Louis Bloomsfield inspects the kegs of beer at his brewery in north London, eagerly awaiting June, when he will get an extra day off every week. The 36-year-old brewer plans to use the time to get involved in charity work, start a long-overdue course in particle physics and spend more time with family. He and …
As Slovenia transitions to a new prime minister, the country’s media look for signs of a reset after the hostile rhetoric and pressure that many say they experienced under the outgoing administration. Former power company manager Robert Golob and his center-left Freedom Movement celebrated a victory in elections last month. They are expected to formally …
Read more “Hopes for Reset as Slovenia’s New Leader Pledges Media Protections”
Standing in the middle of a stretch of land surrounded by dunes and pine forest, Juan Romero examines the cracked ground then stares at the dusty horizon. “It’s dry… really dry,” the retired teacher said at the huge Donana National Park in southern Spain, home to one of Europe’s largest wetlands, which is threatened by …
As Russian forces press their offensive to take the eastern Ukrainian cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, civilians who have managed to flee say intensified shelling over the past week left them unable to even venture out from basement bomb shelters. Despite the attacks, some managed to make it to the town of Pokrovsk, 130 kilometers …
Read more “‘Now I Am a Beggar’: Fleeing the Russian Advance in Ukraine”
Europe’s frantic search for alternatives to Russian energy has dramatically increased the demand — and price — for Norway’s oil and gas. As the money pours in, Europe’s second-biggest natural gas supplier is fending off accusations that it’s profiting from the war in Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who is looking to the Scandinavian country …
Read more “War Surges Norway’s Oil, Gas Profit. Now, It’s Urged to Help”
For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine. The latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. All times EDT: 12:02 a.m.: Al Jazeera reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he’ll address the European Council during its meeting Monday and Tuesday. Al Jazeera quotes him as saying, “In particular, I will …
Looping in the air at lightning speed, Turkish drones like those used against Russian forces in Ukraine draw cheers from the crowd at an air show in Azerbaijan. Turkey is showcasing its defence technology at the aerospace and technology festival Teknofest that started in Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku this week. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan …
Hundreds of Lithuanians are clubbing together to buy an advanced military drone for Ukraine in its war against Russia, in a show of solidarity with a fellow country formerly under Moscow’s rule. Some $3.2 million have been raised in just three days — out of the $5.37 million needed — largely in small amounts, according …
Read more “Lithuanians Join Together to Buy Drone for Ukraine”
Ukrainian presidential adviser and peace talks negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said on Saturday that any agreement with Russia cannot be trusted and Moscow can only be stopped in its invasion by force. “Any agreement with Russia isn’t worth a broken penny,” Podolyak wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “Is it possible to negotiate with a country …
Read more “Ukrainian Negotiator Says Any Agreement With Russia ‘Isn’t Worth a Broken Penny’”
In early May, VOA Eastern Europe bureau chief Myroslava Gongadze spoke with Mark Brzezinski, the U.S. ambassador to Poland. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. VOA: So, Ambassador Brzezinski, Poland has been very active in supporting Ukraine. Brzezinski: Absolutely. VOA: As ambassador, how do you feel? Do the European Union and other …
Read more “Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine Unites Europe, US Ambassador Says ”
In mid-May, VOA Eastern Europe bureau chief Myroslava Gongadze spoke with Alexandra Vasylenko, special envoy on coordination of humanitarian assistance to the minister for foreign affairs of Ukraine. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. VOA: The devastation of the war (in Ukraine) is affecting food security in the world. How can we …
Read more “Envoy Talks About Ukraine, the War and its Postwar Future”
For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine. The latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. All times EDT: 12:02 a.m.: Al Jazeera reports that Lithuanians have raised more than $3 million to buy a military drone for Ukraine. They’re aiming to raise a total of $5.4 million to purchase the …
For thousands of people around the world, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February served as a rallying cry, spurring many to look for ways to travel to the front and help fight for Ukraine’s freedom. New research finds that few of them ever actually made their way to Ukraine, with fewer still joining the fight …
Read more “Anticipated Foreign Fighter Flow to Ukraine Likely Just a Trickle”
In a small orthopedic clinic in Kyiv, Daviti Suleimanishvili listens as doctors describe various prostheses that could replace his left leg, torn off during the battle for Mariupol. Born in Georgia but with Ukrainian citizenship, Suleimanishvili — whose nom de guerre is “Scorpion” — is one of countless people who have lost arms or legs …
Read more “Despite Losing Leg in Mariupol, Fighter Eyes Return to Ukraine Frontline”
When Mick North’s 5-year-old daughter was gunned down at her school, he vowed through his grief that it must never happen again. And it hasn’t — in Britain, at least. The 1996 massacre of 16 elementary school students in Dunblane, Scotland, led to a ban on owning handguns in the U.K. While Britain is not …
Read more “UK’s Dunblane Grieves for Uvalde, Fears Nothing Will Change “
U.S. military officials acknowledge they have spoken to Ukrainian officials repeatedly about Kyiv’s requests for newer, more advanced weapons that could help stave off Russian gains in the Donbas but refuse to say publicly whether those systems will be delivered anytime soon. Ukraine has been pleading for weeks with the U.S. to get American-made Multiple …
Read more “US Talking With Ukraine About Delivering More Powerful Rocket “
Dutch Airline KLM has announced it was temporarily stopping ticket sales for most of it flights from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport through Sunday, due to the airport’s ongoing crowding issues caused by staff shortages. In a statement Thursday, the airline said it is taking the action to guarantee seats for customers whose flights had been cancelled …
Read more “KLM Suspends Flights from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Due to ‘Chaos’”
U.S. allies in northeastern Syria are increasingly worried about Turkey’s pledge to launch a new round of military operations in the region, warning it could embolden and even strengthen the Islamic State terror group. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the new round of operations earlier this week Monday, pledging to expand existing 30-kilometer-deep security …
Read more “US Allies in NE Syria Warn Against New Turkish Incursion”
The World Health Organization says nearly 200 cases of monkeypox have been reported in more than 20 countries not usually known to have outbreaks of the unusual disease but described the epidemic as “containable” and proposed creating a stockpile to equitably share the limited vaccines and drugs available worldwide. During a public briefing on Friday, …
Read more “WHO: Nearly 200 Cases of Monkeypox in More Than 20 Countries”
A documentary about discrimination within the ranks of Dutch police has sparked a national conversation in the Netherlands about racism, with many officers and others hoping it will finally bring about change. The Blue Family, or De Blauwe Familie in Dutch, discusses a culture of bullying and fear in the national police force. It premiered …
Read more “Racism In The Ranks: Dutch Police Film Spurs Conversation”
A former director of the Louvre Museum in Paris has been charged with conspiring to hide the origin of archaeological treasures that investigators suspect were smuggled out of Egypt in the chaos of the Arab Spring, a French judicial source said Thursday. Jean-Luc Martinez was charged Wednesday after being taken in for questioning along with …
Read more “Louvre Ex-Director Charged in Art Trafficking Case”
The reign of new Islamic State terror group leader Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi may be over, less than three months after it began. The Turkish website OdaTV first reported the arrest of Abu al-Hassan Thursday, saying Turkish police captured him without firing a single bullet during a raid on a house in Istanbul last week. …
Read more “Turkish Officials Claim Capture of New Islamic State Leader “
For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine. The latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. All times EDT: 12:02 a.m.: Al Jazeera, citing the mayor of Severodonetsk, reports that at least 1,500 people have been killed in the east Ukrainian city. Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk said only 12 people were evacuated …
Moscow pressed the West on Thursday to lift sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, seeking to shift the blame for a growing food crisis that has been worsened by Kyiv’s inability to ship millions of tons of grain and other agricultural products due to the conflict. Britain immediately accused Russia of “trying to …
Read more “Russia Slams Sanctions, Seeks to Blame West for Food Crisis”