Italians head to the polls this Sunday to choose a new government, after the collapse of the ruling coalition led by Mario Draghi. A right-wing party with past links to fascism looks set to win the most votes, raising concerns among allies. Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party is leading the polls with around 25% …
Read more “Italy Poised to Elect First Female Leader Amid Concerns Over Neo-Fascist Roots”
Italy goes to the polls Sunday after the collapse of the ruling coalition in July. As Henry Ridgwell reports, a right-wing party with past links to fascism looks set to win the most votes, raising concerns in the European Union. …
Two private banks in Turkey suspended their use of Russian payment system Mir earlier this week following warning signals from the United States. The system, a rival to the Belgium-based SWIFT network, is not directly targeted by sanctions. But U.S. officials say there is a worry that Russia is expanding its use of Mir to …
Read more “Possible Sanction Risk Forces Turkish Banks to Act on Russian Payment System”
A group of Iranians living in Istanbul and Turkish citizens gathered Wednesday in front of the Iranian Consulate in Istanbul to protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in Tehran. Istanbul police, who on Tuesday repeatedly dispersed groups that gathered in Taksim Square, watched the action from afar. During the demonstration, at …
Chrystia Sonevytsky of Arlington, Virginia, says she has always felt a connection with Ukraine, where her roots are. She successfully advocated for a sister city agreement between Arlington and Ivano-Frankivsk in southwestern Ukraine, and the two forged a partnership in 2011. When Russia invaded Ukraine, Arlington was quick to offer help. Maxim Moskalkov has the …
Read more “US City Rushes to Help Sister City in Southwestern Ukraine”
Numerous Russians have rushed to reserve one-way tickets out of the country after President Vladimir Putin decreed a partial mobilization of military reservists for the war in Ukraine. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a televised interview that 300,000 reservists with relevant combat and service experience would initially be mobilized. Ticket prices skyrocketed amid …
Read more “Russians Rush for Flights Out After Partial Mobilization Announced”
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said EU foreign ministers have agreed to continue and increase their military support for Ukraine and to study a new package of sanctions targeting Russian individuals and certain sectors of the Russian economy. Borrell told reporters late Wednesday after convening a special ministerial meeting in New York that …
Read more “EU Pledges Military Support for Ukraine, Considers New Russian Sanctions”
Top US officials are calling Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plans to mobilize 300,000 Russian troops to fight in Ukraine a sign of weakness that could increase opposition to the conflict inside his own country. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports. …
Ukraine’s president demanded Wednesday that Russia be punished for its illegal war against his people, telling world leaders that Moscow will be forced to end the war it started. “A crime has been committed against Ukraine, and we demand just punishment,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a prerecorded video address. Member states had voted to allow …
Read more “Russia Must Be Punished for Invasion, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Tells UN”
North Korea on Thursday denied sending weapons to Russia, accusing the United States of spreading rumors about such a sale to tarnish Pyongyang’s image. U.S. officials earlier this month said Russia was in the process of “purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for use on the battlefield in Ukraine.” In a …
US President Joe Biden called out Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations as the Russian president significantly escalated war efforts and threatened nuclear retaliation. White House Correspondent Anita Powell, who is traveling with Biden, reports from New York. …
Russia’s war in Ukraine took on new urgency Wednesday at the gathering of the U.N. General Assembly, following a major escalation from President Vladimir Putin. “If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will without doubt use all available means to protect Russia and our people – this is not a bluff,” Putin …
The daughter-in-law of the late South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu called the Church of England homophobic for not allowing her wife, who is a priest, to preside over the funeral of a family friend. Marceline Tutu van Furth, who is married to Archbishop Tutu’s daughter, Mpho Andrea Tutu van Furth, said the church told …
Read more “Church of England Bars Tutu’s Daughter From Presiding Over Friend’s Funeral”
More than 1,300 people have been arrested at demonstrations across Russia against President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a partial mobilization of civilians to fight in Ukraine, a police monitoring group said Wednesday. The OVD-Info monitoring group counted at least 1,332 people detained at rallies in 38 cities across the country after Putin’s morning address …
Read more “More Than 1,300 Arrests in Russia Mobilization Protests, Monitor Says”
Turkey’s plastic recycling industry is strongly criticized in a Human Rights Watch report released Wednesday. The report highlights health problems for workers and residents and criticizes the European Union, for which Turkey is the main plastics recycler. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …
President Joe Biden sat down with his British counterpart for the first time Wednesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, calling Britain “our closest ally in the world” and resolving to work together on issues from dealing with the conflict in Ukraine to maintaining peace in Northern Ireland as Britain exits the European …
Read more “Biden Holds First Sit-Down With New British PM on UN Sidelines”
U.S. President Joe Biden called out Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations, as the Russian leader significantly escalated war efforts and threatened nuclear retaliation. Speaking to the annual gathering of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) in New York Wednesday morning, Biden used most of his address to condemn Moscow. “Let us speak …
Read more “Biden Condemns Russia’s War on Ukraine at UNGA as Putin Escalates Threats “
On Thursday, a ship carrying Ukrainian grain to Afghanistan is scheduled to leave Odesa port. Earlier this week, VOA’s Myroslava Gongadze got exclusive access to the port and a vessel during the process of grain loading. VOA footage by Eugene Shynkar. …
Russia on Wednesday released 10 foreign prisoners of war captured in Ukraine following mediation by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi foreign ministry said. The freed prisoners were American, British, Croatian, Moroccan and Swedish nationals, the ministry said in a statement, adding that a plane carrying the prisoners landed in the kingdom. “The …
Read more “Russia Releases 10 Foreigners Captured in Ukraine After Saudi Mediation, Riyadh Says”
Britain pledged on Wednesday to cap wholesale electricity and gas costs for businesses at less than half the market rate from next month, helping relieve the pressure of soaring energy costs but adding to the government’s fast-rising spending. Wholesale prices for electricity will be capped at about 211 pounds ($239) per megawatt hour (MWh) and …
Read more “UK Eases Pressure on Business by Halving Energy Bills This Winter”
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday the partial mobilization of his country’s military reserves in a move that follows Ukrainian gains in a counteroffensive in northeastern Ukraine. Putin said in a televised address the mobilization is necessary to protect Russia’s homeland and sovereignty. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the military would be calling up …
Read more “Putin Announces Mobilization of Russian Military Reserves”
The global consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were in the spotlight Tuesday at the U.N. General Assembly, as the annual debate got underway. Leaders spoke of the urgency to get fertilizer, in particular, to the world’s farmers at a reasonable price and in time for the planting season, which in some parts of the …
Read more “At UN, Spotlight on Global Consequences of Russia’s War”
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s surprise admission at last week’s summit in Uzbekistan that China had “questions and concerns” about what was happening in Ukraine offered the first clue that Beijing is increasingly worried about the war. “You’re talking about huge investments either invested by China directly or with China serving as contractors,” said China …
Read more “Analysis: China’s Balancing Act on Russia’s War in Ukraine”
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, several nations that have long had a British monarch as their head of state are pondering charting a new course to become republics. In the Americas, this includes Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica and the Bahamas, following the decision by Barbados to shed the monarchy earlier this year. …
Read more “Canada Seen Unlikely to Cut Ties With British Monarchy”