Month: December 2018

Thousands of Serbs have protested against President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party in in the capital, Belgrade. …

Hundreds of students of Iran’s Azad University have protested in the capital, Tehran, to express anger over last week’s bus crash that killed and injured about two dozen students. …

Turkmenistan’s president was all smiles when he appeared on state television ahead of the New Year to perform a dreamy new song. But for the country’s citizens, there is not much reason for happiness these days. (The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL.) …

With the new advancement of Kurdish-led forces into Hajin, in eastern Syria, thousands have fled their homes in Islamic State-controlled pockets. Cold weather and lack of equipment add to their hardship. VOA’s Zana Omar reports from the region. …

The world’s wildlife remains under increasing pressure because of human encroachment, the effects of climate change and — especially — poaching. It is estimated that the global wildlife trafficking market is worth up to $23 billion. Conservationists are fighting back to save some of the most endangered species we have left. Faith Lapidus reports. …

Pineapples aren’t just a delicious fruit, they could be part of your next pair of shoes or piece of clothing. VOA’s Mariama Diallo reports. …

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a call discussed the conflict in eastern Ukraine and Crimea, with Merkel pressing Putin on the continued detention of 24 Ukrainian sailors seized by Moscow’s forces in the Kerch Strait. …

Britain has rejected comments by Russia’s ambassador to London claiming the two countries have agreed to gradually reinstate dozens of diplomatic personnel who were expelled by both sides following the Novichok poisoning in Salisbury, Russia’s state-run TASS news agency reports. …

Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and an outspoken former lawmaker in her own right, is warning that the Iranian establishment could collapse. …

A transformer explosion at an electrical facility illuminated the New York City skyline in a blaze of blue light Thursday night.  The explosion caused scattered power outages, delayed flights and impacted city subways. “There was a boom and a bang and a flash of light,” Jim Long, a spokesman for the Fire Department of New …

Read more “Transformer Explosion Bathes New York Skyline in Blaze of Blue”

Curb your dog, don’t pet the llamas, and say goodbye to your favorite cat cafe: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that bans cruelty to animals and imposes stricter new regulations on pet ownership. …

Afghan authorities have imposed a travel ban on the head of Afghanistan’s Football Federation (AFF) over the alleged physical and sexual abuse of former and current players on the women’s national soccer team. …

A ship carrying mainly African migrants docked in Spain Friday morning, after being refused entry by several European countries, including Malta and Italy.  The Open Arms vessel rescued the migrants off the coast of Libya on December 21.  The ship is operated by Proactiva Open Arms, a Spanish charity,  The 310 migrants walked off the …

Read more “Migrant Ship Docks In Spain, After Other Countries Refused Entry”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law establishing punishment for people deemed by courts to have involved minors in unauthorized protests, rallies, and demonstrations. …

Alan Naiman was known for an unabashed thriftiness that veered into comical, but even those closest to him had no inkling of the fortune that he quietly amassed and the last act that he had long planned. The Washington state social worker died of cancer this year at age 63, leaving most of a surprising …

Read more “Social Worker Left Surprise $11M to Children’s Charities”