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Month: February 2025

IAEA confirms drone attack damaged outer wall of Chernobyl dome

The U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed Friday that a drone attack damaged an outer wall of the protective dome containing the remains of the damaged Chernobyl nuclear reactor in Ukraine, starting a fire. The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident…

Taiwan pledges chip talks and investment in bid to ease Trump’s concerns

TAIPEI —  Taiwan President Lai Ching-te pledged on Friday to talk with the United States about President Donald Trump’s concerns over the chip industry and to increase U.S. investment and buy more from the country, while also spending more on…

Belarus: Violations remain ‘widespread and systematic’, says independent expert group

The Group of Independent Experts on the Human Rights Situation in Belarus established in 2024, was tasked with investigating alleged violations since 2020 – when a disputed election saw President Alexander Lukashenko returned to power for a sixth term –…

World must not turn its back on Sudan’s deepening crisis: Guterres

Speaking at a high-level humanitarian conference in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, António Guterres described the situation in Sudan as a catastrophe of “staggering scale and brutality”. He warned that it is increasing spilling into the wider region. “It is…

Kremlin dismisses Ukraine’s accusation that Russia attacked Chernobyl nuclear plant

MOSCOW —  The Kremlin on Friday dismissed as a “provocation” accusations by Ukraine that a Russian drone had damaged the containment shelter at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant overnight. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that he did not have precise…

Federal judge pauses Trump order restricting gender-affirming care for trans youth

BALTIMORE —  A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s recent executive order aimed at restricting gender-affirming health care for transgender people under age 19. The judge’s ruling came after a lawsuit was filed earlier this month on…

Some veterinarians didn’t know they had bird flu, study suggests

NEW YORK —  A new study shows that bird flu has silently spread from animals to some veterinarians. The study published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention echoes two smaller ones that detected evidence of infection in…

Expert says Trump needs ‘carrot and stick’ with Putin

As U.S. President Donald Trump announced talks to end Russia’s war with Ukraine, Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer in an exclusive interview with VOA Russian describes how Trump will need to use a carrot and a stick to persuade Vladimir…

Pentagon chief calls on NATO partners to increase role in Europe’s defense

PENTAGON —  U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has called for NATO’s European members to increase their role in the defense of Europe as the United States focuses on defending the alliance’s Pacific flank. It is a move that he…

Global AI race is on, world leaders say at Paris summit

At this week’s Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, world leaders and technologists gathered to discuss the rapidly evolving field of generative artificial intelligence. Many are eager to join the global AI race, while others are proceeding with caution. Tina…