The Hague — A Dutch court will on Wednesday hand down a long-awaited verdict over the 2021 assassination of high-profile crime journalist Peter R. de Vries, a killing that shocked the country. De Vries was gunned down in broad daylight on a busy Amsterdam street in July 2021, sparking an outpouring of grief and spotlighting the country’s drug gang underworld. Authorities believe gunmen targeted De Vries, 64, due to his role as advisor to a key witness in the case of drug kingpin Ridouan Taghi. Police arrested two suspects, identified only as Dutchman Delano G. and Kamil E. from Poland, shortly …
Russia says it is holding more than 6,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war. For many of those released, liberation is the start of a painful process of recovery. From Kyiv, Lesia Bakalets brings the story of one former prisoner of war. Videographer: Vladyslav Smilianets …
Brussels — A court in Brussels on Monday sentenced a 65-year-old Belgian-Rwandan man to 25 years in prison for murder and rape committed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Emmanuel Nkunduwimye was found guilty of war crimes and genocide for a series of murders as well as the rape of a Tutsi woman. Nkunduwimye, who was first arrested in Belgium in 2011, owned a garage in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, in April 1994 when the genocide began. The garage was part of a complex of buildings that was the scene of massacres perpetrated by Interahamwe militiamen. Nkunduwimye was close to several militia …
Paris — Right-wing parties chalked up major gains in several key European countries following the European parliament elections — with France facing perhaps the biggest fallout. French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved parliament and called for new legislative elections later this month, after the far-right National Rally scooped up nearly one-third of the vote in Sunday’s European parliament elections — more than twice the share for Macron’s ruling Renaissance Party. Shortly after the first results were announced, Macron was on national TV, announcing snap legislative elections in France — three years ahead of schedule. The first round of voting takes place …
Prague, Czech Republic — The Czech Republic said Monday it would open a new center to boost cultural and diplomatic ties in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei, this week, a move likely to anger China. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory under its one-China policy, and last month launched military drills around the self-ruled island. The Czech Republic, a European Union and NATO member, officially embraces the one-China policy, like the EU, but its officials foster close ties with Taiwan. “The Czech Centre in Taiwan will launch its activity on Friday, June 14” with an exhibition of Czech photographs, the …
Since the start of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has carried out a campaign of repression against local and foreign journalists including via intimidation, threats, expulsions and arrests. Marcus Harton narrates this report from Ricardo Marquina. …
After Russia invaded Ukraine, the West responded, sending military weaponry and aid to the embattled nation. But as the war drags on, there is also a need for doctors. One nonprofit is sending American surgeons to Ukraine, and Ukrainian surgeons to train in the United States. Iryna Solomko has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA footage by Pavlo Terekhov. …
Washington — U.S. officials expect the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy democracies to send a tough new warning next week to smaller Chinese banks to stop assisting Russia in evading Western sanctions, according to two people familiar with the matter. Leaders gathering at the June 13-15 summit in Italy hosted by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are expected to focus heavily during their private meetings on the threat posed by burgeoning Chinese-Russian trade to the fight in Ukraine, and what to do about it. Those conversations are likely to result in public statements on the issue involving Chinese banks, according to a …
Paris — Carlos Alcaraz came back to defeat Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 on Sunday and win the French Open for his third Grand Slam title. Alcaraz is a 21-year-old from Spain who grew up watching countryman Rafael Nadal win trophy after trophy at Roland Garros — a record 14 in all — and now has eclipsed Nadal as the youngest man to collect major championships on three surfaces. Nadal was about 1½ years older when he did it. Sunday’s victory — in which he trailed two sets to one, just as he had in the semifinals against Jannik …
Yerevan, Armenia — Thousands of Armenians took to the streets in the capital Yerevan on Sunday in a fresh protest against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s concessions to arch foe neighbor Azerbaijan. The protests began in April, when the Caucasus nation’s government agreed to hand back to Baku territory it had controlled since the 1990s. Pashinyan has not changed his position, despite public opposition from influential archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. On Sunday, several thousand anti-government protesters gathered in Yerevan’s central Republic Square, outside government headquarters, an AFP reporter at the scene said. Ahead of the rally, Galstanyan announced the protest …
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian forces have for the first time hit a latest-generation Russian Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jet at an air base inside Russia, Kyiv’s GUR defense intelligence agency said Sunday, showing satellite pictures which it said confirmed the strike. In a Telegram post, the GUR did not specify how the Su-57 was hit or by which unit of the Ukrainian military. A popular Russian pro-war military blogger who calls himself Fighterbomber and focuses on aviation said the report of the strike on the Su-57 was correct and that it had been hit by a drone. The GUR said the aircraft …