Month: January 2022

German Health Minister Says Omicron COVID-19 Wave ‘Well Under Control’

Germany’s health minister said Friday the omicron variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is “well under control” in the nation, even though he said he expects the number of daily cases to double to nearly 400,000 cases before it begins to drop.  Speaking at a news conference Friday in Berlin, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach explained that while the wave of infections itself cannot be controlled, the consequences can be minimized by taking the proper steps. He said he expects daily cases to double to nearly 400,000 cases by mid-February, but he then expects them to drop, probably by the …

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Putin Says West Has Not Addressed Key Concerns in Ukraine Standoff

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday the United States and NATO had not addressed Moscow’s main security demands in their standoff over Ukraine but that it was ready to keep talking. Putin offered his first reaction to the U.S. and NATO responses to Russia’s demands in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron after weeks of personal public silence on the crisis, in which Russia has massed troops near Ukraine. The Kremlin quoted Putin as telling Macron he would study the responses provided by Washington and NATO this week before deciding on further action. A French presidency official …

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Pope Denounces Fake News About COVID, Vaccines, Urges Truth

Pope Francis denounced fake news about COVID-19 and vaccines Friday, blasting the “distortion of reality based on fear” but also urging that people who believe such lies are helped to understand true scientific facts. Francis met with Catholic journalists who have formed a fact-checking network to try to combat misinformation about the pandemic. Francis has frequently called for responsible journalism that searches for the truth and respects individuals, and his meeting with the “Catholic fact-checking” media consortium furthered that message. “We can hardly fail to see that these days, in addition to the pandemic, an ‘infodemic’ is spreading: a distortion …

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Swedish-Kenyan Group Introduces Electric Buses in Kenya

A Swedish-Kenyan company, Opibus, has introduced the first African-designed and manufactured electric bus in Kenya with the aim of bringing clean energy to public transportation. Opibus, Kenya’s first company to make electric motorcycles, plans to launch the bus commercially in a few months and bring it to markets across Africa by 2023. As other vehicles jostle for space while belching clouds of dark smoke in the streets of Nairobi, Benjamin Maina is driving a unique bus; one that is fully electric. “I feel privileged driving this vehicle,” said Maina. “It is also very amazing when you are driving this vehicle …

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Russia Says It’s Ready for More Talks on Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the U.S. has failed to address Moscow’s main security concerns over Ukraine in the written document delivered Wednesday, but he left the door open for more talks to ease simmering tensions. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.  Produced by:  Bakhtiyar Zamano …

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On Kyiv’s Streets, a Nervous Calm

Ukraine’s leaders have been working to calm anxiety among the population as the threat of a Russian invasion continues to loom. On social media platforms, Ukrainians have been trading tips on how to prepare for war. On the streets of the capital, Kyiv, life continues as normal and many people are reluctant to speak openly about the tensions. In this report narrated by Jon Spier, for VOA, Ricardo Marquina is in Kyiv and has their story.  Camera: Ricardo Marquina     Produced by: Ricardo Marquina, MHarton …

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Командувач Нацгвардії подав у відставку через стрілянину в Дніпрі

«Враховуючи те, що за будь-які дії – як хороші, так і нехороші – несе відповідальність командир, я висловив бажання і написав рапорт міністру внутрішніх справ і клопотання президенту про відставку» …

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Is Russia’s Putin a Rash Gambler or Calculating Risk-Taker?

Russian officials have said they don’t need peace at any cost, but what price are they prepared to pay for war? The answer to that question would help Western policymakers determine what they must do to deter Russian leader Vladimir Putin as he seeks to remake Europe’s post-Cold War security order to his liking.  Western leaders say the Russian leader is prepared to invade Ukraine if he fails to secure the concessions he wants from the United States and NATO that in effect would carve out for Russia a Soviet-era-like sphere of influence across eastern Europe. Russian officials deny they …

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