Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Russian forces attacked his country with more than 70 missiles and that targets included Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian air defenses shot down 50 of the missiles, but that “there have been hits” and power outages in several regions of the country. “Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas …

Read more “Russia damages Ukrainian energy facilities in missile attacks Zelenskyy calls ‘inhumane’”

Paris — France’s president and prime minister managed to form a new government just in time for the holidays. Now comes the hard part.  Crushing debt, intensifying pressure from the nationalist far right, wars in Europe and the Mideast — challenges abound for President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after an already tumultuous 2024.  …

Read more “France has new government, again. Politics and crushing debt complicate next steps”

The Hague, Netherlands — An Amsterdam district court on Tuesday sentenced five men to up to six months in prison for violence that erupted around a UEFA Europa League football match between the Dutch club Ajax and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv in November. The riots, which caused an international outcry and accusations of deliberate antisemitic attacks, …

Read more “Amsterdam court sentences 5 men for violence linked to Ajax-Maccabi soccer game”

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis kicked off the 2025 Holy Year on Tuesday, inaugurating a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome in a test of the pope’s stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them.  From his wheelchair, Francis knocked a few times, …

Read more “Pope Francis kicks off year-long Jubilee that will test his stamina, Rome’s patience”

Istanbul — An explosion at an ammunition factory in northwest Turkey left 11 dead and five injured Tuesday morning. The blast occurred in Balikesir province, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. The factory is in a rural area away from population centers. Balikesir Governor Ismail Ustaoglu said the explosion collapsed the capsule production building and the …

Read more “Blast at Turkish ammunition factory kills 11 people”

Prague — The list of sacrifices that Alesya Marokhovskaya has made to keep reporting on Russia from exile runs long: her home, her country, family, friends, culture, safety. This month alone, Russian authorities searched the home of the journalist’s parents in the eastern port town of Magadan and opened a criminal case against Marokhovskaya for violating …

Read more “People in Russia ‘need the truth,’ says journalist who sacrificed home and security to keep reporting”

MOSCOW — An engine room explosion sank a Russian cargo ship in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria and two of its crew are missing, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.  The vessel, built in 2009 and called ‘’Ursa Major,’’ was controlled by Oboronlogistika, a company that is part of the Russian Defense Ministry’s …

Read more “Explosion sinks Russian cargo ship in Mediterranean, Russian Foreign Ministry says”

Ukraine’s military said Tuesday it shot down 36 of the 60 drones that Russian forces deployed in overnight attacks. The intercepts took place in the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Poltava, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia regions, Ukraine’s air force said. Serhiy Lysak, governor of Dnipropetrovsk, said on Telegram that the drone attacks and Russian shelling damaged …

Read more “Ukrainian forces destroy 36 Russian drones”

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Tuesday formally inaugurates the 2025 Holy Year, reviving an ancient church tradition encouraging the faithful to make pilgrimages to Rome, amid new security fears following a Christmas market attack in Germany. At the start of Christmas Eve Mass, Francis will push open the Holy Door on St. Peter’s Basilica, which …

Read more “Holy Year about to start in Rome”

Russia recently expanded punishment against independent journalists and activists that the Kremlin designated as “foreign agents,” with Moscow charging a prominent exiled reporter, Tatyana Felgengauer, on criminal counts in absentia. The State Duma passed the law severely limiting the ability of “foreign agents” to get income from inside Russia. VOA Russian spoke to several people …

Read more “VOA Russian: Moscow increases pressure on ‘foreign agents’”

Orleans, France — Nabil Attar sprinkles sesame and pomegranate over creamy mutabal, a roasted eggplant dip from his native Syria — one of his mother’s many recipes now featured at his restaurant, Narenj. A plate of stuffed grape leaves sits nearby, ready for the swelling lunchtime crowd. The tiny kitchen where he works seems an unlikely …

Read more “Going home? Syrians in Europe are not so sure”

WASHINGTON — A journalist jailed in Azerbaijan for nearly seven months has said he believes his arrest is linked to his reporting. Farid Mehralizada, an economist and journalist with VOA’s sister outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has been jailed since May on charges including conspiring to smuggle foreign currency. The journalist, his employer and press freedom …

Read more “Azerbaijani journalist says he was jailed over his work ”

PARIS — France unveiled a new government on Monday, composed of former ministers and senior civil servants that Prime Minister Francois Bayrou will hope can oversee the passage of a 2025 budget and avoid a collapse that would deepen the country’s crisis.  Eric Lombard, 66, the head of Caisse des Depots, the investment arm of the …

Read more “France unveils new government with budget battle looming”

Berlin — Germany searched for answers on Monday on possible security lapses after a man drove his car into a Christmas market, killing at least five people and casting a renewed spotlight on security and immigration ahead of a snap election. The possible motive of the arrested suspect, a 50-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia with a …

Read more “Germany looking into possible security lapses after Christmas market attack “

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday there are indications that North Korea is preparing to send more troops and weapons to support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. The additional weapons being readied include suicide drones, and North Korea has already sent 240mm rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled artillery to Russia, the JCS said …

Read more “South Korea says North Korea preparing to send more troops, weapons to Russia”

BUCHAREST — Romania’s outgoing president Klaus Iohannis is expected Monday to designate leftist Social Democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu to form a new government after three pro-European parties agreed to the details of a parliamentary majority.  The Social Democrat Party (PSD) will hold eight cabinet posts including justice, transport, labor and defense, and most of its …

Read more “Romanian parliament expected to approve new government”

Madrid — For weeks, Spaniards had anticipated the arrival of “El Gordo” or “The Fat One.” But unlike Santa Claus, El Gordo arrived three days before Christmas, before noon on Sunday. El Gordo is the first prize of Spain’s hugely popular national Christmas lottery, which is said to be the world’s largest based on the total …

Read more “‘El Gordo’ lottery in Spain spreads Christmas riches worth $2.8 billion”

Russian forces captured two villages in Ukraine, one in Kharkiv region in the northeast and one in eastern Donetsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. Donetsk region is where Moscow is concentrating most of its efforts to seize two cities. Russian forces, making steady progress across Donetsk region, are moving on the towns …

Read more “Russia captures two villages in Ukraine as Moscow’s forces advance on two cities”

Vatican City — Pope Francis called for a ceasefire on all war fronts in his Sunday Angelus prayer ahead of Christmas, condemning the “cruelty” of bombing schools and hospitals in Ukraine and Gaza. “Let the weapons fall silent and let the Christmas carols ring out!” Francis said, delivering his Sunday blessing from indoors due to a …

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