Worldwide news. The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique while others talk of a “plurality of worlds”
Paris — Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s far-right National Front who was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism that earned him both staunch supporters and widespread condemnation, has died. He was 96. Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally as the party is now known, confirmed Le Pen’s death in a post …
Read more “Jean-Marie Le Pen, French far-right leader, dies at 96 “
Paris — France on Tuesday commemorated the victims of the deadly assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine 10 years ago that began a spate of Islamist militant attacks on the country and stoked a debate on press freedoms that still rages today. Two masked al-Qaida-linked gunmen with assault rifles stormed what were then the offices …
Read more “France commemorates victims of Charlie Hebdo attacks 10 years on “
Russia’s military said Monday its forces captured an important town in eastern Ukraine, while Ukrainian officials cited tens of thousands of Russian casualties in the fighting in Russia’s Kursk region. The Russian Defense Ministry said its control of the town of Kurakhove after several months of fighting for the logistics hub will allow the Russian …
Read more “Russia claims capture of town in Ukraine’s Donetsk region”
UNITED NATIONS — The United States accused Russia at the United Nations on Monday of funding the two warring parties in Sudan, an apparent step up from Washington’s previous assertion that Moscow was playing both sides of the conflict to advance its political objectives. The war erupted in April 2023 amid a power struggle between the …
Read more “U.S. accuses Russia of funding both sides of Sudan’s war”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has criticized those, in his words, “spreading lies and misinformation,” after coming under fire from billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump accused Starmer of failing to prosecute past cases of child sexual exploitation. As Henry Ridgwell reports, it’s the latest in a series of …
Read more “British PM slams ‘lies and misinformation’ in escalating row with Musk”
A major natural gas pipeline supplying Russian energy to Europe ran dry Wednesday after Ukraine stopped Moscow’s six-decade supply in the hopes of hurting Russia financially. The planned move marks the end of an era in which many European countries kept warm using gas pumped by Russia. Ukraine is losing up to $1 billion a …
Read more “VOA Russian: Collapse of Kremlin’s strategy of gas blackmail against Europe “
Repression against the LGBTQ+ community in 2024 intensified after the Russian Supreme Court’s decision in January to recognize the “International LGBT Movement” as an extremist organization came into force. Last year was marked by the first criminal cases under articles on extremism, the first arrests for “extremist symbols” in the form of rainbow paraphernalia, and …
Read more “VOA Russian: Persecution of LGBTQ+ people in Russia intensified in 2024 “
LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday condemned “lies and misinformation” that he said are undermining U.K. democracy, in response to a barrage of attacks on his government from Elon Musk. The billionaire Tesla CEO has taken an intense and erratic interest in British politics since the center-left Labour Party was elected in July. …
Read more “UK’s Starmer slams ‘lies and misinformation’ after attacks from Elon Musk”
Just before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, nearly three years ago, 23-year-old Ukrainian army Lieutenant Myroslav Pylypchuk was preparing to become a father. Instead, he found himself confronting the invaders on the frontlines, where he repeatedly faced death, including a face-off with a Russian tank in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. During subsequent fighting in …
Read more “Grievously wounded Ukrainian soldier gets second chance in US”
Rome — Pope Francis on Monday named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, appointing an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church’s religious orders. The appointment marks a major step in Francis’ aim to give women more leadership roles in governing the church. …
Read more “Pope Francis names 1st woman to head major Vatican office”
Paris — A trial of France’s former President Nicolas Sarkozy and 11 co-defendants started Monday over alleged illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by the government of then-Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, did not speak to the press at arrival. He has denied any wrongdoing. He faces …
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that North Korea and China are the “biggest ongoing drivers” allowing Russia to carry out its war in Ukraine, and that security assurances will need to be a part of potential future negotiations ending the conflict. Speaking during a visit to South Korea, Blinken said North Korean …
Read more “Blinken: China, North Korea helping drive Russia’s war in Ukraine”
London — Heavy snow and freezing rain brought widespread disruptions across Europe on Sunday, particularly in the U.K. and Germany, with several major airports forced to suspend flights. With the weather set to stay inclement on Sunday in the U.K., there are concerns that many rural communities, particularly in the north of England, could be cut …
Read more “Heavy snow brings widespread disruptions across UK, Germany”
Podgorica, Montenegro — Several thousand people rallied in Montenegro on Sunday demanding the resignations of top security officials over the shooting earlier this week that left 12 people dead, including two children. Chanting “Resignations” and “Killers,” protesters outside the Interior Ministry building in the capital, Podgorica, demanded that Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic and Deputy Prime Minister …
Read more “Thousands in Montenegro demand ouster of security officials over mass shooting”
Athens, Greece — The head of the Albanian Orthodox Church, who was airlifted to a hospital in Athens due to complications from a virus, is in a critical condition, the Evangelismos hospital said Sunday. Archbishop Anastasios, 95, was taken to the Greek capital Friday evening, four days after being admitted to hospital in Tirana with what …
Read more “Albanian Orthodox archbishop in critical condition”
Paris — Convoys of farmers set off Sunday to try to block roads around Paris in protest of what they say is unfair competition from overseas and excessive regulation. Farmers from France, the European Union’s biggest agricultural producer, led European-wide protests at the start of 2024, but demonstrations fizzled out as the year went on. However, …
Read more “Farmers’ convoys head for Paris to restart protest movement”
Russia said Sunday that Ukraine has launched a new counterattack in the western Kursk region aimed at repelling Russian and North Korean troops trying to retake territory that Kyiv’s forces captured last August. The Russian defense ministry said Kyiv deployed “an assault group consisting of two tanks, a mine clearing vehicle, and twelve armored combat …
Read more “Russia: Ukraine launches new Kursk region offensive”
Vienna — Austrian People’s Party on Sunday nominated its General Secretary Christian Stocker as interim leader after the expected resignation of Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Austrian news agency APA reported. Nehammer announced Saturday he would resign in the next few days after coalition talks with the Social Democrats collapsed. Stocker, a lawyer and member of the Austrian …
ATHENS, GREECE — Costas Simitis, former prime minister of Greece and the architect of the country’s joining the common European currency, the euro, has died at age 88, state TV ERT reported. Simitis was taken to a hospital in the city of Corinth early Sunday morning from his holiday home west of Athens, unconscious and without …
Read more “Costas Simitis, former Greek prime minister and socialist leader, dies at 88”
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni flew to Florida to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday, as the key European leader sought to buttress ties with Trump before his inauguration on Jan. 20. Members of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort welcomed Meloni with applause after an introduction by the president-elect, according to …
Read more “Italian Prime Minister Meloni meets with Trump at his Florida resort”
KYIV, UKRAINE — The pro-Russian breakaway Moldovan region of Transdniestria, left without Russian gas supplies no longer transiting through neighboring Ukraine, faced longer periods of rolling power cuts on Saturday, local authorities said. Flows of Russian gas via Ukraine to central and eastern Europe stopped on New Year’s Day after a transit deal expired between the …
Read more “Moldova breakaway region faces extended blackouts after gas cutoff”
WASHINGTON — An investigation by a U.S. Senate panel has found that troubled investment bank Credit Suisse concealed information during previous inquiries into Nazi-controlled bank accounts during World War II. Tens of thousands of documents discovered during an ongoing examination have provided new proof of the existence of account holders linked to the Nazis, the Senate …
Read more “US finds more records found linking Credit Suisse, Nazi accounts”
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken will embark on what is expected to be his final overseas trip in office this weekend, traveling to South Korea, Japan and France. The State Department announced Friday that Blinken would visit Seoul, South Korean, Tokyo and Paris beginning Sunday. In South Korea, which is in the midst of …
VIENNA — Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said Saturday he will resign in the coming days after talks on forming a new government failed a second time. The announcement came after the People’s Party and the Social Democrats on Saturday continued coalition talks a day after the liberal Neos party’s surprise withdrawal from discussions. “Unfortunately, I have …
Read more “Austrian chancellor to resign after talks to form new government fail”