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Russia has systematically targeted Ukrainian civilian infrastructure since invading almost two years ago.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Europe experienced stark weather contrasts on Wednesday, with extreme cold and snowstorms disrupting transportation and closing schools in Scandinavia while strong winds and heavy rain in western Europe caused flooding and at least one death.  Temperatures fell below minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Nordic region for a second consecutive day Wednesday. In Kvikkjokk-Årrenjarka in Swedish Lapland, the mercury dropped to minus 43.6 C (minus 46.5 F) the lowest January temperature recorded in Sweden in 25 years, Sweden's TT news agency reported.  Extremely cold temperatures, snow and gale-force winds disrupted transportation throughout the Nordic region, with several bridges closed and some train and ferry services suspended. Several schools in Scandinavia were closed.  Police across most of Denmark urged motorists to avoid unnecessary trips as wind and snow battered the northern and western parts of the country.  Western Russia has been swept by a wave of cold air coming from Siberia and the Arctic region, with temperatures in Moscow and other areas plummeting to minus 30 C (minus 22 F). Weather experts say western Russia is recording much colder temperatures than the average in early January, when they typically hover around minus 10 degrees Celsius.  Officials in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other areas have issued orange weather warnings, cautioning residents against possible health risks.  Mild but wet and windy conditions prevailed further south, where a storm wreaked havoc in parts of western Europe.  In Britain, a driver died after a tree fell on his car in western England. Gloucestershire Police said the man died in the incident near the town of Kemble on Tuesday afternoon.  The storm, which has been named Henk by the official weather services of Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, has caused power cuts, transport troubles, property damage and disruption across the U.K.  More than 300 flood warnings were in place across England and Wales on Wednesday, while 10,000 homes remained without power. A severe flood alert, meaning a danger to life, was announced for the River Nene in Northampton in central England. Several residents were evacuated from houseboats and caravans at the nearby Billing Aquadrome.  The U.K.'s rail network was hit by flooding and power cuts, with many operators reporting ongoing issues for the Wednesday morning commute into work.  The strongest gales in the U.K. were recorded on the Isle of Wight, just off the coast in southern England, where wind speeds reached 151 kilometers per hour.  In the Netherlands, police near the city of Eindhoven said strong winds may have played a role in the death of a 75-year-old man who fell off his bicycle late Tuesday as high winds lashed much of the country.  Also in the southern Netherlands, a small section of a dike that regulates water levels was washed away Wednesday afternoon, the country's water authority said. The water was flowing into the already swollen river Maas near the city of Maastricht. Owners of a number of houseboats were being evacuated as a precaution.  Parts of Germany were also grappling with flooding, which could be aggravated by more rain falling in the worst-affected northwestern state of Lower Saxony. 

The Hague — The United Nation's top court will hear submissions next week from South Africa and Israel after Pretoria opened a case for what it called Israel's genocidal acts in Gaza. South Africa wants the International Court of Justice to urgently order Israel to suspend its military operations in Gaza, in a case that Israel rejected "with disgust." The United States on Wednesday criticized South Africa for bringing a genocide case, rejecting accusations against Israel over its war in Gaza. "This submission is meritless, counterproductive and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said during a briefing. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said separately that from a U.S. assessment, "We have not at this point seen acts that constitute genocide." "Genocide is, of course, a heinous atrocity," Miller told reporters. "Those are allegations that should not make be made lightly." The International Court of Justice "will hold public hearings at the Peace Palace in The Hague ... in proceedings instituted by South Africa against Israel," on January 11 and January 12, the court said in a statement. The South African application, filed last Friday, related to alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Genocide Convention, saying that "Israel has engaged in, is engaging in and risks further engaging in genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza." Israel rejected the charge, with Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat writing on X, "Israel rejects with disgust the blood libel spread by South Africa and its application" to the ICJ. "Blood libel" is a reference to ancient antisemitic conspiracies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel displayed "unparalleled morality" in the Gaza war as he, too, dismissed South Africa's charge. South Africa, among other urgent measures, is asking the court to order that "Israel shall immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza" and that both countries "take all reasonable measures within their power to prevent genocide." Israel launched a relentless military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian militants carried out an attack on southern Israel on October 7. The attack left 1,200 people dead, according to Israel. Israel's ongoing Gaza offensive has killed more than 22,300 people, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. South Africa will present its arguments on January 11, while Israel is set to counter on January 12. A ruling by the ICJ on the request for emergency measures is expected to follow within weeks, but the case could still take months, or even years. Set up after World War II, the ICJ is the U.N.'s highest legal body and rules in disputes between countries. Decisions are legally binding, but the court has little power to enforce them. Some information in this report came from Reuters.

In India, meager farming incomes prompted many in rural areas to move to cities in recent decades. But after the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a wave of reverse migration from cities to villages, many are starting alternative farming ventures as they try to rebuild their lives in the countryside. Anjana Pasricha reports these ventures are raising hopes of reviving rural economies and creating livelihoods. Videographer: Rakesh Kumar

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

kampala, uganda — A prominent Ugandan LGBTQ activist was stabbed on his way to work on Wednesday by unknown assailants on a motorbike, police and a rights campaigner said. Steven Kabuye, 25, suffered knife wounds and was left for dead in the assault on the outskirts of the capital Kampala before being found by local residents, police said. Human rights defenders have been warning about the risk of attacks on members of the LGBTQ community after Uganda last year adopted what is considered one of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world. Kabuye told detectives investigating the incident that he had been getting death threats, according to a statement issued by police spokesman Patrick Onyango. "According to Mr. Kabuye, two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle, wearing helmets, approached him. The passenger jumped off and attacked him, specifically targeting his neck with a knife," Onyango said. "Kabuye managed to shield his neck with his right arm, resulting in a stab wound to his hand. Despite attempting to flee, the assailants chased and stabbed him in the stomach, and left him for dead," he said, adding that local residents found him and took him to a medical clinic. Richard Lusimbo, the head of community action group Uganda Key Populations Consortium, told AFP that Kabuye was in "critical condition,” but Onyango said he was out of danger. "All our efforts at the moment [are to ensure] that he gets the medical attention he deserves and also the perpetrators of this heinous act are held responsible," said Lusimbo. Kabuye, who works with the Colored Voices Media Foundation that campaigns for LGBTQ youth, told investigators who visited his hospital bedside that he had been receiving death threats since March 2023. He had returned to Uganda in December for Christmas after traveling abroad in June. In May last year, Uganda adopted anti-gay legislation that contains provisions making "aggravated homosexuality" a potentially capital offence and penalties for consensual same-sex relations of up to life in prison. "Having laws like the Anti-Homosexuality Act puts lives of the LGBTQ community at risk and empowers hatred," Lusimbo said. The legislation triggered outrage among rights advocates and Western powers, and it is currently being challenged in Uganda's constitutional court. President Yoweri Museveni's government has struck a defiant tone, with officials accusing the West of trying to pressure Africa into accepting homosexuality.

Israel is on high alert for retaliation following the assassination of a Hamas leader. Rescue teams are still trying to reach parts of Japan devastated by Monday’s earthquake. Plus, an update from Kyiv and trouble in the Horn of Africa as Ethiopia and Somalia argue over Somaliland.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

The court's decision could escalate tensions in Sierra Leone coming after the attempted coup and a contentious election in which President Julius Maada Bio was reelected for a second term in June 2023

washington — Prosecutors in Hong Kong alleged on Wednesday that pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai encouraged the city’s residents to engage in protests and pushed the United States to take action against China.  The British national, who founded the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was arrested in 2020 and is now standing trial on charges of conspiring to collude with foreign governments and conspiring to publish seditious material.  Lai, 76, rejects the charges against him and has pleaded not guilty.  Western governments and human rights groups are closely watching Lai’s trial, which began in December, as a test for Hong Kong’s judiciary. Lai’s plight has come to symbolize the downfall of press freedom and other civil liberties in Hong Kong in recent years.  Prosecutor Anthony Chau on Wednesday presented what he said were Lai’s instructions to top leaders and editors at Apple Daily to come up with ways to urge the Hong Kong public to protest a proposed extradition bill in 2019. The bill would have permitted suspects to be extradited from Hong Kong for trial in mainland China, but it was withdrawn following protests.  Prosecutors submitted 31 pieces of allegedly seditious content published in Apple Daily, including articles and commentaries urging people to protest. The prosecution also said Lai instructed Apple Daily to introduce English content to bolster support for Western governments sanctioning China and Hong Kong.  The prosecution Wednesday alleged that Lai sought a comment on the extradition bill from Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, according to Irish lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher, who is leading Lai’s international legal team.   “This is simply public interest journalism,” Gallagher said in a post Wednesday on X, adding that the allegations against Lai are “ridiculous.”  Western governments and human rights and press freedom groups have widely condemned the charges against Lai as retaliatory and called for his immediate release.  If convicted of the national security charges, Lai faces life in prison. He is already serving a five-year and nine-month prison sentence in a separate fraud case.  Some information in this report came from The Associated Press. 

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

LONDON — Patients faced canceled treatments after thousands of British doctors walked off the job on Wednesday, the start of a six-day strike over pay that was set to be the longest in the history of the state-funded National Health Service. Managers said tens of thousands of appointments and operations will be postponed because of the walkout across England by junior doctors, those in the first years of their careers. The doctors, who form the backbone of hospital and clinic care, plan to stay off the job until 7 a.m. on Tuesday. Senior doctors and other medics have been drafted to cover for emergency services, critical care and maternity services. Julian Hartley, chief executive of heath care managers' organization NHS Providers, said the strike came at one of the toughest times of the year for the health service, "immediately after the Christmas and New Year period because of the pressures the demands, and of course we've got flu, we've got COVID. "So there's going to be an impact on patients that will be significant," he said. Britain has endured a year of rolling strikes across the health sector as staff sought pay rises to offset the soaring cost of living. Unions say wages, especially in the public sector, have fallen in real terms over the past decade, and double-digit inflation in late 2022 and early 2023, fueled by sharply rising food and energy prices, left many workers struggling to pay bills. The union says newly qualified doctors earn 15.53 pounds ($19.37) an hour — the U.K. minimum wage is just over 10 pounds an hour — though salaries rise rapidly after the first year. On a picket line outside St. Thomas' Hospital in central London, 28-year-old Dr. Georgia Blackwell said stress and low pay were driving many doctors to take jobs overseas. "A lot of doctors are moving to Australia — not just because of the pay, but also the work-life balance is better," she said. The walkouts have strained the already stretched health service still struggling to recover from backlogs created by the coronavirus pandemic. Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said the strikes were having "a serious impact on patients," with more than 1.2 million appointments rescheduled in the months since the wave of industrial action began. The impact is difficult to quantify. Some claim that delays in testing and treatment due to the strikes may lie behind an increase in excess deaths in the U.K., which were at their highest in 2023 since the pandemic year of 2020. There is little firm evidence of a link, however, with factors including COVID-19 and an aging population contributing to an increase in deaths in the U.K. and other countries. Nurses, ambulance crews and senior doctors have reached pay deals with the government, but the union representing junior doctors has held out, and negotiations broke down late last year. The government says it won't hold further talks unless doctors call off the strike, while the medics' union, the British Medical Association, says it won't negotiate unless it receives a "credible" pay offer. The government gave the doctors an 8.8% pay raise last year, but the union says it is not enough because junior doctors' pay has been cut by more than a quarter since 2008. "The notion that we're hellbent on calling strikes and all we want to do is call strikes is not what we want," said Dr. Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the British Medical Association's Junior Doctors Committee. "What we want is to negotiate an offer we can put to our members and for our members to accept it."

beijing — China's military will conduct routine patrols with its naval and air forces in the South China Sea from Wednesday to Thursday, the military's Southern Theater Command said, as ongoing tensions simmer in the region over disputed territories. It said troops in the area will be on high alert at all times, and will defend national sovereignty, security and maritime rights. The patrols also aim to deter activities that disrupt the South China Sea and create "hot spots," the military said on its Southern Theater Command's Wechat account. The maneuvers come as China faces rising tensions in the region, especially with the Philippines. Both countries have recently traded numerous accusations over high-profile maritime confrontations. The Philippines and the United States began a two-day joint patrol in the South China Sea on Wednesday, a move that likely irked China. Last week, the Philippines said it was not provoking conflict in the South China Sea, responding to China's accusation that Manila was encroaching on Beijing's territory. China has repeatedly warned the Philippines of breaching areas of the South China Sea it considers its own territory. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, while the Philippines refers to the part of South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippines Sea. China said the Philippines has relied on U.S. support to continually provoke China. The Philippines and the U.S. first launched joint patrols in November, and security engagements between the treaty allies soared last year amid growing tensions in the South China Sea.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.