The lower house of Switzerland’s parliament followed in the Senate’s footsteps Wednesday in voting to approve a ban on the public display, wearing and use of Nazi and other extremist, racist symbols.A multiparty coalition overcame opposition from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party to advance the legislation.”Today in Switzerland, it’s possible…

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian forces are being withdrawn from Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, where they have been stationed as peacekeepers since the end of a war in 2020, officials of both countries said Wednesday.In a conference call with journalists, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed reports of the withdrawal but did not…

LONDON (AP) — A law that will enable Britain to send some asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda suffered a setback on Wednesday after Parliament’s upper chamber pressed its attempt to amend the contentious legislation.The House of Lords inserted amendments into the Safety of Rwanda Bill, sending it back…

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s governing conservative party added a convicted politician from Albania’s ethnic Greek minority to its list of candidates for the upcoming European Parliament election, adding to the already existing tension between the two countries.Fredi Beleris was elected mayor of the town of Himare in southern Albania…

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The Swedish parliament passed a law Wednesday lowering the age required for people to legally change their gender from 18 to 16. Those under 18 still need approval from a guardian, a doctor and the National Board of Health and Welfare.No longer required is a gender…

Western powers are urging the Israeli government to show restraint in its expected response to the Iranian missile strikes last week.Officials from Germany, the United Kingdom and elsewhere have asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration not to escalate the situation into an active conflict — but those same officials…

Security for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, will be tight due to potential unrest and terrorism threats, according to police.Pro-Palestinian activists are planning rallies in downtown Malmo, advocating for Israel’s exclusion from Eurovision.Sweden elevated its terror threat level to “high” last year due to escalating security concerns,…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left no doubt in a statement on Wednesday, regarding what his Jewish country might do should current tensions with Iran escalate further.”Israel will do whatever it needs to defend itself,” Netanyahu said in a statement.The comment came after separate meetings with British Foreign Secretary David…

Amnesty International, a human rights group, has reported widespread abuse in Syrian detention facilities holding suspected Islamic State members and their relatives.The human rights group interviewed 126 people accused of Islamic State affiliation currently or formerly detained.The facilities are run by local authorities affiliated with the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic…

David Comissiong, a high-level Caribbean ambassador, has voiced the need to establish an international special tribunal for seeking reparations related to transatlantic slavery.There is growing support among African and Caribbean nations for creating such a tribunal to address atrocities dating back to transatlantic slavery.Representatives from other nations, including Guyana and…