‘Game of Thrones’ Makers Turn to Iconic Chinese Sci-Fi

Paris — The makers of “Game of Thrones” return with “3 Body Problem,” the adaptation of an iconic Chinese sci-fi trilogy.   It premieres this weekend at the South by Southwest Festival in Texas before launching on Netflix on March 21.  Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, coming off their huge hit with “Game of Thrones,” …

Ukraine Says Russia Dropped Bomb on Kherson

Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukraine said Saturday a Russian bomb landed near a block of flats in the southern city of Kherson overnight wounding a child, while a teenage boy died in shelling elsewhere. “Last night, the Russian army struck the city with a bomb. The shell landed near a five-story building,” Kherson’s administration said on social …

Aid Ship Set to Sail from Cyprus to Gaza on New Corridor, Charity Says

Nicosia, Cyprus — A U.S. charity said it was loading aid for Gaza onto a boat in Cyprus, the first shipment to the war-ravaged territory along a maritime corridor the EU Commission hopes will open this weekend. The Spanish-flagged vessel Open Arms docked three weeks ago in the port of Larnaca in Cyprus, the closest European …

NATO Conducts Largest Military Exercise Since Cold War

Sweden became the 32nd member of NATO Thursday, as alliance troops participated in the bloc’s Steadfast Defender exercise this week. This operation aims to foster compatibility and cooperation on the battlefield among member nations, enhancing the alliance’s capacity to counter provocative behavior from the Russian Federation. Eastern Europe chief Myroslava Gongadze reports from the training …

US Holds First Day to Commemorate American Hostages

WASHINGTON — The United States on Saturday marks its first U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day to commemorate Americans being held abroad. First designated last year by bipartisan House and Senate legislation, the day marks the anniversary of the kidnapping of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who was considered to be the longest-held American hostage …

Activists See India as New Front in Fight Against Female Genital Mutilation

Washington — A U.N. report released Friday about the prevalence of female genital mutilation around the globe is drawing attention to the practice among the Dawoodi Bohra community, a Muslim minority sect based in India. India is not on the UNICEF list of 31 countries released Friday. But the extent of FGM in India, although small …

Zelenskyy Due in Istanbul for Erdogan Talks on War, Black Sea

Istanbul — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due in Istanbul on Friday for talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the war with Russia and navigation on the Black Sea. The two leaders were set to meet at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul and hold a news conference on Friday evening, according to plans …

LA Russians Send Letters to Support Female Political Prisoners in Their Homeland

Imprisonment based on political dissent is especially difficult for women, says Nadya Tolokonnikova, a creator of Pussy Riot, and someone who spent 16 months in a Russian prison. The Russian diaspora in Los Angeles gathered to write letters of support to women incarcerated on political grounds in their homeland. VOA News reports from Los Angeles, …

Ukraine’s Sea Drone Technology Gaining Significance

Ukrainian officials say the Russian military patrol ship Sergey Kotov sank in the Black Sea after being targeted by Ukrainian-made sea drones. The reported hit is calling attention to drones as effective weapons to keep Russian forces from taking control of the Black Sea. VOA Eastern Europe Bureau Chief Myroslava Gongadze gained exclusive access to …

Sweden Set to Become NATO’s 32nd Member as PM Visits Washington

WASHINGTON/STOCKHOLM — Sweden is expected to formally join NATO in Washington on Thursday, two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced a complete rethink of its national security policy and the realization the alliance offered the best guarantee of safety. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is in Washington to hand over the final documentation, with the …

Strikes Hobble German Railways, Airports as Disputes Mount

COLOGNE, Germany — Germany faced strikes on several fronts on Thursday, as train drivers and airport workers walked off the job, causing chaos for millions of travelers and adding to the country’s economic woes at a time of looming recession. The strikes are the latest in a wave of industrial actions to hit Germany, where high …