Travels News
As in 2017, France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right rival Marine Le Pen will meet in a runoff later this month, after placing first and second in Sunday’s first round of presidential elections, with about 27% and 23% of the vote, respectively. Macron is favored to win a second term, but polls show a …
Read more “France’s President Heads to a Tight Runoff Against Far-right Leader”
A United Nations agreement aimed at sparing populated areas from explosive weapons is near completion and is expected to be finalized in early June. Some 200 delegates from more than 65 states participated in negotiations last week at the United Nations’ European headquarters in Geneva. The new international agreement would oblige states to reduce harm …
Read more “Countries Near Agreement to Spare Populated Areas from Explosive Weapons “
Russian former reporter Ivan Safronov said ahead of the resumption of his treason trial on Monday that he plans to vigorously fight the charges against him and does not fear the prospect of being jailed. Safronov, who covered military affairs for the Vedomosti and Kommersant newspapers before becoming an aide to the head of Russia’s …
Read more “Russian Ex-Journalist on Trial for Treason: ‘I Will Fight until the End’”
Ukrainian leader urges US to send more weapons …
Macron and Le Pen in runoff vote April 24 …
Russian ally Serbia took the delivery of a sophisticated Chinese anti-aircraft system in a veiled operation this weekend, amid Western concerns that an arms buildup in the Balkans at the time of the war in Ukraine could threaten the fragile peace in the region. Media and military experts said Sunday that six Chinese Air Force …
Read more “China Makes Semi-Secret Delivery of Missiles to Serbia”
As the hospital train sped away from the frontline in war-torn Ukraine, electrician Evhen Perepelytsia was grateful he would soon see his children again after almost losing his life. “We hope that the worst is over — that after what I’ve been through, it will be better,” the 30-year-old said, lying on a train carriage …
Read more “Speeding West, Ukraine Hospital Train Ferries Patients to Safety”
Ukraine’s president says Russia’s ongoing and unprovoked war on his country is a “catastrophe” that endangers all of Europe. The Kremlin seems to have abandoned plans to topple the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, amid the war, now in its second month. Western powers describe retreating Russian soldiers as war criminals for alleged atrocities ranging from rape …
Read more “Russia Ramps Up Attacks on Civilian Targets in Ukraine”
Pope Francis opened Holy Week Sunday with a call for an Easter truce in Ukraine to make room for a negotiated peace, highlighting the need for leaders to “make some sacrifices for the good of the people.” Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass before crowds in St. Peter’s Square for the first time since the pandemic, Pope …
Read more “Pope Francis Calls for an Easter Truce in Ukraine”
Pro-Moscow supporters took to the streets in several German cities on April 10 to protest what they call discrimination against Russians. They faced off against demonstrators protesting against Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. German police had to separate the two groups at times to prevent violence. At least two people were arrested amid skirmishes. In …
Read more “Pro-Russia Supporters Rally in Germany, Face Off With Counterdemonstrators”
Sultry musical “Cabaret” and fantastical literary adaptation “Life of Pi” were among the winners Sunday at British theater’s Olivier Awards, which returned with a live ceremony and a black-tie crowd after a three-year gap imposed by COVID-19. The celebration of London theater, opera and dance came back to London’s Royal Albert Hall for the first …
Read more “‘Cabaret,’ ‘Life of Pi’ Win Prizes at UK’s Olivier Awards”
A post-Brexit row between France and Britain over fishing rights for French boats is nearing resolution after months of negotiations, the EU’s fishing commissioner said in an interview Sunday. “We managed to achieve most of the licenses that have been requested” by the owners of the French vessels to fish in British waters, with only …
Read more “EU Official Says UK-France Fishing Dispute Nearly Resolved”
Russian forces shelled a school and residential buildings in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, local Luhansk officials reported, even as the officials implored residents to escape the region “before it’s too late.” Luhansk Governor Serihy Haidai said three apartment buildings in Severodonetsk burned down and two elderly residents had to be evacuated, but there were no …
For many in the U.K., the pandemic may as well be over. Mask requirements have been dropped. Free mass testing is a thing of the past. And for the first time since spring 2020, people can go abroad for holidays without ordering tests or filling out lengthy forms. That sense of freedom is widespread even …
Read more “Living With COVID: Experts Divided on UK Plan as Cases Soar”
Polls opened across France on Sunday for the first round of the country’s presidential election, where up to 48 million eligible voters will be choosing between 12 candidates. President Emmanuel Macron is seeking a second five-year term, with a strong challenge from the far right. Polls opened at 8 a.m. Sunday and close at 7 …
Read more “Polls Open In 1st Round Of France’s Presidential Election”
NATO is working on plans for a permanent military presence on its border in an effort to battle future Russian aggression, Britain’s The Telegraph newspaper reported, citing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. NATO was “in the midst of a very fundamental transformation” that will reflect “the long-term consequences” of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions, Stoltenberg said …
Read more “NATO Plans Permanent Military Presence at Border, Report Says”
The United States has sharply increased the number of Ukrainians admitted to the country at the Mexican border as more refugees fleeing the Russian invasion follow the same circuitous route. A government recreation center in the Mexican border city of grew to about 1,000 refugees on Thursday, according to city officials. A canopy under which …
Read more “US Speeds Entry for Ukrainians as More Reach Mexico Border”
The devastation wrought by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has commanded newspaper front pages and nightly news broadcasts since the war began in February. But the effects of the conflict extend far beyond the borders of Ukraine and already are being felt in Yemen, the country mired in what experts see as one of the most …
Read more “Ukraine War Worsens Already-Dire Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen”
From the market stall outside Paris that she’s run for 40 years, Yvette Robert can see firsthand how soaring prices are weighing on France’s presidential election and turning the first round of voting Sunday into a nail-biter for incumbent President Emmanuel Macron. Shoppers, increasingly worried about how to make ends meet, are buying ever-smaller quantities …
Read more “In France, a Nail-Biting Election as Macron’s Rival Surges”
There is a body in the basement of the abandoned yellow home at the end of the street near the railroad tracks. The man is young, pale, a dried trickle of blood by his mouth, shot to death and left in the dark, and no one knows why the Russians brought him there, to a …
Read more “War Crimes Watch: A Devastating Walk Through Bucha’s Horror”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that he is committed to pressing for peace despite Russian attacks on civilians that have stunned the world, and he renewed his plea for countries to send more weapons ahead of an expected surge in fighting in the country’s east. He made the comments in an interview with The …
Read more “AP Interview: Zelenskyy Seeks Peace Despite Atrocities”
The discovery of civilian bodies in Ukrainian towns has “permanently polluted” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reputation, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during a visit to Kyiv on Saturday. “What Putin has done in places like Bucha and Irpin is war crimes that have permanently polluted his reputation and the reputation of his government,” Johnson …
Read more “Putin Reputation ‘Permanently Polluted’ After Bucha Killings, UK’s Johnson Says”
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Saturday joined the stream of European leaders showing their support for Ukraine by traveling to the nation’s capital for face-to-face meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Johnson’s surprise visit included a pledge of new military assistance, including 120 armored vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems. …
Read more “European Leaders Stream Into Ukraine to Show Solidarity”
United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths is calling for localized cease-fires in war-torn Ukraine to allow humanitarian aid into areas under siege and to allow trapped civilians to leave. Griffiths this week discussed a possible humanitarian cease-fire in Ukraine with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Griffiths, the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief …
Read more “UN Official Calls for Localized Cease-Fires in Ukraine”