British police said Saturday they had charged an Egyptian man accused of masterminding the smuggling of migrants across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Europe, following an international investigation. …
What We Know About Russia’s Wagner Rebellion
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to punish “traitors” from the Wagner mercenary group, after its leader swore he would topple Moscow’s military leadership. Yevgeny Prigozhin, 62, released a series of…
Scots Leader Says Independence to be ‘Front and Center’ at Next Election
The Scottish National Party (SNP) will fight the next general election in the United Kingdom with independence “front and center” of its campaign, First Minister Humza Yousaf said on Saturday. …
Lean Green Flying Machines Take Wing in Paris, Heralding Transport Revolution
Just a dot on the horizon at first, the bug-like and surprisingly quiet electrically-powered craft buzzes over Paris and its traffic snarls, treating its doubtless awestruck passenger to privileged vistas…
Wagner Group’s Prigozhin Has Long Ties to Putin
Once a low-profile businessman who benefited from having President Vladimir Putin as a powerful patron, Yevgeny Prigozhin moved into the global spotlight with Russia’s war in Ukraine. As the leader…
Prigozhin, His Men Enter Russian City Without Resistance, He Says
The owner of the Wagner private military group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said early Saturday that his forces had crossed from Ukraine into Russia and entered the city of Rostov facing no…
Russia to Azerbaijan: Unblock Road Between Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh
Russia urged Azerbaijan to fully unblock the Lachin corridor on Friday, the only road that links Armenia with the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave where more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians live and rely…
Romanian Man Pleads Guilty in Deaths of 39 Vietnamese Migrants
A Romanian man accused of being a ringleader of a people-smuggling operation pleaded guilty on Friday to manslaughter in the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants who were found dead in…
Ukrainian Graduates Can Take Final State Exam Abroad
Poland hosts about half a million school-aged Ukrainian refugee children. Many high school graduates outside their homeland choose to take Ukraine’s final state exam, which is mandatory for applying to…
Amnesty Accuses Spain, Morocco of Covering Up Racist Border Practices
Saturday marks the anniversary of an attempt by approximately 2,000 sub-Saharan African migrants and refugees to cross over from Morocco to Spain. At least 37 people died in the attempt,…
Latest in Ukraine: Zelenskyy Warns About Russian Attack on Ukraine’s Nuclear Facility
Latest developments: Ukraine’s military said early Friday that air raid alerts had been sounded throughout the country. A joint statement issued by U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister…
SCO Members Lack Unity on Taliban Terrorism Concerns
Frustration with the rising threat of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan emerged at a meeting this week of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a defense and economic alliance platform consisting of China,…
Georgian President Pardons Country’s Only Jailed Journalist
Greeted by cheering crowds and surrounded by journalists, including from his own station, one of Georgia’s most prominent journalists walked out of prison Thursday hours after being granted a presidential…
Disabled Syrian Refugee Dreams of Paralympics Glory
Some of the Syrian refugees taken in by Spain have accomplished big things, including Adnan Almousa Alfermli. His eyes are set on winning a gold medal at the Paralympics. Miguel…
Debt-plagued Zambia Reaches Deal to Rework $6.3B in Loans, France Says
Zambia and its government creditors, including China, have reached a deal to restructure $6.3 billion in loans, the French government announced Thursday on the sidelines of a global finance summit…
UN Chief Names Russia for Violations Against Children in Ukraine
The United Nations’ secretary-general has named Russia in a report that lists perpetrators of grave violations against children for Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, including the killing and maiming of children….
VOA on the Scene: Fighting Fierce as Ukraine Vows Return of Occupied Land
At a military base not far from ongoing combat in eastern Ukraine, soldiers tell VOA that shelling can be brutal, even far from the roughly two-week-old counteroffensive, as Russian forces…
At Paris Summit, World Bank to Unveil Debt Payment Pause for Countries Hit by Disasters
The World Bank chief will announce a raft of measures on Thursday to aid countries hit by natural disasters, including a pause in debt repayments to the lender, as world…
Six People in Critical Condition, One Still Missing After Paris Blast
Six people remained in a critical condition and one person was believed still missing on Thursday, one day after a blast ripped through a street near Paris’ historic Latin Quarter,…
More Than 30 Feared Dead as Boat Bound for Spain’s Canary Islands Sinks
More than 30 migrants were feared dead after a small boat headed for Spain’s Canary Islands sank Wednesday, two migration-focused organizations said, as they criticized Spain and Morocco for not…
Pakistani Parents of Migrant Boat Accident Victims Wait Anxiously for Information
Last week’s migrant boat accident in the Mediterranean Sea near Greece has sent shock waves through Pakistan, home to almost 300 passengers of the overcrowded fishing vessel. VOA’s Pakistan bureau…
Lawsuit Accuses Eight Iranian Officials of Crimes Against Humanity
The daughter of a German Iranian citizen sentenced to death in Iran has asked authorities in Germany to open criminal proceedings against members of the Iranian judiciary. The family of…
Turkey Cracks Down on Istanbul Pride Events
Turkey’s LGBT+ movement is celebrating pride this week in Istanbul, but authorities are cracking down on any public displays as newly reelected President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses the movement of…
VOA on the Scene: Ukraine Fights ‘Meter by Meter’ for Occupied Land
Ukraine is about two weeks into a major push to retake areas occupied by Russia for more than a year. VOA’s Heather Murdock reports from the edges of the combat…
Growing Pressure on Greece Over Migrant Shipwreck, As Hundreds Still Missing
Greece is under growing pressure to launch an independent investigation into the June 13 sinking of a vessel that was carrying up to 750 migrants, amid accusations from survivors that…
Latest in Ukraine: Russia Downs Drones
Latest Developments: U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on Black Sea Grain Initiative parties to “accelerate operations” after slowdown in ship inspections. British defense ministry says Russia has expended “significant effort”…
Media Show Resiliency Under Pressure in Europe, Report Finds
Off the top of his head, Piotr Stasinski doesn’t know how many lawsuits his newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza, has faced over the years. After some thought, the longtime editor at the…
London Conference Focuses on Rebuilding Ukraine
Britain and Ukraine are co-hosting a two-day conference to rally support for Ukraine’s rebuilding and recovery from the Russian invasion that began early last year. The conference Wednesday and Thursday…
Escaping Conflict, Ukraine’s Refugee Women Go It Alone
The U.N. says that among 8 million refugees who have fled the war in Ukraine, 90% are women and children. With martial law prohibiting most men from leaving the country,…
Albanian Police Raid Iranian Dissidents Camp
Albanian police on Tuesday raided a camp home to members of an Iranian opposition movement, with local media reporting that the group is suspected of orchestrating cyberattacks against foreign institutions. …