Notre Dame reopens amid French political turmoil
PARIS — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and U.S. first lady Jill Biden are among global dignitaries expected in Paris Saturday as the city’s iconic Notre Dameчитати
NATO chief says Russia weaponizing winter in its war in Ukraine
NATO chief Mark Rutte said Tuesday he is confident that whatever military aid allies can supply to Ukraine in the coming months will be provided,читати
German firms’ China market sentiment falls to record low, survey shows
Beijing — Business sentiment among German companies in China is at an all-time low, a German business lobby group said on Wednesday, as they face risingчитати
UN seeks $47 billion in aid as donor appetite shrinks while crises multiply
GENEVA — The United Nations on Wednesday sought $47 billion in aid for 2025 to help around 190 million people fleeing conflict and battling starvation, atчитати
French no-confidence vote could topple prime minister’s government
The government of France faces a no-confidence vote Wednesday, a move that could topple the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Analysts predict French lawmakersчитати
Regional analysts suggest caution as Nigeria signs new deals with France
ABUJA, NIGERIA — Political analysts in Nigeria say the country needs to be careful after signing a series of agreements with France during President Bola Tinubu’sчитати
Amid war, Ukrainian children learn how to fly drones
In Ukraine, a music teacher is teaching children how to fly drones. While it grew out of Russia’s invasion, the teacher says the skills theчитати
Spain to offer visas to 900,000 undocumented migrants amid surge
LONDON/LAS PALMAS, SPAIN — Record numbers of migrants arrived on Spain’s Canary Islands from West Africa this year, according to newly released government figures. Some 41,425читати
Romanian hard-right says it wants to be part of new government
BUCHAREST — Romania’s hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR) party wants to be part of a coalition government, its leader said on Tuesday, as the nationчитати
As sabotage allegations swirl, NATO struggles to secure the Baltic Sea
TURKU, Finland — On Nov. 18, hours after two communication cables were severed in the Baltic Sea, 30 NATO vessels and 4,000 military staff took toчитати
Ukraine support in focus as NATO foreign ministers meet
NATO foreign ministers open two days of talks Tuesday in Brussels with support for Ukraine high on the agenda as the country fights to defendчитати
Biden seeking additional $24B to support Ukraine, replenish US weapons stockpiles
PENTAGON — President Joe Biden has asked Congress for an additional $24 billion to support Ukraine and replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles, two U.S. officials tell VOA,читати
Despite leader’s death, Russian Wagner mercenaries still fight abroad
Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group remains active, even after the death of its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in August of 2023. Russian experts say the group hasчитати
German FM urges China to stop backing Russia, work for Ukraine peace
Beijing — German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday warned her Chinese counterpart that Beijing’s support for Moscow would impact ties and instead urged China toчитати
Chief of ICC lashes out at US and Russia over threats, accusations
The Hague, Netherlands — The president of the International Criminal Court lashed out at the United States and Russia for interfering with its investigations, calling attacksчитати
Germany announces Ukraine military aid as chancellor makes Kyiv visit
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged $680 million in military aid for Ukraine as he pledged support for the country during a visit Monday to Kyiv.читати
Romanian leftists win parliamentary election amid uncertainty over presidency
BUCHAREST, Romania — Romanian centrist and leftist parties looked to have fended off a surge by the nationalist right in Sunday’s parliamentary election, as attention turnedчитати
Nine Volkswagen plants to strike as labor battle escalates
BERLIN — Workers at nine Volkswagen car and component plants across Germany will strike for several hours on Monday, IG Metall union said, bringing assembly linesчитати
Art collection on 1930s Soviet-engineered famine gifted to Ukraine
The late American businessman Morgan Williams was deeply involved in promoting Ukrainian business as president of the US-Ukraine Business Council. During his time in Ukraine,читати
Romanian leftists ahead of resurgent far right in election
BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania’s ruling leftist Social Democrats (PSD) looked set to win the most votes in a parliamentary election on Sunday, fending off a resurgentчитати
Landmark climate change case to open at top UN court
The Hague — The top United Nations court will take up the largest case in its history Monday, when it opens two weeks of hearings intoчитати
US will not return nuclear weapons to Ukraine
The United States is not considering returning to Ukraine the nuclear weapons it gave up after the Soviet Union collapsed, White House national security adviserчитати
Putin approves record Russian defense spending
KYIV, UKRAINE — Russian President Vladimir Putin approved budget plans, raising 2025 military spending to record levels as Moscow seeks to prevail in the war inчитати
Berlin’s traditional Christmas markets reflect city’s growing diversity
BERLIN — The smells of mulled wine, roasted almonds and hot bratwurst are wafting through the air across the German capital again, as the city’s moreчитати
France accuses countries of ‘obstruction’ at plastic talks
BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA — France on Sunday accused a handful of countries of obstructing negotiations in South Korea to reach the world’s first treaty to curbчитати
President-elect Trump has sought Orban’s take on Ukraine war, sources say
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has held multiple phone conversations with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban since winning the November 5 presidential election, according to sourcesчитати
Trump threatens BRICS nations with 100% tariff if they replace US dollar
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA — President-elect Donald Trump threatened 100% tariffs Saturday against a bloc of nine nations if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. читати
Polish leader visits defensive fortifications on border with Russia
DABROWKA, POLAND — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk traveled Saturday to his country’s border with the Russian region of Kaliningrad to inspect progress in the constructionчитати
Ukraine says war has damaged most of its civilian airports
KYIV, UKRAINE — Fifteen of Ukraine’s civilian airports have been damaged since Russia invaded the country in February 2022, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal was quotedчитати
Georgia arrests 107 more people as pro-EU protests continue
TBILISI, GEORGIA — Georgia on Saturday said authorities arrested 107 people during a second day of protests sparked by the government’s decision to delay European Unionчитати
Ukrainian president says NATO membership can end ‘hot phase’ of war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says being admitted into NATO could end what he described as the “hot phase of the war” waged by Russia. Inчитати
North Korea: Russia has right to exercise self-defense against Ukraine
seoul — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has told the Russian defense minister that Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons is the result of direct militaryчитати
Explosion damages canal feeding Kosovo’s main power plants
PRISTINA, KOSOVO — An explosion Friday evening damaged a canal in northern Kosovo supplying water to two coal-fired power plants that generate nearly all of theчитати
Putin claims new Oreshnik missile is unstoppable, sparking doubts
Russia struck Dnipro, Ukraine, with an experimental Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile on November 21. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the day after that the missileчитати
Notre Dame Cathedral unveils new interior 5 years after devastating fire
After more than five years of frenetic reconstruction work, Notre Dame Cathedral showed its new self to the world Friday, with rebuilt soaring ceilings andчитати
Wounded Ukrainian veteran building and sending drones to front lines
Vinnytsia resident Vyacheslav Strazhets lost his right arm in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but even as an amputee, he is doing what he can toчитати