President Joe Biden will present the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 people, including actor Denzel Washington, gymnast Simone Biles and the late John McCain,…
Canada Abortion Providers Prepare to Receive US Patients
Medical centers in Canada that perform abortions are preparing to receive patients from U.S. states that ban the procedure. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning a constitutional right to abortion…
US Announces $820 Million Military Aid Package for Ukraine
The United States announced details Friday of $820 million in additional military aid for Ukraine, including new surface-to-air missile systems and counter-artillery radar. The latest aid package is designed to…
Monkeypox Cases Triple in Europe, WHO Says; Africa Concerned
The World Health Organization’s Europe chief warned Friday that monkeypox cases in the region have tripled in the past two weeks and urged countries to do more to ensure the…
Shifting State Abortion Laws Cause Confusion for Patients, Clinics
Abortion providers and patients were struggling Friday to navigate the evolving legal landscape around abortion laws and access across the country since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade…
Pre-Pandemic-Sized Crowds Descend on US Airports for Holiday
The Fourth of July holiday weekend is off to a booming start with airport crowds crushing the numbers seen in 2019, before the pandemic. Travelers seemed to be experiencing fewer…
Wikileaks’ Assange Lodges Appeal Against US Extradition
WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange has appealed to the High Court in London to block his extradition to the United States to face criminal charges, his brother said on Friday, the…
Amid Ukraine War, Volunteers Help Displaced People and Pets
As Ukrainians seek refuge in any way they can – inside and outside Ukraine – many take their pets with them wherever they go. Maxim Moskalkov has the story. …
US Basketball Star Griner Goes on Trial in Russia on Drug Charges
U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner went on trial Friday in a court on the outskirts of Moscow to hear drug charges that could see her serve up to 10 years…
How Elon Musk’s Starlink Is Helping Ukraine During War With Russia
Elon Musk’s deployment of thousands of Starlink satellite internet terminals to Ukraine has been a major help for the country in its fight against Russia. VOA’s Russia Service has the story. …
Russia Seizes Control of Partly Foreign-Owned Energy Project
Russian President Vladimir Putin has handed full control over a major oil and natural gas project partly owned by Shell and two Japanese companies to a newly created Russian firm,…
WNBA Star Griner’s Court Case to Begin in Russia
The trial of professional women’s basketball player Brittney Griner is set to begin Friday in a Russian courtroom. The WNBA star has been detained in Russia for more than four…
Indonesia Leader Targets Food Crisis During Russia-Ukraine Peace Mission
Indonesia’s president ended a trip to Ukraine and Russia saying he hoped for progress reintegrating global food and fertilizer supply lines disrupted by the conflict, and he offered to be…
Mattis: Putin Goes to Bed at Night ‘Fearful’
Former U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Friday lobbed insults at Russian President Vladimir Putin and slammed his invasion of Ukraine as “incompetent” and “foolish.” At a speech in Seoul,…
Explainer: Why Indonesia’s Leader is Visiting Kyiv, Moscow
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 leading rich and developing nations, is visiting Ukraine and Russia for meetings with the leaders…
US Distributes $92 Million to Soccer Corruption Victims
The U.S. Justice Department has distributed about $92 million in additional compensation from money forfeited by convicted officials and associated companies resulting from the government’s prosecution of corruption in soccer.…
Following Indonesia’s Diplomatic Blitz, Western Leaders Say They’ll Attend G-20 Bali Summit
Western leaders signaled confirmation of their attendance at the November summit of the Group of 20 in Bali, despite initial boycott threats, and the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin…
Erdogan Warns Turkey May Still Block Nordic NATO Drive
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday told Sweden and Finland that he could still block their drives to join NATO if they fail to implement a new accession deal…
Turkey Blocks Access to VOA Turkish Language Content
Turkey’s media regulator blocked access Thursday to the Turkish language services of Voice of America and Deutsche Welle after the international public broadcasters did not apply for licenses the regulator…
NATO Ends Summit with Strengthened Posture Against Russia, China
NATO leaders concluded their three-day meeting in Madrid Thursday with the Western security alliance strengthening its defense against Russian aggression, warning of global challenges posed by China and inviting neutral…
Kentucky Judge Blocks State From Enforcing Abortion Bans; Florida Ruling Expected
A Kentucky judge on Thursday blocked the state from enforcing a ban on abortion enacted in 2019 that was triggered after the U.S. Supreme Court last week overturned the constitutional…
US Visa Called Too Expensive for Afghan Students
For Breshna Salaam, the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan last year meant a return to the same extreme poverty she and her mother had experienced under the Taliban’s first…
Report: Only 15% of World Enjoys Free Expression of Information
A Britain-based group says its latest study of worldwide free expression rights shows only 15% of the global population lives where people can receive or share information freely. In its…
1955 Warrant in Emmett Till Case Found; Family Seeks Arrest
A team searching a Mississippi courthouse basement for evidence about the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till has found the unserved warrant charging a white woman in his 1955 kidnapping,…