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Protest held on Greek island against docked US aircraft carrier as Iran tension builds

CHANIA, Greece (AP) — Protesters gathered on the Greek island of Crete late Tuesday following the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier that is part of a major buildup of American forces in the Middle East.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, docked Monday at the American naval base at Souda Bay on Crete, amid warnings by U.S. President Donald Trump of possible military action against Iran.

The peaceful rally, backed by the Greek Communist Party, was held in the nearby port city of Chania. Protesters held up individual placards with letters spelling out “Killers” in English.

Regional tensions have spiked again, largely over the future of Iran’s nuclear program.

Beijing bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering China because they visited Taiwan

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from traveling to China for a year and demanded they apologize because they visited Taiwan on a parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via parliamentary officials and shown to The Associated Press on Thursday. China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory. Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing. The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
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