Notre-Dame Cathedral ‘Holding Up’ Two Years After Paris Fire

President Emmanuel Macron Thursday praised the painstaking efforts to rebuild Notre-Dame Cathedral, two years after flames ripped through its centuries-old attic and sent its spire crashing through the vaults below.   In the hours after the blaze, Macron told a distraught nation that the cathedral, which dates back to the 12th century, would be restored …

In Arrest of Student Journalists, Signs of the Struggle for Russia’s Youth   

The Kremlin has long sought to clamp down on opposition politician Alexey Navalny’s appeal among younger Russians — as President Vladimir Putin, 66, has struggled to maintain his popularity among members of a generation that has essentially known him as the country’s sole leader their entire lives.    That approach took a new twist on …

France Advises Citizens to Leave Pakistan for Security Reasons

France advised its citizens and companies Thursday to temporarily leave Pakistan, citing “serious threats to French interests” in the South Asian nation.The move follows violent protests this week across large parts of Pakistan by activists of the radical Islamist party Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), which has been demanding that Islamabad expel the French ambassador over the …

US Expels Russian Diplomats, Imposes New Round of Sanctions

The Biden administration on Thursday announced the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats and sanctions against nearly three dozen people and companies as it moved to hold the Kremlin accountable for interference in last year’s presidential election and the hacking of federal agencies. The actions, foreshadowed for weeks by the administration, represent the first retaliatory measures …

COVID Could Bring Hope for Spain’s ‘Forgotten Territories’

In Spain, only ten percent of the population lives in rural areas, placing the Spanish countryside among the emptiest regions of Europe. The COVID pandemic and the ability for many urban dwellers to work remotely appears to be reversing that.  For VOA, Alfonso Beato has this report narrated by Jonathan Spier. Camera: Alfonso Beato      …

Russia Targets Student Magazine With Raids, Criminal Charges

Russian authorities on Wednesday charged four editors of an online student magazine with encouraging minors to take part in illegal activity for a report about the nationwide protests supporting jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny.All four were ordered by a court not to leave their residences for the next two months and were banned from using the …

Sources: US Set to Slap New Sanctions on Russian Officials as Soon as Thursday

The United States will announce sanctions on Russia as soon as Thursday for alleged election interference and malicious cyber activity, targeting several individuals and entities, people familiar the matter said.The sanctions, in which 30 entities are expected to be blacklisted, will be tied with orders expelling about 10 Russian officials from the United States, one …

Biden Reaches Out to Putin Amid Ukraine Tensions

President Joe Biden has offered to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for a summit in a third country while at the same time warning Moscow amid a massive buildup of Russian troops that any aggression against Ukraine will have consequences. VOA’s senior diplomatic correspondent Cindy Saine reports.Contributor: Luliia Larmolenko, Ukrainian Service …

British Ministers Rebuff Dublin Pleas for Emergency Summit on Northern Ireland

Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney is expected to press his British counterpart, Dominic Rabb, this week during a meeting in London to convene an emergency British-Irish intergovernmental conference to discuss a recent outbreak of violence in Northern Ireland. But British ministers are reluctant. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told the House of Commons on Tuesday that the British …

EU Makes Deal with Pfizer-BioNTech for 50 Million More Vaccine Doses

European Commission President Urusula Von der Leyen Wednesday announced the European Union has reached a deal with pharmaceutical partners Pfizer-BioNTech for 50 million additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine, to be delivered in the coming months. At a news briefing in Brussels, Von der Leyen said the new deal means the EU will have obtained 250 …

An Existential Choice? France’s Communist Party Eyes Presidential Race 

France’s once-powerful Communist Party is fielding its first presidential candidate in years for the 2022 elections, a choice some consider vital for its very survival. It’s one of Western Europe’s last relevant Communist parties, whose latest move paradoxically risks further fracturing an already weakened French left.  The French Communist Party’s presidential hopeful is Fabien Roussel, a former …

Blinken Meeting with NATO Allies as US Sets Afghanistan Withdrawal

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet Wednesday in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and top diplomats from several U.S. allies as the United States launches it plans to withdraw forces from Afghanistan.U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is also participating in a meeting that includes German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, …

Biden Warns Putin on Russian Troop Buildup Near Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call Tuesday that the United States is concerned about Moscow’s “sudden … military buildup” along Ukraine’s border and in occupied Crimea. He called on Russia to “deescalate tensions,” the White House said in a summary of the conversation.”President Biden emphasized the United States’ …

Taliban Shun Afghanistan Talks Until Foreign Forces Go

The Taliban said on Tuesday they would not attend a summit on Afghanistan’s future in Turkey this month until all foreign forces leave their country.”Until all foreign forces completely withdraw from our homeland, (we) will not participate in any conference that shall make decisions about Afghanistan,” tweeted Mohammad Naeem, spokesman for the Taliban office in …

Turkey Caught in Russia-Ukraine Tensions

With tensions escalating between Russia and Ukraine, Turkey is finding itself caught in the middle. Ankara — anxious to get Russian COVID vaccines and tourist revenue — faces a difficult choice as Kyiv seeks to purchase Turkish-made military drones. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.Produced by: Henry Hernandez    …

Britain Reopens as Rest of Europe Goes Into Lockdown  

Much of Europe has been forced back into lockdown amid a deadly third wave of the coronavirus. In Britain however, pubs, shops and services reopened Monday as the government hailed its vaccination program for cutting infections. In Rome, around 200 restaurant and business owners staged a protest Monday outside parliament, demanding that the Italian government allows them …

Britain Reopens as Rest of Europe Locks Down

Much of Europe has been forced back into lockdown amid a deadly third wave of the coronavirus. In Britain however, pubs, shops and services reopened Monday as the government hailed its vaccination program for cutting infections. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.Camera: Henry Ridgwell  Producer: Jason Godman   …

In Latest Salvo Against Media, Belarus Takes Euronews Off Air

Belarusian authorities have stopped the European news network Euronews from broadcasting inside the country amid a campaign to muzzle independent media and journalists as part of the government’s crackdown on dissent following a disputed presidential election that returned strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka to power.The Information Ministry said in a  Police officers detain a demonstrator as they prevent …

Ukraine, Afghanistan in Spotlight as Blinken Visits Brussels 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday the United States supports an autonomous Ukraine, as Russia continues its buildup of forces along the border it shares with Ukraine.Blinken made the remarks before talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Brussels, where he also met with other European and NATO allies on a range of issues, including Russia’s …

German Chancellor Seeks Nationwide COVID-19 Restrictions

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday she is asking Parliament for temporary powers that would allow her federal government to implement nationwide coronavirus lockdowns to curb a third wave of the pandemic in the country.   Merkel spoke to reporters after her Cabinet approved a draft of legislation that would give her government the power …

As 3rd Coronavirus Wave Forces Europe Into Lockdown, Vaccine Success Sees Britain Reopen 

Much of Europe has been forced back into lockdown amid a deadly third wave of the coronavirus. In Britain however, pubs, shops and services reopened Monday as the government hailed its vaccination program for cutting infections. In Rome, around 200 restaurant and business owners staged a protest Monday outside parliament, demanding that the Italian government allows them …

Ukraine, Afghanistan in Spotlight as Blinken Visits Brussels

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to Brussels on Tuesday to meet with European and NATO allies on a range of issues, including Russia’s buildup of forces along the border with Ukraine and coalition operations in Afghanistan.The visit comes three weeks after Blinken was in Brussels for a summit with his counterparts from NATO …