New U.S. unemployment compensation claims jumped again last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday, as the recovery from the economic damage caused by the coronavirus remains tenuous.The government said 719,000…
Knitted Beanies Bring Joy to Displaced, Underprivileged, and Ill Children
For many parents one good thing about grown kids moving out is the opportunity to focus on personal hobbies. VOA’s Maria Iman-Santoso tells of one woman whose hobby benefits others….
Rights Court Backs RFE/RL Journalist in Case to Protect Phone Data From Ukrainian Officials
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled in favor of a journalist from RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service who has battled against the handover of her smartphone data to authorities…
Tigray, Ethiopia: From Conflict to Humanitarian Crisis
VOA traces the beginnings of the conflict that grew into a humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. In early November 2020, the federal government of Ethiopia — led by Nobel…
US Officer on Trial for Death that Sparked Protests Against Police Brutality
A court in the U.S. state of Minnesota proceeds Thursday with the trial of Derek Chauvin, the police officer charged in the death of George Floyd last year that sparked…
Child Among 4 Dead in Shooting at California Office Building
A child was among four people killed Wednesday in a shooting at a Southern California office building that left a fifth victim and the gunman critically wounded, police said.The violence…
UN: 2 Women, 3 Children Drown in Shipwreck off Libya’s Coast
Two women and three children drowned when a boat carrying dozens of Europe-bound migrants capsized off Libya, a U.N. official said Wednesday. It was the latest shipwreck involving migrants seeking…
Uganda’s Rugby League Resumes with Fans Excited for Cow Hooves
Uganda resumed rugby league games in March, but much of the excitement was on the sidelines, where the unique snack of boiled cow hoof, known as kigere, has a popular…
Beijing Orders Closure of Chinese Law Firm Tied to Hong Kong Activists
A Chinese law firm linked to the defense of one of 12 pro-democracy activists who allegedly attempted to flee Hong Kong for Taiwan has been ordered to disband, a development…
Scientist: Kyoto’s Earliest Cherry Blooms in 1,200 Years Point to Climate Change
The famous pink cherry blossoms of Kyoto reached full bloom this year on March 26, the earliest date in the 12 centuries since records began, according to a Japanese university.The…
South Africans Construct Award-Winning Zero-Carbon Home
A team of nine South African students and young professionals won a Cape Town competition to create a zero-carbon home, just ahead of Earth Day on April 22.Experts say the…
France’s Macron Orders Third Lockdown, Closes Schools
President Emmanuel Macron ordered France into its third national lockdown Wednesday in an effort to slow a third wave of COVID-19 infecting his country.Among the lockdown measures, Macron closed all…
Blinken Vows US Support for Ukraine in Call With Foreign Minister
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a phone call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday, affirmed Washington’s support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity “in the face of Russia’s…
Economists See Biden Infrastructure Plan Powering Growth; Criticism Is Muted
President Joe Biden’s plan announced Wednesday to plow $2 trillion into an eight-year overhaul of U.S. infrastructure was met with only limited carping from many voices normally critical of government…
UN’s Myanmar Envoy Warns of ‘Bloodbath,’ ‘Civil War’
The U.N. Special Envoy for Myanmar warned Wednesday that “a bloodbath is imminent” and there is an increasing “possibility of civil war” in the country if civilian rule is not…
Survey: 63% of US Jews Encountered Anti-Semitism Over Last 5 Years
At a time of growing concern about right-wing extremism in the United States, a new survey paints a troubling portrait of Jewish Americans’ experiences with anti-Semitism.The survey, released Wednesday by…
ICC Upholds Acquittal of Former Ivory Coast President
Judges at International Criminal Court in The Hague have upheld the acquittal of former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and youth minister Charles Ble Goude, paving the way for both to…
Italy Expels Two Russian Diplomats Accused of Espionage
Italy says it expelled two Russian diplomats and arrested an Italian navy captain Tuesday for their alleged involvement in espionage. The diplomats were expelled Wednesday, according to news reports. Italian police say…
НБУ посилив гривню проти долара ще на 7 копійок
Національний банк України другий день поспіль посилює гривню проти долара США …
‘Falling Like Flies’: Hungary’s Roma Community Pleads for COVID-19 Help
Coronavirus infections are ravaging Hungary’s 700,000-strong Roma community, according to personal accounts that suggest multiple deaths in single families are common in an unchecked outbreak fueled by deep distrust of…
Italian Naval Officer, Russian Detained on Spying Charges
Italian authorities said Wednesday they have arrested an Italian Navy captain on spying charges after he was allegedly caught giving classified documents to a Russian embassy official in exchange for…
Germany Limits Use of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine Because of Fears of Blood Clots
Germany has limited the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to people 60 years of age and older due to concerns that it may be causing blood clots. Federal and state health authorities…
Turkey’s Reliance on Chinese COVID-19 Vaccines Seen as Gamble
Turkey’s announcement of new restrictions in the face of surging COVID-19 infections is putting the spotlight on Ankara’s decision to rely almost solely on Chinese vaccines. With those deliveries repeatedly…
US, 13 Other Nations Concerned About WHO COVID Origins Report
The United States and 13 other nations issued a statement Tuesday raising “shared concerns” about the newly released World Health Organization report on the origins of the virus that causes…
НБУ посилив гривню проти долара на 8 копійок
Національний банк України встановив на 31 березня курс 27 гривень 89 копійок за долар …
Pandemic Apologies and Defiance: Europe’s Leaders Increasingly Rattled
European leaders are handling rising public frustration, economic distress and mounting coronavirus case numbers in different ways, with most showing the strain of dealing with a yearlong pandemic, say analysts…
Vatican Banishes Retired Polish Archbishop Over Sex Allegations
The Vatican banished the former archbishop of Gdansk in Poland on Monday following an investigation into negligence over sex abuse allegations. The announcement came from the Vatican’s embassy in Warsaw. The investigation…
Massive Ship Blocking Suez Canal Freed
Officials with the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said Monday the massive container ship that had been blocking the canal has been freed and is making its way down the waterway.Video…
Trial Opens in 2004 Bombing of French Base in Ivory Coast
A trial opened in Paris Monday over the 2004 bombing of a French military base in then war-torn Ivory Coast that killed an American soil scientist and nine French soldiers….
Czech Billionaire Kellner Among Alaska Crash Victims
A helicopter headed to the U.S. state of Alaska for a skiing trip crashed on Saturday killing the pilot and four others, according to authorities. Among the five people who died in the late Saturday helicopter crash…