ZAGREB, CROATIA — Thirteen people suspected of illegally importing and disposing of hazardous waste have been arrested in Croatia, the European Union’s law enforcement agency said Friday. The main suspects, two Croatian nationals, are considered high-value targets by Europol, said an agency statement. They are believed to have orchestrated the illegal hazardous waste imports from Italy, Slovenia and Germany to Croatia. Rather than being properly treated, …
Russian- and Soviet-born coaches still shaping US figure skating’s future
The tragic deaths of Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov in a plane crash late last month in Washington have shone a spotlight on the role of Russian- or Soviet-born coaches in the world of competitive figure skating. Their influence has shaped a generation of American skaters, raising the question: Why have these coaches been so successful in the U.S.? Maxim Adams has the story. Video editor: …
Philippines increases defense efforts amid ongoing tension with China
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — The Philippines is increasing efforts to strengthen defense cooperation with several like-minded democracies amid ongoing tensions with China in the disputed South China Sea. Manila is trying to conclude major defense pacts with Canada and New Zealand and explore possibilities of expanding joint military drills with the United States, its main defense partner. Analysts say the development is part of Manila’s effort to …
Lebanon blocks Iranian passenger flight to Beirut, analysts cite Israeli pressure
Lebanon blocked an Iranian airliner from flying into Beirut Thursday after Israel accused Iran a day earlier of using civilian flights to deliver cash to Lebanese terror group Hezbollah. The chief executive of Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, Saeed Chalandri, told Iranian state news agency Mehr that the Mahan Air flight to Beirut was canceled before takeoff because Lebanon had not granted it permission to …
Pope Francis taken to hospital for bronchitis treatment
ROME — Pope Francis was taken to the hospital on Friday morning for tests and to continue treatment of his ongoing bronchitis, the Vatican said. “This morning, at the end of his audiences, Pope Francis was admitted to the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli [hospital] for some necessary diagnostic tests and to continue his treatment for bronchitis, which is still ongoing, in a hospital environment,” it said in …
Russian drone attack damages Chernobyl nuclear plant’s shelter, Zelenskyy says
KYIV, UKRAINE — A Russian drone attack caused significant damage to the radiation shelter of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday. Chernobyl was the site of the world’s worst civil nuclear catastrophe when one of its four reactors exploded in 1986. That reactor is now enveloped by a protective shelter, known as a sarcophagus, to contain the lingering radiation. …
Hamas expected to name 3 Israeli hostages for release this weekend
The militant group Hamas is expected to release the names of three hostages it will exchange for Palestinian prisoners this weekend, after it expressed its commitment to a ceasefire with Israel. The next release of hostages was cast in doubt after Hamas accused Israel of violations of the agreement and threats of a return to war. “We are not interested in the collapse of the …
VOA Kurdish: Kurdish villagers cherish simple life away from social media
Located about 50 miles southeast of Iraqi Kurdistan’s capital, Irbil, Baghaznera is a small village in the TaqTaq district. Residents there are determined to continue a simple life centered around livestock and agriculture. Despite the modernization of urban areas, the villagers remain committed to their way of life and refuse to migrate to the city. Click here for the full TV story in Kurdish. …
VOA Kurdish: Mass grave of Kurdish fighters killed by IS found in disputed Iraqi province
Local officials confirmed to VOA on Thursday that a mass grave containing the remains of 17 people has been found in Hawija town, west of Iraq’s disputed province of Kirkuk. Pary Nuri, an adviser to the Iraqi president, told VOA the remains are believed to belong to peshmerga fighters captured by the Islamic State in late 2014. Kurdish military officials told VOA that about 105 …
As Germany election looms, far-right German party continues to gather support
German voters head to the polls this month for an election that will determine who the country’s new chancellor will be. The Feb. 23 poll is a snap election, following the collapse of center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government last year. The far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, founded in 2013, appears to be gathering strength and support across the country and has emerged as …
Category 5 cyclone nears Western Australia coast
sydney — Category 5 Cyclone Zelia swirled toward Australia’s minerals-rich western coast Friday, with predicted gusts of up to 290 kilometers per hour sparking emergency warnings and port closures. Forecasters said the slow-moving, severe tropical cyclone was moving south toward Port Hedland — one of the world’s busiest iron ore loading ports — with landfall expected in the afternoon. “Very destructive winds of up to 290 …
Guam a doorway to US for Chinese asylum-seekers
President Donald Trump’s immigration policy has mainly been focused on migrants trying to cross into the US at its border with Mexico, some having made the perilous trek from as far as South America. Out in the western Pacific Ocean, some Chinese are taking an equally dangerous route into the US VOA’s Yu Yao and Jiu Dao have their story, narrated by Elizabeth Lee. …
US lawmakers warn of dangers of allowing China, Russia into Syria
U.S. lawmakers warned Thursday of the danger of allowing China and Russia to gain influence in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. The warnings came as regional and Western powers met in Paris to discuss Syria’s future. VOA Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more. …
France’s Macron urges Syria’s interim government to join US-led coalition fighting extremists
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron urged Syria’s interim government to cooperate with a U.S.-led coalition fighting against extremist groups in that region as he hosted a conference Thursday on the Mideast country’s future. Macron’s comments come amid uncertainty over the United States’ commitment to the region. Thursday’s conference in Paris among European and Arab nations was the third on Syria since the repressive government of …
Trump wants denuclearization talks with Russia and China, hopes for defense spending cuts
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants to restart nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China and that eventually he hopes all three countries could agree to cut their massive defense budgets in half. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump lamented the hundreds of billions of dollars being invested in rebuilding the nation’s nuclear deterrent and said he hopes to …
Chinese diplomat visits UK, restarts dialogue
WASHINGTON — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Britain for the first time on Thursday, marking the restart of a diplomatic dialogue mechanism that has been paused for nearly seven years. Wang had talks with Britain’s foreign minister and national security adviser and briefly met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The top Chinese diplomat’s visit restarts the U.K.-China Strategic Dialogue, which has been frozen since 2018 …
Pentagon chief calls on NATO partners to increase role in Europe’s defense
PENTAGON — U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has called for NATO’s European members to increase their role in the defense of Europe as the United States focuses on defending the alliance’s Pacific flank. It is a move that he says will likely require European allies to significantly increase defense spending from 2% of GDP to about 5% of GDP. “We can talk all we want …
US aircraft carrier collides with merchant ship near Egypt
WASHINGTON — The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman was involved in a collision at sea with a merchant vessel near Port Said, Egypt, the Navy said Thursday. The collision occurred late Wednesday while both ships were moving. It did not result in flooding or injuries aboard the carrier, and there was no damage to the ship’s propulsion systems, the Navy said in a statement. None …
15 wounded in grenade attack in French bar
French police were searching Thursday for an unidentified man who threw a grenade into a bar late Wednesday in the southeastern Alpine city of Grenoble, wounding 15 people, at least two of them seriously, according to health officials. Regional prosecutor Francois Touret de Coucy told reporters witness at the scene reported that shortly after 8 p.m. local time, the man entered the Aksehir bar in …
Vance visits Dachau concentration camp ahead of Zelenskyy meeting
DACHAU, GERMANY — U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited the Dachau concentration camp memorial on Thursday, walking the solemn halls with a group that included a Holocaust survivor once held at the site of so much suffering and mass murder and experiencing firsthand a powerful symbol of World War II. The tour came amid an ongoing war in Europe in which Vance is serving as a …
Thai lawyers’ council to investigate alleged killing by soldiers
Bangkok — An influential lawyers’ association in Thailand said Thursday it is launching an investigation into the alleged killing of a Myanmar man by Thai soldiers last year, a move it says could lead to lawsuits against any officers involved. The Lawyers Council of Thailand, which accredits the country’s attorneys, announced the probe after accepting a formal complaint about the case from Fortify Rights, an international …
Pakistan, Turkey to boost strategic ties
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan and Turkey pledged to deepen cooperation in defense, mining, energy and other sectors during the seventh round of the Pakistan-Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Islamabad on Thursday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan co-chaired the highest-level bilateral discussion forum with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. After the closed-door delegation-level talks Thursday, the two sides exchanged 24 signed documents, including a joint declaration, …
China’s fuel demand may have passed its peak, IEA says
London — China’s demand for road and air transport fuels may have passed its peak, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Thursday, citing data showing that the country’s consumption of gasoline, gasoil and jet fuel declined marginally in 2024. Combined consumption of the three fuels in China last year was at 8.1 million barrels per day (bpd), which was 200,000 bpd lower than in 2021 and …
Syrian minister makes first trip to EU as powers look to aid transition
PARIS — Syria’s foreign minister will attend an international conference in Paris on Thursday as regional and Western powers seek to shield the country during its fragile transition amid ongoing instability across the region. Asaad Hassan al-Shibani is leading a delegation for a first trip to the European Union since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad and days after President Emmanuel Macron invited Syria’s U.N.-sanctioned President Ahmed …