The Trump administration on Tuesday hailed talks in Saudi Arabia that included U.S. and Russian officials but no Ukrainians. The White House said this parallel-track diplomacy — speaking separately with the warring partners — is a key first step in ending the three-year conflict that has rocked Europe. VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell reports from Washington. Kim Lewis contributed. …
VOA Kurdish: Governor of Irbil discusses Sunni Arab officials in the city
Governor Omid Khoshnaw told VOA that many Sunni Arab leaders live in Irbil, benefiting from the security and quality of life in the Kurdish capital, with their children attending schools there. However, despite enjoying these privileges, they do not support the Kurds on key disputed issues, particularly regarding the status of disputed areas. Click here for the full story in Kurdish. …
VOA Kurdish: Iraq struggles to implement law to return Kurd, Turkmen land
The Iraqi parliament recently passed a law to return occupied Kurdish and Turkmen lands. However, over the weekend, Kurdish farmers in Kirkuk were stopped by the Iraqi army while trying to work on their lands, even though local forces should handle security. Kurdish politicians protested. They argue that Article 140 of the constitution has not been enforced. Click here for the full story in Kurdish. …
VOA Russian: Navalny supporters want Russian political prisoners released as part of deal with US
U.S.-based supporters of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny marked one year since his sudden and unexplained death in an arctic prison with vigils and protests in many U.S. cities, including Washington, New York and Los Angeles. VOA Russian correspondents spoke to Navalny supporters who urged the U.S. authorities to demand a release of Russian political prisoners as part of a U.S.-Russia deal on the …
Immigration, cost of living frustrate voters as German elections loom
Germany is set to hold an election on Sunday, with voter frustrations over migration and the cost of living at the forefront of a bitter campaign. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the lead candidate to be Germany’s next chancellor has accused Washington of interfering in the election. …
Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai’s ‘time is running out,’ son says
As pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai spoke in his defense at a Hong Kong court Tuesday, his son Sebastien Lai was in Geneva calling for the United States and other world leaders to help secure this father’s release. Speaking on Tuesday at the latest hearing in his national security trial, Lai, 77, denied any intention to incite violence among protesters. He defended an opinion piece published …
Iran charges British couple with spying
A British couple detained in Iran last month has been charged with spying, Iran’s state media reported Tuesday. Britain’s Foreign Office has identified the couple as Craig and Lindsay Foreman. “The detained individuals entered the country as tourists and collected information in several provinces of the country,” reported Iran’s judiciary-affiliated Mizan news agency. Iran has accused the couple of having connections with “hostile countries.” “We …
Hamas says it will release 10 more hostages, six of them living
A top Hamas leader says that the militant group plans to release six more living Israeli hostages from their Gaza captivity on Saturday and the bodies of four others on Thursday. Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya made the surprise announcement in a recorded statement Tuesday, an apparent response to the Israeli decision to allow long-requested mobile homes and construction equipment into the Gaza Strip. The six …
After Ukrainian soldier’s death, his dream comes to life
Ukrainian soldier Andriy Chernytskyi came up with a project to build a kids’ playground in his hometown – but didn’t live to see it come to fruition. The playground is now open. Tetiana Kukurika has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA footage by Sergiy Rybchynski. …
Rubio: US looks for ‘fair, sustainable’ end to Russian war on Ukraine
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the United States is working toward a “fair” and “sustainable” solution to end Russia’s three-year war on Ukraine, but that both Moscow and Kyiv would have to make concessions to achieve peace. Rubio offered his assessment after he and other key U.S. officials met for several hours in Saudi Arabia with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov …
Inclusivity, economic woes and security challenge Syria post-Assad
Syria’s top diplomat says the country has gained freedom while managing to avoid another civil war, but observers point to major challenges ahead, such as the dire economy, uncertain security, and including Syria’s diverse population in decision-making and governance. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani told the Munich Security Conference last weekend that the country’s new leadership will set in place a government that reflects the …
Vietnam parliament approves radical government cost-cutting drive
Hanoi, Vietnam — Vietnam will cut one in five public sector jobs and slash billions of dollars from government budgets, after the country’s rubber-stamp parliament on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to a radical streamlining drive. The reform are creating unease in a communist country where working for the state long meant a job for life. Described as “a revolution” by senior officials, the drive will see …
Vatican cancels pope’s weekend engagements as he battles ‘complex’ infection
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, who began his fifth day in hospital on Tuesday for what doctors have described as a “complex” respiratory infection, will not take part in this weekend’s Holy Year events, the Vatican said on Tuesday. The 88-year-old pontiff has been suffering from a respiratory infection for more than a week and was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Friday. A planned public papal …
Philippines reports intrusions targeting intelligence data
Manila, Philippines — The Philippines has detected foreign attempts to access intelligence data, but its cyber minister said on Tuesday no breaches have been recorded so far. Attempts to steal data are wide-ranging, said minister for information and communications Ivan Uy. Advanced Persistent Threats or APTs have repeatedly attempted but failed to infiltrate government systems, suggesting the country’s cyber-defenses have held firm. APTs are a general …
Israel keeping troops in 5 southern Lebanon locations
Israeli troops remained in some areas of southern Lebanon on Tuesday, despite a deadline for their withdrawal as part of a ceasefire with the militant group Hezbollah. Israel withdrew from some villages in the region, but said it was leaving forces in place in five positions that it said were necessary to protect parts of northern Israel. A joint statement from Lebanon’s president, prime minister …
Turkish police detain 282 suspects in raids targeting PKK militants
ISTANBUL — Turkish police detained 282 suspected members of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, militant group in raids over the last five days, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Tuesday. The raids came as Turkey continues to remove elected pro-Kurdish mayors from their posts over militant ties in a crackdown coinciding with hopes for an end to a 40-year conflict between the PKK and authorities. …
Russian drone attack hits central Ukraine apartment building
A Russian drone hit an apartment building in the central Ukrainian city of Dolynska, officials said Tuesday, injuring at least three people. Andriy Raikovych, governor of the Kirovohrad region where the attack took place, said on Telegram that authorities evacuated dozens of people from the building and that those injured included a mother and two children. The attack was part of a widespread Russian aerial …
Japan approves new climate, energy and industry policies through 2040
TOKYO — Japan’s government approved on Tuesday new targets to cut the country’s greenhouse gas emissions through 2040, alongside a revised energy plan and an updated industrial policy for the same period. The measures, which seek to bolster long-term policy stability for businesses, focus on promoting decarbonization, ensuring a stable energy supply and strengthening industrial capacity to drive economic growth. Under the new climate policy, Japan …
European leaders gather for emergency summit on defense, Ukraine
PARIS — European leaders called for beefing up their defense spending Monday after a Paris summit on Ukraine and the region’s security — amid concerns about an aggressive Russia and declining support from Washington. The emergency meeting comes ahead of U.S.-Russian talks on ending the war in Ukraine — which it appears could leave out the Europeans. The summit, called by French President Emmanuel Macron, came …
European leaders hold crisis security talks as US signals transatlantic reset
London — European leaders held a crisis security meeting Monday in Paris after a blizzard of diplomatic interventions by Washington in recent days that have raised doubts over the U.S. commitment to the transatlantic alliance, the bedrock of European security. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other European leaders were among …
Experts push to restore Syria’s war-torn heritage sites, including Roman ruins at Palmyra
PALMYRA, SYRIA — Experts are returning to Syria’s war-ravaged heritage sites, hoping to lay the groundwork for restoring them and reviving tourism, which they say could provide a much-needed boost to the country’s decimated economy after nearly 14 years of war. Once-thriving landmarks like the ancient city of Palmyra and the medieval Crusader castle of Crac des Chevaliers remain scarred by years of conflict, but local …
Taiwan considers multibillion-dollar arms purchase from US, sources say
WASHINGTON/TAIPEI — Taiwan is exploring buying arms worth billions of dollars from the United States, sources briefed on the matter said, hoping to win support from the new Trump administration as China continues to apply military pressure on the island. Three sources familiar with the situation, speaking to Reuters on the condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation, told Reuters that Taiwan is in …
VOA Persian: Telecommunications retirees rally across Iran
Protests in Iran continued Monday as telecommunications retirees gathered in at least nine provinces, despite snowfall in some regions. Click here for the full story in Persian. …
Syria arrests 3 men suspected of links to 2013 Tadamon massacre
TADAMON, SYRIA — Security forces in Syria said Monday that they arrested three people involved in the execution of hundreds of civilians by government forces in Damascus in 2013, two years after the country’s 13-year civil war began. Dozens of police and security trucks lined the streets of Tadamon, a Damascus suburb near the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, where they carried out the arrests in the …