British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will on Monday announce a major new artillery package for Ukraine during a meeting of Nordic, Baltic and Dutch counterparts in Riga. Sunak will arrive in Latvia on Monday for the meeting to discuss ongoing efforts to counter Russian aggression in the Nordic and Baltic region with fellow members of …
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Judges at London’s High Court will rule Monday whether the British government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is legal, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stakes his future on stopping a record number of migrant arrivals in small boats. Under a deal struck in April, Britain aims to send tens of thousands of migrants …
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The Belgian government called on Sunday for Belgians in Iran to leave the country, mired in a violent crackdown on nationwide protests, because of the risk of arbitrary detentions. “All Belgian visitors, including (dual) nationals, are at high risk of arrest, arbitrary detention and unfair trial. This risk also applies to people who are simply …
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When Igor Ponochevny drew his first political cartoon, he was living in Russia and working at a bank. Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014 inspired him to draw under the pen name Alyosha Stupin. VOA Russian spoke with the artist. Anna Rice narrates the story. Camera: Vazgen Varzhabetian. …
Iran’s foreign ministry said Sunday it would not “seek permission from anyone” to expand relations with Russia, dismissing U.S. concerns over a growing military partnership between Tehran and Moscow. Western countries have accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia, allegedly used to attack Ukraine, and slapped sanctions on Tehran, which denies the allegations. CIA chief …
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The British government said Sunday it will dispatch 1,200 troops to fill in for striking ambulance drivers and border staff as multiple public sector unions walk off the job in the week before Christmas. Ambulance crews are due to strike Wednesday, joining nurses, railway staff, passport officers and postal workers, who are all staging a …
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Veteran U.S. diplomat Henry Kissinger said the time is approaching for a negotiated peace in Ukraine to reduce the risk of another devastating world war, but the Kyiv government dismissed his comments as amounting to “appeasing the aggressor” and said there could be no deal involving ceding territory. Kissinger, 99, and an architect of the …
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Argentina won its third World Cup in extraordinary style on Sunday, beating France 4-2 in a penalty shootout after Lionel Messi scored twice in a 3-3 draw that featured a hat-trick for Kylian Mbappe as the holders recovered from 2-0 down after 80 minutes. It was an incredible night of drama and fluctuating fortunes, delivering …
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Russia on Sunday shelled the center of Kherson, the southern Ukrainian city it retreated from last month, in the latest in a barrage of attacks on the region. Three people were wounded in the assault on Kherson, one Ukrainian official said, while the regional governor, Yaroslav Yanushevych, said that Russia in the past day had …
Read more “Russia Shells Kherson, Part of Broader Attack on Southern Ukraine “
Pope Francis has revealed in an interview published Sunday that shortly after being elected pontiff in 2013 he wrote a resignation letter in case medical problems impede him from carrying out his duties. Speaking to the Spanish newspaper ABC, Francis said he gave the note to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who then was the Vatican secretary …
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European Union negotiators reached a political deal on Sunday to overhaul the bloc’s carbon market, cutting planet-heating emissions faster and imposing new CO2 costs on fuels used in road transport and buildings from 2027. The EU carbon market requires around 10,000 power plants and factories to buy CO2 permits when they pollute — a system central …
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DUBAI, Dec 18 (Reuters) – Qatar reiterated on Sunday that the country denies any involvement in a corruption case being investigated by Belgian authorities involving people linked to the European Parliament. Belgian authorities have charged four people linked to the European Parliament over allegations World Cup host Qatar lavished them with cash and gifts to …
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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February brought large-scale land warfare back to Europe, plunging the world into a dangerous new era of conflict and nuclear brinkmanship. The West responded with huge supplies of arms for Ukraine and harsh sanctions on Russia. Henry Ridgwell reports. …
Russia is sending opera singers to its frontline troops in Ukraine to raise the morale of Russian soldiers. Russia announced the formation of the creative brigades last week, which will also include actors and circus performers. In the British Defense Ministry intelligence update Sunday on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the agency said that while “Fragile …
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Chancellor Olaf Scholz Saturday inaugurated Germany’s first liquefied natural gas terminal, declaring that the speed with which it was put into service is a signal that Europe’s biggest economy will remain strong. The top three officials in the government — Scholz, Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner — attended the inauguration in …
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A U.S. company that helped build a huge aquarium in Berlin says it is sending a team to investigate the rupture of the tank, which sent a wave of debris, water and tropical fish crashing through the hotel lobby it was in and onto the street outside. Reynolds Polymer Technology, which says it manufactured and …
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The French soccer team has not been overly troubled by the virus that has hit several players in the past few days, coach Didier Deschamps said, as the squad prepares to finish off their World Cup campaign in Sunday’s final against Argentina. Defenders Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konate, Raphael Varane, midfielder Adrien Rabiot and forward Kingsley …
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A woman injured in a crush outside a London concert venue has died, police said Saturday. London resident Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, was one of eight people hospitalized after being caught in mayhem outside the O2 Brixton Academy Thursday night, where Nigerian singer Asake was due to perform. The Metropolitan Police force said she died Saturday …
Read more “Woman Injured in London Concert Crowd Crush Dies in Hospital”
The leaders of Hungary, Romania, Georgia and Azerbaijan finalized an agreement Saturday on an undersea electricity connector that could become a new power source for the European Union amid a crunch on energy supplies caused by the war in Ukraine. The agreement involves a cable running beneath the Black Sea that would link Azerbaijan to …
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In what may have been Luka Modric’s final World Cup match, Josko Gvardiol made a play to be Croatia’s next go-to guy. Modric has been the man in the middle for Croatia for more than a decade, leading the team to the World Cup final four years ago and the semifinals of this year’s tournament. …
Read more “Gvardiol Shines at World Cup as Croatia Wins 3rd-Place Match”
Pope Francis marked his 86th birthday on Saturday by rewarding three people involved in charity work, including a homeless man who gives other street dwellers part of the alms he receives. The pope gave the three the Mother Teresa Prize as recognition of their different forms of charity. The nun, who died in 1997, worked …
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The broadcast licenses of six Moldovan television stations have been suspended. Moldova’s Commission for Exceptional Situations said the suspensions were issued because the TV stations were spreading misinformation and were attempting to manipulate public opinion. The commission, founded after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, announced the suspensions of First in Moldova, RTR Moldova, Accent TV, NTV …
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Britain’s Defense Ministry said in an intelligence update Saturday that “In recent days, there has been an uptick in Russia’s campaign of long-range strikes against Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure.” The ministry tweeted, “The waves of strikes have largely consisted of air and maritime launched cruise missiles, but have almost certainly also included Iranian-provided uncrewed aerial …
Read more “Russia Using Iranian Drones in Ukraine, Britain Says”
VOA Russian White House correspondent Mykhailo Komadovsky spoke with John Kirby, National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, on Dec. 16, 2022, about the latest on U.S. support for Ukraine, White House opposition to ending support for Saudi Arabia in its war in Yemen, and Russia-Iran ties. The following transcript has been edited for …
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