11 wounded in southern Ukraine in Russian strikes
Kyiv — At least 11 people were wounded on Sunday in a series of Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, emergency services announced. The regional capital was hit by several…
Syrians in Austria do volunteer work to disarm doubts about migrants
KRITZENDORF, Austria — While shoveling mud out of gardens almost two weeks after torrential flooding battered the small Austrian town of Kritzendorf, Abulhkeem Alshater gestures towards a banner: “Austro-Syrians say: Thank…
Europeans, Arab and Muslim nations launch initiative for Palestinian state
UNITED NATIONS — European, Arab and Islamic nations have launched an initiative to strengthen support for a Palestinian state and prepare for a future after the war in Gaza and escalating…
Austria holds tight election with far-right bidding for historic win
VIENNA — Austrians elect a new parliament Sunday with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) aiming to secure its first general election win in a neck-and-neck race with the ruling conservatives that…
Belgian Catholic university denounces pope’s views on women’s roles in society
brussels — Pope Francis’ burdensome trip through Belgium reached new lows Saturday when defiant Catholic university women demanded to his face a “paradigm change” on women’s issues in the church and…
At UN, Russian foreign minister dismisses Zelenskyy’s peace plan as ‘doomed’
united nations — Russia’s foreign minister reinforced the Kremlin’s disagreements with the West in his United Nations General Assembly remarks Saturday and showed no interest in a genuine peace with Ukraine. …
Hundreds rally in Paris to support world abortion rights
paris — Hundreds of people came out Saturday in Paris, marching in support of the right to abortion for women across the world, just six months after France became the first…
Poland’s flooding death toll rises after more bodies found
WARSAW, Poland — The death toll in Poland from recent floods rose to nine after two more bodies were found, the national police chief said Saturday. One person is still missing,…
Ukraine says Russian attacks on medical center in Sumy kill 9
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces hit a medical center in Sumy in northeastern Ukraine on Saturday morning, then struck again as the building was being evacuated, killing a total of nine…
Taliban push back against allegations of gender bias, rights abuses
Islamabad — Taliban leaders in Afghanistan have defended their Islamist rule amid intensified accusations of “gender-based” discrimination against women and girls at this week’s U.N. General Assembly. “The situation is not…
Exiled opposition leader: ‘We want Belarus to return to family of European countries’
New York — Among those in New York City for the 79th United Nations General Assembly is exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. On Monday, Tsikhanouskaya and Evgenia Kara-Murza, the Russian…
Adoption applications in Ukraine soar since Russian invasion
The number of Ukrainian citizens seeking to adopt children has increased dramatically since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Lesia Bakalets reports from Kyiv, Ukraine. Camera:…
Trump meets Zelenskyy amid tension, Republican criticism of Kyiv
Former U.S. President Donald Trump met Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York, where Trump repeated claims that he would be able to end the war in Ukraine…
Trump to meet Zelenskyy amid tension, Republican criticism of Ukraine
Washington — Former President Donald Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on Friday, amid increased skepticism of U.S. support for Ukraine’s war efforts from…
As Ukraine war enters a critical period, the EU moves ahead without the US
BRUSSELS — s the war in Ukraine enters a critical period, the European Union has decided that it must take responsibility for what it sees as an existential threat to security…
Blinken to meet Chinese counterpart amid concerns over China’s drone supply to Russia
New York — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in…
Push for renewable energy sparks new environmental worries
According to the International Energy Agency, the world now invests almost twice as much in clean energy as it does in fossil fuels. But with that shift comes environmental risks…
Cryptocurrency exchange network accused of helping Russia hit with sanctions
WASHINGTON — A network of people and virtual currency exchanges associated with harboring Russian cybercrime were hit with sanctions on Thursday, in a government-wide crackdown on cybercrime that could assist Russia…
Zelenskyy meets with Biden, Harris amid Republican allegation of election interference
White House — U.S. President Joe Biden is hosting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House Thursday, where the Ukrainian leader is set to discuss his plans for winning the war…
Pope Francis heads for Luxembourg and Belgium on a trip to a dwindling flock
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is traveling to once-strong bastions of Christianity in the heart of Europe to try to reinvigorate a Catholic flock that is dwindling in the face of…
Crises in Ukraine, Mideast and Sudan dominate UN General Assembly meetings
The war in Ukraine, Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, and an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah dominated the second day of the United Nations General Assembly meetings. VOA U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer…
UK foreign secretary: ‘We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Ukrainians’
NEW YORK — Among the issues on the agenda for world leaders who gathered this week for the United Nations General Assembly is Russia’s war against Ukraine. In an interview in…
Mexico excludes Spanish king from president’s swearing-in
Madrid — Mexican president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum angered Spain on Wednesday by barring its King Felipe VI from her swearing-in ceremony, accusing him of failing to acknowledge harm caused by his country’s…
Zoo in Finland with financial woes to return giant pandas to China
HELSINKI — A zoo in Finland has agreed with Chinese authorities to return two loaned giant pandas to China more than eight years ahead of schedule because they have become too…
Pope expels bishop, 9 others from Peru movement over ‘sadistic’ abuses
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis took the unusual decision Wednesday to expel 10 people — a bishop, priests and laypeople — from a troubled Catholic movement in Peru after a Vatican…
Volunteer group locates some 2,000 bodies in Ukraine’s Donetsk
A volunteer group is searching for the remains of people killed in the conflict with Russia in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. The group Platsdarm says it has recovered around 2,000 bodies since…