Category: World

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budapest, hungary — Hungary has rejected criticism of its new sovereignty protection law after the European Union instigated legal action against Budapest on Wednesday over concerns the legislation breaches basic democratic rights.  Hungary passed the Defense of National Sovereignty Act in December 2023, creating a new investigative body with sweeping powers to gather information on any …

Read more “Hungary and EU Face Off Over New Sovereign Defense Law”

Paris — Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, has long been a thorn in the European Union’s side, his many critics say, with attacks on press freedom, judicial independence, immigration and the LBGTQ community among others flouting the EU’s rule of law and democratic values. Orban has a friendly relationship with Russian and Chinese leaders — even …

Read more “EU’s Dilemma: Dealing With Hungary’s Viktor Orban”

GENEVA — A U.N. watchdog group Thursday accused Russia of violating the rights of Ukrainian children in both Russian occupied territories in Ukraine and in Russia. The U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child, a body of 18 independent experts that monitors implementation of the convention, raised many concerns about the killings and injuries of …

Read more “UN Committee Accuses Russia of Violating Ukrainian Child Rights”

News that American media personality Tucker Carlson was in Russia to interview President Vladimir Putin has received intense news coverage in Russia. Some have described it as a frenzy, one that’s giving insight into how the Russian state handles foreign and domestic journalists. Elizabeth Cherneff narrates this report from VOA’ Moscow bureau. …

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GRINDAVIK, Iceland — A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted on Thursday for the third time since December, sending jets of lava into the sky and triggering the evacuation of the Blue Lagoon spa, one of the island nation’s biggest tourist attractions.  The eruption began about 6 a.m. along a 3-kilometer (nearly 2-mile) fissure northeast of Mount …

Read more “Volcano in Iceland Erupts Again, Spewing Lava and Cutting Heat”

TALLINN, Estonia — Antiwar politician Boris Nadezhdin was rejected Thursday as a candidate in next month’s presidential balloting by Russian election authorities, a strong signal from the Kremlin that it would tolerate no public opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. The move by the Central Election Commission provides an even smoother path for President Vladimir Putin …

Read more “Russian Election Officials Reject Antiwar Politician’s Bid to Oppose Putin in Next Month’s Vote”

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Hungary’s NATO allies are turning up the pressure on Prime Minister Viktor Orban to swiftly approve Sweden’s accession to the alliance, after lawmakers from his party refused to vote on the issue this week in parliament. Henry Ridgwell reports from Budapest. …

BERLIN — Russian and Iranian government officials have not been invited to this year’s Munich Security Conference, as they did not seem open to meaningful dialogue, according to the chairperson of the annual event. The conference, attended by the world’s defense and security elite and sometimes known as “Davos for defense,” will take place in the …

Read more “Russia, Iran Not Invited to Munich Security Conference”

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Washington — Former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlon’s announcement on Tuesday that he interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin has been met with disapproval from an array of journalists, some of whom say the Kremlin may use the interview for propaganda purposes. In a video posted on the social media platform X, Carlson said he wanted to …

Read more “Journalists Criticize Tucker Carlson Over Putin Interview”

budapest — Hungary’s NATO allies are turning up the pressure on Prime Minister Viktor Orban to swiftly approve Sweden’s accession to the alliance after his MPs refused an opportunity to vote on the issue this week. Sweden applied to join the alliance in May 2022 in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February …

Read more “NATO Allies Pressure Hungary Over Blocking Sweden’s Accession”

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London — Britain’s Prince William returned to public duty on Wednesday following his wife Kate’s surgery and news that King Charles had cancer, as his younger brother Prince Harry was set to return to the United States after a flying visit to see their father.  William, the heir to the throne, had postponed all his planned …

Read more “Prince William Back to Work after Kate’s Surgery and King Charles’ Cancer”

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New York — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday that the world has entered an “age of chaos” that is causing a multitude of suffering and thwarting progress – and must be reversed. “There is so much anger and hate and noise in our world today,” the secretary-general told member states as he laid out his …

Read more “UN Chief: ‘Age of Chaos’ Engulfing the World Must End”

Madrid — Thousands of farmers used tractors to block roads across Spain for the second straight day Wednesday amid Europe-wide protests against cheaper imports and heavy regulation. Farmers gathered at dawn on dozens of roads, snarling traffic, mainly in Andalusia in the south, the northeastern region of Catalonia and Navarra in the north, according to the …

Read more “Spanish Farmers Block Roads for Second Day”

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