Venezuelan Leader: Arrested US Pilot Was Spying

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro told a rally Saturday that his government had arrested a U.S. pilot for alleged spying. Maduro said the ...

Report: US to Deport 150 Bosnians Over War Crimes Ties

U.S. immigration officials are preparing to deport 150 Bosnians for possible involvement in war crimes in the 1990s, The New York Times repo...

Sierra Leone VP Quarantines Self After Bodyguard Dies of Ebola

Sierra Leonean Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana placed himself under a 21-day quarantine Saturday after one of his bodyguards died of Ebola....

NYC's Restaurant Week: An Economic Boom in Fine Dining

New Yorkers take pride in setting world trends — in fashion, the arts and fine dining. The city’s famous biannual Restaurant Week plays a si...

UN Envoy to Push Peace Plan in Syria

U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura arrived in Damascus on Saturday for talks aimed at ending the fighting in Syria. The diplomat hopes to persuad...

So, What Color IS That Dress, Anyway?

It's universally acknowledged that people sometimes see things differently. A British fashion retailer has inadvertently put forward ano...

Balad Ruz, Samarra Attacked in Iraq

Car bombs in Iraq have targeted a market and a checkpoint north of Baghdad, killing more than a dozen people, as Iraq's prime minister v...

Turkey, Kurdish Leaders Call for Disarmament Conference

The imprisoned leader of the Kurdish rebel group the PKK has called on it to attend a conference on disarmament in Turkey. The announcement ...

Rebels Withdraw Heavy Arms in Eastern Ukraine

Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine continued withdrawing tanks and other military vehicles Saturday from the front lines, obeying a ce...

Egypt Court Bans Hamas

An Egyptian court has declared the Palestinian group Hamas a terrorist organization, saying it targets both civilians and security forces on...

Thousands March Against Boko Haram in Cameroon

Thousands of Cameroonian youths have held what they describe as a patriotic march in support of their military fighting against the Boko Har...

Obama: Hard-Working Americans Should Retire With Dignity

U.S. President Barack Obama says he is committed to middle-class economics and to ensuring that all hard-working Americans get the secure an...

Boko Haram Hits Rural Nigerian Market

Boko Haram militants killed dozens of traders at a village market in northeastern Nigeria's Borno state, security sources said. The atta...

US, Cuba Report Progress in Latest Talks to Restore Ties

The United States and Cuba say they have made progress in the second round of talks on restoring diplomatic relations more than 50 years aft...

Koreas at Odds Over Wages at Joint Kaesong Complex

Tensions are rising between Seoul and Pyongyang over wage increases for North Korean workers employed by South Korean firms at the Kaesong I...

Presidential Hopefuls Battle for Conservative Hearts and Minds

One after another, presumptive Republican presidential contenders auditioned for conservative support this week at the Conservative Politica...

Moscow Restaurants Suffer in Bad Economy, Look for Opportunity

As low oil prices and Western sanctions force Russia's economy into recession, thousands of Moscow restaurants are expected to close the...

Brookhaven at Cutting Edge of US Energy Research

Issues like the Keystone XL pipeline, fracking and instability in the Middle East are driving debate in the U.S. about making America energy...

Southern US Cities Preserve Civil Rights Heritage to Boost Tourism

There has been a surge of interest in the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, thanks in part to the Hollywood motion p...

Nevada Regulators to Allow Betting on Olympics

The Olympic Games' motto, "Faster, higher, stronger," can now grow by one word in the U.S. market: "richer." The gam...

Intense Exercise Program Not Just for Athletes

Exercise is good for your health, at any time, at any age. Besides giving you energy and making you feel better, regular exercise regulates ...

Kurds Celebrate Ouster of Islamic State From Tal Hamis

Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Women's Protection Units (YPJ) fighters reclaimed Friday the village of Tal Hamis in nor...

Burundian President's Bid for Third Term Stirs Controversy

Burundi is facing mounting unrest ahead of the June presidential election. The question: Does Pierre Nkurunziza have the right to run for a ...

Sierra Leone Woman Takes in Orphans for Classes, Meals

With schools closed for months because of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, the country is trying to find other ways to educate children, ...

The Correspondents

The Correspondents is VOA’s weekly discussion of the world’s top stories, as seen through the eyes of our dedicated reporters in the US and ...

February 27, 2015

A look at the best news photos from around the world. from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1AS6xyU

Solar Plane Prepares for Global Circumnavigation

Pilots of the sun-powered plane Solar Impulse 2 completed two successful test flights Thursday in the United Arab Emirates, in preparation f...

'Jihadi John’ Unmasking Raises Questions for British Security Services

The identity of the masked man who has appeared in several Islamic State videos showing the beheading of foreign hostages has been widely re...

Activists Work to End Homelessness One Tiny House at a Time

In what looks like an ordinary woodshop in Madison, Wisconsin, filled with table saws, screwdrivers and more screws and nails than you could...

Al-Thini Calls for Naval Observer Force Off Libyan Coast

The head of Libya's internationally recognized Cabinet based in Tobruk, Abdallah al-Thini, says his government is calling on the interna...

Cameron Refuses to ID 'Jihadi John'

British Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to use every means possible to fight jihadism, while refusing to confirm or deny the identity...

Somali Pirates Release 4 Thai Fishermen After Nearly 5 Years

Four Thai fishermen held hostage by Somali pirates for nearly five years have been released. The United Nations envoy to Somalia, Nicholas K...

US Cuba Talks Open

Talks between U.S. and Cuban diplomats opened Friday in Washington, exploring the possibility of restoring diplomatic ties between the two c...

'Jihadi John’ Unmasking Raises Questions For British Security Services

The identity of the masked man in several Islamic State videos showing the beheading of foreign hostages has been widely reported as Kuwaiti...

US Economic Growth Slower Than First Thought

U.S. economic growth was slower than first thought in the last few months of 2014. Friday's report from the Commerce Department says the...

Mexico Arrests Drug Lord 'La Tuta'

Mexican federal police say they have captured one of the nation's most notorious drug lords, Servando "la Tuta" Gomez. Governm...

Philippines Call Center Workers Cope With Advantages, Disadvantages of Industry

When Americans call for customer support there is a good chance the agent on the other end of the telephone line is Filipino. The Philippine...

Falling Oil Prices, Internet-Savvy Youth Pose Challenge for Gulf Monarchies

As the Arab Spring swept across the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, Gulf States largely avoided the turmoil seen elsewhere. But there ...

WHO: Decision on Ebola Mass Vaccination in August at Earliest

An independent advisory body will decide in August at the earliest on whether to recommend widespread introduction of an Ebola vaccine, depe...

Zimbabwe's Mugabe Says Wife Not the Power Behind his Throne

Zimbabwe's 91-year-old President Robert Mugabe told state television that his wife Grace, a rising political star in the ruling party, i...

German Lawmakers Approve Greek Bailout Extension

Germany's parliament approved an extension of Greece's bailout on Friday after Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who has voiced d...

British PM Refuses to Comment on 'Jihadi John' Identity

British Prime Minister David Cameron has refused to confirm the identity of "Jihadi John," the Islamic State militant who has been...

Report: Islamic State Funds Will Dwindle Without New Territory

The Islamic State extremist group will see its sources of funding dwindle if it is not able to seize additional territory, according to a ne...

South Korea Floats Cash for Prisoner Exchange With North

The South Korean government is considering the establishment of a cash-for-prisoner exchange program with North Korea. Most of the people Se...

Draft Chinese Law Paves Way for Counter-terror Operations Abroad

China is close to approving a law that will create a legal framework for sending troops abroad on counter-terrorism missions, as Beijing see...

Islamic State Sets No Limits To Destruction

There seems to be no limit to the atrocities committed by radical Islamists in their intent to create a world designed according to their ow...

China Bans Ivory Imports

China has announced a one-year ban on the import of all ivory products, which took immediate effect on Thursday. China's State Forestry ...

Liberian Leader Thanks US for Ebola Support

Seven months after the Ebola outbreak turned Liberia upside down, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf came to Washington on Thursday to say than...

War of Words Escalates Between White House, Israel

The war of words is escalating over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to accept an invitation to speak to the U.S. Congre...

Liberian President Expresses Gratitude for US Ebola Support

On her first trip to Washington since her country declared a state of emergency over the Ebola outbreak last July, Liberian President Ellen ...

Embassy Reopenings Top Americans' List in Cuba Talks

A Cuban delegation will be at the State Department on Friday to talk about restoring diplomatic ties with the United States for the first ti...

US: IS Losing Ground, Remains 'Formidable'

Top U.S. intelligence officials warn the Islamic State remains a “formidable and brutal threat” even as coalition airstrikes and fighting on...

Scientists Say Pacific Trash Patch Is Sea of Chemical Sludge

A huge garbage patch in the north Pacific Ocean traps debris from both hemispheres and is a major environmental threat to sea life. Research...

On the Front Line of IS-Controlled Assyrian Christian Villages

Assyrian Christian fighters are trying to hold ground against Islamic State forces, who have overrun several Assyrian Christian villages in ...

Western Students Outsource Work to Kenyan Writers

On the University of Nairobi campus, talent is on sale. Signs advertise for researchers or online writers — code words for those writing ess...

Jury Convicts Saudi Man in Connection with 1998 US Embassy Bombings

A Saudi man accused of being an early leader of al-Qaida has been convicted in connection with the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in ea...

Western Students Outsourcing Their Homework to Kenya

Freelance writers in Kenya may be contributing more to academic research in the United States and Europe than we know. For a fee, Kenyans ar...

Law Puts US Capital at Heart of Legalized Marijuana Debate

The debate over the legalization of marijuana in the United States is now centering on the nation’s capital — both in the halls of Congress ...

Report: Hack of Malaysian Company Reason For Google, Lenovo Redirects

Two website hijackings this week that resulted in Google’s Vietnamese homepage and Lenovo’s website being redirected to other pages were the...

Kerry to Meet With Iranian Negotiators, Russia's Lavrov

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Iranian nuclear negotiators in Montreux, Switzerland, next week, a State Department spokes...

Taliban Targets Turkish Embassy Vehicle in Kabul

A Taliban suicide bomber rammed his explosives-packed vehicle into a Turkish embassy convoy in the Afghan capital Thursday morning, killing ...

FGM Remains Rampant in Some Kenyan Communities

Each February, the U.N. holds the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation [FGM]. The practice is believed to affec...

February 26, 2015

A look at the best news photos from around the world. from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1LKRCti

New Pentagon Chief Goes on International Offensive

His nomination was barely confirmed, but within hours new U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter was jetting off to Afghanistan and Kuwait....

New Tool Maps Buildings' Energy Efficiency

Architects, engineers and building managers will soon be able to quickly collect data about building interiors that once took weeks to measu...

Developments in Ukraine

Both the United States and some leaders in Europe have threatened to impose tougher sanctions against Moscow if it does not stop supporting ...

New Tool Maps Buildings' Energy Efficiency

Architects, engineers and building managers will soon be able to quickly collect data about building interiors that once took weeks to measu...

Madonna's Unscripted Tumble Steals Show at Brit Awards

Pop diva Madonna's gasp-inducing "wardrobe malfunction" at a star-studded London awards ceremony grabbed British headlines Thu...

Argentina Passes Bill to Revamp Spy Agency After Prosecutor's Death

Argentine lawmakers passed a bill on Thursday to revamp the country's intelligence service, parts of which President Cristina Fernandez ...

Top 5 Songs for Week Ending Feb. 28

We’re partying with the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, for the week ending February 28, 2015. This week...

Togo President to Seek Third Term in April Poll

Togo's President Faure Gnassingbe has accepted his party's nomination as a candidate for elections in April and will seek a third te...

Falling Gas Prices Hurt Nascent Illinois Hydraulic Fracturing Industry

Falling oil prices are helping consumers purchase cheaper petroleum at the pump. But that’s made hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” less eco...

Assyrian Forces Request International Support After IS Offensive

Local forces battling Islamic State militants in northeast Syria are asking the international community for military equipment "capable...

Bill Cosby's Lawyers Request Lawsuit Dismissal

Attorneys for Bill Cosby plan to ask a federal court judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against the comedian in Massachusetts by th...