US flu season is under way, as cases surge in some areas and vaccinations lag
NEW YORK — The U.S. flu season is under way, withcases surging across much of the country, health officials said Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted sharp increases in several measures, including lab tests and emergency room…
Gaza is now a graveyard and there’s no escape, say UN aid teams
“The world is not seeing what’s going on with these people, it’s impossible for families to shelter in these conditions,” said Louise Wateridge, from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Speaking from Nuseirat in central Gaza after heavy winter rains…
Russia hands 16-year prison term to east Ukraine resident for ‘treason’
Moscow — Russia on Friday sentenced a resident of east Ukraine’s Lugansk region to 16 years in prison for “high treason,” Moscow’s FSB security service said. Moscow regularly hands heavy sentences to people it accuses of spying for Ukraine and…
Russian ballistic missiles damage diplomatic missions in Kyiv attack
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry says an early morning Russian ballistic missile attack Friday on the capital of Kyiv killed at least one person and damaged six foreign embassies and a university in the city’s center. On its Telegram social media account,…
VOA Russian: Europe targets Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’
Leaders of 12 European countries agreed at a meeting in Tallinn to expand sanctions against Russia’s “shadow fleet” that is used by Moscow to sell oil and evade Western sanctions. Several European states imposed new policies on Russian vessels transiting…
US slow to react to pervasive Chinese hacking, experts say
As new potential threats from Chinese hackers were identified this week, the federal government issued one of its strongest warnings to date about the need for Americans — and in particular government officials and other “highly targeted” individuals — to…
Music bridges memory gaps for New York Alzheimer’s patients
The Unforgettable Chorus in New York is using music to help people with memory loss reconnect with family, friends and themselves. Since 2011, the choir has been a beacon of hope, offering a space where those living with dementia can…
Trump pushes for conflict-ending Ukraine-Russia ‘deal’
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says the leaders of Ukraine and Russia should be “prepared to make a deal” to end the brutal conflict that has consumed Ukraine since 2022. He also slammed President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to…
Ukrainian military gets NATO-standard training in Poland, Lithuania
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian soldiers have been receiving training from NATO troops. VOA recently visited one of these training sites where troops from Britain and Canada are training Ukrainian soldiers. Vladislavs Andrejevs has the story, narrated…
Amazon workers strike at seven US facilities ahead of Christmas rush
Amazon.com workers at seven U.S. facilities walked off the job early on Thursday during the holiday shopping rush, aiming to pressure the retailer into contract talks with their union. Warehouse workers in cities including New York, Atlanta and San Francisco…