Andrew Connelly

An ambulance is parked outside Portcullis House, backdropped by the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, in London, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022.

‘Winter of discontent’ for UK as nurses begin strike action

Across the United Kingdom this month, up to 100,000 nurses are predicted to take part in a series of strikes over pay and conditions. The British government has so far refused to budge, which nurses warn ultimately puts patients at risk.

‘Winter of discontent’ for UK as nurses begin strike action
street intersection

Leicester’s Indian diaspora searches for answers after violence rocks multicultural British city

Leicester’s Indian diaspora searches for answers after violence rocks multicultural British city
Some Ukrainian students were evacuated from Ukraine thanks to a Czech circus company, Cirk La Putyka. “Boom," a performance they took to Edinburgh, was rewritten to reflect the students’ perspectives of war and displacement.

A bittersweet experience for Ukrainian artists at Edinburgh Festival

A bittersweet experience for Ukrainian artists at Edinburgh Festival
a woman enters the Supreme Court in London

Northern Ireland decriminalized abortion 3 years ago. But services are still difficult to access.

Northern Ireland decriminalized abortion 3 years ago. But services are still difficult to access.
Natalya, a 70-year-old retired epidemiologist from Odessa, has lunch at the Asconi Winery near Chisinau, in Moldova, where she is being hosted for free.

Moldova struggles amid fallout from war in Ukraine

Moldova struggles amid fallout from war in Ukraine
A Moldovan volunteer distributes food to refugees who are leaving to Romania after fleeing from Ukraine, at the border crossing in Palanca, Moldova, March 17, 2022.

Many Moldovans are wary of their proximity to the conflict in Ukraine 

The tiny, Western-leaning, post-Soviet country of Moldova not only borders Ukraine but has seen part of its territory occupied by Russian troops since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Many Moldovans worry they could be Russia’s next target.

Many Moldovans are wary of their proximity to the conflict in Ukraine 
A woman walks past the Museum of the History of Religion in Lviv, western Ukraine, March 4, 2022. Workers are assembling metal containers in the patio at the museum to safely store the remaining items before placing them in basements in case the Russian i

A race against time to preserve Lviv’s cultural treasures

In the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and on the east of the country, museums and churches have already been targeted as Moscow escalates its bombardment of civilian areas. Meanwhile, the residents of Lviv race to ensure their city does not suffer the same fate.

A race against time to preserve Lviv’s cultural treasures
woman praying

The Ukrainian city of Lviv is a sanctuary. But a humanitarian crisis is deepening.

The western city of Lviv is regarded as one of the safest parts of Ukraine, at least for now. On the first day of the invasion, an airport 80 miles southeast to Lviv was bombed by Russian forces but no fighting has occurred in the city itself.

The Ukrainian city of Lviv is a sanctuary. But a humanitarian crisis is deepening.
People fleeing the conflict from neighboring Ukraine arrive to Przemysl train station in Przemysl, Poland, on Feb. 25, 2022.

Ukrainians abroad return to defend their homeland 

While thousands of people are fleeing Ukraine, others are headed in the opposite direction — back home.

Ukrainians abroad return to defend their homeland 
The luxurious Rafaelo resort is in stark contrast with the conditions in Afghanistan. At least 2,000 Afghans feel fortunate to stay here but also guilty about those left behind.

Afghans endure indefinite limbo at 5-star hotel in Albania

More than 2,000 Afghans are currently living at an upscale hotel in Albania, awaiting visa processing for the US and Canada. But behind the luxurious façade — guilt and uncertainty reign.

Afghans endure indefinite limbo at 5-star hotel in Albania
A protest by mothers in the Polish eastern town of Hajnowka over the deaths of migrant children in the forest. 

An underground network of locals in Poland self-organize to help migrants who face 'pushbacks' by the govt

Humanitarian groups and media have been banned from entering the area near the border with Belarus.

An underground network of locals in Poland self-organize to help migrants who face 'pushbacks' by the govt
Migrants arrive aboard a dinghy accompanied by a Frontex vessel at the village of Skala Sikaminias, on the Greek island of Lesbos, after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey, Feb. 28, 2020. 

‘A Bermuda triangle for people’: Claims that the Greek govt pushes back migrants are mounting 

Migrant support organizations have been accusing the Greek government of intercepting migrants arriving on islands by boat and sending them back to the sea.

‘A Bermuda triangle for people’: Claims that the Greek govt pushes back migrants are mounting 
A migrant looks through a fence as others wait in a line to be registered inside a refugee camp in Kokkinotrimithia, outside Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021.

Cyprus takes a hard line against immigration, trapping migrants in limbo

The government says it is trying to crack down on human trafficking, but Corina Drousiotou, from the Cyprus Refugee Council, said it's having the opposite effect.

Cyprus takes a hard line against immigration, trapping migrants in limbo
Protesters hold signs

'We cannot close the door or turn the page': Belarusian dissidents in Lithuania fear Lukashenko's crackdown

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has been brutally cracking down on opposition both at home and abroad. Many have fled to neighboring Lithuania.

'We cannot close the door or turn the page': Belarusian dissidents in Lithuania fear Lukashenko's crackdown
Blue British National Overseas passports (BNO) and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China passports are displayed

Tens of thousands of Hong Kongers have applied for special new UK visas

Under Britain's BNO visa program, people fleeing from oppression in Hong Kong are trying to make the most of their new lives in the UK. And though they are looking forward to more freedom of expression, some of them are finding it difficult for their families to settle in and adjust.

Tens of thousands of Hong Kongers have applied for special new UK visas