Russian Stars’ Semi-Naked Party Sparks Wartime Backlash
MOSCOW — A rapper who attended a celebrity party with only a sock to hide his modesty has been jailed for 15 days, the sponsors of some of Russia’s best-known entertainers…
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Strike Closes Eiffel Tower on 100th Anniversary of Creator Death
PARIS — The Eiffel Tower was closed on Wednesday, the 100th anniversary of its creator’s death, due to a strike, the company that oversees the tower, Societe d’Exploitation de la Tour…
VOA News Executive Elez Biberaj Retires After 43 Years
WASHINGTON — For a generation of Albanians, there is no more precious memory than that of a rally attended by some 300,000 people on June 22, 1991, to hear the visiting…
How Ukrainian Special Forces Secured a Critical Dnipro River Crossing
KHERSON, UKRAINE — Their first battle plan was outdated the moment the dam crumbled. So the Ukrainian special forces officers spent six months adapting their fight to secure a crossing to…
Year of Bitter Ukraine Battles Ends in Virtual Stalemate
A year of bitter battles in Ukraine has left neither the Russian nor Ukrainian side victorious and the front lines virtually at a stalemate. As war fatigue plagues Ukrainian forces…
Sweden Edges Closer to NATO After Vote in Turkish Parliamentary Commission
Ankara, Turkey — The Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs commission approved Sweden’s NATO membership bid on Tuesday, in a key step toward enlarging the Western bloc after 19 months of delays in…
276 Indians Arrive in India After French Human Trafficking Probe
VATRY, FRANCE — A charter plane that was grounded in France for a human trafficking investigation arrived in India with 276 Indians aboard early Tuesday, authorities said. The passengers had been…
Russian-Backed Union Signs Free Trade Pact With Iran
MOSCOW — Members of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) have signed a fully-fledged free trade agreement with Iran, Russia’s economy ministry and the EEU said Monday. The agreement will become…
Belarus Leader Says Russian Nuclear Weapons Shipments Are Completed, Raising Concern in the Region
TALLINN, Estonia — The president of Belarus said Monday that Russia has completed its shipments of tactical nuclear weapons to his country, an initiative that raised strong concerns in neighboring Poland…
Shipping Firm Maersk Prepares Resumption of Red Sea Voyages After Attacks
FRANKFURT, Germany — Shipping firm Maersk says that it’s preparing to allow vessels to resume sailing through the Red Sea, thanks to the start of a U.S.-led multinational naval operation to…
276 Indians Stuck in French Airport for Human Trafficking Probe Have Left for India
VATRY, France — A charter plane grounded in France for a human trafficking investigation departed Monday for India with 276 Indians aboard, authorities said. The passengers had been heading to Nicaragua…
Police in Serbia Detain at Least 38 People as Opposition Plans More Protests Against Election Results
BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbian police said Monday they have detained at least 38 people who took part in a protest against reported widespread irregularities during a recent general ballot that declared…
Pope Presides Over Christmas Eve Mass: ‘Our Hearts Are in Bethlehem’
Vatican City — Recalling Jesus’ birth in a stable in Bethlehem, Pope Francis in a Christmas Eve homily said that “the clash of arms even today” prevents Jesus “from finding room…
Serbian Police Fire Tear Gas at Protesters Threatening City Hall
Belgrade, Serbia — Police in Serbia fired tear gas to prevent hundreds of opposition supporters from entering the capital’s city council building Sunday in protest of what election observers said were…
As 2023 Draws to Close, Notre Dame’s Reconstruction Offers Light
Paris — With bleak December weather gripping the French capital and world attention dominated by the bloody conflict in Gaza, the slow reemergence of Paris’ fire-battered Notre Dame cathedral is a…
Manchester United Announces Deal to Sell up to 25% of EPL club to UK Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe
MANCHESTER, England — More than a year after it was put up for sale, Manchester United said Sunday that British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe had agreed to buy a minority stake in…
Indians Held in France Over Trafficking Fears Questioned
Vatry, France — Four French judges on Sunday began questioning more than 300 Indians travelling on a plane detained near Paris over suspicions of human trafficking. The Nicaragua-bound Airbus A340 has…
UN Says Swedish Citizen Faces Iran Execution ‘Shortly’
Geneva — The United Nations warned Saturday that an Iranian-Swedish citizen is facing imminent execution in Iran after a Swedish court upheld the conviction of a former Iranian prison official. “Disturbing…
France Completes Military Withdrawal From Niger, Leaves Gap in Terror Fight
ABUJA, Nigeria — France on Friday completed the withdrawal of its troops after they were asked to leave Niger by the country’s new junta, ending years of on-the-ground military support and…
300 Indian Travelers Stuck at French Airport in Human-Trafficking Probe
VATRY, France — About 300 Indian citizens heading to Central America were sequestered in a French airport for a third day Saturday after a dramatic police operation prompted by a tip…
Anti-War Russian Blocked From Challenging Putin in Election
London — Former TV journalist Yekaterina Duntsova was disqualified on Saturday as a candidate for Russia’s next presidential election, preventing her from running against Vladimir Putin on a platform of opposition…