bring another bill we can't afford?'"We used to choose the phone bill because when it got cut off, it was always the easiest to do without."Starmer's mother suffered from a chronic illness, Still's disease, that left her in pain, and Starmer has said that visiting her in the hospital and helping to care for her helped form his strong support for the state-funded National Health Service.He was the first member of his family to go to college, studying law at Leeds University and Oxford, and practiced human rights law before being appointed chief prosecutor.He entered politics in his 50s and was elected to Parliament in 2015. He often disagreed with party leader Jeremy Corbyn, a staunch socialist, at one point quitting the party's top team over disagreements, but agreed to serve as Labour's Brexit spokesman under Corbyn.Starmer has faced repeated questions about that decision, and about urging voters to support Corbyn during the 2019 election.He said he wanted to stay and fight to change Labour, arguing that "leaders are temporary, but political parties are permanent."After Corbyn led Labour to election defeats in 2017 and 2019 — the latter the party's worst result since 1935 — Labour picked Starmer to lead efforts to rebuild.His leadership has coincided with a turbulent period that saw Britain go through the COVID-19 pandemic, leave the EU, absorb the economic shock of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and endure economic turmoil from Liz Truss's turbulent 49-day term as prime minister in 2022.Voters are weary from a cost-of-living crisis, a wave of public sector strikes and political turmoil that saw the Conservative Party dispatch two prime ministers within weeks in 2022 — Boris Johnson and Truss — before installing Sunak to try to steady the ship.Starmer imposed discipline on a party with a well-earned reputation for internal division, ditched some of Corbyn's more overtly socialist policies and apologized for antisemitism that an internal investigation concluded had been allowed to spread under Corbyn.Starmer promised "a culture change in the Labour Party." His mantra is now "country before party."Starmer was a strong opponent of Britain's decision to leave the European Union, though now says a Labour government would not seek to reverse it.Critics say that shows a lack of political principle. Supporters say it's pragmatic and respects the fact that British voters have little desire to revisit the divisive Brexit debate.Now Starmer must persuade voters that a Labour government can ease Britain's chronic housing crisis and repair its fraying public services, especially the creaking health service — but without imposing tax increases or deepening the public debt.To the dismay of some Labour supporters, he watered down a pledge to spend billions investing in green technology, saying a Labour government would not borrow more to fund public spending."A lot of people on the left will accuse him of letting them down, betraying socialist principles. And a lot of people on the right accuse him of flip-flopping," said Tim Bale, political scientist at Queen Mary University of London."But, hey, if that's what it takes to win, then I think that tells you something about Starmer's character. He will do whatever it takes -- and has done whatever it takes -- to get into government."The party has surged in the polls under his leadership, which has helped keep Starmer's internal critics onside.At the party's conference in October he showed a flash of passion, telling cheering delegates: "I grew up working class. I've been fighting all my life. And I won't stop now." He also showed remarkable composure when a protester rushed onstage and showered Starmer with glitter and glue.Some have likened this election to 1997, when Tony Blair led Labour to a landslide victory after 18 years of Conservative rule.Bale says Starmer lacks Blair's charisma. But, he said, "given the turmoil that Brits have had to endure since the Brexit referendum in 2016, a bit of boring wouldn't go down that badly, I think, with the public."

The Biden administration’s desire to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia will certainly fail, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, addressing the 10th Primakov Readings international forum on Wednesday. The Russian foreign minister also said that Moscow was seeking to prevent the West from posing a threat to its security. The Russian Embassy in Dhaka on Wednesday said TASS has gathered key statements by Russia’s top diplomat. On futility of US ambitions to achieve global dominance The desire of individual countries to ensure military-political dominance ended in tragic consequences for those nations and their patrons in the past, Lavrov recounted. The dollar has lost its reputation globally, and this was highlighted by former US President Donald Trump in one of his recent speeches, he said. Statements by US officials saying that certain resolutions of the United Nations Security Council are not obligatory may "boomerang" and come back to haunt them, Lavrov warned. On Ukraine conflict Also, Lavrov blasted Western claims that restoring Ukraine within the 1991 borders would stop the conflict, calling such a notion ridiculous. Meanwhile, the West is trying to persuade "certain Arab countries" to host another conference on Ukraine, Lavrov said. However, participants in any future peace conferences must take full account of the UN Charter, he added. On security threats Russia’s top diplomat maintained the ambitions of the Biden administration were nothing new, as he referred to ideas to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia which he said were knowingly doomed to failure or the desire to contain Moscow, Beijing and Iran simultaneously which he dismissed as "naive." According to Lavrov, the only thing Russia really wants is "to stem threats to our security from the West." Russia is open to dialogue with Europe based on the recognition of new territorial realities enshrined in the country’s constitution. On multipolarity and fight against neocolonialism While each era of multipolarity is unique, Lavrov said he could see the fundamental difference between the current period and the previous ones in that it is worldwide, with non-European, non-Western centers of power and development being available. Russia’s neighbors in western Eurasia "could become a lynchpin of the evolving multipolar world order as soon as they come to their senses and realize that the policy course being dictated by Washington is a dead end and runs counter to their own interests," he argued. Russia and its allies are for putting an end to decolonization as they promote a new strategic initiative seeking to "free developing countries from recent signs of neocolonialism." On Russia’s troika with India, China Russia has plans to convene meetings with India and China again, Lavrov said: "It [the Russia-India-China (RIC) troika] does not convene often, but that’s not our fault." Russia and China will take any and all steps to ensure their continued growth, despite US counteraction, Lavrov insisted. Everybody will benefit if this "troika" makes common cause toward aligning their positions, while the West has been making every effort to undermine the process, he maintained. On the Middle East Russia expects Israel to listen to "the voice of the majority countries" on the situation in Gaza, Lavrov said. The Russian foreign minister decried the "terrible words" uttered by an Israeli official that there are no civilians in Gaza and that all people there are terrorists starting from three years of age. Lavrov said he saw the risk of violence spreading to Lebanon as he called on the world to realize how disastrous Israel’s steps in the Middle East conflict are. Lavrov says West will allow killing Russians in Ukraine if conflict becomes frozen The foreign minister said that in recent years Ukraine had adopted laws that banned all things Russian: education, news media, and cultural events.

The Paris appeals court is expected to decide on Wednesday whether to uphold an arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Assad that France issued last year for alleged complicity in war crimes during Syria's civil war. French judicial authorities issued international arrest warrants last November for Assad; his brother Maher Assad, the commander of the 4th Armored Division; and two Syrian generals, Ghassan Abbas and Bassam al-Hassan for alleged complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity. They include a 2013 chemical attack on then opposition-held Damascus suburbs. Victims of the attack welcomed France’s decision to issue arrest warrants as a reminder of the horrors of Syria’s civil war. In May, French anti-terrorism prosecutors asked magistrates of the Paris appeals court to rule on lifting the arrest warrant for President Assad, saying he has absolute immunity as a serving head of state. The prosecutors did not challenge the warrants for Assad's brother and the two generals during a closed hearing on the issue on May 15. The decision is expected Wednesday afternoon. International arrest warrants for a serving head of state are very rare and the decision by the Paris court to issue one for the Syrian president represented a strong criticism of Assad’s leadership at a time when some countries were welcoming him back into the diplomatic fold. More than 1,000 people were killed and thousands were injured in the August 2013 attacks on Douma and Eastern Ghouta. The investigation into the attacks has been conducted under universal jurisdiction in France by a special unit of the Paris Judicial Court. It was opened in 2021 in response to a criminal complaint by the survivors, and filed by the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression. Assad’s government was widely deemed by the international community to be responsible for the sarin gas attack in the then-opposition-held Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta. The Syrian government and its allies have denied responsibility and said the attack was carried out by opposition forces trying to push for foreign military intervention. The United States threatened military retaliation in the aftermath of the attack, with then-President Barack Obama saying use of chemical weapons by Assad would be Washington’s “red line.” However, the U.S. public and Congress were wary of a new war, as invasions in Afghanistan and Iraq had turned into quagmires. Washington settled for a deal with Moscow for Syria to give up its chemical weapons stockpile. Syria says it eliminated its chemical arsenal under the 2013 agreement. However, watchdog groups have continued to allege chemical attacks by Syrian government forces since then. Syria is not a member of the International Criminal Court, meaning the court does not have jurisdiction there. However, human rights lawyers in the past have urged prosecutors to open an investigation into crimes during the country’s civil war, arguing that the court could exercise jurisdiction over Syrian civilians forced into Jordan, which is a member of the court. So far, the court has not opened an investigation. In a separate case, a Paris court last month sentenced three high-ranking Syrian officials in absentia to life in prison for complicity in war crimes in a landmark case against Assad's government and the first such case in Europe.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich went on trial behind closed doors in Yekaterinburg on Wednesday, 15 months after his arrest in the Russian city on espionage charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny. The 32-year-old journalist appeared in the court in a glass defendants' cage, his head shaved and wearing a black-and-blue plaid shirt. A yellow padlock was attached to the cage. Journalists were allowed into the courtroom for a few minutes before the proceedings were closed. Also briefly permitted in court were two consular officers from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, according to the embassy. The hearing ended after about two hours, and the next one was scheduled for Aug. 13, court officials said. “Today our colleague Evan Gershkovich faced the Russian regime’s shameful and illegitimate proceedings against him," said Almar Latour, Dow Jones CEO and publisher of the Journal, and Emma Tucker, its top editor. “It’s jarring to see him in yet another courtroom for a sham trial held in secret and based on fabricated accusations,” the statement said. “While we are told he’s doing well given the circumstances, Evan’s wrongful detention continues to be a devastating assault on his freedom and his work and an unfathomable attack on the free press.” They noted he has already spent 455 days in prison. The American-born son of immigrants from the USSR, Gershkovich is the first Western journalist arrested on espionage charges in post-Soviet Russia. Authorities arrested Gershkovich when he was on a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg, in the Ural Mountains, and claimed he was gathering secret information for the U.S. The State Department has declared him “wrongfully detained,” thereby committing the government to assertively seek his release. The Journal has worked diligently to keep the case in the public eye and it has become an issue in the combative months leading up to the U.S. presidential election. After his arrest on March 29, 2023, Gershkovich was held in Moscow's notoriously dismal Lefortovo Prison. He has appeared healthy during court hearings in which his appeals for release have been rejected. “Evan has displayed remarkable resilience and strength in the face of this grim situation," U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy said on the first anniversary of his arrest. Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison if the court finds him guilty, which is almost certain. Russian courts convict more than 99% of the defendants who come before them, and prosecutors can appeal sentences that they regard as too lenient, and they even can appeal acquittals. In addition, Russia’s interpretation of what constitutes high crimes like espionage and treason is broad, with authorities often going after people who share publicly available information with foreigners and accusing them of divulging state secrets. Paul Whelan, an American corporate security executive, was arrested in Moscow for espionage in 2018 and is serving a 16-year sentence. Gershkovich's arrest came about a year after President Vladimir Putin pushed through laws that chilled journalists, criminalizing criticism of what the Kremlin calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine and statements seen as discrediting the military. Foreign journalists largely left the country after the laws’ passage; many trickled back in subsequent months, but there were concerns about whether Russian authorities would act against them. After he was detained, fears rose that Russia was targeting Americans as animosity between Moscow and Washington grew. Last year, Alsu Kurmasheva, a reporter with dual American-Russian citizenship for the U.S. government-funded Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe was arrested for alleged violation of the law requiring so-called “foreign agents” to register. Another dual national, Los Angeles resident Ksenia Karelina, is on trial, also in Yekaterinburg, on treason charges for allegedly raising money for a Ukrainian organization that supplied arms and ammunition to Kyiv. Several Western reporters have been forced to leave after Gershkovich's arrest because Russia refused to renew their visas. With Gershkovich's trial being closed, few details of his case may become public. But the Russian Prosecutor General's office said this month that he is accused of “gathering secret information” on orders from the CIA about Uralvagonzavod, a plant about 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of Yekaterinburg that produces and repairs tanks and other military equipment. Not only is Uralvagonzavod strategically sensitive, it's also been a nest of vehement pro-Putin sentiment where an inquisitive American could offend and alarm. In 2011, a plant manager, Igor Kholmanskikh, attracted national attention on Putin's annual call-in program by denouncing mass protests in Moscow at the time. Putin later appointed him as his regional envoy and as a member of the National Security Council. Asked about the trial Wednesday during a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refrained from comment, saying only “it’s necessary to wait for the verdict.” Russia has not ruled out a prisoner exchange involving Gershkovich but says that's not possible before a verdict in his case. That could be months away, because Russian trials often adjourn for weeks. The post-verdict prospects are mixed. Although Russia-U.S. relations are highly troubled because of the conflict in Ukraine, the Kremlin and Washington did work out swaps in 2022 that freed WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was serving a 9 1/2-year sentence for cannabis possession. That exchange freed the highest-value Russian prisoner in the United States, arms dealer Viktor Bout. The countries also traded Marine veteran Trevor Reed, serving nine years in Russia for assaulting a police officer, for Russian pilot, Konstantin Yaroshenko, who’d been serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring to smuggle cocaine. The U.S. may not hold another strong card like Bout to swap. Putin has alluded to interest in freeing Vadim Krasikov, a Russian imprisoned in Germany for assassinating a Chechen rebel leader in Berlin, but Germany's willingness to aid in a Russia-U.S. dispute is uncertain. The Biden administration would also be sensitive to appearing to be giving away too much after coming under substantial criticism in trading Bout, widely called “the Merchant of Death,” for a sports figure. But Biden may feel an incentive to secure Gershkovich's release because of boasts by former President Donald Trump, who is his main challenger in this year's election, that he can easily get the journalist freed. Putin “will do that for me, but not for anyone else,” Trump claimed in May. The Kremlin, however, says it has not been in touch with Trump, and Peskov has previously bristled at the attention given to a possible exchange, saying “these contacts must be carried out in total secrecy.” He reaffirmed that Wednesday, adding: “It can only be repeated that this issue likes silence.”

NATO appointed Mark Rutte as its next secretary-general on Wednesday, putting the outgoing Dutch prime minister in charge of the world’s biggest security organization at a critical time for European security as war rages in Ukraine. Rutte’s appointment was sealed by NATO ambassadors during a meeting at the 32-nation alliance’s headquarters in Brussels. U.S. President Joe Biden and his counterparts will formally welcome him to their table at a summit in Washington on July 9-11. Putin offers truce if Ukraine exits Russian-claimed areas and drops NATO bid. Kyiv rejects it The outgoing Dutch premier will take over from the current secretary general, Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg, on Oct. 1. Stoltenberg spent more than a decade at the helm. His mandate was repeatedly extended, in part to provide continuity after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. NATO defense ministers thrash out new security aid and training support plan for Ukraine