VOA interview: US urges Europe to end energy dependency on Russia
The outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden plans in its final weeks to “continue tightening the noose” around Russia’s key energy exports with new sanctions to deprive Moscow of revenue for its war on Ukraine, according to Assistant Secretary…
On NATO’s eastern flank, 2025 brings concerns about alliance’s future
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to end the war in Ukraine quickly is triggering concerns among Russia’s neighbors. In Estonia, some fear a deal to end the war may strengthen Moscow. Elizabeth Cherneff narrates this report from Ricardo Marquina on…
EU investigates TikTok over Romanian presidential election
LONDON — European Union regulators said Tuesday they’re investigating whether TikTok breached the bloc’s digital rulebook by failing to deal with risks to Romania’s presidential election, which has been thrown into turmoil over allegations of electoral violations and Russian meddling….
Alabama woman doing well after latest experimental pig kidney transplant
NEW YORK — An Alabama woman is recovering well after a pig kidney transplant last month that freed her from eight years of dialysis, the latest effort to save human lives with animal organs. Towana Looney is the fifth American…
Keith Kellogg as Trump’s Ukraine-Russia envoy: Right man for the mission?
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg to be his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, where Trump has promised to bring a quick end to the war. VOA’s Tatiana Vorozhko looks into Kellogg’s career, his vision…
Japan targets 40-50% power supply from renewable energy by 2040
Tokyo — Japan wants renewable energy to account for up to 50% of its electricity mix by fiscal year 2040 with nuclear power taking up another 20%, according to a draft of its revised basic energy policy, as it makes…
Japan, India startups to study laser-equipped satellite to tackle space debris
Tokyo — Space startups in Japan and India said on Tuesday they had agreed to jointly study using laser-equipped satellites to remove debris from orbit, an experimental approach to the increasingly imminent problem of orbital congestion. Tokyo-based Orbital Lasers and…
Syria faces uncertain future after regime’s collapse amid humanitarian crises
Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher briefed ambassadors via video link from Damascus, where they are engaging with key stakeholders to ramp up UN support and pushing for an inclusive and credible political transition….
WFP delivers aid to over 800,000 in Sudan’s hunger hotspots
The surge in aid follows a large-scale effort launched by WFP to address the growing humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict that erupted in April 2023. October marked a record month, with WFP reaching 2.8 million people across Sudan with…
Around 90,000 children impacted by Cyclone Chido in Mozambique
Current assessments show the storm destroyed or damaged over 35,000 homes, displaced thousands of families, and impacted more than 90,000 children, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday. Classrooms destroyed; infrastructure damaged According to the latest situation report, at least 174,000…