Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that artillery his forces have received from Western allies has “started working powerfully” and his helping to disrupt the efforts of Russia’s military. “Its accuracy is exactly as needed,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. “Our defenders inflict very noticeable strikes on depots and other spots that are …
Read more “Zelenskyy: Western Artillery Effective Against Russians”
They shared laughs, smiles, memories. There also were tears, fears, unease. Through the range of emotions, one common thread bonded them together: Brittney Griner. Wearing “BG” shirts and holding signs, several hundred fans rallied in support of Griner on Wednesday, hoping their sentiments would reach the WNBA player 6,000 miles away in a Russian jail …
Read more “Mercury Hold Public Rally in Support of Brittney Griner”
Russian influence peddlers appear to have narrowed their focus as they continue attempts to sow disunity and undermine Western efforts to support Ukraine, according to new research from the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. While traces of Russian influence operations can be found targeting many of the countries that have been backing Ukraine with weapons, financial …
As evacuees from Mariupol and other occupied Ukrainian cities make their way through Russia to third countries, they are beginning to tell stories of their harrowing journeys and of mixed treatment at the hands of Russian authorities. Vlad Shorohov, 25, is a former Mariupol resident. A former reporter and restaurant manager, he was able to …
Read more “For Ukrainians Forced Into Russia, Leaving Can Be Hard”
The United Nations warned Wednesday that the world is failing in its efforts to eradicate hunger, as 828 million more people had too little to eat in 2021 — 150 million more than before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2019. The State of Food Security and Nutrition report, released Wednesday, is the collaborative effort of …
Read more “UN: 828 Million More People Faced Hunger in 2021”
The death toll rose to nine Wednesday from a glacier avalanche Sunday in the Italian Dolomite Mountains, Maurizio Fugatti, president of the province of Trento, said as rescue workers continued to search for victims. The two new casualties were spotted by drones on Wednesday near the edge of the avalanche’s debris field, officials said. Five …
Read more “Death Toll Rises to 9 in Italian Glacier Avalanche”
Europe is repatriating increasing numbers of its Islamic State-linked women and children, who have languished for years in Syrian camps. The latest influx arrived in France this week, in a move welcomed by rights groups as positive but not enough. The 51 women and children who landed in Paris Tuesday amount to the French government’s …
Read more “Europe Starts New Chapter in Repatriations of IS-linked Citizens”
Turkish authorities have detained a Russian ship, which Kyiv claims is carrying stolen grain. The move comes as Turkey faces new scrutiny by those who accuse it of undermining Western sanctions against Russia. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …
Until February 24, when Vladimir Putin sent his troops into Ukraine, the Cold War was encapsulated in museums as a dark period in European history. But the divide between Moscow and the West is showing no signs of healing, and analysts say the current state of relations could be the start of a new cold …
Valentyna Klymenko tries to return home as late as possible to avoid the darkness of her war-damaged home outside Ukraine’s capital. She visits friends, goes to the well for water, or looks for a place to charge her phone. The 70-year-old Klymenko then returns alone to an apartment that used to be noisy and full …
Read more “Ukrainians Displaced Near Kyiv Fear for War-damaged Homes”
On a grim industrial park on the edges of Barcelona lies a shiny new depot that could hold the key to a future free of greenhouse gas emissions. In this inauspicious location is a gas station for buses that fill up at night with green hydrogen, a ‘clean’ energy source for transport as well as …
Read more “Spain Uses Natural Advantages to Push for Green Hydrogen”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing yet another threat to his tenure in the wake of the resignations of two key Cabinet ministers. Johnson is facing a round of tough questions from angry and skeptical lawmakers during the traditional prime minister’s question and answer session in parliament Wednesday, a day after finance minister Rishi …
Swedish prosecutors announced Wednesday they charged an 18-year-old man with two counts of murder in connection with a March attack at a high school. Authorities say the man armed with a knife and an axe killed two teachers at Malmo Latin School. The man was a student at the school, which has about 1,100 students. …
Read more “Sweden Charges 18-year-old in March School Attack “
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration plans to participate in this week’s foreign ministers’ meeting of the Group of 20 leading rich and developing nations, where Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will take center stage. VOA’s Anita Powell reports. …
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet is calling for an end to the war in Ukraine and for perpetrators of atrocities and crimes in the conduct of the war to be held accountable. Bachelet presented her latest update on the situation in Ukraine to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva Tuesday. Bachelet’s …
Read more “UN: Civilians Bear the Brunt of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine”
Police in Turkey’s capital broke up an LGBTQ Pride march Tuesday and detained dozens of people. Turkish authorities have banned LGBTQ events, but about 50 people holding rainbow flags nevertheless marched toward a main park to mark the end of Pride Month. Police officers prevented the group from reaching the park, detaining the participants on …
Read more “Turkish Police Break Up LGBTQ Pride March; 30 Detained”
Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday used his first trip abroad since taking office to urge world powers to step up pressure on Iran over its nuclear activities, calling the Islamic republic a threat to regional stability. Lapid met in Paris on Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who called on Lapid to …
Read more “Israel’s Lapid Meets Macron in Paris on First Trip as PM”
The disciplinary board of the International Ice Hockey Federation on Tuesday rejected appeals by Russia and Belarus of the IIHF’s decision to ban the countries from competition over Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine. In a prepared statement, the board said it agreed with the IIHF Council’s Feb. 28 decision to suspend all Russian and Belarusian …
Read more “International Hockey Body Rejects Russia, Belarus Appeals”
Southern European countries, including Italy and Spain, are urging NATO allies to address threats from North Africa. As Henry Ridgwell reports from the Spanish capital, while the war in Ukraine dominates NATO’s agenda, Madrid wants the alliance to prepare for other potential flashpoints. Alfonso Beato contributed. …
The U.S. and allies on Tuesday called for the governing bodies of sports in Russia and Belarus to be suspended from international sports federations over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war of choice against Ukraine, facilitated by the Belarusian government, is abhorrent and a flagrant breach of its international obligations,” according to …
Read more “US, Allies Seek Removal of Russia, Belarus From Sports Governing Bodies”
Britain’s finance and health ministers resigned on Tuesday, in what looked to be a final blow for Prime Minister Boris Johnson who had tried to apologize for the latest scandal involving a sexual misconduct complaint over one of his ministers. Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced his resignation in a statement, saying he could “no longer …
Read more “UK Johnson Plunged into Crisis as Sunak, Health Minister Quits”
Russia launched “massive shelling” Tuesday of Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine, the city’s mayor said, as Moscow’s forces initiated attacks in Donetsk province after winning control of neighboring Luhansk province. In an interview on Ukrainian television, Mayor Vadim Lyakh first urged residents to flee. Hours later, he reversed course and advised them to take cover in …
Read more “Russia Launches ‘Massive Shelling’ of Ukraine’s Sloviansk”
The euro slumped to a two-decade low on Tuesday as the latest surge in European gas prices added to the region’s recession worries and a rebound in U.S. Treasury yields sent the dollar on another tear. Many currencies were under pressure. The euro’s 1.2% drop EUR=EBS took it to its weakest since the end of …
Read more “Euro Slumps to Two-Decade Low as Recession Fears Bite “
NATO members on Tuesday are due to sign the accession protocols for Finland and Sweden to join the military alliance. Both countries submitted their applications in May, breaking longstanding non-aligned stances in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Once the accession protocols are signed, each of NATO’s 30 member countries will have to ratify them …
Read more “NATO to Sign Accession Protocols for Finland, Sweden”