Finland zoo returns giant pandas to China over cost
HELSINKI — Finland will return two giant pandas to China in November, more than eight years ahead of time, as the zoo where they live can no longer afford their upkeep,…
Climate change doubles chance of floods like those in Central Europe, report says
WARSAW, Poland — Climate change has made downpours like the one that caused devastating floods in central Europe this month twice as likely to occur, a report said on Wednesday, as…
Biden spotlights Mideast, Ukraine, offers hope in UN address
Joe Biden used his final presidential address before the U.N. General Assembly to urge unity in the face of challenges that include conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan. VOA White House…
Critics say Russia is militarizing classrooms
A new school year begins in Russia, the third that is starting with Moscow’s war in Ukraine as a backdrop. Elizabeth Cherneff narrates this report from Ricardo Marquina on what…
Swiss police detain several people in connection with ‘suicide capsule’
GENEVA — Police in northern Switzerland said Tuesday that several people have been detained and a criminal case opened in connection with the suspected death of a person in a “suicide…
UN accuses Russia of systematic torture of Ukrainian civilians, prisoners
GENEVA — Investigators at the United Nations accuse Russia of using torture and sexual violence with impunity against Ukrainian citizens and prisoners of war in occupied Ukrainian territories and in the…
German economy expected to contract again in 2024, say sources
Berlin — Germany’s leading economic institutes have downgraded their forecast for 2024 and now see Europe’s largest economy shrinking by 0.1%, people familiar with the figures from the autumn joint economic…
Pope asks for liberation of Myanmar’s detained ex-leader Suu Kyi
ROME — Pope Francis has called for the liberation of Myanmar’s detained former leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and offered the Vatican as a safe haven, the pontiff…
$375 million US military aid package for Ukraine expected as soon as Wednesday
Pentagon — The U.S. military is expected to announce a new military aid package for Ukraine this week valued at up to $375 million, the largest aid sent to Kyiv since…
France’s new government gets to work amid anger on left, right
paris — After more than two months without a functioning government, France’s new cabinet got to work Monday. How long it will remain in office is unclear. French politics have been…
Climate of fear permeates repressive Belarusian society
geneva — United Nations investigators are accusing the Belarusian government of Alexander Lukashenko of instilling “a pervasive climate of fear by quashing all avenues of dissent” by systematically oppressing its perceived…
Eurozone business activity slumps after Olympics boost
Brussels, Belgium — Eurozone business activity declined for the first time in seven months in September, as France lost steam after the end of the Paris Olympic Games, a key survey…
Soyuz capsule with 2 Russians, 1 American from ISS returns to Earth
Moscow — A Soyuz capsule carrying two Russians and one American from the International Space Station landed Monday in Kazakhstan, ending a record-breaking stay for the Russian pair. The capsule landed…
Long-forbidden French anti-riot force sent to Martinique as thousands defy bans on protests
Mexico City — France has sent a group of special anti-riot police that’s been banned for 65 years to the French Caribbean island of Martinique, where protesters have gathered despite the…
In Switzerland, voters reject plan to better protect country’s biodiversity
Geneva — Switzerland, known for natural beauty like pristine lakes and majestic Alpine peaks, ranks among the world’s richest countries whose plant and animal life is under the greatest threat. Environmentalists…
Kyiv-born entrepreneur in US helps Ukrainian children get online education
A business owner in Baltimore, Maryland, who was born in Kyiv has started a charity to help Ukrainian children affected by war. Andriy Borys has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA…
Exit poll gives Scholz’s Social Democrats slight lead over far right in German state vote
POTSDAM, Germany — An exit poll released after voting ended in a state election in Brandenburg on Sunday showed the Social Democrats with a slight edge over a growing far-right party….
Russian strike on Ukraine’s Kharkiv wounds 21
Kharkiv, Ukraine — A Russian strike on a residential neighborhood in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv wounded 21 people including three minors, the regional governor said Sunday. Oleg Synegubov posted…
Germany’s far-right AfD on track for another state election win
berlin — The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is predicted to come first in an election in Brandenburg on Sunday, seeking to build on gains in other eastern states this month…
Hong Kong diaspora media in Britain reports ‘government-backed attacks’
london — The Chaser, a news website run by Hong Kong journalists in Britain, says Google informed the diaspora media outlet that its company email was being targeted by “government-backed attacks.”…
Russia, China start naval exercises in Sea of Japan, report agencies
moscow — Russia and China started naval exercises in the Sea of Japan on Saturday, Russian news agencies cited Russia’s Pacific Fleet as saying. “A joint detachment of warships of the…
Climate protesters say pace of change isn’t fast enough
NEW YORK — Six years after a teenage Greta Thunberg walked out of school in a solitary climate protest outside of the Swedish parliament, people around a warming globe marched in…