Politics

PARIS (AP) — The French government on Tuesday approved a key budget bill presented as the country's biggest military spending spree in more than 50 years, underscoring the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine .

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Montenegro’s president-elect Jakov Milatovic is pledging to speed up the small country’s bid for membership to the European Union and to adhere to the bloc’s policy line toward Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Senate on Monday approved a bill to ban abortions after six weeks , a measure supported by Gov. Ron DeSantis as the Republican prepares to launch his expected presidential candidacy.

LONDON (AP) — Nigel Lawson, the tax-cutting U.K. Treasury chief under the late Margaret Thatcher and a lion of Conservative politics in the late 20th century has died. He was 91.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's main opposition party said Tuesday that it will seek a parliamentary inquiry into Chancellor Olaf Scholz's handling of a tax evasion scam involving a private bank before he became the country's leader.

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron will have to muster all his diplomatic adeptness and political acumen on a three-day state visit to China where the war in Ukraine will be front and center, along with tough talks on trade.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Human rights groups on Tuesday applauded Malaysia's move to scrap the mandatory death penalty as a major step forward in the push for the abolition of capital punishment in Southeast Asia.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Jacinda Ardern, who stepped down as New Zealand's prime minister in January , will begin an unpaid role this month combating online extremism.

OTTAWA — A battle is brewing between Canadian defence officials and federal decision-makers as the Trudeau government looks for ways to save billions of dollars over the next few years.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Recreational cannabis consumers bought just over $300 million in pot in New Mexico since sales without a prescription were legalized a year ago, the state cannabis control division said Monday.