the hague, netherlands — Dozens of people armed with sticks and firecrackers set a tram on fire in Amsterdam on Monday, police said, while the city is facing tensions following violence last week targeting fans of an Israeli soccer club. Police said the fire was quickly extinguished and riot officers cleared the square. Images online showed …

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warsaw, poland — Polish President Andrzej Duda marked Independence Day on Monday with a call for sustained U.S. commitment to Europe’s security in view of Russian aggression in the region and argued that Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders should be restored. Weighing on the minds of many is the war across Poland’s border in Ukraine, and an expectation …

Read more “Polish president urges sustained US commitment to Europe’s security”

stockholm — A Swedish Eritrean journalist held incommunicado without charge in Eritrea for more than 23 years won a Swedish rights prize on Monday for his fight for freedom of expression, the jury said. Dawit Isaak was among a group of around two dozen people, including senior cabinet ministers, members of parliament and independent journalists, who …

Read more “Jailed Swedish Eritrean journalist wins rights prize”

London — A British soldier accused of passing sensitive information to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps pleaded guilty Monday to escaping from prison while awaiting trial. Daniel Abed Khalife is on trial at London’s Woolwich Crown Court, accused of collecting sensitive information between May 2019 and January 2022. Khalife, who is no longer a member of …

Read more “Former UK soldier accused of helping Iran pleads guilty to prison escape”

While Ukraine was on high alert for air attacks on Monday, the country’s top military commander said tens of thousands of Russian troops were ready to advance on the Kursk region. “Following the order of their military leadership, they are trying to dislodge our troops and advance deep into the territory we control,” Ukraine’s General …

Read more “Ukraine on high alert, Russian troops amass near Kursk”

LISBON, PORTUGAL — Lisbon will this week play host to Europe’s biggest annual tech conference, Web Summit, where industry leaders and lawmakers will weigh the pros and cons of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Senior executives from firms such as Apple, Microsoft, and Meta will join high-ranking officials from Europe for debates about the …

Read more “Web Summit kicks off in Lisbon as tech leaders weigh Trump’s return”

Baku, Azerbaijan — The annual U.N. climate summit kicks off Monday with countries readying for tough talks on finance and trade, following a year of weather disasters that have emboldened developing countries in their demands for climate cash. Delegates gathering in Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku are hoping to resolve the summit’s top agenda item – a …

Read more “Trump and trade worries cloud COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan”

For many soldiers on the front lines, the trauma of war can be as hard to fight as the war itself. To help, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, has created a program to support Ukrainian women veterans, the families of internally displaced persons, and military relatives. The program is part of the …

Read more “USAID teaches Ukrainian women veterans yachting”

Manchester, England — Taylor Swift came out top at the 2024 MTV EMAs on Sunday, walking away with best artist, best U.S. act, best live act and best video for “Fortnight” (featuring Post Malone).  Swift, who is currently finishing up her Eras tour on the other side of the Atlantic, thanked the fans for the bounty …

Read more “Taylor Swift wins big and Rita Ora pays tribute to Liam Payne at MTV awards”

London — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday to discuss ways to help Ukraine, after the election of Donald Trump has raised concerns of reduced U.S. support for the war against Russia. Days after Trump was elected to begin a second term as U.S. president in January, Starmer will …

Read more “UK’s Starmer, France’s Macron to discuss Ukraine support after Trump win”

Berlin — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday that he would be willing to call a vote of confidence in parliament before Christmas, a move that would pave the way for snap elections following the collapse of his three-way governing coalition. The timing is earlier than the January date he had proposed last week and follows …

Read more “Olaf Scholz signals willingness for earlier German confidence vote”

Washington — U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss top domestic and foreign policy priorities with President-elect Donald Trump when the two meet Wednesday, and will urge him not to abandon Ukraine, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday. Republican Trump will take office on Jan. 20 after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 …

Read more “Biden to lobby Trump not to walk away from Ukraine”

KURAKHOVE, Ukraine — Set on Ukraine’s eastern front, Kurakhove is surrounded on three sides, with Russian forces just under 3 kilometers from the devastated city center.  Yet between 700 and 1,000 local residents remain, most of them living in the basements of apartment buildings, without running water, heating or electricity. The only place to charge phones …

Read more “As Russian forces close in on Kurakhove, hundreds of residents remain in front-line city”

Paris — Paris police said Sunday that 4,000 officers and 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed for a France-Israel soccer match to ensure security in and around the stadium and on public transportation a week after violence against Israeli fans in Amsterdam.  France and Israel are playing in a UEFA Nations League match Thursday.  “There’s a …

Read more “Paris deploying extra police for France-Israel soccer match following Amsterdam violence “

THE HAGUE, Netherlands —  Police detained several people Sunday for taking part in a demonstration in central Amsterdam that had been outlawed following violence targeting fans of an Israeli soccer club, a local broadcaster reported.  Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema banned all demonstrations over the weekend in the aftermath of the grim scenes of youths on …

Read more “Amsterdam police detain pro-Palestinian protesters at banned demonstration “

London — King Charles III led the nation Sunday in a two-minute silence in remembrance of fallen service personnel in central London as the Princess of Wales looked on, a further sign the royal family is slowly returning to normal at the end of a year in which two of the most popular royals were sidelined by …

Read more “King Charles III and Kate attend remembrance event as both slowly return to duty”

london — The Church of England covered up “horrific” abuse by a lawyer who volunteered at Christian summer camps in the 1970s and 1980s, and the ceremonial head of the Anglican Communion failed to report him to authorities when he learned of the abuse in 2013, according to an independent review released Thursday. John Smyth, who …

Read more “Report finds Church of England covered up ‘horrific’ abuse at summer camps decades ago”

MOSCOW — Ukraine attacked Moscow on Sunday with at least 34 drones, the biggest drone strike on the Russian capital since the start of the war in 2022, forcing flights to be diverted from three of the city’s major airports and injuring at least one person. Russian air defenses destroyed another 36 drones over other regions …

Read more “Ukraine attacks Moscow with 34 drones, biggest strike on the Russian capital”