BRUSSELS — Belgian federal prosecutors announced Thursday the arrests of several people as part of a corruption probe linked to the European Parliament amid reports in local media that Chinese company…
Trump threatens 200% tariffs on European spirits
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened the European Union with 200% tariffs on wine, champagne and other spirits produced in the 27-nation bloc after the EU levied what he…
Deadly Russian aerial attacks hit Ukraine’s Kherson region
Russian aerial attacks overnight killed at least two people in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, officials said Thursday. Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram his region came under…
US, Russian officials to discuss Ukraine ceasefire proposal
U.S. and Russian officials are expected to meet in Moscow to discuss a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Kremlin said Thursday that U.S.…
EPA announces rollback of dozens of environmental regulations
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced a wave of regulatory rollbacks on Wednesday including a repeal of Biden-era emissions limits on power plants and automobiles, as well as reduced protections for…
US October-February budget deficit hits record $1.147 trillion
WASHINGTON — The U.S. budget deficit for the first five months of fiscal 2025 hit a record $1.147 trillion, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday, including a $307 billion February deficit…
Hospitalized pope marks 12 years in job with future uncertain
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis marks 12 years as head of the Catholic Church on Thursday, seemingly out of danger after a month in hospital but with his health casting a…
Archaeologists find million-year-old fossil of a human ancestor
WASHINGTON — A fossil of a partial face from a human ancestor is the oldest in western Europe, archaeologists reported Wednesday. The incomplete skull — a section of the left cheek…
Kuwait frees group of jailed Americans, including contractors held on drug charges
WASHINGTON — Kuwait has released a group of American prisoners, including veterans and military contractors jailed for years on drug-related charges, in a move seen as a gesture of goodwill between…
Some in Russia ready to ‘open the champagne’ ahead of expected Ukraine peace talks
The U.S. administration’s efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine are putting pressure on the Kremlin. But Moscow has made considerable territorial gains and some in Russia say they are…
VOA Uzbek: EU boosts its Central Asia strategy
As the U.S. seeks to strengthen ties with resource-rich Central Asia, the European Union is also reaching out to the region. Having adopted a new strategy for Central Asia in…
Advocates for jailed publisher Lai turn to Trump administration
WASHINGTON — The son of imprisoned pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai this week brought the campaign to secure his father’s release to the Trump administration in Washington. Nearly two months into President…
US drops lawsuit against shelter provider accused of sexual abuse of migrant children
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice has dropped a civil rights lawsuit it filed last year against the national nonprofit Southwest Key Programs alleging its employees had sexually abused unaccompanied…
US steered Syrian Kurds toward Damascus deal, sources say
DAMASCUS, SYRIA — The United States encouraged its Syrian Kurdish allies to reach Monday’s landmark deal with the Islamist-led government in Damascus, six sources said, an agreement that could stave off…
China, Iran, Russia hold joint naval drills in Middle East
TEHRAN, IRAN — China, Iran and Russia conducted joint naval drills Tuesday in the Middle East, offering a show of force in a region still uneasy over Tehran’s rapidly expanding nuclear…
Chest X-ray confirms improvements in pope’s condition, Vatican says
ROME — Pope Francis’ recovery from double pneumonia continued Wednesday as a chest X-ray confirmed improvement, two days after doctors declared he is no longer in imminent danger of death. The…
Iran’s Khamenei rejects idea of nuclear talks with US
DUBAI — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday rejected the idea of holding negotiations with the United States over a nuclear deal, as a letter arrived from U.S. President…
China outpacing US in Navy, commercial ship production
The United States says China is the biggest threat to its national security, the pacing challenge that America’s military must stay ahead of to remain the world’s largest and most…
Court rejects Russian oligarch’s challenge to US efforts to confiscate yacht
A federal court in New York has rejected a Russian businessman’s challenge to the U.S. government’s efforts to confiscate a luxury superyacht that allegedly belongs to sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleyman…
G7 to discuss Ukraine after US restarts aid, proposes 30-day ceasefire
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — Foreign ministers from the G7 group of leading industrial nations are set to gather for several days of talks in Quebec, Canada, including meetings focused on support…
Columbia University reacts to detention of Palestinian activist
The Trump administration has detained a Palestinian activist who helped lead protests against Israel at Columbia University. VOA’s Aron Ranen reports from the campus in New York City. …
Bosnian prosecutors order arrest of Bosnian Serb leader Dodik
SARAJEVO — Bosnian state prosecutors on Wednesday ordered the arrest of Russian-backed Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and his aides for ignoring a court summons, raising the stakes in a standoff…
Georgian ex-president Saakashvili gets nine more years in jail on fraud charge
TBILISI — Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been imprisoned since 2021, was sentenced on Wednesday to nine more years in jail after being found guilty of embezzlement. Saakashvili, in…
US enacts tariffs on all steel, aluminum imports
The United States enacted new 25% tariffs Wednesday on all steel and aluminum imports, ending previous exemptions that had been in place for a number of U.S. allies. The move…