As a veteran correspondent for National Public Radio, Sylvia Poggioli spent the bulk of her 41-year career at the American broadcaster living and reporting in Italy. Now, as she moves…
US Sanctions Companies Linked to Gold Trade to Fund Wagner Fighters
The United States on Tuesday accused companies in the United Arab Emirates, the Central African Republic and Russia of engaging in illicit gold deals to help fund the mercenary fighters…
Klimt Portrait Sets European Auction Record: $108 Million
A portrait of an unnamed woman by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt sold for 85.3 million pounds ($108.4 million) on Tuesday, setting a record price for any work of art sold…
Italy Looks for Man Seen in Viral Video Carving Names Into Rome’s Almost 2,000-Year-Old Colosseum
Italy’s culture and tourism ministers have vowed to find and punish a tourist who was filmed carving his name and that of his apparent girlfriend in the wall of the…
US Plans Action Against Prigozhin’s Wagner for Activities in Africa
The United States will this week announce actions to hold the Russian mercenary Wagner Group accountable, the U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday, for its activities in Africa and…
Russian Authorities Drop Case Against Wagner Fighters
Russia’s Federal Security Service announced Tuesday it was closing an investigation into the armed mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin and members of his Wagner mercenary group. In a statement carried by…
German Court Sentences Former Audi Head in Emissions Scandal
A German court gave Rupert Stadler, the former head of Audi, a suspended sentence along with a fine Tuesday as he became the highest-ranking executive to be convicted in connection…
For-Profit Entity Will Oversee Interests of Merged PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV Golf Leagues
A new for-profit entity will oversee the commercial interests of the proposed merger between the U.S. and European men’s professional golf leagues and their Saudi-backed rival. The entity is part…
Turkey Detains Dozens of LGBTQ Activists During Pride March
Turkish police have ramped up a crackdown on LGBTQ activists as dozens of people were detained Sunday at Pride marches in Turkey’s metropolitan Istanbul and Izmir provinces. Istanbul’s governor said…
Amsterdam’s Hermitage Museum Renamed After Cutting Ties with Russia Over Ukraine
An Amsterdam museum that severed ties with St. Petersburg’s Hermitage collection after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last year has been renamed and on Monday announced partnerships with renowned galleries in…
Washington: ‘Too Soon to Tell’ Impact of Wagner Mutiny on Russia, War
The White House said Monday it was “too soon to tell” whether the dramatic events of this weekend in Russia will change the course of the conflict in Ukraine, or…
Netherlands, Belgium Join Probe into Crimes Against Yazidis in Iraq, Syria
The Netherlands and Belgium have joined an international investigation into atrocities committed against the Yazidi minority in Syria and Iraq, the European Union’s judicial cooperation agency said Monday. The Joint…
Reporter’s Notebook: Traveling Through Ukraine’s Many Fronts
A green wood crate lay open on the side of a dirt road with its contents scattered. The ripped-open Russian military-issued meal packets were abandoned among plastic sandals and body…
Kremlin Fights to Salvage Putin’s Image After Wagner Mutiny
Russia experienced the most serious threat to its stability in decades when the mercenary Wagner group mutinied, and its leader threatened to storm Moscow in an unprecedented challenge to President…
Will Prigozhin’s Brief Russia Rebellion Have an Impact in Africa?
Analysts say it’s too early to assess how the Wagner Group’s operations in Africa will be affected after its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin threatened to lead troops into Moscow over the…
Australia’s High Court Dismisses Russia’s Bid for Injunction to Stop Its Embassy’s Eviction
Australia’s highest court on Monday dismissed Russia’s application for an injunction that would have prevented Moscow’s embassy being evicted from a site in the national capital Canberra. In dismissing the…
Ukraine Battles Fierce Despite Chaos in Russia
As tensions soared inside Russia between the government and private military group Wagner, front-line Ukrainian fighters say their fight with Russia has not subsided. VOA’s Heather Murdock reports with videographer…
Russian Defense Minister Appears on TV After Wagner Rebellion
Russian state television showed video Monday of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visiting with troops in his first public appearance since the brief rebellion of mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and his…
Latest in Ukraine: Ukraine Downs Russian Missiles, Drones
Latest Developments: Australia is sending $74 million in new military assistance to Ukraine. The package includes armored vehicles, special operations vehicles and trucks. Britain’s defense ministry says allies have trained…
17,000 Ukrainian Army Recruits Trained by Britain, Allies
More than 17,000 Ukrainian recruits have been trained by Britain and other allies over the last year to help Kyiv fight Russia’s invasion, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Monday….
German Far-Right Party Wins Its First County Leadership Post as It Rises in Polls
The far-right Alternative for Germany party saw its first head of a county administration elected Sunday in a rural eastern region, a win that comes as national polls show its…
Lithuania Urges Beefed-Up NATO if Wagner’s Prigozhin in Belarus
Lithuania’s president warned Sunday that if Belarus is to host Wagner mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin then NATO will need to strengthen its eastern flank. The head of state, whose…
Take a Day Off After ‘Tense’ Weekend, Russia Tells Journalists
Knackered after covering a stunning march on Moscow by a small army of mercenaries? Take a day off after a “tense” weekend, Russian authorities told journalists Sunday. An armed rebellion…
Roller Coaster Derails in Sweden, 1 Killed, 7 Injured
One person was killed, and several others injured when a roller coaster derailed in Stockholm Sunday, Swedish TV reported. Park officials told public broadcaster SVT that that one of the…
US: Prigozhin Rebellion Against Moscow Shows ‘Very Serious Cracks’ in Putin’s Rule
The United States said Sunday that the brief rebellion of mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin against Russia’s military leadership shows “very serious cracks” in the two-decade rule of President Vladimir Putin…
Pope ‘Breaks Taboo’ with Prayer for Missing Vatican Teen
Pope Francis offered prayers Sunday for the family of a teenager who went missing 40 years ago this week, an intervention her brother hailed as a sign the Vatican was…
Voters Go to Polls in Greece
Voters in Greece are going to the polls Sunday. It is the second time in less than two months voters are casting their ballots for a new Parliament. Prime Minister…
US, Allies Consult but Tread Carefully as Russia Crisis Unfolds
The United States and its allies held close consultations but publicly stayed on the sidelines Saturday as officials waited to see how the armed revolt by longtime Kremlin insider Yevgeny…
Europe Repurposes Churches as Faithful Dwindle
The confessionals where generations of Belgians admitted their sins stood stacked in a corner of what was once Sacred Heart Church, proof the stalls — as well as the Roman…
Orcas Disrupt Boat Race Near Spain, Display Dangerous, Puzzling Behavior
A pod of killer whales bumped one of the boats in an endurance sailing race as it approached the Strait of Gibraltar, the latest encounter in what researchers say is…