
Swedish prosecutor seeks detention of man suspected of spying on Uyghurs for China
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish prosecutors have requested the detention of a man suspected of spying on ethnic Uyghurs for China, the prosecution authority said on Wednesday.
"The man is suspected of having illegally collected information and intelligence on people in the Uyghur environment on behalf of the Chinese intelligence service," Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said in a statement.
The prosecution authority declined to give more detail on the case.
The Chinese embassy in Sweden did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rights groups accuse Beijing of widespread abuses of Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority group of about 10 million people who live in China's far western Xinjiang region.
In 2022, a landmark United Nations report said that China's "arbitrary and discriminatory detention" of Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang may constitute crimes against humanity.
Beijing denies any abuse and has accused Western countries of interference and peddling lies.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump says meeting on Iran planned for Thursday
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said the U.S. and Iran would continue talks on Thursday for a nuclear deal, adding that Tehran was a tough negotiator and that the main impediment to an agreement was over enrichment. "We're doing a lot of work on Iran right now," Trump told reporters at an economic event at the White House. "It's tough. ... They're great negotiators." "They're just asking for things that you can't do. They don't want to give up what they have to give up," he added. "They seek enrichment. We can't have enrichment. We want just the opposite. And so far, they're not there." "They have given us their thoughts on the deal. And I said, you know, it's just not acceptable," Trump said as Tehran plans to hand Washington a counter-proposal. Trump also said he discussed Iran among other topics with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, adding that the call went well.


Politico
35 minutes ago
- Politico
Stefanik comes for Albany
KNOCK, KNOCK, KATHY HOCHUL: Upstate Rep. Elise Stefanik is at your doorstep, Madam Governor. Stefanik visited the Senate Republicans' hideout on the third floor of the state Capitol today, for the sole purpose of a Gov. Kathy Hochul-bashing press conference, lacing into the governor as the legislative session continued. Meanwhile, Hochul spent the day working out of her Manhattan office. Stefanik called Hochul 'the worst governor in America,' citing her record on affordability, public safety, fiscal management and antisemitism. She used the moniker three times during her diatribe. 'They care more about their radical, far-left, anti-American base than they care about public safety and border security,' Stefanik said, knocking state Democrats' refusal to take up a New York version of the Laken Riley Act. Stefanik is eyeing a run for governor in 2026 — a decision she says she'll make 'in the coming months.' Hudson Valley Republican Rep. Mike Lawler is also continuing to drum up the now year-long speculation he might make a play for the Executive Mansion. He last week fired back at Stefanik's pitch that the GOP nominee for governor needs to be a MAGA diehard like her: 'You can't win a statewide election in New York just by pounding your chest and saying that you're the most MAGA candidate,' Lawler said. And against the backdrop of Stefanik's Albany visit was the tumult on the shores of the Potomac River. Both Lawler and Stefanik are contending with the Trump-backed 'big, beautiful bill,' which is poised to scale back Medicaid spending and allow taxpayers to deduct up to $40,000 of state and local taxes from their federal filings. The bill is with the Senate, which is looking at lowering the $40,000 cap. While Lawler has vowed to vote against the sprawling bill if the SALT cap dips under $40,000, Stefanik declined to name a number that would be her dealbreaker. Stefanik disagreed that the bill's proposed Medicaid cuts will hurt Republicans politically, and instead lambasted New York's high tax rate and Medicaid spending on undocumented immigrant care. 'Elise Stefanik dodged question after question because there's no good way to defend ripping away health care from two million New Yorkers,' said Addison Dick, a spokesperson for the state's Democratic party. 'While Stefanik lies to her constituents' faces about her and Trump's plan to gut Medicaid, New Yorkers see right through it — and they know Governor Hochul's budget puts money back in their pockets, cuts taxes for the middle class, and makes our streets and subways safer.' Stefanik — Trump's short-lived nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations — also gave a taste of what her hypothetical governorship would look like. She railed against subsidies for solar power farms and other 'green new scam programs.' She slammed the state's 'bloated budget' and promised to take after Trump by signing a flurry of early executive orders focused on reining in spending. And she indicated how she would approach immigration in Albany, saying the Trump administration is taking 'exactly the right actions' to crack down on illegal immigration. — Jason Beeferman From the Capitol AID IN DYING SET FOR FINAL VOTE: The 'aid in dying' legislation is likely to pass the state Senate today, bill sponsor Brad Hoylman-Sigal revealed. The bill was added to the chamber's calendar this morning and will face a highly anticipated debate later in the day. It passed in the Assembly by narrow margins in April. Advocates for the measure, which would allow doctors to prescribe euthanizing medication to terminally ill patients, filled the state Capitol's Million Dollar Staircase today to celebrate its pending passage. Members of the New York State Catholic Conference also visited the Capitol today, speaking out against the measure and foreshadowing a contentious debate on the Senate floor. 'For the first time in its history, New York is on the verge of authorizing doctors to help their patients commit suicide,' state Catholic Conference Executive Director Dennis Poust said in a statement. 'Make no mistake – this is only the beginning and it may end up that the only person standing between New York and the assisted suicide nightmare unfolding in Canada is Governor Hochul.' Hoylman-Sigal likened the magnitude of the measure to the passage of marriage equality and abortion rights in the state. And Assembly sponsor Amy Paulin called the legislation the 'proudest achievement' in her career. 'This conversation has been a journey for each and every one of us, a soul searching exercise that we haven't confronted in (recent history),' Hoylman-Sigal said to reporters. 'This is about personal autonomy, this is about exercising one's own freedom to control one's own body.' — Katelyn Cordero FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FIX FIXES: The Campaign Finance Board today announced it sent a $540,482 payment to the Cuomo campaign after its allied super PAC, Fix the City, amended a filing that reduced the cost of a TV ad used as the basis to withhold $1.3 million in public matching funds. Campaign finance regulators are probing whether the Cuomo campaign and the group have improperly coordinated and withheld matching funds to the leading mayoral candidate last month. The group initially reported the ad cost $1.3 million; the amended filing claimed the expenditure amounted to $756,994. After that change by Fix the City, the Cuomo campaign petitioned the Campaign Finance Board to argue the cash withheld should be limited to the amount of money the group now reports was spent on the ad, said board member Richard Davis. The deep-pocketed Fix the City has spent more than $8 million on TV ads to push the front-running Cuomo's candidacy, according to media tracking firm AdImpact. But the Cuomo campaign has come under scrutiny for using a 'redboxing' strategy of communicating preferred messaging to the super PAC. 'We always said we were in full compliance with the law and look forward to receiving the full amount once the CFB finishes their preliminary investigation,' Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said. A Fix the City spokesperson did not comment. — Nick Reisman CUOMO LAUDS COMMISH TISCH: Mayoral front-runner Cuomo had high praise for NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch during an interview with Bloomberg Radio this morning — but he still won't say if he'd keep her on the job as mayor. 'I don't believe in saying who you're going to appoint, who you're not going to appoint — it's kind of arrogant until you get the job,' he said. 'Commissioner Tisch is doing a very good job. The stability. We went through a number of police commissioners, each one brought their own tumult and their own transformation. Jessica Tisch is steady; the NYPD feels steady.' At last week's mayoral debate, candidates were asked to raise their hands if they would keep Tisch as police commissioner; Brad Lander, Zellnor Myrie and Whitney Tilson were the only ones to answer in the affirmative. — Jason Beeferman LANDER, NYPD AND ICE: Lander would prevent the National Guard from being deployed in protests by reforming the NYPD's Strategic Response Group if elected mayor, he said today. The SRG is a unit within the NYPD trained to deal with counterrorism, but has been deployed to control protests. 'Right now, [having] the same set of folks respond to counterterrorism and to protests creates more problems than it solves,' Lander said, referring to the SRG, in response to the Trump administration sending the National Guard to crack down on protests against ICE in Los Angeles. Civil rights advocates and lawmakers have criticized the SRG for using excessive force and mass arrests, which have provoked confrontations between police and demonstrations. Instead, Lander said he wants police officers trained on de-escalation and managing protests to prevent demonstrations from becoming violent. 'That helps to show the world we have this under control, and whatever Trump is trying to do is trying to provoke the conflict, not calm it. And we're going to stand up to him,' Lander said. — Cris Seda Chabrier CANDIDATES TALK YESHIVAS: Several mayoral candidates expressed reservations about automatically taking funding away from nonpublic schools like yeshivas if they're not meeting state education standards. They were responding to a question at a Jewish community forum on Sunday from NY1's Errol Louis on whether they'd support cutting public funding for non-compliant yeshivas. Myrie, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, former City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani and attorney Jim Walden did not raise their hands. 'If a school is out of compliance on education standards, why should the safety of those students then suffer as a result of that?,' Mamdani said, citing security funding as an example. 'The compliance has to be the first focus, but the stripping of funding to me is something that is a step too far when our focus should be elsewhere.' Myrie and the speaker took issue with taking resources away from children. The speaker said the local government should work with the state government, while Myrie proposed a partnership with schools. Stringer called for creating trust between City Hall and yeshivas. 'I think there's a carrot-stick approach that we should use,' he said. Attorney Jim Walden, who's running as an independent, wants to employ a similar approach, and suggested evaluating schools individually. Groups like Young Advocates for Fair Education — one of the forum's co-sponsors — have been pushing for secular education in yeshivas. The governor and state lawmakers recently tweaked education guidelines for religious and nonpublic schools. That could help Hochul, who's facing a tough reelection bid next year, curry favor with the politically powerful Hasidic community. Lander and businessperson Whitney Tilson raised their hands. Tilson — a former board member for the KIPP NYC charter network — said charters can be put on probation or shut down if they're not adequately educating children. 'That same standard should be applied to all of our public schools and all the private schools in this state,' he said. — Madina Touré IN OTHER NEWS — DONOR $CRUTINY: Pro-Cuomo super PAC got $2.7 million from donors with business before the city. (THE CITY) — RAMOS' REVERSAL: Behind the progressive state senator's decision to turn the enemy of her enemies into her friend. (New York Mag) — DC37'S NEW PAC: The municipal worker union is putting some serious cash behind Adrienne Adams, and the mayor's former political consultants are working on the effort. (City & State) Missed this morning's New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.


Newsweek
40 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Trump Reacts To Greta Thunberg's Claim That She Was 'Kidnapped' By Israel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump responded on Monday to Swedish activist Greta Thunberg's claim that she was "kidnapped" by Israel while she and other pro-Palestinian advocates were on an aid boat bound for Gaza. After the Israeli military intercepted the civilian vessel in international waters, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which operated the boat, released a pre-recorded video from Thunberg. "If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel," the climate activist said in the clip. A reporter asked Trump about the video during a White House business roundtable on Monday and referenced Thunberg's claim that she had been kidnapped. "I find it—I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg," Trump said. "Is that what she said? She was kidnapped by Israel?" "Yes, sir," the reporter said, to which Trump responded by shaking his head, before moving on to other questions. Trump: I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg — Acyn (@Acyn) June 9, 2025 This is a breaking story. Updates to follow.