Month: June 2022

Officials in British prime minister Boris Johnson’s ruling Conservative Party expect a challenge to his leadership this week and have penciled in a vote for Wednesday, the Sunday Times newspaper reported. A growing number of Conservative lawmakers have said they have lost faith in Johnson’s government over a “partygate” scandal, with some saying they have …

British pop superstar Ed Sheeran was on Sunday set to bring the curtain down on four days of momentous nationwide celebrations to honor Queen Elizabeth II’s historic Platinum Jubilee. The multi-award-winning singer-songwriter will perform at the finale of a daylong pageant lauding the 96-year-old monarch’s record seven decades on the throne, as a long weekend …

Albania’s parliament on Saturday elected a top military official as the country’s new president after no candidates were nominated in three rounds of voting. General-Major Bajram Begaj won the post after the 140-seat Parliament voted 78 in favor, four against and one abstained.The governing left-wing Socialist Party nominated and voted for Begaj, 55, after failing …

For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine. The latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. All times EDT. 12:02 a.m.: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian shelling has destroyed 113 churches in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, CNN reports.  …

In return for Turkey agreeing on the NATO membership of Sweden, officials in Ankara have requested that Stockholm hand over or censor journalists, politicians and activists who, they say, are supporting Kurdish “terrorists.” One of these people, Amineh Kakabaveh, a Swedish parliament member, spoke to VOA’s Dakhil Shammo in Stockholm. Camera: Bapeer Sherwani …

Queen Elizabeth’s son and heir Prince Charles and her grandson Prince William will pay tribute to the record-breaking monarch at a pop concert at Buckingham Palace on the third day of nationwide celebrations for her 70 years on the throne. The “Party at the Palace,” which will feature singers Alicia Keys and Diana Ross, is …

A wildfire whipped by gale-force winds blazed through vegetation in a southern suburb of Athens on Saturday, fire authorities said, forcing residents to evacuate and damaging about 20 properties.  The Greek Civil Protection agency issued an emergency appeal for people to leave Ano Voula as the flames reached homes.  Officials reported no casualties, but four …

The death toll from a German train derailment near a Bavarian Alpine resort climbed to five on Saturday as another body was recovered from the wreckage, police said.   Investigators were combing the overturned carriages for victims and clues as to the cause of Friday’s accident near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a region gearing up to host the …

For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine. The latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. All times EDT. 4:20 a.m.: The Washington Post reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an appearance on Russian TV, blamed Western sanctions for world food problems. Ukraine is a major producer of wheat and …

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent a message of congratulations to Queen Elizabeth, the reclusive state’s foreign ministry said, as Britain celebrates her Platinum Jubilee. Friday marked the second of four days of pomp, parties and parades to celebrate the 96-year-old monarch’s record-breaking 70 years on the throne. “I extend my congratulations to …

Two Reuters journalists were injured and a driver was killed on Friday after the vehicle they were in came under fire while heading to the eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, the latest battle line in Russia’s assault on its neighbor. Photographer Alexander Ermochenko and cameraman Pavel Klimov were traveling in a car provided by Russia-backed …

Fighting raged in two key eastern Ukrainian cities on the 100th day of Russia’s war, with both Moscow and Kyiv claiming progress on the battlefront.  Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Russian troops had succeeded in their main stated task of “protecting civilians” in the separatist-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine.  He added that Russian …

For some Afghans who were evacuated as their country fell to the Taliban last summer, the journey to the United States has stalled, and perhaps ended, at a sun-baked cluster of tents and temporary housing on an American base in the Balkans.  While more than 78,000 Afghans have arrived in the U.S. for resettlement since …

The Russians occupied the Ukranian village of Yahidne in the early days of the invasion. When they were driven out in late March, the residents who endured the occupation began telling their story. Anna Kosstutschenko reports from the Chernihiv region of Ukraine. Camera: Oleksiy Yakushev …

The top African Union official met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to discuss the war in Ukraine and its effects on Africa. A cutoff in grain exports has heightened food insecurity in many African countries, leaving millions of Africans hungry. Senegalese President Macky Sall met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian city …