BERLIN — German politicians made a final scramble for votes Saturday on the eve of key elections in which conservatives hope to win despite the dramatic rise of the far right. Sunday’s vote comes at a time of upheaval for Europe and its biggest economy as U.S. President Donald Trump has ended a united Western stance …
Read more “On eve of elections, Germany faces changing world situation”
ROME — The Vatican carried on with its Holy Year celebrations without the pope Saturday, as Pope Francis battled pneumonia and a complex respiratory infection that doctors say remains touch-and-go and will keep him hospitalized for at least another week. Francis slept well overnight, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said in a brief early update Saturday. But …
Read more “Pope’s doctors say sepsis could threaten his fight against pneumonia”
Preparations are underway for a face-to-face meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Russia’s deputy foreign minister said Saturday, marking a dramatic shift away from Western isolation of Moscow over its war in Ukraine. Speaking to Russian state media, Sergei Ryabkov said a possible Putin-Trump summit could involve broad talks on global …
Read more “Trump-Putin summit preparations are underway, Russia says”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been branded “a dictator without elections,” but rivals are already circling for his job as expectations mount of a vote later this year. U.S. President Donald Trump’s broadside at Zelenskyy hit a sensitive spot. Presidential elections in Ukraine should have been held in March or April 2024. But they were …
Read more “As war rages, Ukraine’s politicians circle presidential ‘electric chair’”
WASHINGTON — This week, thousands of conservative politicians, activists and influencers convened outside Washington for the Conservative Political Action Conference, the premier annual gathering of the American right. The four-day event, hosted by the American Conservative Union since 1974, features U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, among other high-profile speakers from around the …
Read more “Amid rising worldwide populism, America’s premier conservative conference goes global”
Following the news of Jorge Bergoglio’s health, churches across the country are joining in prayer. In this video we visit the most emblematic places in his hometown. Argentine faithful share prayers and reflect on the importance of having an Argentine Pope. Click here for the full story in Spanish. …
Uncertainty looms over U.S.-Ukraine relations as Ukraine enters the fourth year of war with Russia. Recent shifts in Washington’s rhetoric have raised fears that Ukraine could be pressured into an unfavorable peace deal — or be left to confront Russia without U.S. support. While most Ukrainians are now in favor of peace talks, many insist …
Read more “Ukraine marks war’s 3rd anniversary as US support wavers”
Pope Francis’ medical team said Friday that his medical condition was not life-threatening, but that the pontiff was not out of danger. “If the question is, ‘Is he out of danger?’ the answer is, ‘No,’ ” Sergio Alfieri, the head of the team of doctors at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital taking care of the pope, said. …
Read more “Pope’s condition not life-threatening, but his life is still in danger, doctors say”
berlin — Police arrested a man suspected in a stabbing Friday at Berlin’s Holocaust memorial that left a Spanish tourist seriously injured, police said. There was no immediate indication of a motive for the attack, which came two days before Germans vote in a national election. Police spokesman Florian Nath said at a news conference that …
Read more “Arrest made in stabbing at Berlin’s Holocaust memorial”
new york — Jerry Butler, a premier soul singer of the 1960s and ’70s whose rich, intimate baritone graced such hits as “For Your Precious Love,” “Only the Strong Survive” and “Make It Easy on Yourself,” has died at age 85. Butler’s niece, Yolanda Goff, told the Chicago Sun-Times that Butler — whose show business nickname, “The …
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA — Thousands rallied across Slovakia on Friday to mark the seventh anniversary of the slayings of an investigative journalist and his fiancee. The rallies are part of a wave of protests against the pro-Russia policies of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. People in Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava, observed a minute of silence to honor Jan …
MAYVILLE, NEW YORK — A New Jersey man was convicted Friday of attempted murder for stabbing author Salman Rushdie multiple times on a New York lecture stage in 2022. Jurors, who deliberated for less than two hours, also found Hadi Matar, 27, guilty of assault for wounding a man who was on stage with Rushdie at …
Read more “Suspect found guilty of attempted murder in author Salman Rushdie attack”
BERLIN — German police said Friday they have arrested an 18-year-old Russian man on suspicion of planning a “politically motivated” attack in Berlin, two days before national elections. The man was detained late Thursday in the state of Brandenburg, which surrounds Berlin, police and prosecutors said in a statement. Authorities did not provide further details about …
Read more “German police arrest Russian man over attack plot”
February 24 marks the three-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with international efforts aimed at ending the conflict in progress. Amid criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by the new Trump administration, research shows the majority of Ukraine’s population trusts Zelenskyy and is not ready to elect a president during war time. Lesia Bakalets …
Read more “57% of Ukrainians trust President Zelenskyy, Ukrainian institute says”
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a peaceful resolution to Russia’s now three-year war in Ukraine. VOA examined several approaches floated by think tanks recently aimed at achieving a lasting peace to the war. Maximum pressure strategy A plan by the Center for European Policy Analysis, or CEPA, titled “How to Win: A …
MUMBAI, INDIA — Even for the world’s most-populous nation, the scale of a Hindu religious festival being held in India’s northern city of Prayagraj since mid-January is staggering. Surpassing previous numbers, the Maha Kumbh Mela that wraps up Wednesday has drawn more than half a billion devotees in the last six weeks, according to officials. The …
Read more “Half-billion people attend Hindu festival in India”
RFE/RL — Iya Rashevskaya was told her husband — a member of the country’s armed forces – had gone missing in the frontline in the eastern Donetsk region, in April 2023. The news of Serhiy Skotarenko’s disappearance came just a month after he had joined the military, having given up his job abroad. Rashevskaya soon found …
Read more “Russian region holding Ukrainian Prisoners of War as ‘bargaining chip’”
Vice President JD Vance sketched his conservative view of foreign affairs Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference, accompanied by foreign politicians who say they support President Donald Trump’s agenda. VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell reports from Washington. Camera: Anthony LaBruto …
Pope Francis “had a restful night,” and Thursday morning “got out of bed and had breakfast in an armchair,” the Vatican said in a statement. Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital last week with bronchitis, which then developed into double pneumonia. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said Thursday that the pope now has focal pneumonia …
Read more “Pope Francis’ health condition is stable, Vatican says”
The fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continued Thursday, with Trump doubling down on his claim Zelenskyy is a dictator because he has not held elections since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has reaction from around the world. …
WASHINGTON — Hoping to head off a potential trade conflict, a top European Union official stressed the importance of active engagement and fairness in trade during a four-hour meeting with Trump administration officials. “The top objective as it was presented to us yesterday by our American partners is reciprocity,” Maros Sefcovic, the European commissioner for trade …
Read more “EU official meets with Trump counterparts to resolve tariff threats”
With European leaders scrambling to bolster their militaries amid doubts about the U.S. commitment to Europe’s defense, Turkey — which boasts NATO’s second-largest army — could be a key part of Europe’s plans, especially in any peacekeeping operation in Ukraine. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …
london — European shipyards are providing vital servicing contracts to vessels carrying Russian liquefied natural gas, sustaining a trade that Kyiv says is funding the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine. Meanwhile, a new analysis of the latest trade data shows that imports of Russian LNG to the EU rose last year, bucking the overall trend of declining …
Read more “European shipyards sustain Russia’s Arctic gas trade “
European shipyards are providing vital servicing contracts to vessels carrying Russian gas, despite warnings that the profits are funding Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Meanwhile, a new analysis shows imports of Russian gas to the EU rose last year. Henry Ridgwell reports. …