London — Support appears to be growing in the West to fully seize hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of Russian assets that were frozen following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, amid speculation that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will try to seek a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv soon after he takes office next week. …
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Support is growing in the West to seize hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of Russian assets that were frozen following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As Henry Ridgwell reports, European allies fear incoming U.S. President Donald Trump may slash military aid for Kyiv – and some say the Russian assets could make up the …
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Officials in western Ukraine said Wednesday a Russian missile attack hit critical infrastructure facilities in the Lviv region. Lviv Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said the missile strikes took place in two separate areas, and that there were no casualties. Ukraine’s military issued air alerts for regions across the country Wednesday, while the national power grid operator …
Read more “ Russian missile, drone attacks cause damage in multiple Ukrainian regions”
As Russian President Vladimir Putin and his key ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, organize waves of illegal immigration into the EU as a tool of their hybrid war against the West, Poland has been building a wall on the border with Belarus, shielding itself from current and potentially future Russia’s hostile efforts. The wall, more …
Read more “VOA Russian: Poland approves border securities to deter Russian, Belarusian aggression”
The Russian army is strengthening its positions in villages around the key eastern Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk in an attempt to encircle it and lay siege to a vital transport hub linking embattled Donbas with the rest of Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have been repelling the Russian attacks so far, but the battle is continuing for …
Read more “VOA Russian: Russian army trying to encircle Ukraine’s Pokrovsk”
The White House says it has finalized rules that crack down on Chinese and Russian automobile technology effectively banning all personal smart cars from the two countries from entering the U.S. market. In a White House fact sheet detailing the decision, the Biden administration Tuesday said that while connected vehicles offer advantages, the involvement of …
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PARIS — France’s new prime minister, Francois Bayrou, announced Tuesday the renegotiation of a contested plan raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, in a crucial move to seek more stability for his minority government. In his first address to lawmakers at the National Assembly, Bayrou said: “I’m choosing to put this subject back on …
A Kenyan company is using the age-old art of glass blowing to recycle waste into sculptures, goblets, beads and more. Juma Majanga reports from Kajiado, Kenya. …
GENEVA — U.S. President Donald Trump will take part virtually in the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos just days after his inauguration, the forum president said Tuesday. Borge Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister who heads the Geneva-based organization, noted that Trump had twice attended the elite gathering of business, government and other leaders …
LONDON — Britain’s antitrust regulator said on Tuesday it would investigate Google’s search services using its new powers to see how they impact consumers and businesses, including advertisers, news publishers and rival search engines. The Competition and Markets Authority, which has gained new powers to examine big tech, said search was vital for economic growth and …
Read more “UK’s antitrust regulator to investigate Google’s search services”
HELSINKI — European nations must be prepared to face further incidents in the Baltic Sea following the recent damage to undersea infrastructure, leaders of NATO countries in the region said on Tuesday ahead of a security meeting in Helsinki. Baltic Sea nations are on high alert after a string of power cable, telecom link and gas …
Read more “Baltic Sea nations seek to limit further incidents after cable breaches”
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius visited Ukraine on Tuesday in a show of support for the country in its fight against the Russian invasion that began nearly three years ago. German officials said the visit was aimed at reassuring Ukraine it will continue to receive support, with Pistorius to meet with top Ukrainian officials. The …
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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — Malaysia said on Tuesday it will encourage sustainability while maintaining the competitiveness of its palm oil industry ahead of the implementation of the European Union’s anti-deforestation law at the end of this year. The EU last month approved a one-year delay to the landmark deforestation law, which bans the importation of palm …
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CHISINAU, MOLDOVA — The prime minister of Moldova’s separatist Transniestria region said Monday that the abrupt curtailment of Russian gas supplies that plunged the region into an energy crisis has also shattered both its exports and imports. The cutoff, prompted by Ukraine’s refusal to renew an agreement allowing Russian gas to transit through Ukraine, has led …
Read more “Premier of separatist Moldova region says gas cutoff shattered foreign trade”
KYIV, UKRAINE — Russian forces are bypassing a key stronghold in eastern Ukraine that they have fought for months to capture and are focusing instead on cutting supply lines to it, a Ukrainian official said Monday. Russian troops are going around the vital logistics hub of Pokrovsk, where a steadfast Ukrainian defense has kept them at …
Read more “Russian forces bypass key stronghold to cut off supplies to Ukrainians”
Pro-Kremlin Russian media lost millions of readers and viewers in 2024, with some state propaganda outlets having their audiences slashed by up to a third. The main propaganda TV channel, Channel One, has lost a quarter of its viewers since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Experts who spoke to VOA Russian note this …
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U.S. experts believe that Western sanctions imposed on Russia turned out to be not painful enough for the oligarchs in Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. They say that the West has also overestimated the influence that oligarchs have on Putin and on his intent to continue the war in Ukraine. Despite having some of their assets …
Read more “VOA Russian: Kremlin oligarchs still prosper despite Western sanctions”
World War I had a catastrophic impact on Russia, forcing its withdrawal before the conflict ended, resulting in significant territorial losses, including what is now Ukraine, Moldova, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. This was followed by a five-year civil war. …
WASHINGTON — For more than 5,000 years, humans have adorned themselves with tattoos. In a new study, researchers used lasers to uncover highly intricate designs of ancient tattoos on mummies from Peru. The preserved skin of the mummies and the black tattoo ink used show a stark contrast — revealing fine details in tattoos dating to …
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NEW YORK — Ryanair is calling on European authorities to limit the sale of alcoholic beverages at airports across the continent, as the Irish airline continues legal action against a passenger who it says caused a costly flight diversion last year. The budget airline is seeking more than 15,000 euros ($15,324) in damages over the April …
Moscow — Russian President Vladimir Putin will host his Iranian counterpart this week for the signing of a broad partnership pact between Moscow and Tehran, the Kremlin said Monday. The agreement on “comprehensive strategic partnership” between the countries will be signed during Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Moscow on Friday, the Kremlin said. It added …
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Egypt hosted a historic number of tourists last year —15.7 million, despite regional challenges — surpassing records set in 2023 and 2010. Around the city of Luxor, Cairo-based photojournalist Hamada Elrasam captured newly unearthed antiquities showcased this month. Captions by Elle Kurancid. …
PARIS — A Frenchman held in Iran since October 2022 on Monday revealed his identity in an audio message broadcast on a French radio station, saying he was becoming increasingly exhausted over his ordeal. Olivier Grondeau, 34, had previously only been identified by his first name and French authorities had not released details of his case. …
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Around 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed and 2,700 others injured in Russia’s war in Ukraine, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers in a closed briefing Monday. The National Intelligence Service said it had participated in the interrogation of several North Korean troops who were captured by Ukrainian forces. The briefing came days after …
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