Author: Mirits

President Joe Biden on Tuesday welcomed Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob to the White House, where Biden spoke of the importance of European unity and recognized the small Central European nation’s outsized role in the largest prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia in decades. Biden underscored Ljubljana’s critical role in the August swap that saw the release of 24 people, including three high-profile Americans in Russian custody: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerskovich, Radio Free Europe reporter Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan. Slovenia held two Russian spies in prison – and their release was a critical part of the deal. “You made it possible,” Biden said to Golob in the Oval Office. “Thank you. We made it clear to anyone who questions whether our allies matter. Well, just look at what you did. They matter a great deal.” Biden, who spoke of his role in pushing for the nation to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization nearly two decades ago, continued his push for European unity – diplomatically and through institutions like the NATO security bloc – to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine. “Because I knew then what I know now: We’re stronger when we stand together with good partners like you,” Biden said. “We’ve seen it in support for the brave people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s aggression and we see it in our work to support democracy and prosperity across the western Balkans.” Golob replied by calling Biden a nickname that has become popular with European leaders. “Dear Joe, just a couple of words,” he said, in English. “And that is with little help of true friends, nothing is impossible. And I think that’s really what our joint effort with the prisoner swap demonstrated to all of the world. And let’s continue to work in true friendship and with a lot of friends.” The two also discussed a wide range of issues, the White House said, like energy security and cooperation and events in the Middle East. This meeting – the first Oval Office visit by a Slovenian leader in 18 years – is “a particularly important legacy of Biden’s administration,” said Wojciech Przybylski, editor-in-chief of Warsaw-based think tank Visegrad Insight. “Slovenia is also a major stakeholder in the development of other Southeastern European countries of the Balkan region, where the U.S. is investing heavily to make Europe whole and free from wars and … “Biden welcomes Slovenian leader Golob to White House” →

Russian President Vladimir Putin called Chinese President Xi Jinping his “dear friend,” amid growing cooperation between Moscow and Beijing, as the leaders met at the BRICS summit in Kazan.  Xi also expressed his gratitude at the meeting regarding the increasing partnership between Russia and China, saying the “profound relationship” between the two countries has “continuously deepened and expanded comprehensive strategic coordination and practical cooperation.”  Since Russia launched its military offensive in Ukraine in 2022, China has been a key partner providing military assistance to Moscow in the forms of dual use components and technology and tools that could be used for military machines.  Shortly before Russia’s military offensive, China declared a “no limits” partnership with Russia when Putin visited Beijing.  Xi said Beijing’s cooperation with Moscow is a stabilizing factor for the world.  “The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and the international situation is chaotic and intertwined,” Xi told Putin, adding that ties between the countries have “injected strong impetus into the development, revitalization and modernization of the two countries” and “made important contributions to upholding international equity and justice.”  Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said the BRICS meeting in Kazan is the countries’ “largest foreign policy event ever held,” as Russia is hosting 36 countries and 20 heads of state.  The Kremlin sees the meeting as an opportunity for a rallying point to defy Western influences in global affairs.  The BRICS alliance refers to a grouping of emerging economies whose core members are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, but has been expanding rapidly to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In addition, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have formally applied to become members, while other countries have expressed their interest in joining the alliance.  …

The United Nations says the war in Ukraine has displaced more than 6 million people and forced many of them to register as refugees across Europe. More than 60,000 of them — mostly women and children — are living in Hungary. VOA Eastern Europe Bureau Chief Myroslava Gongadze reports from Budapest on a new bilingual school for refugee children from Ukraine. VOA footage and video editing by Daniil Batushchak. …

WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy is showing resilience after bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic but the eurozone’s prospects are gloomier due to recent crises and deeper problems, according to IMF forecasts released Tuesday. In its latest World Economic Outlook report, the International Monetary Fund revised its 2025 eurozone growth forecast down from 1.5% in July to 1.2% as challenges in manufacturing bog down countries such as Germany. In contrast, the world’s biggest economy is anticipated to grow 2.2% next year. The United States and eurozone have seen their paths diverge over the past two years, with the U.S. economy logging 2.9% growth in 2023, significantly above the eurozone’s 0.4%, IMF figures show. The fund expects the U.S. economy to expand by 2.8% in 2024, again higher than the euro area’s 0.8% growth forecast. This is because “Europe has experienced two shocks, while the United States has only experienced one,” EY chief economist Gregory Daco told AFP. After rebounding from the pandemic, which led to historic recessions around the world, European countries took a hit from the effects of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This once again sharply raised energy prices and snarled supply chains in the region, with the United States experiencing less of an impact given its distance from the conflict and greater energy independence. Germany stalls In particular, the war has made a significant impact on the eurozone’s biggest economy — Germany — which saw its economy shrink in 2023. The German economy is set to see no growth this year, only expanding 0.8% in 2025, said the IMF’s latest report. The 2025 figure was revised down from July’s projection of 1.3% growth. “Persistent weakness in manufacturing weighs on growth for countries such as Germany and Italy,” said the IMF. Although Italy’s domestic demand is set to benefit from a European Union-financed recovery plan, “Germany is experiencing strain from fiscal consolidation and a sharp decline in real estate prices,” the fund said. But it noted that “in the euro area, growth seems to have reached its lowest point in 2023.” France, the second-biggest EU economy, is projected to post modest growth of 1.1% for this year and the next. US advantages Daco of EY said the United States benefits from more favorable structural factors: “In view of its population growth, investment rate and productivity, it has growth prospects that are double those of Europe.” He … “US, European economies diverge after pandemic as war rages” →

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Ukraine amid a Russian advance on the battlefield and increasing anxiety among Ukrainians that Western allies are experiencing growing fatigue toward the Russia-Ukraine war. For VOA, Anna Chernikova reports from Kyiv. VOA footage by Vladyslav Smilianets. …

Berlin — An infection with the new mpox variant clade 1b has been detected in Germany for the first time, the Robert Koch Institute health authority said on Tuesday.   The infection occurred abroad and was detected last Friday, the institute said, adding that it did not see an increased risk for Germany but was “monitoring the situation very closely.”   Mpox, a viral disease related to smallpox that causes fever, body aches, swollen lymph nodes and a rash that forms into blisters, has two main subtypes — clade 1 and clade 2.   From May 2022, clade 2 spread around the world, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men in Europe and the United States. In July 2022, the WHO declared an international public health emergency, its highest level of alarm over the spread.   Vaccination and awareness drives in many countries helped stem the number of worldwide cases and the WHO lifted the emergency in May 2023 after reporting 140 deaths out of roughly 87,400 cases.   But this year, a new epidemic has broken out in the Democratic Republic of Congo.   As well as clade 1, which mainly affects children, a new strain emerged in the DRC, called clade 1b.   Clade 1b cases have also been recorded in nearby Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda — none of which had previously detected mpox. The WHO declared another international emergency in August. …

LONDON — Two passenger trains collided in Wales, killing a man and injuring 15 people, transport police said Tuesday. The low-speed crash on Monday evening happened near the village of Llanbrynmair in central Wales. “We can sadly confirm a man has died following this evening’s incident,” said British Transport Police superintendent Andrew Morgan. Those taken to hospital were not believed to have suffered serious injuries. Morgan said transport police were working “to understand the circumstances leading up to this collision.” …

Russian officials said Tuesday a Ukrainian drone attack caused an explosion and fire at a biochemical plant in the Tambov region. Tambov Governor Maxim Yegorov said on Telegram the fire was extinguished early Tuesday and that preliminary information indicated there were no injuries. Ukrainian drones also damaged two distilleries in the Tula region, officials said Tuesday. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday it shot down 11 Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk region, three drones over Belgorod, two over Kursk and each over the Tula and Oryol regions. The governor of Belgorod reported two homes were damaged by falling debris from destroyed drones, while the governor Bryansk said the attack damaged one building. In Ukraine, Sumy Governor Ihor Kalchenko said a Russian drone attack killed three people. Kalchenko said Ukrainian air defenses shot down 25 Russian drones in the region. US aid The United States “will get Ukraine what it needs” to continue to fight its 32-month war with Russia, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Monday during a visit to Kyiv.   But he gave no indication the U.S. would consent to Ukraine’s wish to immediately join NATO or allow Kyiv’s forces to launch missile strikes deeper into Russia.   Austin said the U.S. would hand Ukraine what it requires “to fight for its survival and security,” saying it was essential for Western allies to fend off Russia’s aggression.   “Europe’s future is on the line,” Austin said in a speech at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine. “NATO’s strength is on the line. America’s security is on the line.”   As Austin visited Ukraine, the U.S. announced its 68th tranche of military aid since the start of the war with Russia, about $400 million in new armaments, including munitions for rocket systems and artillery mortar systems and rounds, armored vehicles and anti-tank weapons.   Anna Borshchevskaya, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told VOA that the new U.S. assistance does not provide most of what Ukraine asked for.  “In other words, there was no new weaponry provided. Ukraine still does not have the capability to use its weaponry to strike inside Russia, and there was no discussion of a potential NATO membership for Ukraine,” she said.  As fighting continues, a Russian missile attack on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia killed two people and injured 15 in the city center and caused huge damage to civilian infrastructure, including a kindergarten and more … “ Russia says Ukrainian drone attack hit biochemical plant” →

SYDNEY — Britain’s King Charles was embraced by an Indigenous elder after a welcome smoking ceremony on Tuesday in the birthplace of Australia’s urban Aboriginal civil rights movement in Sydney, a day after being heckled by an Indigenous senator in Canberra. Charles met with Indigenous elders at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in inner-city Redfern, including “bush tucker” – or native food – chef Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo, who served kangaroo pies. The king was embraced by elder Michael Welsh, and a woman introduced herself as a member of the Stolen Generation – a reference to Aboriginal children systematically removed from their families decades earlier. “Welcome to this country,” she said. A day earlier, Charles was heckled at Parliament House in Canberra by independent senator and Indigenous activist Lidia Thorpe who shouted that she did not accept his sovereignty over Australia, and demanded a treaty for Indigenous people. While the atmosphere at Redfern on Tuesday was respectful, some people who came to see the king expressed sympathy for Thorpe’s actions. “We’ve got stories to tell and I think you witnessed that story yesterday,” Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council Chairperson Allan Murray said. In a radio interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Tuesday, Thorpe said she “wanted the world to know the plight of our people.” Former Olympic athlete Nova Peris, who was the first Indigenous woman elected to federal parliament, wrote in a social media post she was “deeply disappointed” by Thorpe’s actions, which “do not reflect the manners, or approach to reconciliation, of Aboriginal Australians at large.” Emotions around Indigenous rights and Australia’s colonial history are raw after a national referendum on whether to alter Australia’s constitution to recognize Aboriginal people was rejected last year. Charles referred to Australia’s “long and sometimes difficult journey towards reconciliation” in a speech on Monday before he was heckled by Thorpe. Under glorious spring skies, the king later visited a social housing project designed with the support of his King’s Trust Australia charity in the inner suburb of Glebe. He toured the construction site with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who grew up on a public housing estate, and met Indigenous actor Wes Patten, one of three apprentice construction workers on the project. Patten played the son of an Indigenous politician in TV political drama “Total Control,” depicting the imagined first Indigenous prime minister of Australia. Claude Tighe, an Indigenous man in Glebe who … “Indigenous Australian embraces King Charles at civil rights birthplace” →

Many European Union countries are calling for the bloc to clamp down on migration amid a surge in support for right-wing political parties. But Spain is bucking the trend — and insists Europe’s aging population needs controlled migration to boost its economy. Henry Ridgwell reports. Camera: Alfonso Beato. …

washington — The General Assembly of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) is set to begin Thursday, following months of ongoing harassment from the Chinese government that the top Uyghur organization has described as “unprecedented.” In the months leading up to the group’s eighth general assembly, which takes place this year in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Uyghur organization has endured numerous efforts to derail or even cancel the event, the group said. The harassment included threats of physical harm, arrest and sabotage. Groups that advocate for Uyghur human rights have long faced harassment from the Chinese government, but this recent harassment was particularly extreme, according to Zumretay Arkin, the WUC’s spokesperson and director of global advocacy. “It’s reached another level this time,” Arkin told VOA from Sarajevo. “The World Uyghur Congress is among the most important organizations in our movement, in the diaspora, and they want to destroy it completely.” In one of the most severe examples, the email account of a WUC employee was hacked, Arkin told VOA. The unidentified hackers on Monday sent out emails, which VOA has reviewed, to all attendees, including WUC delegates and candidates, as well as foreign lawmakers, falsely claiming that the general assembly had been postponed. The WUC holds its general assembly every three years. At each assembly, the organization elects its leadership and sets strategic priorities in response to human rights abuses in the Chinese region Xinjiang, where most Uyghurs live. “We are advocating for not only the human rights of Uyghur people, but also self-determination of Uyghurs. And that’s considered a threat to the Chinese government,” said Arkin, who is running to be the WUC’s next vice president. The Germany-based WUC has condemned the harassment. “It is a clear effort to intimidate the Uyghur community and silence their voices,” the organization said in a Friday statement. In other cases of harassment, the Chinese Embassy in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has exerted pressure to cancel the general assembly entirely and indicated it would encourage local authorities to arrest former WUC President Dolkun Isa, who is a German citizen. Bosnia and Herzegovina has an extradition treaty with China. When Isa and Arkin arrived in Sarajevo on Monday, Arkin said they didn’t have any issues in entering the country. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassy in Sarajevo did not immediately reply to VOA’s emails requesting comment. In another example, an informant … “World Uyghur Congress faces harassment ahead of general assembly” →

TIRANA, Albania — Albania’s left-wing Freedom Party said Monday its leader and former Albanian President Ilir Meta has been arrested on alleged corruption charges. Meta, 55, was arrested in the capital, Tirana, by officers with the National Investigation Bureau, according to local media. Local television stations showed masked, plainclothes police officers taking Meta from his vehicle after he returned from neighboring Kosovo ahead of holding a news conference. The party’s secretary-general, Tedi Blushi, called it “a criminal kidnapping.” There was no immediate comment from the prosecutor’s office. After meeting Meta at the police department, his lawyer Genc Gjokutaj said the former president is being investigated for alleged corruption, money laundering and hiding personal income and property. Meta was Albania’s previous president, serving from 2017-2022. He was being investigated for alleged illegal lobbying in the United States years ago. He and his former wife also have been investigated on allegations of hiding their personal property and income. Meta has been a vocal opponent of the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama, accusing it of running a “kleptocratic regime” and concentrating all legislative, administrative and judiciary powers in Rama’s hands. Corruption has been post-communist Albania’s Achilles’ heel, strongly affecting the country’s democratic, economic and social development. Judicial institutions created with the support of the European Union and the United States have launched several investigations into former senior government officials allegedly involved in corruption. Albania seeks EU membership. Former prime minister and president Sali Berisha, now a lawmaker and leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, is also accused of corruption and is under house arrest waiting for the trial. Soon after Meta’s arrest, Romana Vlahutin, EU ambassador to Tirana when the judicial reform was approved in 2016 and now a European Council official, said on social platform X, “Justice reform in full force! There are no untouchables.” …

Paris — French drugmaker Sanofi’s confirmation that it will sell a controlling stake in its consumer health unit to a U.S. investment fund sparked a new political backlash Monday, stoked by fears the deal marks a loss of sovereignty over key medications.   Paris “must block the sale” using powers to protect strategic sectors, Manuel Bompard, a senior lawmaker in the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, told the TF1 broadcaster.   Politicians and unions have torn into Sanofi’s proposed 16-billion-euro ($17.4 billion) deal with U.S. investment fund CD&R for a controlling stake in Opella.   The subsidiary makes household-name drugs including Doliprane branded paracetamol  whose yellow boxes dominate the French market.   Under pressure, Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s minority government said it had secured a two-percent stake in Opella for public investment bank Bpifrance and “extremely strong” guarantees against job cuts and offshoring.   Opella employs over 11,000 workers and operates in 100 countries.   Sanofi said it is the third-largest business worldwide in the market for over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements.   CD&R — which has a battery of investments in France — would help build Opella into a “French-headquartered, global consumer healthcare champion,” the pharma giant said in a statement.   ‘Just words’ But with memories of drug shortages during and since the Covid-19 pandemic still raw for many, critics say the defenses are too weak. A small stake “won’t give the French state a say in strategic decisions” at Opella, said Bompard, whose LFI dominates a left alliance that is the largest opposition group against Barnier and President Emmanuel Macron.   Thomas Portes, also of the LFI, posted on X that the government had offered “no guarantees, just words.”   Economy Minister Antoine Armand said a contract between CD&R, Sanofi and the government included maintaining production sites, research and development and Opella’s official headquarters in France, as well as investing at least 70 million euros over five years.   It covers “keeping up a minimum production volume for Opella’s sensitive products in France,” Armand added, including Doliprane, digestive medication Lanzor and Aspegic branded aspirin.   There would be financial penalties for closing French production sites, laying off workers or failing to buy from French suppliers.   That includes Seqens, a company re-establishing production in France of Doliprane’s active ingredient paracetamol.   “Workers are not at all reassured by the latest developments,” said Johann Nicolas, a CGT union representative … “French government takes new blows over deal to sell painkiller maker to US fund” →

In late September, the Russian parliament backed new legislation that will make it harder for some people to adopt children from the country. Some adoption advocates say the legislation is really designed to punish the West. VOA Russian has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Andre Sergunin   …

Berlin — Germany inaugurated on Monday a new multinational naval headquarters for the Baltic Sea capable of leading operations for NATO during a conflict, as the military alliance increases focus on the area amid rising tensions with Russia.  “Our message to our partners and to those who threaten our peace is simple: Germany stands firmly by its commitments,” Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, according to a draft of his speech at a ceremony at the country’s naval command in the coastal city of Rostock, where the headquarters is located.  “The headquarters will play a crucial role in the preparation of military situation reports and in responding to regional challenges, including the protection of NATO member states’ interests against aggressive actions, particularly given the proximity of Russia.”  The establishment of the facility highlights the crucial importance of the Baltic Sea for NATO after relations with Russia deteriorated following the Ukraine war, with Moscow’s Baltic Fleet based near Kaliningrad.  Securing open sea routes through the Baltic Sea has become vital to the alliance since its eastern expansion after the end of the Cold War that saw Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and lately Finland and Sweden to the north, join NATO.  In the past, NATO’s main role would have been to block the western entrance to the Baltic Sea to prevent the Soviet Union’s Baltic Fleet from reaching the North Sea, where its warships could attack U.S. supply convoys crucial to Europe’s defense.  Today, NATO must ensure the sea routes remain open since they might constitute the only supply line to the Baltic states should the narrow overland corridor linking them to Poland, and thus the rest of NATO territory in Europe, be blocked in any conflict with Russia.  Only two roads and one railroad line run through the 65 km wide corridor — the Suwalki Gap — that is squeezed between the heavily armed Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to the west and Belarus to the east.  Owning the biggest navy in the region, Germany has been concerned by Moscow’s presence in the Baltic Sea for a while. After Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Berlin forged an alliance of the western navies bordering the Baltic Sea.   The new headquarters, with around 120 German and up to 60 international staff in peacetime, will be led by a German admiral with a Polish deputy and a Swedish chief of staff.  Eleven nations have deployed personnel there — … “Germany inaugurates Baltic Sea naval HQ amid rising tensions with Moscow “ →

CHISINAU, Moldova — A knife-edge majority of 50.17% voted “yes” in Moldova’s pivotal referendum on joining the European Union, nearly final results showed on Monday, after President Maia Sandu said Sunday’s twin votes had been marred by “unprecedented” outside interference. The tight finish – with fewer than 1.5% of the ballots still to be counted – is far from a resounding endorsement of the pro-EU path that Sandu has pursued over four years at the helm of the small ex-Soviet republic tugged between Russia and the West. A presidential election, which took place simultaneously, handed Sandu 42% of the vote while her main rival, former prosecutor-general Alexandr Stoianoglo won 26%, setting up a tightly fought run-off between the two on Nov. 3. The votes, which took place after a slew of allegations of election meddling, were seen as a test of the southeast European nation’s commitment to join the European Union and escape Moscow’s orbit for good. The tight referendum result puts Sandu in a weaker position going into the second round since she has championed EU integration. Moldova began the long process of formal accession talks in June and under Sandu has aimed to join by 2030. Ties with Moscow have deteriorated as Sandu condemned the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine and diversified energy supply away from Russia. Stoianoglo has said that, if he comes to power, he would develop a “balanced” foreign policy involving ties with the EU, Russia, United States and China. He boycotted Sunday’s referendum, calling it a ruse to boost Sandu’s haul at the election. ‘Clear evidence’ In the early hours of Monday, Sandu addressed Moldovan citizens, saying there was “clear evidence” that criminal groups working together with “foreign forces hostile to our national interests” had sought to buy off 300,000 votes. She said this amounted to “fraud of unprecedented scale”. “Criminal groups… have attacked our country with tens of millions of euros, lies and propaganda, using the most disgraceful means to keep our citizens and our nation trapped in uncertainty and instability,” she said. While still waiting for the final results, she said, Moldova would “respond with firm decisions,” without elaborating. In the run-up to the vote, authorities made repeated statements alleging concerted attempts to meddle in the vote by fugitive tycoon Ilan Shor, who lives in Russia. Russia, which accuses Sandu’s government of “Russophobia,” denied interfering, while Shor denies wrongdoing. The police accused Shor, who … “Moldova’s EU referendum goes to wire after Sandu decries vote meddling” →

CANBERRA, Australia — An Indigenous senator told King Charles III that Australia is not his land and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the monarch is not needed as the country’s head of state as the British royal visited Australia’s parliament on Monday. Indigenous independent Senator Lidia Thorpe was escorted out of a parliamentary reception for the royal couple after shouting that British colonizers have taken Indigenous land and bones. “You committed genocide against our people,” she shouted. “Give us what you stole from us — our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people. You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty. We want a treaty.” King Charles spoke quietly with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese while security officials stopped Senator Thorpe from approaching. “This is not your land. You are not my king,” Thorpe yelled as she was ushered from the hall. Albanese, who wants the country to become a republic with an Australian head of state, also told the king it was time for his role to end. “You have shown great respect for Australians, even during times when we have debated the future of our own constitutional arrangements and the nature of our relationship with the Crown,” Albanese said. But, he said, “nothing stands still.” Opposition leader Peter Dutton, who wants to keep the British king as Australia’s monarch, noted that even supporters of a republic were honored to attend a reception for the Charles and Queen Camilla at Parliament House in the capital Canberra. “People have had haircuts, people have shined shoes, suits have been pressed and that’s just the republicans,” Dutton quipped. Australia’s six state government leaders underscored the political divide on the country’s constitutional relationship with Britain by declining invitations to attend the reception. All six would prefer an Australian citizen was Australia’s head of state. They each said they had more pressing engagements on Monday, but monarchists agreed the royals had been snubbed. Charles used the start of his speech to thank Canberra Indigenous elder Auntie Violet Sheridan for her traditional welcome to the king and queen. “Let me also say how deeply I appreciated this morning’s moving Welcome to Country ceremony, which offers me the opportunity to pay my respects to the traditional owners of the lands on which we meet, the Ngunnawal people, and all First Nations peoples who have loved and cared for this continent for 65,000 years,” Charles said. “Throughout my life, … “‘Gives us what you stole from us,’ Australian senator yells at visiting King Charles” →

Russian drone attacks injured at least one person in Ukraine’s capital, officials in Kyiv said Monday. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram falling debris from drones shot down by Ukrainian air defenses damaged several residential buildings. Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said on Telegram that as many as a dozen Russian drones were involved in the attack, but that all of them were destroyed. Russian drones also targeted Mykolaiv, in southern Ukraine. Governor Vitalii Kim said Monday on Telegram that air defenses downed three drones overnight. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported Monday it destroyed 18 Ukrainian drones launched in overnight attacks. Eleven of the drones were shot down over the Rostov region, while another four were destroyed over Bryansk, two over Kursk and one over Oryol. Officials in Kursk reported there were no casualties and no damage reported from the attacks. …

In February, Canada will host the first-ever winter Invictus Games, an athletic competition for wounded and injured veterans from around the world. This year, 550 athletes from 25 countries will compete in both traditional Invictus Games sports as well as new winter sports. Ukraine will be represented by 35 veterans. Tetiana Kukurika caught up with one of them in this story narrated by Anna Rice. …

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday he was seeking a strong reaction from countries who have acknowledged that North Korea is becoming more involved in Russia’s more than 2-1/2-year-old war against Ukraine. Speaking in his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said there was ample satellite and video evidence that North Korea was sending not only equipment to Russia, but also soldiers to be prepared for deployment. “I am grateful to those leaders and representatives of states who do not close their eyes and speak frankly about this cooperation for the sake of a larger war,” he said. “We expect a normal, honest, strong reaction from our partners on this.” Zelenskyy said greater North Korean involvement could only be harmful to everyone. “Unfortunately, instability and threats can significantly increase after North Korea becomes trained for modern warfare,” he said. “If the world remains silent now and we have to engage soldiers from North Korea on the front line in the same way we have to defend ourselves from (Iranian) Shahed drones, this will certainly benefit no one in the world and only prolong the war.” North Korea’s actions, he said, meant “in effect yet another country entering the war against Ukraine.” Zelenskyy last week accused North Korea of deploying officers alongside Russia and preparing to send thousands of troops to help Moscow’s war effort. South Korea’s spy agency said on Friday North Korea had dispatched 1,500 special forces troops to Russia’s Far East for training. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday he could not confirm reports that North Korea has sent troops to Russia ahead of a possible deployment, but said such a move would be concerning, if true. NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Thursday there was no evidence of Pyongyang’s presence at this stage. The involvement of North Korean regular troops to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would be a serious escalation of the war, France and Ukraine’s foreign ministers said at a joint press conference in Kyiv on Saturday. …

Brasilia, Brazil — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday canceled his trip to Russia for the BRICS summit, following medical advice to temporarily avoid long-haul flights after hurting his head in an accident at home. In a statement, the presidential office said Lula, 78, will now participate in the BRICS meeting via videoconference. He was initially scheduled to depart at 5 p.m. on Sunday. According to a medical report issued by the Sirio Libanes Hospital in Brasilia, Lula suffered a laceration to the “occipital region” in the back of his head on Saturday. The report said Lula “was advised to avoid long-distance air travel but is otherwise able to carry out his regular duties.” The government said in a post on X that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira has been designated to lead the Brazilian delegation in the BRICS summit, departing later on Sunday. The diplomatic forum founded 15 years ago by major emerging markets Brazil, Russia, India, China has since expanded to include South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Congresswoman Gleisi Hoffmann, president of Lula’s Workers Party, posted on social media that she had spoken with the president and that “he is doing very well, just avoiding a long trip.” …

BELGRADE — European Union candidate Serbia will continue to refuse to impose sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine despite Western pressure, Serbia’s leader said after his telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday. Populist Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Instagram that he believes the call, what he said was his first in more than two years with the Russian president, will help “further development of relations and trust between Russia and Serbia.” “We talked as people who have known each other for a long time, as friends, and the ten-minute conversation was marked by a personal note, and we also talked about those who are weak [pro-Western] leaders,” Vucic said. He did not say whether he would accept an earlier invitation by Putin to attend a BRICS summit of emerging economies, led by Russia and China, in Kazan later this week. Although formally seeking E.U. membership, traditional Russian Slavic ally Serbia has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine though it has reluctantly condemned Moscow’s aggression. Vucic has said that imposing the sanctions wasn’t in Serbia’s national interest. He said Sunday he expects criticism from the West of his conversation with Putin, but stated that “Serbia is a sovereign country which makes its own decisions.” He also thanked Russia “for providing sufficient quantities of gas for Serbia at favorable prices.” Serbia was almost completely dependent on the Russian gas but has recently agreed to start to diversify its supplies. Serbia, which was never part of the Soviet bloc, on Sunday marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of its capital Belgrade from the Nazi World War II occupation, which was accomplished mostly thanks to former Yugoslavia’s communist partisans, but also the Soviet Red Army. Belgrade’s nationalist authorities marked the liberation date with a display of the pro-Russian sentiment, with thousands marching through Belgrade waving Russian flags and chanting slogans. At a meeting marking the anniversary, Vucic delivered a speech in the Russian language, which he said is a sign of respect for the Red Army, without which “there would not have been the liberation of Belgrade.” …

Tehran — Iran summoned the ambassador of Hungary, whose country holds the rotating European Union presidency, to protest a joint E.U.-Gulf Cooperation Council statement on islands controlled by Iran but claimed by the UAE, state media reported Sunday.  The statement, published after the first summit between the two regional blocs on Wednesday, said, “We call on Iran to end its occupation of the three islands of the United Arab Emirates, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, which constitutes a violation of the sovereignty of the UAE and the principles of the Charter of the U.N.”  The islands located near the Strait of Hormuz, a globally vital shipping lane, have been disputed between the United Arab Emirates and Iran for decades.   Tehran has controlled the islands since 1971 at the end of British imperial rule over them.  “The Hungarian ambassador was summoned to the Iranian foreign ministry to protest against the repetition of certain baseless claims in the joint declaration from the leaders of the EU and the GCC,” the official IRNA news agency reported.    The foreign ministry called the EU’s stance “thoughtless, irresponsible and void of any legal basis,” IRNA added.   On Monday, the European Union accused Tehran of supplying missiles and drones to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine and imposed fresh sanctions on the country.  In April 2023, Iran appointed an ambassador to the UAE for the first time in nearly eight years as part of improving diplomatic relations with Gulf Arab states.  …

Tbilisi — Tens of thousands of Georgians staged on Sunday a pro-Europe rally, days before parliamentary elections seen as a crucial test for the country’s democracy and its bid for EU membership.    Saturday’s vote will pit an unprecedented alliance of pro-Western opposition forces against the ruling Georgian Dream party, accused by Brussels of shifting towards authoritarianism and derailing EU candidate Tbilisi from its European path.    Pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili — at loggerheads with the government — said she will join the rally, which “will demonstrate people’s will for freedom, independence, and a European future.”    Tens of thousands of demonstrators, waving EU and Georgian flags and holding banners that read “Georgia chooses the European Union” gathered at Tbilisi’s central Freedom Square after marching toward the venue from five different locations, AFP journalists on the scene reported.    Several Georgian NGOs, including Georgia’s European Orbit and the “My Voice to the EU” coalition, called on Georgians to stage there a mass rally from 7:00 pm (1500 GMT).    “Choosing unity, development, and the European Union, Georgians will rally on October 20 (Sunday) and show their resolve to pursue the path of EU membership,” organizers said on Facebook.    Brussels froze Georgia’s EU accession process after Georgian Dream lawmakers this spring passed a controversial “foreign influence law” targeting civil society.     The adoption of the measure — criticized as a Kremlin-style law to silence dissent — sparked weeks of mass street protests and also prompted Washington to impose sanctions on dozens of Georgian officials.    Earlier this month, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell cautioned that Georgian Dream’s actions “signal a shift towards authoritarianism.”    He called the upcoming polls “a crucial test for democracy in Georgia and its European Union path.”    Opinion polls suggest opposition parties are likely to garner enough votes in Saturday’s election to form a coalition government and replace the ruling party, controlled by powerful billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.    Analysts have warned of the risk of turmoil if Georgian Dream attempts to hold onto power regardless of the vote’s outcome.    In power since 2012, the party initially pursued a liberal pro-Western policy agenda, but over the last two years has reversed course and been accused of moving closer to Moscow amid its invasion of Ukraine.    Bids for membership of the EU and NATO are enshrined in Georgia’s constitution and supported by some 80 percent of the population, according … “Tens of thousands rally in Georgia for EU ahead of pivotal vote “ →

Berlin — A Libyan suspected of planning an attack on the Israeli embassy in Berlin and links to the Islamic State group will appear before a judge on Sunday, German prosecutors said.    The suspect, identified only as Omar A., was arrested on Saturday evening at his home in Bernau, just outside the German capital, the federal prosecutors’ office said.    Omar A. was accused of planning a “high-profile attack with firearms” on the Israeli Embassy in Berlin, they said.    As part of his preparations, Omar A. was suspected of having “exchanges with a member of IS in a messenger chat,” said the prosecutors, who described him as a supporter of the group’s ideology.    In a message on X, Israel’s ambassador to Berlin said, “Muslim anti-Semitism is no longer just hate rhetoric. It leads to and encourages terrorist activities worldwide.”    Israeli embassies were “on the front line of the diplomatic battlefield,” ambassador Ron Prosor said.    Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said protecting Jewish and Israeli institutions in Germany was “of the utmost importance to us.”    Law enforcement were acting with the “utmost vigilance” to prevent any suspected “Islamist, antisemitic and anti-Israel violence,” Faeser said.      Foreign tipoff      Prosecutors said Omar A. would appear on Sunday before a judge who would decide if he should be remanded in custody.  Authorities said they searched the 28-year-old’s home in Bernau on Saturday.    They also searched the property near Bonn of another person “not suspected” of involvement in the alleged plan.    German daily Bild said the flat in the town of Sankt Augustin near Bonn belonged to the suspect’s uncle, who was being treated as a witness.    German authorities arrested Omar A. after a tipoff from a foreign intelligence agency, Bild said, adding that he had not been on any militant watchlist in Germany.    Bild said the Libyan man was thought to have entered Germany in November 2022 and to have made a request for asylum the following January, which was rejected in September 2023.    Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s retaliatory onslaught on Gaza, German authorities have increased vigilance about possible Islamist threats and antisemitism.    In early September, Munich police shot dead a young Austrian man known for his links to radical Islamism after he opened fire at the Israeli Consulate and on police.    In early … “Libyan held in Germany over suspected Israel embassy plot “ →

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian air defenses shot down more than 100 Ukrainian drones Sunday over Russia’s western regions, Moscow officials said, while 17 people were injured in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih in a ballistic missile attack. The Russian Defense Ministry said 110 drones were destroyed in the overnight barrage against seven Russian regions. Many targeted Russia’s border region of Kursk, where 43 drones were reportedly shot down. Social media footage appeared to show air defenses at work over the city of Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region, close to a factory producing explosives. Local Gov. Gleb Nikitin wrote on social media Sunday that four fighters had been injured repelling a drone attack over Dzerzhinsk’s industrial zone, but he did not give further details. Such large-scale aerial attacks are still relatively rare over Russia 2 1/2 years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A similar attack at the end of September saw Russia’s Ministry of Defense report the destruction of 125 drones across seven regions. Meanwhile, 17 people were injured in Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih after the city was hit with two Russian ballistic missiles, officials said Sunday. The attack late Saturday evening damaged homes and businesses, said local administration head Oleksandr Vilkul. In a statement on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia had launched some 800 guided aerial bombs and more than 500 attack drones over Ukraine in the past week alone. “Every day, Russia strikes our cities and communities. It is deliberate terror from the enemy against our people,” he said, renewing calls for continued air support from the country’s allies. “United in defense, the world can stand against this targeted terror.” …