Europe

The Russian national flag, right, flies after it is hoisted next to the Olympic flag during the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Feb. 23, 2014.

The IOC says it will not invite Russia and Belarus to the 2024 Olympics in Paris

5:00am July 14, 2023

by Ashley Westerman

While Russia and Belarus will not receive formal invitations, the International Olympic Committee says it will not stop athletes from the two countries from participating as neutral contestants.

In this photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Thursday, June 8, 2023, Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, the commander of the 58th Army, is seen in a photo at an undisclosed location. Popov said in a statement to his troops that he was dismissed after speaking out about the problems faced by his troops on the battlefield in Ukraine.

World News

A Russian general says he was fired for pointing out challenges his troops are facing

4:14am July 14, 2023

by The Associated Press

Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov said Russia's military leadership was angered by his frank talk about challenges faced by his forces, particularly the shortage of equipment that resulted in Russian casualties.

The rise in ransomware attacks this year may be related to Russia's war in Ukraine

4:44pm July 13, 2023

by Jenna McLaughlin

Ransomware attacks are on the rise in 2023. There are competing theories why, but it might actually have a lot to do with Russia's war in Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, right, shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday after a joint press conference at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Key takeaways from this week's NATO summit, according to the group's leader

12:18pm July 13, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

NATO's expansion is the exact opposite of what Russia wanted, says Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. He spoke to NPR about its NATO's newest members, and when Ukraine might join them.

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Sweden makes major effort to develop its own supply of minerals used in tech products

5:06am July 13, 2023

by Jackie Northam

It takes a half-hour in a pick-up truck to get to the bottom of a vast underground mine in Sweden — where the country is betting on extracting minerals for electric energy independence.

President Biden speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One in Vilnius, Lithuania. Biden was attending the NATO summit and was heading to Helsinki, Finland.

Ukraine can't join NATO yet. But Biden says Zelenskyy is OK with that

4:20pm July 12, 2023

by Lexie Schapitl

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left the NATO summit satisfied with offers of long-term security aid from the United States and other G-7 countries, according to President Biden.

NATO countries are wrapping up their 2-day summit in Lithuania

12:06pm July 12, 2023

Lithuania is hosting the meeting, and some in the former Soviet republic feel pride for getting that chance.

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A girl refills her bottle with water from the "Fontana della Barcaccia" fountain in Rome in during the heat wave of July 2022.

World News

Heat waves in Europe killed more than 61,600 people last summer, a study estimates

11:39am July 12, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

Researchers estimate that 61,672 Europeans died from heat-related illness between late May and early September 2022. They're urging countries to step up their heat prevention and adaptation efforts.

Economy

Morning news brief

5:47am July 12, 2023

President Biden to meet with Ukraine's president at NATO summit. New numbers are expected to show inflation easing. The contract between Hollywood studios and the actors' union is set to expire.

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Sweden's deal with Turkey to enter NATO stirs concern in Kurdish community

5:27pm July 11, 2023

Attorney Miran Kakaee talks with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly about how Kurds in Sweden are responding to the concessions the country has made in response to Turkey's demands over their NATO membership.

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