Tel Aviv police chief quits, citing government meddling against protesters

By Maayan Lubell JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Tel Aviv’s police commander said on Wednesday he was quitting the force, citing political intervention by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right cabinet whom he said wanted excessive force used against anti-government protesters. Tel Aviv District Commander Ami Eshed did not name the far-right National Security Minister Itamar…

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Russia: US access to detained reporter Gershkovich on reciprocal basis

(Reuters) – Russia will allow the U.S. ambassador to Moscow to visit detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich “on a reciprocal basis”, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. Ambassador Lynne Tracy was able to visit Gershkovich this week for only the second time since he was detained in March on espionage charges,…

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Order limiting Biden officials’ social media outreach on shaky legal ground, experts say

By Brendan Pierson and Andrew Goudsward (Reuters) – A federal judge’s order restricting Biden administration officials from contacting social media companies about moderating their content will face tough legal challenges on appeal, experts said. Several legal scholars and attorneys said while the lawsuit challenging the administration’s communications with social media companies raised real free speech…

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Philippines accuses China of more ‘harassment’ near disputed reef

MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines on Wednesday accused China’s coast guard of harassment, obstruction and “dangerous manoeuvres” against its vessels, after another incident near a strategic feature of the South China Sea that has become a flashpoint between them. Philippine coast guard boats were assisting a naval operation on June 30 when they were “constantly…

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Exclusive-Raiffeisen delays quitting Russia as Austria defends ties -sources

By John O’Donnell and Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich VIENNA (Reuters) – Raiffeisen Bank International is delaying plans to leave Russia, three people familiar with its position said, as Austria steps up its defence of long-standing ties with Moscow. Raiffeisen (RBI), the largest of the Western banks in Russia, had intended to spin off its Russian business, which…

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Guatemala anti-graft candidate says govt trying to remove him from race

By Sofia Menchu GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) – Guatemala presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo, the surprise second-place finisher in first-round elections, said the government is behind attempts to question the result and wants to remove him from the run-off. The country’s top court called for a ballot review of the June 25 vote after the ruling party…

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