Author: Worldman

Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine say one of their top commanders was killed when his car exploded early on February 4. …

But if he looks like President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, the person who’s been hitting the campaign trail in the last week or so doesn’t much act like Berdymukhammedov.(The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.) …

Iran is holding a military exercise Saturday to test its missile and radar systems, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration imposed sanctions on Tehran for a recent ballistic missile test. The United States sanctioned 13 individuals and 12 entities related to Iran’s missile program, and Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn said the …

Read more “Iran to Test Missile Systems in Military Exercises”

Many U.S. presidents have placed their financial holdings in a blind trust that is managed by a trustee without any input from the president. This arrangement is believed to help the president avoid any conflicts of interest between his finances and issues that come across his desk. U.S. President Donald Trump, however, has avoided calls …

Read more “Report: Trump Assets in Revocable, Not Blind, Trust”

As Ukraine’s relationship with Moscow continues to suffer as Kyiv battles Russia-backed separatists in its east, theaters are preparing to screen a new film focusing on the Holodomor, the Stalin-era famine that left millions dead in Soviet Ukraine. …

A top aide to President Donald Trump said Friday she misspoke when she cited a 2011 “massacre” in Kentucky that never happened. A day earlier, during an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, Kellyanne Conway defended Trump’s temporary ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority nations by saying that former President Barack Obama instituted a similar policy …

Read more “AP Fact Check: Conway Says She Misspoke on ‘Massacre’”

Moldova’s pro-Russia President Igor Dodon has proposed a new flag for his country that would eliminate similarities the current banner has with the flag and coat of arms of neighboring Romania. …

Wracked by civil war and Islamic State occupation, Syrians living in areas under Kurdish or rebel control are suffering from a major shortage of heating fuel in an unusually harsh winter. People in the Kurdish region of northern Syria say they have been running low on heating supplies for more than a week. Many households …

Read more “Rebel, Kurdish Areas in Syria Hit by Heating Fuel Shortages”

The Correspondents is VOA’s weekly discussion of the world’s top stories, as seen through the eyes of our dedicated reporters in the US and around the globe. Hosted by Mil Arcega, our panel of journalists goes beyond the headlines to give listeners and viewer real context and understanding of what’s driving the story. …

Norway’s security service says civil-servant e-mail accounts have been targeted by hackers believed to be associated with Russian intelligence. …

The group monitoring the conflict in eastern Ukraine has made an urgent appeal to both sides to stop shelling and honor the ceasefire agreed in 2015, after this week’s sharp escalation in the conflict. (RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service) …

The Supreme Court picked its newest member Thursday to take over the investigations of politicians implicated in Brazil’s biggest-ever graft scandal, expected to shake the country’s establishment and government because of important new testimony. Court officials said Justice Edson Fachin was chosen by random electronic selection from among a group of five of the court’s …

Read more “Newest Member of Brazil’s Top Court to Head Corruption Probes”

Like his predecessors, President Donald Trump plans to commemorate Black History Month with an official proclamation, a gala and receptions at the White House to celebrate the contributions of the United States’ black citizens. “I’m proud to honor this heritage and will be honoring it more and more,” Trump said Tuesday as he surrounded himself …

Read more “Black History Month’s Origins Traced to Scholar’s Efforts in 1926”

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations took a firm stance Thursday against Russian military action in eastern Ukraine, condemning Moscow’s “aggressive actions” and saying U.S. Crimea-related sanctions would remain in place. “I must condemn the aggressive actions of Russia,” Nikki Haley told the U.N. Security Council at her first public meeting since being confirmed …

Read more “US Condemns Russian Aggression in Eastern Ukraine”

The new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has expressed “strong condemnation of Russia’s actions” in eastern Ukraine and warned that Ukraine-related sanctions against Russia will not be lifted until Crimea is returned to Kyiv. …

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry says the co-sponsors of the Syrian peace talks will meet in Astana on February 6 to monitor implementation of the cease-fire in the war-torn Middle Eastern country. …

For days, fighting has intensified between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists. Civilians in villages near Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine have been bearing the brunt of artillery and rocket battles, prompting evacuations. (RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service and Current Time TV) …