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Leaders of European Union member states are meeting in Brussels Thursday seeking a unified approach to the new omicron coronavirus variant to avoid widespread lockdowns and closed borders. Ahead of the summit, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control on Wednesday said the new, highly transmissible omicron is likely to become the dominant variant …
Read more “EU Leaders Meet in Brussels to Strategize Against Omicron”
Airbus is set to deliver the final A380 superjumbo to Dubai’s Emirates on Thursday, marking the end of a 14-year run that gave Europe an instantly recognized symbol across the globe but failed to fulfil the commercial vision of its designers. Production of the world’s largest airliner — capable of seating 500 people on …
Read more “End of an Era: Airbus Delivers Last A380 Superjumbo to Emirates “
France announced on Thursday that because of surging COVID-19 cases in Britain only designated categories of people would be allowed to travel between the two countries, and anyone arriving from Britain would have to self-isolate. Truck drivers will though be exempt from the new rules, the French government said, easing British concerns the restrictions could …
Read more “France Ratchets up Travel Curbs with Britain over Omicron Concerns “
Liudmyla Momot wipes away tears as she searches for clothes and household items to salvage from the ruins of her home that was shelled by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Her village of Nevelske, northwest of the rebel-held city of Donetsk, is only about 3 kilometers from the line of contact between the separatists and …
Read more “Jittery Ukrainian Villagers ‘Fear That a Big War Will Start’”
Istanbul hosts a two-day African Summit this week, the latest effort by Turkey to expand its diplomatic and economic influence in Africa. For VOA, Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. Produced by: Marcus Harton …
Germany is expelling two Russian diplomats over what a German court said was a Russian-ordered killing of a German citizen of Chechen origin in Berlin in 2019. In the high-profile incident, Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili was gunned down in a Berlin park. On Wednesday, a German court found Russian Vadim Krasikov guilty of murder and sentenced …
Read more “Germany Expels 2 Russian Diplomats Over 2019 Killing”
French troops have left a military base in Timbuktu, Mali, where they were posted since liberating the area from Islamist militants in 2013. French forces have been gradually withdrawing from the region, despite ongoing fighting with militants that threatens stability. Locals are expressing unease about the French troops’ departure. On Tuesday, French troops left their …
Read more “French Army Leaves Timbuktu for First Time Since Arriving in 2013”
The European Union’s drug regulator Wednesday approved booster shots of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for adults who received their first dose of the vaccine at least two months prior. In a statement, the Europe Medicines Agency (EMA) said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine may also be taken by people who had received the full …
Read more “Europe’s EMA Approves Johnson & Johnson Booster for Adults”
A U.N. Human Rights Council debate on Ukraine Wednesday drifted into criticism of Russia’s large-scale military buildup along the Ukrainian border. U.S. and British representatives voiced support for Ukraine, while a Russian diplomat completely ignored the issue. The debate in Geneva was called to discuss the human rights situation in Ukraine. The U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, presented a carefully balanced report on civic space …
Read more “Criticism of Russia Military Build-up Dominates UN Session on Rights in Ukraine”
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen Wednesday warned Russia it could face “unprecedented measures” if it does not de-escalate its aggressive posture against Ukraine. Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Von der Leyen noted Russia’s recent buildup of troops and equipment near its border with Ukraine. She reiterated the European Union’s “unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Although the EU …
Read more “EU Warns Russia of ‘Unprecedented Measures’ for Ukraine Aggression”
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met Wednesday via video conference, stressing their strong alliance amid both countries’ deteriorating relations with the west. “A new model of cooperation has been formed between our countries, based, among other things, on such principles as non-interference in internal affairs, respect for each other’s interests, …
Read more “Chinese President Xi, Russia’s Putin, Hold Video Meeting”
The president of the European Commission is warning that the omicron variant could become the dominant coronavirus variant across the 27-nation bloc by mid-January. Ursula von der Leyen told members of the European Parliament Wednesday in Brussels that many member nations are already seeing a sharp rise in new infections from both omicron and the highly-contagious delta variant. But …
Read more “European Commission President Warns Omicron Could Dominate Continent by Mid-January ”
A family who went to court to ensure a quarter of the classes for their five-year-old son at a primary school are taught in Spanish were offered police protection Wednesday after they said they were harassed and abused. The family, residents of Canet de Mar, a Mediterranean coastal town 50 kilometers northeast of Barcelona, won …
U.S. lawmakers just back from a visit to Ukraine warn that Washington’s threats of sanctions and diplomatic maneuvering are not doing enough to dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from potentially launching an invasion. The group of Democrats and Republicans visited Kyiv Saturday and Sunday where they met with the commander of the Ukrainian special forces …
Read more “US Lawmakers Call on White House to Expedite Weapon Deliveries to Ukraine “
Russian journalism experienced extreme highs and lows in 2021. On the plus side, a Nobel Peace Prize for newspaper editor Dmitry Muratov. But the downside saw an escalating government crackdown on independent media. News organizations and individual reporters were declared “foreign agents” and “undesirable elements,” while some journalists went into exile. …
Almost 100 Conservative lawmakers voted Tuesday against new coronavirus restrictions, dealing a major blow to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s authority and raising questions about his leadership. After a day of frenzied failed lobbying, Johnson was handed the biggest rebellion against his government so far by his party over measures he said were necessary to …
Read more “Conservative Revolt Over COVID-19 Rules Deals Stinging Blow to British PM”
Britain will end a ban on visitors from 11 African countries aimed at combatting COVID-19, the government said Tuesday, despite an alarming spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. After the variant was first detected in southern Africa and Hong Kong in November, the British government compiled a travel “red list” of the 11 African nations later in the month. Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced in parliament Tuesday that the ban would be lifted on Wednesday at 0400 GMT since the country had achieved community …
Read more “UK to Lift COVID Travel Ban on 11 African Countries”
The United Nations’ top refugee official is urging nations to strengthen their support for people fleeing conflict, persecution, and violence and to keep their borders open to people in need of international protection. In a video, the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, sets the scene for this two-day virtual event: “for centuries, experiences of exile and traditions of refuge have formed part of our collective …
Read more “Nations Urged to Enhance Support for People Fleeing Conflict, Persecution and Violence”
A top Russian diplomat has warned that Moscow will respond “militarily” and deploy tactical nuclear weapons, if NATO does not guarantee an end to its eastward expansion. His remarks raise the stakes even higher in the confrontation between Russia and Western powers just days after U.S. President Joe Biden and Russia’s Vladimir Putin held a …
Read more “Russia Threatens to Deploy Tactical Nuclear Weapons”
Britain and Pakistan Tuesday advocated a collective international response to scaling up humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, which is facing mass starvation and economic collapse after the Taliban takeover of the country. “A stable inclusive Afghanistan is our shared goal,” Christian Turner, the British high commissioner in Islamabad, told an international seminar in the Pakistani capital, …
Read more “Britain, Pakistan Urge Collective Response to Afghan Humanitarian Crisis”
A Belarusian court has delivered verdicts and harsh sentences to a group of bloggers, opposition activists, and the husband of exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. All of those of them were rounded up by security officials before a controversial presidential election that saw authoritarian ruler Alexander Lukashenko claim a sixth term in power despite widespread …
Read more “Belarus Opposition Leader, Other Activists Given Harsh Prison Sentences”
Students and faculty members from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music arrived with their families Monday in Portugal, where they are being granted asylum and where they hope to rebuild their acclaimed school. The 273-person group, including some 150 students, flew into Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, from Doha, Qatar. Their departure from Afghanistan was staggered …
Read more “Afghan Musicians Look to Recreate Famed School in Portugal”
Russia has vetoed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that warns about the security implications of climate change, with its envoy calling it “unacceptable” for his government. “We are against creating a new area for the council’s work which establishes a generic, automatic connection between climate change and international security, turning a scientific and socio-economic …
Read more “Russia Vetoes UN Resolution on Climate’s Impact on Global Security “
Britain’s Boris Johnson has a reputation as an escape artist — a political Houdini who defies rules and conventions and gets away with it. Last May, he led Conservatives to an historic election victory against the country’s main opposition Labour Party, making deep inroads into Labour heartlands in northern England in votes for devolved, regional …
Read more “Boris Johnson’s Escapology Skills Set for Major Test”