VOA investigates accused Russian hacker at center of Ukraine cyber plot
In January 2022, on the eve of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, hackers broke into the computer networks of Ukrainian state institutions and critical infrastructure. They deleted computer systems, leaked Ukrainian citizens’ stolen personal data and published a threatening message…
Ukraine’s largest music festival returns with break from inescapable reality of war
Kyiv, Ukraine — This year, Ukraine’s largest music festival struck a different chord. Gone were the international headliners, the massive performance halls and the hundreds of thousands of visitors. Instead, beloved local artists graced the stage this past weekend at…
Gaza City-bound UN aid convoy comes under Israeli fire, says UNRWA
“Heavy shooting from the Israeli Forces at a UN convoy heading to Gaza City. While there are no casualties, our teams had to duck and take cover” in the incident on Sunday, according to the head of UNRWA, Commissioner-General Philippe…
UN Special Envoy warns of escalation risk in Syria
He reminded ambassadors that “Syria remains in a state of profound conflict, complexity and division” – one of four key messages he had for ambassadors. His also focused on the plight of Syrian refugees, the need for a political solution,…
Middle East: ‘One rash move could trigger a catastrophe’
“One rash move, one miscalculation could trigger a catastrophe that goes far beyond the borders and, frankly, beyond imagination,” said Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, in a briefing via videoconference. The meeting, called by France, United Kingdom…
Ukraine’s top diplomat to visit China this week to talk peace, Kyiv says
KYIV/BEIJING — Ukraine’s top diplomat will visit China on Tuesday at the invitation of Beijing for talks that Kyiv said would focus on how to end Russia’s war in Ukraine and on a possible Chinese role in reaching a settlement….
Russian officials say Ukrainian drone attack damages oil refinery
Officials in Russia’s Krasnodar region said Monday a Ukrainian drone attack damaged an oil refinery. The Tuapse refinery, owned by Russian oil giant Rosneft, sustained a fire that was later put out, officials said. The same plant was damaged by…
India ed-tech firm Byju’s founder faces reckoning as startup implodes
NEW DELHI — Byju Raveendran, an Indian mathematics whiz who soared from teacher to startup billionaire before his education-technology company imploded this year, now faces his biggest test. The future of Raveendran’s eponymous Byju’s online coaching firm rests with India’s…
Iraq to import electricity from Turkey
Baghdad — Iraq said Sunday a new power line will bring electricity from Turkey to its northern provinces as authorities aim to diversify the country’s energy sources to ease chronic power outages. The 115-kilometer (71-mile) line connects to the Kisik…
What to know about Kids Online Safety Act and its chances of passing
The last time Congress passed a law to protect children on the internet was in 1998 — before Facebook, before the iPhone and long before today’s oldest teenagers were born. Now, a bill aiming to protect kids from the harms…