paris — When Jean-Charles de Castelbajac watched as Notre Dame cathedral burned in April 2019, he felt compelled to act. Returning home, the French fashion designer began sketching ideas, imagining the…
Has a waltz written by composer Frederic Chopin been discovered in an NYC museum?
NEW YORK — The brooding waltz was carefully composed on a sheet of music roughly the size of an index card. The brief, moody number also bore an intriguing name, written…
Hard right’s Simion in with a chance as Romanians vote for president
BUCHAREST — Romanians vote on Sunday in the first round of a presidential election that may give a shot at victory to hard-right politician George Simion, who opposes military aid to…
Rich nations raise COP29 climate finance offer in bid to break deadlock
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN — Wealthy countries raised their offer of climate finance to $300 billion a year at COP29 on Saturday, raising hopes of a deal with developing nations that had dismissed…
Businesses in western Ukrainian city show appreciation for military
Business owners in the Ukrainian city of Khmelnytskyi wanted to find a way to say thank you to the thousands of members of the military who have spent years fighting…
Ukraine has lost 40% of Russia’s Kursk region, military source says
KYIV, UKRAINE — Ukraine has lost more than 40% of the territory in Russia’s Kursk region that it rapidly seized in a surprise incursion in August as Russian forces have mounted…
Russia’s claim of emissions in Ukraine regions draws protests at COP29
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN — Russia has included the territories it occupies in Ukraine in its recent greenhouse gas inventory report to the United Nations, drawing protests from Ukrainian officials and activists at…
Найбільший банк Великої Британії HSBC припинив обробку платежів з Росії та Білорусі
Своїм клієнтам, які планують здійснювати або отримувати відповідні платежі, банк рекомендує використовувати «альтернативні варіанти» …
Blinken to attend G7 meeting in Italy, US State Department says
WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will travel to Italy over the weekend to attend a meeting of the Group of Seven major democracies next week, the State Department…
North Korean troops massed in Russia to enter Ukraine war ‘soon,’ Pentagon chief says
Sydney — The United States expects that thousands of North Korean troops massing in Russia will “soon” enter combat against Ukraine, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said Saturday. About 10,000 North Korean…
From VOA Russian: Pentagon says US was notified by Moscow before it launched missile at Ukraine
Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed that Russia had indeed launched an experimental intermediate-range ballistic missile into Ukraine on November 21. She told reporters that Washington “was notified through…
Chinese vessel suspected in severing of Baltic submarine cables
European allies in the Baltic region are investigating how two fiber optic data cables were severed earlier this week — with suspicion falling on a Chinese vessel in the area….
Chinese vessel suspected of severing submarine cables still anchored in Baltic Sea
London — European allies in the Baltic region are investigating how two fiber-optic data cables were severed earlier this week, with suspicion falling on a Chinese vessel in the area. Germany…
Polish foreign minister: Europe must be ready as US rethinks Ukraine strategy
Europe must be ready to fill the potential gaps in funding and weapons for Ukraine that may arise when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski…
Курс рубля впав до найнижчого рівня з березня 2022 року
Рубль падає з початку вторгнення України в Курську область Росії 6 серпня і відтоді втратив приблизно 20% у ціні до долара, свідчать дані LSEG …
Mixed martial arts star McGregor sexually assaulted woman in 2018, jury finds
dublin — Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor sexually assaulted a woman at a party in Dublin in 2018 and must pay her nearly 250,000 euros ($259,950) in damages, a…
В уряді розповіли про порядок виплати «тисячі Зеленського»
Виплати здійснюватимуться за рахунок залишків бюджету, які не мають військового призначення, кажуть у Кабміні. …
‘We have taken risks to tell the stories,’ says press freedom awardee
NEW YORK — This time last year, American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was in a Russian prison, jailed on bogus charges. On Thursday night, free from her ordeal, she accepted a prestigious…
Шмигаль: Україна отримає 4,8 мільярда доларів від Світового банку
За словами премʼєра, кошти направлять на ключові соціальні та гуманітарні програми …
Russian drone attack on Sumy kills 2, injures 12, local authorities say
KYIV, UKRAINE — A Russian drone attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy killed two people and injured 12 on Friday morning, regional authorities said. Twelve apartment buildings, five private…
Russia gave North Korea anti-air missiles in exchange for troops, Seoul says
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Russia gave North Korea anti-air missiles in exchange for deploying troops to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, Seoul’s top security adviser said Friday. The United States and…
IAEA board orders Iran to cooperate more; West pushes Tehran toward talks
VIENNA — The United Nations atomic watchdog’s 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution on Thursday again ordering Iran to urgently improve cooperation with the agency and requesting a “comprehensive” report…
New EU diplomat vows tough stance on China, strong alliance with US
VIENNA, AUSTRIA — Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s next foreign policy chief, is already sending signals that she will take a tough stance on Russia and China and be an advocate…
North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia jeopardizes China’s balancing act
Washington — Several of Beijing’s leading trading partners are urging Chinese President Xi Jinping to do more to pressure North Korea to stop or reverse its deployment of troops to Russia,…
Russia’s use of advanced missile sends signal to West, analysts say
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russia’s use of a fast, powerful new missile to attack the city of Dnipro on Thursday, calling it a “nuclear adventure” and a stark escalation…
US imposes new sanctions on Russia’s Gazprombank
The U.S. Treasury Department announced Thursday a new set of sanctions targeting Russia’s financial sector and its ability to fund its war with Ukraine, hitting Gazprombank as well as many…
Мінфін США запровадив санкції проти десятків російських банків, зокрема «Газпромбанку»
«Ці широкомасштабні дії ускладнять для Кремля можливість ухилятися від санкцій США, а також фінансувати і оснащувати свою армію» – Єллен …
Finnish police arrest 5 suspects over separatist violence in Nigeria
HELSINKI — Police in Finland said Thursday they had detained five suspects in connection with deadly violence in southeastern Nigeria and were seeking a court extension of the detentions. The police…
Ukrainian opinion survey tracks fluctuating opinion on quick end to war
Washington — A new survey of public opinion in Ukraine indicates that for the first time a slight majority of Ukrainians say they are ready to concede their lands for peace;…
Volcano on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula erupts for the 7th time in a year
GRINDAVIK, Iceland — A volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland has erupted for the seventh time since December. The eruption started with little warning at 11:14 p.m. Wednesday and…