Dutch Riot Over COVID Restrictions a Second Night; 7 Arrested

Police arrested seven rioters in The Hague on Saturday night after youths set fires in the streets and threw fireworks at officers. The unrest came a day after police opened fire on protesters in Rotterdam amid what the port city’s mayor called “an orgy of violence” that broke out at a protest against coronavirus restrictions. …

Tens of Thousands March in Vienna Against New COVID Measures

Tens of thousands of people, many of them far-right supporters, protested Saturday in Vienna against coronavirus restrictions a day after Austria’s government announced a new lockdown and said vaccines would be made compulsory next year. Whistling, blowing horns and banging drums, crowds streamed into Heroes’ Square in front of the Hofburg, the former imperial palace …

Dutch Police Open Fire on Rioters Protesting COVID Restrictions

Police opened fire on protesters in rioting that erupted in downtown Rotterdam around a demonstration against COVID-19 restrictions late Friday night. The Dutch city’s mayor called it “an orgy of violence.” Police said that two rioters were hospitalized after being hit by bullets, and investigations were underway to establish if they were shot by police. …

Europe’s COVID Crisis Pits Vaccinated Against Unvaccinated

This was supposed to be the Christmas in Europe where family and friends could once again embrace holiday festivities and one another. Instead, the continent is the global epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic as cases soar to record levels in many countries. With infections spiking again despite nearly two years of restrictions, the health crisis …

Spain’s Ancient Practice of Resin Harvesting May Hold Key to Energy Future

Guillermo Arránz spends his days in a forest hacking into pine trees to extract what is to him, liquid gold. Some might see it as lonely and backbreaking work, but to Arránz it brings great satisfaction. He is his own boss and spends his days enjoying nature. Arranz is one of Spain’s resineros, or resin …

Georgia’s Ex-president Saakashvili Agrees to End 50-day Hunger Strike 

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili agreed on Friday to end a 50-day prison hunger strike that had raised political tensions in the former Soviet republic and drawn expressions of concern from the United States.  Saakashvili agreed to end his protest after authorities offered to move him to a military hospital from a prison hospital where …

Hundreds of Kurdish Migrants Return Home From Belarus

Hundreds of Kurds who had camped along Belarus’ border for weeks were forced to return home Thursday after failing to enter the European Union. At Irbil International Airport, VOA Kurdish stringer Ahmad Zebari interviewed some of the returnees and filed this report narrated by Namo Abdulla. Producer and camera: Ahmad Zebari. …

Two Wounded During Protest of COVID-19 Restrictions in Netherlands

Crowds of rioters in the port city of Rotterdam torched cars and threw rocks at police, who responded with bullets and water cannons, as protests against COVID-19 measures turned violent Friday night.  “We fired warning shots and there were also direct shots fired because the situation was life-threatening,” police spokesperson Patricia Wessels told Reuters.  “We …

Britain Outlaws Palestinian Militant Group Hamas, Minister Says

British Home Secretary Priti Patel on Friday said she had banned the Palestinian militant group Hamas, a move that brought the U.K.’s stance on Gaza’s rulers in line with those of the United States and the European Union.  “Hamas has significant terrorist capability, including access to extensive and sophisticated weaponry, as well as terrorist training facilities,” …

Poland Accuses Belarus of Creating Border Crisis After Refugee Camps Cleared 

Poland accused Belarus on Friday of trucking hundreds of refugees to the two countries’ border and encouraging them to illegally cross into Polish territory to enter the European Union, an accusation that comes hours after Belarusian officials cleared the refugee camp where thousands had been hunkered down. Approximately 2,000 refugees, many of them Middle Eastern, …

NATO Chief Calls Situation at Belarus-Poland Border ‘Deeply Concerning’ 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the situation at the border between Poland and Belarus is “deeply concerning” and the alliance stands ready to help its allies involved.  Stoltenberg made the comments in Berlin, where he met with outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the issue and others facing NATO member nations.  Poland and the EU accuse the government of Belarusian …

Austria Imposes COVID Lockdown as Cases Surge

Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced Friday the government will begin a nationwide lockdown Monday and mandate vaccinations for all, making it the first European nation to reimpose COVID-19 measures, as cases throughout the region surge. At a news conference Friday, Schallenberg said Monday’s lockdown will be reevaluated after 10 days, but they will run a …

German Officials: Current COVID Surge Is ‘National Emergency’

German health officials said Friday the current COVID-19 situation in the country is a national emergency and called for immediate measures to be taken to mitigate the situation — including lockdowns, even for people who have been vaccinated. Germany’s Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases (RKI) reported 52,970 new COVID-19 cases Friday, the third straight …

Ukrainian Soldier Killed in Separatist Attack

Ukraine said Friday that one of its soldiers had been killed by pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country, as the West accuses Moscow of a troop build-up near Ukraine. Kiev’s army has been battling fighters in two breakaway regions bordering Russia since 2014, after Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. Ukraine and its Western …

Hungary Opposition Leader Vows to Restore Western Alliances

Hungary’s opposition leader wants to restore his country’s frayed ties with the West — and also has a message for American fans of right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban. “Let me state very strongly for all Americans that to be a part of Putin’s fan club doesn’t make you a conservative,” said Peter Marki-Zay, a self-described …

Belarus Moves Refugees to Large Warehouse

Officials in Belarus have cleared a refugee camp on the Poland-Belarus border where thousands of refugees had hunkered down in the hope of entering the European Union via Poland. Approximately 2,000 refugees, many of them Middle Eastern, were moved Thursday into a large warehouse, enabling them to escape the freezing cold of the outdoor makeshift …

Drug Regulator Says Europe Must Close Vaccination Gap to Stop COVID Surge

The European Union’s drug regulator, the European Medicines Agency, said Thursday that unvaccinated individuals account for much of the “fourth wave” of COVID-19 infections in the region and encouraged EU member nations to close the vaccination gap. During its regular COVID-19 briefing at EMA headquarters in Amsterdam, EMA biological threats chief Marco Cavaleri told reporters that in EU states, unvaccinated people, particularly those over the age of 50, are most likely to be hospitalized with severe COVID-19, be placed in intensive care or die. …

Neutral Pronoun in French Dictionary Stirs Boisterous Debate

A nonbinary pronoun added to an esteemed French dictionary has ignited a fierce linguistic squabble in the country.  Le Petit Robert introduced the word “iel” — an amalgamation of “il” (he) and “elle” (she) — to its online edition last month. While the term is gaining currency among young people, it is still far from …

German Parliament Passes COVID-19 Measures after Dire Warnings

Germany’s Bundestag — the lower house of parliament — Thursday approved new COVID-19 countermeasures the day after the Germany’s Robert Koch Institute for Disease Control and prevention (RKI) warned of a “terrible Christmas” if new counter measures are not put in place. The Bundestag, led by votes from what is likely Germany’s new ruling coalition, the …

Cuban Dissident Vows to Keep Battling ‘Brutal Tyranny’ of Regime

The leader of a Cuban dissident group who left the island for Spain said Thursday that the communist government was “behaving like an abusive husband” toward its people. Activist and playwright Yunior Garcia Aguilera arrived Wednesday in Madrid with his wife, Dayana Prieto, two days after police surrounded his house in Havana to stop him …

Russian Anti-Vaccine Disinformation Campaign Backfires

For more than a year, Russian-aligned troll factories overseeing thousands of social media accounts have been accused by Western countries and disinformation experts of spreading anti-vaccine messages in an aggressive campaign to spread conspiracy theories and cast doubt on Western coronavirus vaccines.  But the year-long offensive appears to have backfired.  Russian officials now worry that …

G-7 Urges Belarus to End Migrant Crisis

The G-7 group of nations condemned what it called the Belarus government’s “orchestration of irregular migration across its borders” Thursday, as neighboring Poland reported new attempts to cross its border. “We call on the regime to cease immediately its aggressive and exploitative campaign in order to prevent further deaths and suffering,” the foreign ministers of …

US Defense Secretary: China’s Hypersonic Missile Test Drew ‘Concerns’

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said China’s hypersonic missile test over the summer drew “concerns” about Beijing’s growing capability, but he said he did not compare it to Russia’s launching of the world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik I, in the 1950s. “Those are terms that I wouldn’t use, I don’t personally use,” Austin replied Wednesday …

As Poland Holds Back Migrants at Belarus Border, Thousands Suffer

Poland is dealing with a huge migrant crisis as thousands try to enter its territory from Belarus. Polish authorities have created an exclusion zone and do not allow volunteers to help migrants who reach European Union soil. Jamie Dettmer narrates this report by correspondent Ricardo Marquina from the Polish town of Michalowo near the border …