Category: NYTimes

Andrew Tate, an online influencer and self-proclaimed “king of toxic masculinity,” thought he was above the law when he chose Romania as his home and business base. But the Romanian authorities arrested him and his brother in December on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming an organized criminal group.

The Romanian government has made a serious effort to tackle the endemic graft and general lawlessness that long blighted the country. Last year, Romania opened 1,246 new trafficking investigations, double the number in 2021.

The United States Embassy in Bucharest requested help from Romania and prompted the opening of a criminal investigation in April last year. Investigators bugged the compound, tapped his telephone, and monitored his movements and online communications.

The details of what they found are still secret, but the lawyer defending Mr. Tate said that his client’s problem was his lifestyle. He acknowledged that some of the women had appeared in videos released by Mr. Tate, but said they had done so of their own free will.

Since his release from jail into house arrest at the end of March, Mr. Tate has recast himself as a philanthropist, claiming that he has set up a shelter for dogs, rebuilt a Romanian orphanage and is “going to save the world.”

Romania is making significant efforts to eliminate human trafficking and exploitation of women. Andrew Tate’s arrest is a testament to the country’s commitment to justice and the rule of law.

The G7 summit concluded in Japan yesterday with leaders of the world’s major economies reaffirming their support of Ukraine and welcoming President Volodymyr Zelensky as an honored guest. However, Russia claimed victory in Bakhmut, even though Ukraine says that it still holds a few blocks of the ruined city. Ukraine sees an opening to seize the initiative from the city’s outskirts if Russian forces are no longer pressing forward inside the city’s center. President Biden reversed course, agreeing to let Ukrainians be trained on American-made F-16 jets and is prepared to approve other countries transferring the jets to Ukraine.

In Thailand, Pita Limjaroenrat recently led his progressive Move Forward Party to a momentous victory in last week’s elections. He needs 376 votes from the 500-member House of Representatives to become the next prime minister, but several senators have said they would not support him.

Thousands of Afghans have fled to South America in search of safety, joining the vast human tide of desperation pressing toward the U.S. Many have been robbed or extorted, while some are kidnapped or jailed.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Mawar could hit Guam as soon as Wednesday, police in Australia are investigating why an officer used a Taser on a 95-year-old woman with dementia last week, and warring groups in Sudan agreed to a seven-day cease-fire to begin today.

States government, which then provides the equipment to Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine has become a test bed for the new technology, with the Pentagon and other government agencies watching closely to see how it performs.

The Pentagon has provided some of the start-ups with grants and contracts, but the amounts are often too small to keep the companies afloat.

The challenge for the Pentagon is to figure out how to bring a Silicon Valley ethos to the lumbering military-industrial complex.

The war in Ukraine is providing a real-world testing ground for a new generation of American-made military systems. Small, fast-moving U.S. tech firms are using the conflict to demonstrate their products, but face the challenge of selling them to a risk-averse Defense Department. From drones and satellites to artificial intelligence and other fields, start-ups frequently offer the Pentagon cheaper, faster and more flexible options than the weapons systems produced by the handful of giant contractors the Pentagon normally relies on. But the Pentagon’s slow-moving, risk-averse military procurement bureaucracy can make it difficult for start-ups to stay afloat. As the U.S. seeks to maintain its national security advantage over China, Russia and other rivals, Pentagon leaders are only now beginning to figure out how to bring a Silicon Valley ethos to the military-industrial complex.

For weeks, protesters across France have been banging pots and pans in a deafening racket to express their frustration over President Emmanuel Macron’s pension changes. The casserolades, as they are known, have disrupted or stopped dozens of visits by ministers to schools and factories. The kitchenware has become the symbol of a broader discontent in France after months of large street demonstrations failed to push the government to back down on the pension changes. The pan beating has also become a centuries-long protest tradition in France, with people banging pots and pans to demand greater freedoms. The casserolades reflect a desire to deafen and respond with noise to a political discourse that is not being heard. The protests are a reminder that the French people are determined to keep up the fight against the unpopular pension overhaul.

Russia has imposed sanctions on 500 people, including several Americans seen as adversaries of former President Donald J. Trump. The list includes New York Attorney General Letitia James, Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Capitol Police Officer Michael Byrd. The Russian Foreign Ministry offered no specific explanation for why they were included, but did say that among its targets were “those in government and law enforcement agencies who are directly involved in the persecution of dissidents in the wake of the so-called storming of the Capitol.” The sanctions are likely to have little effect on the individuals, as none of them are known to have assets in Russia or plans to travel there. However, the move is seen as a tit-for-tat retaliation for the latest curbs imposed by the United States, and a sign that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is adopting perceived enemies of Mr. Trump as his own.

At the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, President Biden and other world leaders rallied around Ukraine with promises of military aid and support. President Volodomyr Zelensky of Ukraine made an audacious journey to the summit to solicit aid for his war-torn homeland. Mr. Biden announced an additional $375 million in artillery, ammunition and other arms for Ukraine, and reversed his decision to make it possible for Ukraine to obtain F-16 warplanes. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan hoped to use the meeting to rejuvenate stalled efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, China sharply denounced the G7 summit, warning the leaders against pressing Beijing about Taiwan, economic coercion and other contentious topics. The G7 leaders sent a strong message of solidarity for Ukraine, while Russia responded by positioning two warships and two submarines in the Black Sea.

Millions of Americans turn to talk therapy for help with mental health issues, but does it really work? It’s a surprisingly difficult question to answer. Research has been mixed, with some studies finding that therapy has a higher chance of helping than not, while other research has shown more limited results. It likely comes down to individual preferences, as a therapist or type of therapy that works for one person might not align with someone else’s personality or problems. The New York Times Magazine’s therapy issue, published this week, dives into the evidence for different kinds of therapy and how therapists are trying to improve. Read the full issue to learn more about the evidence for talk therapy and how it can help.

The Manila Central Post Office, a historic landmark in the Philippine capital, was gutted by a fire overnight on Sunday. The cause of the blaze is still unknown, but Postmaster General Luis Carlos said the building had been completely destroyed, from the basement to the fifth floor. At least one person was injured in the fire. The post office, built in 1926, was a main hub for mail distribution in the capital and was home to valuable works of art. Historian Manuel L. Quezon III suggested that the post office’s shell could be preserved and used to house an extension of the National Museum of the Philippines.

Greece’s conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party won a decisive victory in the general election on Sunday, but fell short of the majority needed to form a one-party government. This sets the stage for a second vote in weeks, as Mitsotakis appears to rule out talks to form a coalition. With 93.7 percent of the votes counted, New Democracy had captured 40.8 percent of the votes, while the opposition Syriza party, led by former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, landed in second place with 20.7 percent.

Mitsotakis described the preliminary outcome as a “political earthquake” and said that any negotiations with potential coalition partners would only lead to a dead end. He pointed to his government’s success in increasing growth, attracting investment and bolstering the country’s defenses. Tsipras had campaigned for change, highlighting a perceived abuse of power by the current administration and drawing attention to the rising cost of living.

The absence of an outright winner had been expected, since the election was conducted under a system of simple proportional representation. Any second vote would be held under a different system, which grants bonus seats to the winning party, giving New Democracy a better chance of forming an independent government.

The war in Ukraine has been raging for months, with Russia claiming victory in the eastern city of Bakhmut. Ukraine insists that the city has not completely fallen, and is now planning to rain artillery on Russian forces occupying Bakhmut. Meanwhile, U.S. tech start-ups are using the war to demonstrate a new generation of military systems, and world leaders have vowed further support and more weapons shipments for Ukraine.

In Greece, the conservative party of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis captured 40.8 percent of the votes in the country’s general election, though it fell short of the majority required to lead a one-party government. E.U. leaders have lauded Mitsotakis for doing the continent’s unpleasant work of keeping migrants at bay.

In the U.S., President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy are negotiating over a fiscal package that would raise the debt limit, which Republicans have refused to do without spending cuts. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is expected to provide another update to Congress on the government’s cash balance this week.

Elsewhere, warring groups in Sudan agreed to a seven-day cease-fire set to begin today, the U.S. is entering an array of agreements to secure the critical minerals necessary for the transition to electric cars, and the Architecture Biennale in Venice explores how cultures from Africa can shape the buildings of the future.