Travels News
A Russian missile strike on a city in the eastern region of Donetsk killed at least three people Saturday as Ukrainian forces engaged Russian troops in ferocious battles in several hot spots in the east, where Moscow has been pressing its offensive with increased urgency amid Western pledges of modern tank deliveries for Kyiv. Ukrainian …
Read more “Russian Strike Kills 3; Zelenskyy Seeks Long-Range Missiles”
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, on Saturday in support of the ruling junta, days after France confirmed its special forces there would withdraw, according to an AFP journalist at the rally. Packing Nation Square in central Ouagadougou, protesters held signs bearing slogans including “Down with imperialism,” “Down with French policy in …
Read more “Burkina Rally Celebrate Word That French Troops Will Leave”
Families and friends of a growing number of Europeans imprisoned in Iran gathered in Paris Saturday to call for their release. The French government this week denounced the plight of seven French citizens held in Iranian prisons, calling the detentions “unjustifiable and unacceptable.” Iran has detained a number of foreigners and dual nationals over the …
Read more “Paris Rallies Demand Freedom for Europeans in Iran”
A secret supply of Bulgarian-made ammunition made its way to Ukraine as early as last April and continues to arrive today. It is not widely known that in the first months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February, the urgently needed military supplies from Bulgaria were arriving in a clandestine operation through a network of …
Read more “Former Bulgarian PM Shares Details of Secret Deliveries of Bulgarian Ammo to Ukraine”
Italy’s prime minister held talks in Libya Saturday with officials from the country’s west-based government focusing on energy and migration, top issues for Italy and the European Union. During the visit, the two countries’ oil companies signed a gas deal worth $8 billion — the largest single investment in Libya’s energy sector in more than …
Read more “Italy, Libya Sign $8B Gas Deal as PM Meloni Visits Tripoli”
Sweden’s foreign ministry Saturday warned Swedes in Turkey to avoid crowds and demonstrations following protests there over the burning of the Quran by a far-right politician in Stockholm last week. Turkey has suspended talks with Sweden and Finland on their applications to join NATO after the protest at which Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish …
Read more “Sweden Tells Citizens: Avoid Crowds in Turkey After Quran Burning”
ormer army chief Petr Pavel won the Czech Republic’s presidential election on Saturday after a campaign featuring strong backing for NATO and the European Union and support for aid to Ukraine. Pavel, a 61-year-old retired general running for office for the first time, was set to win more than 58% of the vote with nearly …
The British Defense Ministry said Saturday that Russia “highly likely” suffered more than 300 casualties in a New Year’s Day strike on its troops in Ukraine at Makiivka near Donetsk City. The ministry said it believes that “the majority were likely killed or missing, rather than wounded.” The ministry noted that while its Russian counterpart …
Read more “UK: Russia Likely Undercounts New Year’s Day Strike Casualties”
Editor’s note: Here is a fast take on what the international community has been up to this week, as seen from the United Nations’ perch. UN deputy chief says Taliban’s desire for recognition is bargaining chip on rights U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said Wednesday that the international community’s best leverage to persuade the Taliban …
Ukraine said Russian missile strikes killed at least 10 Ukrainian civilians Friday as fierce fighting continued in the east of the country. Twenty others were wounded. Ukrainian officials say most of the casualties from the missile strikes occurred in towns in the country’s east and south that are near Russian artillery units. They follow Russian …
Read more “Ukraine: Latest Russian Missile Strikes Kill at Least 10”
The United Nations held a solemn ceremony Friday to mark the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust, plus the Roma, disabled people and countless others who died at the hands of Nazi Germany. It began with a lullaby composed by Gideon Klein, who perished in a …
Read more “UN Chief Leads Ceremony to Remember Holocaust Victims”
As the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden seeks to secure NATO enlargement with the accession of Sweden and Finland, it is dealing with requests by Turkey and Greece to purchase fighter jets, the latter being less controversial and more likely to be approved. Analysts speaking to VOA said the outcome of the proposed sale …
Read more “US Weighs Turkey, Greece Jet Sales Amid NATO Expansion”
Turkey summoned the Danish ambassador and accused Denmark of endorsing a “hate crime” after an anti-Islam activist on Friday burned two copies of Islam’s holy book, the Quran, in a solitary protest in Copenhagen. Rasmus Paludan, a far-right activist who holds both Danish and Swedish citizenship, had already infuriated Turkey by staging a Quran-burning protest …
Read more “Turkey Summons Danish Envoy Over Quran-burning Protest “
As countries around the world prepare to send high-tech weapons to Ukraine, remnants of the Russian occupation of some villages reveal how low-tech the war can also be. VOA’s Heather Murdock reports from the Kherson Oblast in Ukraine. Videographer: Yan Boechat …
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell visited South Africa on Friday, urging Pretoria to use its ties with Russia to convince Moscow to stop its war on Ukraine. Borrell’s trip to South Africa is the latest in a whirlwind week that has seen visits by both Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. …
Read more “EU’s Borrell Urges South Africa to Get Russia to End Ukraine War”
A Finnish court on Friday said two journalists at Finland’s largest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat were found guilty of revealing classified defense intelligence, in a rare criminal trial restricting press freedom in the Nordic country. Helsinki district court said it had sentenced Tuomo Pietilainen, the lead writer of a 2017 report entitled “Finland’s most secret …
Read more “Finnish Journalists Found Guilty of Revealing State Secrets”
January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The date was chosen because it marks the day in 1945 that Auschwitz, Nazi Germany’s largest concentration and death camp, was liberated by Soviet troops, revealing the horrors within. The United Nations is commemorating the day with an event that will be livestreamed. According to History.com, Soviet troops …
Read more “Jan. 27 Is International Holocaust Remembrance Day”
Ukraine is urging Australia to increase its military aid ahead of a visit to Europe next week by Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and Defense Minister Richard Marles. Australia, the largest non-NATO contributor to Ukraine’s war effort, has supplied missiles and Bushmaster armored personnel carriers. They have a special ‘V’-shaped floor designed to spread …
Read more “Australia Urged to Boost Military Assistance to Ukraine”
With the U.S. now joining Germany and Britain in promising to send battle tanks to Ukraine, what are the capabilities and differences among the three types of tanks that will join the fight? VOA’s Steve Redisch takes their measure. …
Russia launched new missile attacks on several locations in Ukraine on Thursday, killing 11 people and wounding 11 others, authorities reported. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said the attacks hit 11 regions across the country. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia fired 55 missiles, with Ukraine shooting down most of them. Thirty-five buildings were damaged in the …
Around 80 German-made Leopard 2 tanks will be sent to Ukraine in the coming weeks, Berlin says, while Britain and the U.S. are also planning to send dozens of main battle tanks. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the decisions are being seen as a “pivotal” moment in the war. …
The United States recently announced that it would impose new sanctions on the Wagner Group and designate it as a transnational criminal organization. This came as new details emerged about Wagner Group recruitment efforts outside Russia. VOA’s Milena Durdic has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. …
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Thursday a series of sanctions targeting individuals associated with Russia’s paramilitary Wagner Group, including its leader and associated front companies, for waging war in Ukraine, including battlefield activities and the targeting of civilians. In a statement, Blinken said the sanctions will target five entities and one individual linked …
Read more “US to Sanction Russia’s Wagner Paramilitary Group”
After a recent military pullout, only about 400 French troops remain in Burkina Faso to help the government fight Islamist militants linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State. But now many in the country want Russia to help and the government has ordered all French troops to leave within the month. Reporter Kader Traore has …
Read more “Burkina Faso Protesters Call for Russians to Help Fight Islamist Militants”