Month: February 2019

Participants in an unsanctioned march in St. Petersburg demonstrated solidarity with an activist who faced numerous obstacles when trying to see her dying daughter in a hospital. Police called on the protesters to disperse and reportedly detained seven of them. Rallies were held in several Russian cities on February 10 to condemn the conduct of …

Read more “St. Petersburg Joins Activist Solidarity Protests”

Russia has repatriated 27 children from Iraq where their mothers are imprisoned for being members of Islamic State (IS). …

A look at the best news photos from around the world. …

Serbian opposition supporters marched in Belgrade for a 10th Saturday in a row on February 9. Some participants put stickers with protest slogans on the building of Serbia’s public radio and television broadcaster, RTS, which the protesters see as the government’s mouthpiece. The mass rallies started after unknown thugs assaulted Serbian Left party leader Borko …

Read more “Belgrade Witnesses 10th Protest Saturday”

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde on Sunday met Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and assured him that IMF stands ready to support his country. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, both IMF and prime minister Imran Khan’s office said. “I …

Read more “IMF Chief says Ready to Support Pakistan after Meeting PM”

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday the U.S.-allied Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been selling oil from fields that it controls in the east of Syria, despite U.S. economic sanctions. The Syrian government and the Kurds have been discussing possible autonomy conditions with Damascus in light of the expected U.S. pullout from the north …

Read more “US-Allied Syrian Kurds Reportedly Sell Oil to Damascus Government”

A radio news host in Mexico’s Gulf Coast state of Tabasco was shot dead Saturday, officials said, marking the second killing of a journalist this year as the country grapples with record violence.  Jesus Eugenio Ramos died of gunshot injuries Saturday morning at a hospital in Emiliano Zapata, the Tabasco prosecutor’s office said in a statement. Tabasco Gov. Adan Augusto Lopez said …

Read more “Mexican Radio Journalist Shot Dead in Tabasco State “

In the year since the deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school, a number of states have passed laws making it easier to take guns away from people who may be suicidal or bent on violence against others, and courts are issuing an unprecedented number of seizure orders across the country.    Supporters say …

Read more “Gun-seizure Laws More Popular Since Parkland Shooting”

Bulgaria will investigate reports that a new suspect in the Skripal nerve agent attack in Britain may also have been involved in a 2015 poisoning in Bulgaria, a ruling party lawmaker said Saturday.    A parliamentary committee will on Thursday seek information from the intelligence services following a new investigation into the attempted poisoning of local businessman Emiliyan Gebrev, …

Read more “Bulgaria to Check Skripal Suspect Link to 2015 Poisoning “

Russian officials have declared a state of emergency in parts of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago after what has been described as a “mass invasion” of polar bears in the islands’ human settlements. …

Schoolchildren in Ashgabat were ordered to clean the city’s major roads ahead of the Turkmen president’s weekend trip to the suburbs. …

Serbian water polo players were attacked by a group of nationalists ahead of a match in Croatia. …

Hopes for a peace plan in Afghanistan have been waning in recent weeks after top U.S. officials walked back reports the outlines for an agreement were in place. Still, U.S. officials and the Taliban continue to meet, with both at least paying lip-service to the idea that all is not lost. VOA National Security correspondent …

Read more “Khalilzad: Chance for Peace in Afghanistan Before July Elections”

Time is running out for U.S. President Donald Trump and congressional lawmakers to compromise on a border security deal that would prevent another partial government shutdown next Friday. Just days after Trump repeated his call for $5.7 billion in funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall, a bipartisan committee is expected to present a compromise proposal. …

Read more “Time Running Out for Trump, Congress to Reach Border Security Solution”

China has reported a new outbreak of African swine fever that is threatening the country’s vital pork industry. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs reported Friday that the disease had been detected on a farm in Yongzhou in the central province of Hunan, where 4,600 pigs were being raised. Although 171 of the pigs …

Read more “China Reports Outbreak of African Swine Fever in Hunan”

Greece’s prime minister hailed North Macedonia as a “friendly” partner and called on it to join efforts to establish “safety, stability, and cooperation” in the Balkan region after his parliament approved a measure for it to join the NATO alliance. …

A German company that produces electronic-surveillance tools has sold equipment to Turkmenistan’s Communications Ministry, according to sources, raising fears that the authoritarian Central Asian state is deploying the technology to suppress dissent. …

U.S. peace envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad says that although talks with the Taliban have produced the framework for a peace deal there is still a “long way to go” before a final agreement. …