Month: September 2020

A Slovak court is expected to rule Thursday on whether an influential businessman ordered the murder of an investigative journalist, in a case that prompted mass street protests and led to the reshaping of the country’s political landscape.The killing of Jan Kuciak, 27, and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova forced then prime minister and longtime leader …

Read more “Verdict Expected in Case of Journalist Murder That Rocked Slovakia”

French President Emmanuel Macron voiced support on Wednesday for a sovereign Iraq and said its main challenges are Islamic State militants and foreign interference in its affairs.France also backs Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s efforts to “normalize” all armed forces, Macron said during a visit to Baghdad, referring to mostly Iran-backed Shi’ite militia groups.”We will remain …

Read more “France’s Macron Stresses Support for Iraqi Sovereignty in Baghdad Visit”

Refugees in Turkey seeking new lives by crossing the eastern Mediterranean to Greece are increasingly subject to being robbed, beaten or even abandoned at sea. Encouraged to make the trip by Turkey, refugees — many from Syria — report they are being expelled by Greek authorities after they reach Greek territory. Heather Murdock reports from …

Read more “Refugees Abandoned at Sea Between Turkey and Greece”

Germany said Wednesday that tests performed on specimens taken from Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny showed the presence of the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok. A special German military laboratory had shown proof of “a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group,” Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in a statement. FILE – Russian opposition politician Alexei …

Read more “Putin Critic Poisoned by Soviet-Era Nerve Agent, Germany Says”

The shaky video taken with a mobile phone shows sunbathers on a beach in Gran Canaria gazing out to sea at the boat heads to land. A coast guard vessel, Salvamar Menkalinan, races to reach the 49 migrants crammed into one fragile boat. Meanwhile, tourists amuse themselves on jet-skis. Two very different worlds collide as African migrants get their first sight of …

Read more “In COVID-19 Migration Surge, Africans Take a More Dangerous Route”

Facebook said Tuesday that it removed a small network of accounts and pages linked to Russia’s Internet Research Agency, the “troll factory” that has used social media accounts to sow political discord in the U.S. since the 2016 presidential election.  Twitter also suspended five related accounts. The company said the tweets from these Russia-linked accounts “were low quality and spammy” and …

Read more “Facebook, Twitter Suspend Russian Network Ahead of Election”

After a pandemic hiatus, more than a thousand mask-wearing Extinction Rebellion climate activists marched back onto London’s streets Tuesday, calling for swifter action to halt global warming as a huge contingent of police looked on. With Britain’s Parliament returning to work this week after a summer recess, protesters blocked the square in front of the building …

Read more “Under Police Gaze, Climate Protesters Return to Britain’s Streets”

Thrill-seeking swimmers in Hungary recently challenged the fast-flowing waters of the Danube at an event aimed at encouraging Hungarians to take advantage of Budapest’s parks and waterways. Organizers see the event as a way to literally bring sports enthusiasts to the Hungarian capital.  VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has the story.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi …

French President Emmanuel Macron has given Lebanese politicians three months to take concrete steps to rebuild the country, or face sanctions and lose out on crucial aid.Macron has been central to international efforts to help Lebanon recover from a deep-rooted economic and political crisis arising from decades of mismanagement and corruption, a persistent pandemic, and …

Read more “Macron to Lebanon’s Leaders: Make Changes in 3 Months or Face Sanctions”

The Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has told VOA the country’s political crisis is an “internal affair,” appearing to reject any Western help. In an interview in Vilnius, Lithuania – where she fled after Belarus’ August 9th disputed election – Tsikhanouskaya said she feared for the fate of the protestors on the streets of Belarus. …

Read more “Belarusian Opposition Leader Rejects Western Help”

The number of COVID-19 infections has been rising in Spain, one of the early epicenters of the pandemic. In this report narrated by Jonathan Spier, Alfonso Beato has more from Barcelona on the dilemmas the country faces as it prepares to reopen schools. PRODUCER: Jon Spier …

Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya talks to Voice of America about the political crisis in her country, prospects for a peaceful resolution, why she left the country, and western involvement in Belarussian affairs. …