Ukraine, France Set to Sign Bilateral Security Agreement in Paris
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Russia Highly Unlikely to Put Nuclear Warhead in Space, Analysts Say
washington — The space-based weapon U.S. intelligence believes Russia may be developing is more likely a nuclear-powered device to blind, jam or fry the electronics inside satellites than an explosive nuclear warhead to shoot them down, analysts said on Thursday. The intelligence came to light on Wednesday after Representative Mike Turner, Republican chair of the U.S. …
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Trump-Biden NATO Spat Reflects Divide on America’s Role Worldwide
President Donald Trump revisited on Thursday his remarks that if elected, he would not defend NATO members who don’t meet defense spending targets — more evidence of how two American presidents and their constituents are divided over America’s role in the world. White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report. …
US Confirms Russia Pursuing ‘Space-Based’ Anti-Satellite System
WASHINGTON — The new national security threat that sent some in Washington into a tizzy and sparked calls urging Americans not to panic, is a new Russian anti-satellite capability, the White House confirmed Thursday, again emphasizing there is no immediate threat to life or limb. White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby declined to go into …
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Russia Developing ‘Anti-Satellite Capability,’ White House Confirms
Russia is developing an anti-satellite weapon, the White House confirmed Thursday, after a lawmaker sounded an alarm over what he described as a serious national security threat. While White House officials say it could land Moscow in violation of a treaty banning weapons of mass destruction in space. They said it is not an urgent …
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On First Trip to Albania, Blinken Lauds ‘Extraordinary Partnership’
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Russia Uses Thousands of Spacex Starlink Terminals in Ukraine, Report Says
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Sweden Phasing Out Development Aid to Cambodia, Spurring Anxiety
phnom penh, cambodia — The Swedish government will phase out bilateral development cooperation with Cambodia by the end of this year, raising concerns among civil society groups likely to see their budgets shrink. In 2023, the Swedish government provided about $17 million to civil society groups in Cambodia focusing on strengthening human rights, democracy and the …
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NATO’s European Allies Collectively at 2% GDP Defense Spending for 1st Time Ever
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Private US Spaceflight Company’s Moonshot Underway
Can the United States make a return to the surface of the moon? NASA and a private U.S. spaceflight company hope so. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us The Week in Space. …
Blinken Hails ‘Extraordinary Partnership’ With Albania
Tirana, Albania — Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hailed on Thursday what he called an “extraordinary partnership” between Washington and Tirana, showing support to his country’s Balkan ally. During his first visit to Albania, Blinken met Prime Minister Edi Rama and young Albanians, as Washington welcomes the country’s firm support for Ukraine and its …
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Journalists in Turkey Welcome Ruling Restoring Online Access to Banned News Articles
Istanbul/Washington — Journalists in Turkey are welcoming a recent Constitutional Court ruling that revoked bans on online access to hundreds of news articles. Last week, the court published a ruling that lifted the bans, stating that the restrictions are unconstitutional and violate freedom of expression. Lower courts had blocked the stories, citing Article 9 of Law …
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Trump-Biden Spat on NATO Highlights Divide on America’s Role in the World
White House — With former President Donald Trump doubling down on remarks that, if elected, he would not defend NATO members who don’t meet defense spending targets, and a foreign military funding package stalled in Congress, a stark divide is emerging on how two American presidents and their constituents view America’s role in the world. Biden, …
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US Justice Department Says It Disrupted Russian Intelligence Hacking Network
Washington — The U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday it disrupted a Russian intelligence hacking network. “For the second time in two months, we’ve disrupted state-sponsored hackers from launching cyber-attacks behind the cover of compromised U.S. routers,” U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement. The Justice Department said that a January 2024 court-authorized …
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Greece Set to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
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China, Russia Double Down on Ties Despite Complications in Trade Relations
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — China and Russia have doubled down on their “no-limits partnership” in recent weeks, with leaders from both countries vowing to maintain “close personal interaction” and the Chinese ambassador to Russia revealing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plan to visit China this year. During a Feb. 8 call, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin celebrated …
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Volkswagen Cars Blocked By US Customs Over Part From China
Berlin — German automaker Volkswagen said Wednesday several of its models had been refused entry into the United States, after it emerged that a Chinese-made component may have breached labor laws. “We are working to rectify a delay in delivering certain Volkswagen Group vehicles from ports to dealers due to a customs issue,” Volkswagen said in …
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Ukraine Reports Russian Missile Attacks Targeting Kyiv, Lviv
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Q&A: ‘Russian Aggression won’t stop on its own, if we don’t stop it now’ — Speaker of Latvian Parliament
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Blinken Heads to Munich Security Conference Amid US Foreign Aid Showdown
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to Albania and then to Germany this week for the Munich Security Conference. Among issues he will likely face in Europe is the stalling of military aid to Ukraine in the U.S. House and former President Donald Trump’s comments threatening to abandon some NATO allies if he …
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Group Trains Conflict Journalists to Collect War Crimes Evidence
Journalists covering conflicts around the world have unique access to the scenes of war crimes, but there are few mechanisms to use that content as evidence in a court of law. The Reckoning Project aims to change that. For VOA, Anna Chernikova reports from Kyiv. …
Momentum Builds in Efforts to Seize Russian Assets for Ukraine
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Ukraine Group Talks Support as Kyiv Says it Sunk Another Russian Warship
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hosted a virtual meeting with allies on Wednesday to discuss support for Ukraine as the two-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion nears. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb has the latest. …
Pope Urges Catholics to Swap Social Media for Reflection as Lent Begins
ROME — Pope Francis urged Catholics to forgo worldly trappings and focus on essentials as he opened the season of Lent with a traditional Ash Wednesday Mass on one of Rome’s historic seven hills. He criticized people’s tendency to lay bare their lives on social media, deploring “a world in which everything, including our emotions and …
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