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Before Russia’s invasion, Ukraine was an international surrogacy hub. Relatively low cost and a favorable legal framework led to thousands of babies born every year thanks to Ukrainian surrogate mothers, many of them for overseas parents. Despite the war and the risks, hopeful foreigners keep coming to Ukraine. Mariia Prus has the story.

Finland’s Lenin Museum, the “most hated" in the country according to its director, is to close its doors at the end of the year for rebranding, as Finland’s historically good relations with Russia sour. Henry Wilkins visited the museum in the Finnish city of Tampere and has that story.

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.

Indonesia’s Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto is set to be sworn in as the country’s next president in October, after having resoundingly won elections in February. VOA’s Virginia Gunawan reports on what this means for U.S. relations with Southeast Asia’s largest country. Ahadian Utama, Hafizh Sahadeva contributed to this report

BRUSSELS — The European Union moved Wednesday to hike tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, escalating a trade dispute over Beijing's subsidies for the exports that Brussels worries is hurting domestic automakers. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said it would impose provisional tariffs that would result in Chinese automakers facing additional duties of as much as 38%, up from the current level of 10%. The commission said it reached out to Chinese authorities to discuss the findings of its investigation into the subsidies and "explore possible ways to resolve the issues." "Should discussions with Chinese authorities not lead to an effective solution," the new rates would take effect on a provisional basis by July 4, the commission said in a press release. Electric cars are the latest flash point in a broader trade dispute over what Brussels says is China's unfair state support for green tech exports that also include solar panels, batteries and wind turbines. Imports of Chinese-made EVs to the European Union have skyrocketed in recent years. They include vehicles from Western brands that have auto plants in China, including Tesla and BMW. But EU officials complain that Chinese automakers like BYD and SAIC are increasing market share and undercutting European car brands on price thanks to Beijing's massive subsidies. The commission said an investigation it opened last year into China's EV subsidies found that China's battery electric vehicle value chain "benefits from unfair subsidization, which is causing a threat of economic injury to EU BEV producers." The extra tariffs would vary by company. BYD would face an additional 17.4% charge. Geely, which owns Sweden's Volvo, would be hit with a further 20%. For SAIC, it would be 38.1% extra. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, speaking at a daily briefing, blasted the EU's investigation as "typical protectionism" and said Beijing would "take all measures necessary to protect our legitimate rights and interests." U.S. President Joe Biden slapped major new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, advanced batteries, solar cells, steel, aluminum and medical equipment last month. Biden said that Chinese government subsidies ensure the nation's companies don't have to turn a profit, giving them an unfair advantage in global trade.

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.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace has won the Republican nomination after a tumultuous second term in South Carolina that saw her go from a critic to an ally of former President Donald Trump and make headlines for plenty of things off the House floor.  Mace defeated challengers Catherine Templeton and Bill Young in voting that ended Tuesday. She will face a Democratic opponent in the general election in the 1st District, which is the closest thing South Carolina has to a swing district in the Republican-dominated state.  Trump’s endorsement — after he called her crazy and terrible in 2022 — is just one of many ways Mace has attracted a spotlight far greater than a typical second-term member of Congress.  She’s a regular on interview shows, often antagonizing the hosts. She calls for her party to moderate on abortion and marijuana but joined seven of the farthest right members to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.  McCarthy threw his weight against Mace and the other defectors. His political action committee gave a $10,000 contribution to Templeton, and the American Prosperity Alliance, where a McCarthy ally serves as a senior adviser, donated to a group called South Carolina Patriots PAC, which spent more than $2.1 million against Mace.  Mace has said her positions and beliefs aren’t erratic — she is just reflecting the values of the 1st District, which stretches from the centuries-old neighborhoods of Charleston down the coast to Beaufort County’s booming freshly built neighborhoods of retirees moving to South Carolina from somewhere else.  Mace, the first woman to graduate from South Carolina's military academy The Citadel, thanked her voters for tuning out the “senseless noise” from her opponents and realizing she is unafraid to stand up to powerful people.  “When you are the first woman to sit in The Citadel’s barber chair to get all of your hair chopped off, you don’t get your feelings hurt when you don’t get invited to the fancy cocktail parties in Washington, D.C.,” Mace said. “While sometimes I may be a caucus of one, I’m not alone because I’m not there for me — I’m there for each and every one of you.”  Mace's opponents argued that by seeming to land everywhere on issues, Mace is nowhere.  Templeton ran South Carolina’s health and environmental agency to some angst a decade ago and in her only political race finished third in the 2018 GOP gubernatorial primary won by Gov. Henry McMaster. Young is a Marine veteran and financial planner.  Templeton didn't mention Mace's name, but asked Tuesday for her voters to keep backing Republicans.  “I think it is safe to say everybody in here has the conservative values that we share, and in November we are all going to stand behind our president and we are all going to join together to support the Republican Party,” Templeton said.  In the Democratic primary, businessman and former International African American Museum CEO Michael Moore defeated Mac Deford, a Citadel graduate and lawyer for a couple of the larger bedroom communities in the district.  South Carolina lawmakers drew the district to be more Republican after the seat flipped for one term in 2018. The 1st District was the only congressional district won by Nikki Haley over Trump in the 2024 South Carolina Republican presidential primary.  4th District   For the second election in a row, U.S. Rep. William Timmons has fought off a spirited challenge in the Republican primary.  Timmons defeated state Rep. Adam Morgan, the leader of the state House Freedom Caucus who argued Timmons was too liberal.  Timmons’ divorce — and a widely shared Instagram post by a husband who said Timmons had an affair with his wife — complicated his reelection bid. Timmons has denied the allegations.  Timmons has Trump's endorsement as he seeks a fourth term in the district anchored by Greenville and Spartanburg.  Timmons was not in his district Tuesday night, instead staying in Washington, where Republicans only have a two vote majority in the U.S. House.  He said he was thankful his voters recognized his strong conservative record and saw through the “countless lies” from his opponent.   “In Washington I am focused on policy not headlines, on representing my constituents not myself, and working with my colleagues instead of working against them,” Timmons said in a statement on social media.  In November’s general election, Timmons will face Democrat Kathryn Harvey, who helps nonprofit organizations with marketing, fundraising and leadership, and Constitutional Party candidate Mark Hackett.  3rd District   South Carolina's 3rd District is open after Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan decided not to run again after seven terms. Duncan's wife of 35 years filed for divorce in 2023, accusing him of several affairs.  The Republican nomination is going to a runoff between a candidate endorsed by Trump and another endorsed by his good friend McMaster.  Mark Burns is a Black pastor who has backed Trump since before his first race for president and made it to the runoff after losing twice before in the GOP primary in the neighboring 4th District.  His opponent is nurse practitioner Sheri Biggs, who along with her husband have been faithful contributors and friends of McMaster for years.  They defeated five other candidates including South Carolina Rep. Stewart Jones and Kevin Bishop, who handled communications for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham for more than two decades.  Sherwin-Williams paint store manager Byron Best from Greenwood won the Democratic nomination in the 3rd District.  Other races   The only other U.S. House incumbent facing a primary challenger is Republican Rep. Joe Wilson who won the party's nomination as he seeks a 12th full term in the 2nd District, which stretches from suburban areas around Columbia west and south toward Aiken.  Wilson will face David Robinson II. The U.S. Army veteran who enlisted after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and is an advocate for missing people after his son disappeared in the desert in Arizona won the Democratic primary.  Attorney Duke Buckner won the Republican 6th District primary and will face Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, who is seeking a 17th term in the state's majority-minority district that is bounded by areas around Charleston, Beaufort and Columbia. In the 7th District Democratic primary, teacher Mal Hyman, who calls himself an independent Democrat, faces Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom veteran Daryl Scott. The winner takes on Republican U.S. Rep. Russel Fry, who is seeking a second term in the district that stretches from Myrtle Beach to Florence in the northeast part of the state.

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.

Sydney — Australia’s national science agency warns a lack of scientists specialized in plant breeding could lead to ‘dire’ food security implications around the world. Researchers say plant breeding is a critical science that underpins the global production of food, animal feed and fuel. The finding is among the conclusions of a recently published paper by researchers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada.       A joint paper published earlier this month by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, in collaboration with Lincoln University in New Zealand and McGill University in Canada, warns that highly-skilled plant breeding experts, who are reaching the end of their careers, are not being replaced by sufficient numbers of university graduates, many of whom are choosing other areas of plant science including molecular biology. Lucy Egan is the study’s lead author and a CSIRO research scientist.  She told VOA Wednesday that new recruits are needed. “It is really based on developing new plant varieties for future climates.  So, plant breeding is a slow game.  It takes a long time to develop a new crop variety, so you’re looking at least ten years on average to develop a new variety.  When you have a lack of plant breeders coming through to replace the generation that are retiring, it does generate a bit of concern around the succession plan,” she said. The report said that the implications of a skills shortage “could be dire” and that global food security could be affected. It recommends establishing “dedicated training facilities in different countries”.   Egan said that plant breeding can help countries adapt to a warming climate. “I think instead of focusing on, you know, certain countries and the implications, I think if you look at it on a global level plant breeding is really the backbone of the agricultural sector.  Without the development of new varieties with changing climates and all these things that are sort of happening across the world, we need to really build strength and resilience within the agricultural sector and plant breeding is really key to do that,” she said. The research is published in the journal, Crop Science.  It reports that since the 1960s, global crop production has increased by more than 250%, which is due in large part to plant breeding science.

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.

Bangkok — Thai courts will convene on a trio of politically charged cases next week, including one that could potentially lead to the prime minister's dismissal, increasing the prospect of more government instability in the Southeast Asian country.  In a statement on Wednesday, the Constitutional Court said it would hear a case against Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on June 18. It stems from a complaint by 40 military appointed senators in May, who alleged that he breached the constitution by making a cabinet appointment. The court also said it would hold a hearing next Tuesday in a case brought by the country's election commission that is seeking to disband the opposition Move Forward Party. The party was the surprise winner of last year's general election, but failed to form a government after it was blocked by the conservative-royalist establishment. The court has yet to set a date for the verdicts in both cases. Meanwhile, influential former premier Thaksin Shinawatra - who returned to Thailand last August after 15 years of self-imposed exile is scheduled to be formally indicted in a criminal court for allegedly insulting the royalty and computer crime on Tuesday. The court cases have ramped up political uncertainty in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy and roiled its markets. Srettha, Thaksin and the Move Forward Party deny any wrongdoing. A government spokesperson declined to comment on the court proceedings.  Decades-long struggle Thailand's politics has been defined for decades by a struggle between the powerful conservative, royalist camp and their rivals, which initially centered around Thaksin and his political parties but now also includes Move Forward. A real estate tycoon, Srettha entered politics with the Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai party and has struggled to implement election promises, including firing up the country's laggard economy and a cash handout scheme for 50 million Thais. Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai told reporters on Tuesday that Srettha was continuing to work in "full capacity." "There is no problem at all," he said. The main opposition Move Forward party is also under scrutiny from the same court that is considering Srettha's case for a campaign to reform the country's royal insult - or lese majeste - law. The law, which protects the monarchy from insult and defamation, carries a punishment of up to 15 years jail for each perceived offense. It has been applied to prosecute over 270 people since 2020, according to a legal aid group. Move Forward won massive youth support with its lively progressive agenda that was amplified by a sophisticated social media campaign, brushing aside military-backed parties in the 2023 polls and securing 30% of the seats in the lower house. If it is found in breach of the constitution, the party could be dissolved and its executives banned from politics for a decade. A party spokesman did not respond to a call seeking comment. In January, the Constitutional Court ruled in an earlier case that Move Forward's plan to amend lese majeste laws was a hidden effort to undermine the monarchy. The court ordered the party to stop its campaign, which Move Forward did. In 2020, the Move Forward's predecessor party, Future Forward, was dissolved over a campaign funding violation. Future Forward's dissolution was among the factors that triggered massive anti-government street protests in 2020, calling for the removal of then Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and reform of the monarchy.

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.

Seoul — Jin, the oldest member of K-pop phenomenon BTS, was discharged from South Korea's army on Wednesday after 18 months of duty, the first member of the group to wrap up the mandatory national service that put their music careers on hold. Jin, 31, wearing uniform and a black beret, appeared emotional as he hugged his colleagues at a military base in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi province, television footage showed. "I cried during the ceremony," Jin said later during a livestream which racked up over 3 million views on the Weverse fandom platform. "But it was so fun for the last year and six months. It's such a relief I met so many amazing people," he added, sending regards to his colleagues at the military base. Shares of HYBE, the label which houses BTS, jumped 1.01% in early trade while the benchmark KOSPI index rose 0.35%. South Korean media reported several other members of the septet who are currently serving in the military applied for leave to celebrate the occasion. Among them was rapper RM, who greeted Jin with a saxophone to play the group's hit single "Dynamite." Jin became the first member of the group to enlist in the military in December 2022. The final four members of the group began their service in December 2023, with the band expected to reunite in 2025 after they all complete their duty. Jin plans to celebrate his discharge with an event in Seoul on Thursday where he will greet fans and stage a performance. The group debuted on June 13, 2013, and has since become the face of K-pop, one of South Korea's largest cultural exports. South Korea requires all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 to serve between 18 to 21 months in the military or social service, but it revised the law in 2020 to let globally recognized K-pop stars delay signing up until age 30.