Ukraine's Parliament approves law ensuring independence of anti-corruption agencies
Article content
Last week's measure by Zelenskyy to place the watchdogs under the oversight of the prosecutor-general prompted rebukes from Ukrainians, the European Union and international rights groups. It raised fears that the government could meddle in investigations and potentially shield its supporters from scrutiny.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars of vital Western aid in the nearly 3 1/2-year all-out war. It's also an effort that enjoys broad public support.
Article content
Article content
'It guarantees normal, independent work for anti-corruption bodies and all law enforcement agencies in our state,' Zelenskyy said of the new law. 'A truly productive day with real impact for the people.'
Article content
Zelenskyy has been the international face of Ukraine's determination to thwart Russia's invasion. The anti-graft changes that he backed last week tarnished his image abroad and put a question mark over his country's efforts to meet standards set by the EU for membership.
Article content
'Ukraine's move to restore powers of anti-corruption bodies demonstrates its resolve to quickly get back on course when European democratic values are at stake,' EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on social media.
Article content
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, who called last week's legislative changes 'a serious step back,' welcomed approval of the bill, saying lawmakers had 'corrected last week's damaging vote.'
Article content
'Today's law restores key safeguards, but challenges remain,' Kos, who monitors the record of countries that are candidates to join the bloc, wrote on X. 'The EU supports (Ukrainian) citizens' demands for reform. Upholding fundamental values & fighting corruption must remain the priority.'
Article content
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Ukraine 'is committed to reforms and the fight against corruption,' and that Zelenskyy 'demonstrated a principled approach.'
Article content
'We got it fixed,' he wrote on X.
Article content
At the start of a livestream of the parliamentary session, which was the first to be broadcast in real time since the start of the war, two lawmakers could be seen exchanging punches. Although the reason for the scuffle wasn't known, it occurred amid a tense atmosphere in the chamber where the speaker's podium is flanked by Ukrainian and EU flags.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
U.K. and France set to implement migrant returns deal
Britain said it would begin implementing a deal to return migrants who arrive on small boats to France within days after a treaty on the arrangement – a key part of British plans to cut illegal migration – is ratified on Tuesday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron announced the 'one in, one out' pilot scheme on migrant returns last month. Under the new deal, France has agreed to accept the return of undocumented people arriving in Britain by small boats, in exchange for Britain agreeing to accept an equal number of legitimate asylum seekers with British family connections. A treaty on the scheme was signed last week but not previously announced ahead of Tuesday's ratification. Britain said the European Commission and EU member states had given the green light to the plan. Starmer, whose popularity has fallen since winning an election landslide last year, is facing pressure to stop small boat arrivals from the populist Reform U.K. party, led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage. Britain's interior ministry said it expected detentions to begin within days. 'This is an important step towards undermining the business model of the organized crime gangs that are behind these crossings,' British interior minister Yvette Cooper said. Under the agreement with France, government sources previously said they were looking at about 50 returns a week, or 2,600 a year, a fraction of the more than 35,000 arrivals reported last year, though the scheme could be scaled up. More than 25,000 people have arrived on small boats so far in 2025, and the government has targeted people smugglers with sanctions, clamped down on social media adverts and is working with delivery firms to tackle the illegal work that is often promised to migrants.
Canada News.Net
2 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Wall Street kicks off new with across-the-board gains
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks rebounded Monday with all the major indices pushing higher. Markets were boosted by Europe putting off its retaliatory trade measures it had planned, for six months. "The EU continues to work with the U.S. to finalise a Joint Statement, as agreed on 27 July," a spokesperson for the European Commission said Monday. "With these objectives in mind, the Commission will take the necessary steps to suspend by 6 months the EU's countermeasures against the U.S., which were due to enter into force on 7 August." The U.S. and the European Commission cemented a trade deal at a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at Mr Trump's golf course resort in Scotland on 27 July 2025. Ms von der Leyen at the time, remarked that Mr Trump was "a tough negotiator, but he is also a dealmaker." U.S. stock markets closed sharply higher on Monday, with strong gains across the board. The Standard and Poor's 500 (^GSPC) surged 1.47 percent, adding 91.93 points to close at 6,329.94, as investor optimism drove broad-based buying. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) climbed 1.34 percent, rising 585.06 points to finish at 44,173.64, marking its best session in weeks. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) outperformed with a 1.95 percent gain, jumping 403.45 points to 21,053.58, led by strong performances in big tech and growth stocks. Trading volumes were robust, with the S&P 500 seeing 2.957 billion shares traded, the Dow recording 509.404 million, and the Nasdaq logging 5.865 billion shares exchanged. Global Forex Markets Show Mixed Movements on Monday The foreign exchange market saw mixed movements in major currency pairs at the start of the week, with the U.S. dollar showing varied performance against its counterparts. The EUR/USD pair edged lower, trading at 1.1571, down 0.12 percent as the euro weakened slightly against the greenback. Meanwhile, the USD/JPY declined to 146.95, falling 0.29 percent as the yen gained ground. The USD/CAD pair also dipped modestly, settling at 1.3778, a decrease of 0.06 percent, while the GBP/USD saw a slight uptick, rising 0.06 percent to 1.3279 as the British pound stabilized after last week's losses. The Swiss franc weakened against the dollar, with USD/CHF climbing 0.56 percent to 0.8078. In the Pacific region, the AUD/USD slipped 0.04 percent to 0.6464, and the NZD/USD dropped 0.13 percent to 0.5904, reflecting subdued risk appetite. Global Stock Markets Close Mixed on Monday; European Indices Lead Gains Global stock markets delivered a mixed performance on Monday, with European indices posting strong gains while some Asian markets struggled. European markets surged, with Germany's DAX leading the charge, climbing over 1.4 percent amid optimism over corporate earnings and economic data. Asian markets were mixed, with Japan's Nikkei 225 dropping 509 points or 1.25 percent, while India's Sensex and Hong Kong's Hang Seng posted modest gains. China's benchmark index edged higher, supported by positive sentiment in select sectors. South Africa's Top 40 index outperformed with a 2.51 percent jump, while Egypt's EGX 30 also saw strong gains. Here's a breakdown of Monday's key closing figures: Canada In contrast to U.S. markets Canada'sS&P/TSX Composite (^GSPTSE)bucked the trend, falling0.88 percentor239.37 pointsto27,020.43, weighed down by declines in energy and financial sectors. UK and Europe FTSE 100 (^FTSE): 9,128.30, up 59.72 points (+0.66 percent) DAX (^GDAXI): 23,757.69, up 331.72 points (+1.42 percent) CAC 40 (^FCHI): 7,632.01, up 85.85 points (+1.14 percent) EURO STOXX 50 (^STOXX50E): 5,242.32, up 76.72 points (+1.49 percent) Euronext 100 (^N100): 1,558.34, up 16.95 points (+1.10 percent) BEL 20 (^BFX): 4,608.87, up 43.50 points (+0.95 percent) Asia-Pacific Hang Seng (^HSI): 24,733.45, up 225.64 points (+0.92 percent) SSE Composite ( 3,583.31, up 23.36 points (+0.66 percent) STI Index (^STI): 4,197.23, up 43.40 points (+1.04 percent) S&P/ASX 200 (^AXJO): 8,663.70, up 1.70 points (+0.02 percent) All Ordinaries (^AORD): 8,922.00, up 4.90 points (+0.05 percent) S&P BSE SENSEX (^BSESN): 81,018.72, up 418.81 points (+0.52 percent) IDX Composite (^JKSE): 7,464.65, down 73.12 points (-0.97 percent) FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (^KLSE): 1,526.98, down 6.37 points (-0.42 percent) S&P/NZX 50 (^NZ50): 12,684.04, down 45.36 points (-0.36 percent) KOSPI (^KS11): 3,147.75, up 28.34 points (+0.91 percent) TWSE (^TWII): 23,378.94, down 55.44 points (-0.24 percent) Middle East & Africa
National Post
8 hours ago
- National Post
NFLPA names former SAG-AFTRA exec David White interim executive director
The NFL Players Association took a bit of time but, with teams at training camps, moved to fill its leadership void from outside the union. Article content Player representatives voted Sunday night to appoint David P. White the NFLPA's interim executive director. Article content Article content The election of White, the other finalist when the union elected Lloyd Howell in 2023, came 17 days after Howell's resignation a little more than two years into his term as executive director. Article content 'I am grateful to the NFLPA's player leadership for entrusting me with the privilege and responsibility to guide their union as interim executive director,' White said in a statement released Sunday night by the NFLPA. 'It's a duty I do not take lightly, and I'm committed to reestablishing trust and ensuring the union is serving its members best. I look forward to working with the entire NFLPA team to protect players' health and safety, secure their financial well-being, and further strengthen their voice to shape their futures.' Article content The players on the NFLPA's executive committee voted, 10-1, in 2023 to recommend White, the former national executive director and chief negotiator for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), over Howell, a player who was on the executive committee and another person familiar with the situation told The Washington Post last month. But the recommendation was never delivered to the team-by-team player representatives who elected Howell. Article content 'We wanted [the player reps] to make up their own mind,' the player said last month. 'We did that in case we were asked for our recommendation.' Article content Now the NFLPA has turned back to White. Article content 'This decision is the result of a comprehensive, player-led process,' free agent linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, the NFLPA president, said in a statement. 'We understood the urgency to fill this role and did our due diligence to identify the right person to lead our union in this moment. We have full faith in David to take the union forward and operate in the best interests of our membership. David has spent much of his career fighting for collectively bargained rights in the labor movement and is committed to putting players first in all the union does. We are confident that he will inspire solidarity and provide the necessary stability during this period of transition.' Article content Multiple internal candidates and multiple external candidates were on the list of finalists for the interim job, according to a person familiar with the voting process. Each was interviewed by the player reps over the past two weeks. A representative of each team participated in Sunday night's vote.
