BANGKOK — A court in Thailand on Thursday found Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, a member of a famous Spanish acting family, guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced him to life in prison, in a lurid case that involved the victim being dismembered. The Koh Samui Provincial Court issued an initial sentence of death for Sancho but commuted …
Read more “Spanish YouTube chef gets life in prison for murder in Thailand”
Berlin — The suspects in the foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna earlier this month sought to kill “tens of thousands” of fans before the CIA discovered intelligence that disrupted the planning and led to arrests, the agency’s deputy director said. The CIA notified Austrian authorities of the scheme, which allegedly included links …
FRANKFURT, Germany — Germany has told the Iranian head of the recently banned Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) that he is being expelled from the country and has two weeks to leave, authorities in Hamburg said on Thursday. The interior ministry of the German city state of Hamburg said in a statement that it had informed Mohammad …
Read more “Germany expels head of banned Muslim association”
PARIS — A lawyer for Telegram boss Pavel Durov, who is being investigated in France, said it was “totally absurd” to suggest the head of a social network was responsible for any criminal acts committed on the platform, French media said. A French judge put Durov under formal investigation on Wednesday, saying he was suspected of …
Read more “Telegram boss’ lawyer dismisses probe against Durov as absurd”
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Following more than nine months of unjust detention, American-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva is adjusting to life in freedom with her family in Prague. While in Washington this week to receive an award, she tells VOA’s Liam Scott the fate of other political prisoners is on her mind. Camera: Cristina Caicedo Smit, Hoshang Fahim, Adam Greenbaum, …
PARIS — French authorities handed preliminary charges to Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on Wednesday for allowing alleged criminal activity on his messaging app and barred him from leaving France pending further investigation. Both free-speech advocates and authoritarian governments have spoken out in Durov’s defense since his weekend arrest. The case has also called attention to the …
Read more “French authorities issue preliminary charges against Telegram messaging app CEO”
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WASHINGTON — Movie ticket sales in China have generated more than $1.5 billion so far this summer, a little more than half of last year’s record total of $2.89 billion, according to China’s Film Data Information Network, an institution directly under the Central Propaganda Department. Summer is usually one of three lucrative periods for China’s movie …
Read more “China’s summer movie ticket sales nearly halved amid sluggish economy”
WASHINGTON — Two men from Europe are charged in a plot to call in bogus reports of police emergencies to harass and threaten members of Congress, senior U.S. government officials and dozens of other people, according to an indictment unsealed on Wednesday. Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia targeted at least …
Washington — Russian opposition politician Ilya Ponomarev says he saw no reason to be suspicious when he received what appeared to be an email from former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, a trusted contact with whom he communicates periodically. “This letter was visually no different from his other letters. I believed that it was his …
Read more “Russian hacker attacks target former US ambassadors, reveal prior penetration”
Paris — The Opening Ceremony of the Paris Paralympics got underway Wednesday in the center of the French capital, firing the starting gun on 11 days of intense competition. Just as for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics on the River Seine in July, it took place away from the main stadium for the first time …
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Uzhhorod, Ukraine — Ukraine’s first lady wants her country’s children to view themselves not as a generation enduring a grinding war but rather as “a generation of winners.” On the sidelines of a day spent at a rehabilitation camp for Ukrainian children in the relatively safe western city of Uzhhorod, Olena Zelenska said Tuesday that working …
WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s budget proposal for 2025 includes record defense spending of 187 billion zlotys ($48.7 billion), officials said Wednesday. Prime Minister Donald Tusk presented the main points of next year’s budget for the nation, which borders war-torn Ukraine and where security concerns are high. Tusk described the budget proposal as “generous” and supporting further …
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SINGAPORE — Pope Francis will embark on the longest overseas tour of his papacy next week, as he visits four countries across Asia and Oceania on a grueling 11-day trip. The 87-year-old pontiff is scheduled to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore on a journey emphasizing economic and religious diversity. The pope has faced …
Read more “Pope finding strength to carry message of Catholicism to Asia, Oceania, on longest trip “
NEA SILATA, Greece — Six weeks before harvest, there’s no water left in the ground for farmer Dimitris Papadakis’ olive grove in northern Greece, so he has started a new morning routine. Joined by his teenage son, he uses a truck to bring water from nearby areas. Using a small generator, he connects the vehicle to …
Read more “In drought-hit Greece, water trucks are keeping crops alive”
BERLIN — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Wednesday to discuss a new partnership between the countries, on his first bilateral trip since taking office last month. The British leader, who will also travel on to Paris, has pledged to rebuild trust with European allies damaged by Brexit, …
Read more “Britain’s Starmer in Germany for first bilateral trip as PM”
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CHEMNITZ-EUBA, Germany — Germany’s far-right AfD party, hoping to clinch its first wins in two east German state elections on Sept. 1, is trying to pick up countryside votes by making opposition to renewable energy projects a centerpiece of its campaign. It proposes tougher new planning rules on constructing turbines, imposing higher energy-storage requirements for renewable …
Read more “Germany’s far right targets renewable energy in bid for first election wins”
In the wake of Russia’s massive air attacks across Ukraine Monday, Ukrainians are moving quickly to get power and transportation back online. Ukraine’s military says Russia launched more than 200 missiles and drones during the attacks, with more strikes on Tuesday. As Lesia Bakalets reports, cities are dealing with power outages, water supply interruptions and …
Read more “Ukraine deals with aftermath of massive air attack on infrastructure”
New Delhi — Days after visiting Ukraine, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he supports a quick end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Modi’s discussion with the Russian leader on Tuesday came a day after he had a phone conversation about the war with U.S. President Joe Biden. In a post on …
Read more “Modi tells Putin he supports early end to Ukraine war”
PARIS — Telegram boss Pavel Durov could be held in police custody until Wednesday after French prosecutors said they had granted extra time for questioning, while a senior ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged Washington was behind his arrest. Durov, a Russian-born billionaire, was arrested in France over the weekend as part of an investigation …
Read more “Telegram boss to stay in French custody as Russia alleges US meddling”
Before Russia invaded in February 2022, American football was becoming popular in Ukraine. Today, most of the players are on the front lines. A gentler version of the game — flag football — is gaining ground in the meantime among kids and youth. Tetiana Kukurika has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA footage by …
Read more “Flag football finds unlikely popularity in war-torn Ukraine”