‘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
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to reopen Saturday evening
The iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is reopening Saturday evening, more than five years after a fire destroyed its roof and spire. An invitation-onlyчитати
US urges China to act as North Korea cozies up to Russia
As North Korean troops bolster Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, the U.S. is urging China to rein in its allies’ provocative actions. This comes amidчитати
Former Ukrainian President Poroshenko: We can stop the war in 24 hours
WASHINGTON — Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, now leader of the opposition European Solidarity Party, sat down with Voice of America during a visit to Washingtonчитати
Mexico City rehabilitation program helps Ukrainian veterans
According to recent numbers, 120,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died fighting Russia’s invasion. The number of wounded is nearing 200,000. Those who survived — some havingчитати
Russia takes villages in key areas of east Ukraine front
Moscow — Russia said Friday its forces had captured a village near the embattled supply hub of Pokrovsk and another near the industrial town of Kurakhove,читати
Sudan’s ambassador to Russia praises Moscow for vetoing UN resolution that would have halted violent war in Sudan
The Russian veto blocked a U.N. resolution calling for a halt to hostilities in Sudan, where a civil war has killed at least 66,000, destroyedчитати
Journalists from Ukraine, Burkina Faso recognized for work
Ukrainian journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk was among the first people to investigate Russia’s abduction of children from Ukraine. At a ceremony in Washington, she was honoredчитати
France’s Macron to serve out office term, name new prime minister soon
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Thursday to stay in office until the end of his term, due in 2027, and announced that he willчитати
Ukraine looks back with regret at 1994 deal requiring it to give up nukes
This month marks 30 years since Ukraine signed an agreement to give up its nuclear arsenal, the world’s third largest at the time. With Russia’sчитати
On its 30th anniversary, Ukraine calls 1994 Budapest Memorandum ‘a monument to short-sightedness’
WASHINGTON — Thirty years ago, leaders of the United States, Britain Russia and Ukraine met in Budapest, Hungary, and signed a memorandum that provided security assurancesчитати
Azerbaijan denounces diplomatic criticism of human rights
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry denounced on Wednesday criticism by Western ambassadors of the country’s human rights record, saying the diplomats’ comments amounted to interference in itsчитати
Ukraine demands Russia return ‘kidnapped’ children
UNITED NATIONS — Ukraine demanded Wednesday that Russia end what Kyiv called “the largest kidnapping campaign in modern history” and return Ukrainian children forcibly transferred fromчитати
From VOA Russian: Experts address strategic context of situation in Kursk region
An operation by Ukraine launched on August 6 captured dozens of towns and villages and gained control of about 1,000 square kilometers in Russia’s Kurskчитати
From VOA Russian: How sanctions could affect China’s support for Russia
The U.S. and EU are urging Beijing to stop supporting Russia’s war machine. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited China on Monday, asking China toчитати
Blinken: Ukraine must make hard, but necessary, decisions
In his final appearance at NATO headquarters as U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken spoke about Ukraine and what he said are the hard, butчитати
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