Moldova declares a state of emergency over energy as fears of Russian gas shortage loom
CHISINAU — Moldova’s parliament on Friday voted in favor of imposing a state of emergency in the energy sector over fears that Russia could leave theчитати
Ukraine’s reformed military procurement agency drives country’s NATO ambitions
KYIV — Ukraine’s Defense Ministry unveiled a new state agency for its armed forces last year. It was the government’s answer to the rampant corruption withinчитати
Russia launches massive aerial attack on Ukrainian infrastructure
KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia on Friday launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine, involving dozens of cruise missiles and drones, the latest such strike aimed atчитати
US announces new arms aid package for Ukraine worth $500 million
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced another package of weapons aid for Ukraine on Thursday, valued at $500 million, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said inчитати
Far-right support rose in Europe in 2024
LONDON — Support for far-right parties in Europe continued to grow in 2024 amid voter concerns over immigration, inflation and the war in Ukraine. Far-right partiesчитати
ETA terrorists jailed in Spain for attempted murder of journalists
Four former members of Basque separatist organization ETA were each sentenced Thursday in Spain to nearly 75 years in prison, more than 20 years afterчитати
Ukrainian drones hit Russia’s Chechnya region
The head of Russia’s Chechnya region said Thursday a Ukrainian drone attack hit a police barracks, injuring at least four people. Ramzan Kadyrov said onчитати
Rights group accuses Russian mercenaries of abuses against civilians in Mali
DAKAR, SENEGAL — Mali’s armed forces, supported by Russian mercenaries, committed abuses against civilians since the withdrawal of a U.N. peacekeeping mission late last year, Humanчитати
Serbia’s president says he won’t flee his country like Syria’s Assad did despite growing protests
BELGRADE, SERBIA — Serbia’s president accused Tuesday foreign intelligence services of trying to unseat him in the wake of spreading protests in the Balkan state andчитати
EU imposes new sanctions on Russia
European Union ambassadors have agreed to a new raft of sanctions against Russia because of its war on Ukraine, mainly targeting Russia’s massive shadow fleetчитати
Democracy tested in Eastern Europe amid accusations of Russian meddling
LONDON — This year saw a battle for influence in eastern Europe between the West and Russia as elections were held in several states that wereчитати
US: Russia could target Ukraine again with new missile
A U.S. intelligence assessment has concluded that Russia could launch another of its experimental hypersonic ballistic missiles against Ukraine in the coming days, although Washingtonчитати
VOA Russian: How Moscow’s propaganda narrative on Syria changed after Assad’s fall
VOA Russian speaks with Ksenia Kirillova, an analyst with Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and The Jamestown Foundation, on how Syria is being portrayedчитати
Ukraine wins its first FIFA Futsal World Cup medal
Futsal was invented in Uruguay almost a century ago to play indoor soccer or football on a basketball court. It’s become hugely popular and thisчитати
Hundreds of arrests and mysterious beatings as Georgia cracks down on pro-EU protests
TBILISI, Georgia — Seventy-five-year-old Marina Terishvili’s teenage son Mamuka was shot dead at a nationalist rally in Georgia in 1992. Now her other son, Giorgi, hasчитати
Russian officials report damage from Ukrainian air attacks in Bryansk, Rostov
Russian officials said Wednesday that Ukrainian aerial attacks caused damage in two regions along the Russia-Ukraine border. Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram thatчитати
As climate change intensifies, vulnerable states seek legal redress against polluters
At a landmark hearing Tuesday on climate change law at the United Nation’s top court in The Hague, Britain argued that only existing climate treatiesчитати
US Treasury transfers $20 billion in Ukraine loan funds to World Bank
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday said it transferred the $20 billion U.S. portion of a $50 billion G7 loan for Ukraine to aчитати
France flies 2 fighter jets from Chad to signal start of military withdrawal
PARIS — France flew out the two Mirage fighter jets it had stationed in Chad on Tuesday, signaling the beginning of the withdrawal of its militaryчитати
Zelenskyy says ‘decisiveness’ necessary to bring end to war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that “only decisiveness” can bring Russia’s war in Ukraine to an end and bring lasting peace. Days after talksчитати
VOA Turkish: Fall of the Syrian currency impacting economy in Derik
The collapse of the Syrian regime and the influx of thousands of families into Kurdish areas, particularly in Derik, has led to an economic crisisчитати
Zelenskyy says he is open to negotiated end to war with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday he is open to the possibility of a diplomatic resolution to the country’s war with Russia. “Ukraine wants thisчитати
Turkey eyes bigger role in Syria after Assad’s ouster
Turkey is one of the principal backers of some of the Syrian rebels who ousted Bashar al-Assad and a likely winner as Ankara seeks toчитати
Germany, other European countries suspend decisions on Syrians’ asylum bids after Assad’s fall
BERLIN — Germany and several other European countries said Monday they are suspending decisions on asylum claims by Syrian nationals because of the unclear situation inчитати
Ukraine reports destroying 18 Russian drones
Ukraine’s military said Monday it shot down 18 drones that Russian forces deployed in overnight attacks. The Ukrainian air force said the intercepts took placeчитати
‘Reindeer’ volunteers bring holiday magic to Ukrainian children on front lines
IZIUM, Ukraine — Hopes for victory, a swift end to the war and prayers for their loved ones’ survival or return from Russian captivity are amongчитати
Notre Dame hosts first Mass since 2019 fire
PARIS — Notre Dame Cathedral, its air thick with the smell of incense, hosted its first Mass on Sunday since the catastrophic fire of 2019, aчитати
Ukrainian couple takes care of abandoned animals despite shelling
The town of Orikhiv in southeastern Ukraine is located just ten kilometers from the front lines and is under almost-constant Russian shelling. Only some 900читати
Trump calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Ukraine after meeting Zelenskyy in Paris
KYIV — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, shortly after a meeting in Paris with French and Ukrainian leaders,читати
From VOA Turkish: Turkey’s opposition reacts to the fall of Assad in Syria
Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel said his party supports the territorial integrity, democracy, peace, and stability in Syria following theчитати
Sumo wrestlers bring 1,500 years of tradition to London as sport has international moment
LONDON — London’s Royal Albert Hall, the gilded concert venue known for an annual Rule Britannia singalong, is preparing to host a different kind of spectacle:читати
Georgia’s president says she talked with Trump, Macron about ‘stolen election’
TBILISI, GEORGIA — Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili said she talked with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron about the parliamentary election last monthчитати
Macron welcomes Trump to Paris with presidential pomp, joined by Zelenskyy
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to Paris on Saturday with a full a dose of presidential pomp, and they held an impromptuчитати
Pope presides over ceremony with wide bruise on his chin
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis was seen with a significant bruise on his chin Saturday, but he presided over a ceremony to install new cardinals withoutчитати
Ukraine confirms Danish delivery of F-16s as Zelenskyy seeks support in Paris
KYIV, UKRAINE — Denmark has delivered a second batch of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday as he traveled to Paris toчитати
Russian LGBTQ+ activists describe a climate of fear amid new laws, court rulings
TALLINN, Estonia — In the year since Russia’s Supreme Court effectively outlawed any promotion of LGBTQ+ rights, activists say they are experiencing a climate of fearчитати