On Navy ships docked at this vast base, hundreds of sailors in below-deck mazes of windowless passageways perform intense, often monotonous manual labor. It’s necessary work before a ship deploys,…
VOA Interview: Latvian FM Says Russia Must be Shown Nuclear Blackmail Won’t Work
On March 29 Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, along with several other counties, marked 19 years since they joined NATO. All three Baltic nations have long warned of the Kremlin’s imperialistic…
Far-Right Influencer Convicted in Voter Suppression Scheme
A self-styled far-right propagandist from Florida was convicted Friday of charges alleging that he conspired to deprive individuals of their right to vote in the 2016 presidential election. Douglass Mackey,…
Harris Tours Zambian Farm with Climate Change in Mind
Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday toured a farm outside Zambia’s capital that’s using new techniques and technology to boost its vegetable crop as she highlighted ways to secure food…
3 British Men Being Held in Afghanistan, UK Nonprofit Group Says
Three British men have been detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Presidium Network, U.K. nonprofit group, said on Saturday. “We are working hard to secure consular contact with British…
Pope Francis Leaves Hospital; ‘Still Alive,’ He Quips
A chipper-sounding Pope Francis was discharged Saturday from the Rome hospital where he was treated for bronchitis, quipping to journalists before being driven away that he’s “still alive.” Francis, 86,…
Hoax Dupes US City, Points to Evolving Scam Risks
An elaborate hoax that duped the U.S. city of Newark, New Jersey, into signing a sister-city agreement with a nonexistent island nation is but one example of a profusion of…
Tornadoes Kill at Least 11 Across US Midwest and South
Unrelenting tornadoes that tore through parts of the South and Midwest killed at least 11 people, shredded homes and shopping centers, and collapsed a theater roof during a heavy metal…
New Orleans Embraces Its French Roots
“While [much of] the rest of the U.S. has its Anglo-Saxon heritage, New Orleans’ mother country is France – and that makes a big difference,” explained Alexandra Stafford, president of…
US To Open Embassy in Vanuatu
The United States has announced its intention to open an embassy in Vanuatu. The State Department said in a statement Friday that the establishment of a Vanuatu embassy would “further…
IMF Approves $15.6 Billion Ukraine Loan Package
The International Monetary Fund has approved a $15.6 billion support package for Ukraine to assist with the conflict-hit country’s economic recovery, the fund said in a statement Friday. Russia’s invasion…
UN Food Chief: Billions Needed to Avert Unrest, Starvation
Without billions of dollars more to feed millions of hungry people, the world will see mass migration, destabilized countries, and starving children and adults in the next 12-18 months, the…
UN Weekly Roundup: March 25-31, 2023
Editor’s note: Here is a fast take on what the international community has been up to this past week, as seen from the United Nations perch. Vanuatu leads action on…
Italy Temporarily Blocks ChatGPT Over Privacy Concerns
Italy is temporarily blocking the artificial intelligence software ChatGPT in the wake of a data breach as it investigates a possible violation of stringent European Union data protection rules, the…
Americans Speak Up About Trump Indictment
Days before news broke that a grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump, VOA asked passers-by near Trump Tower in New York City for their thoughts on the…
Pope Francis Visits Children in Hospital, Will Be Discharged Saturday
Pope Francis baptized a baby and greeted children in Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Friday as he appeared to make a rapid recovery from a bout of bronchitis that caused him…
Indonesia, Russia Sign Extradition Agreement
Indonesia and Russia signed an extradition agreement Friday to strengthen cooperation against transnational crimes. It is the first extradition agreement Indonesia has reached with a European country. Indonesian Minister of…
Funerals Set for 6 Victims of Nashville School Shootings
Funeral arrangements were disclosed Thursday for the six people killed in this week’s school shooting in Nashville, as the grieving city mourns the victims of the horrific attack that transformed…
Biden Heads to Mississippi Town Ravaged by Deadly Tornado
President Joe Biden on Friday will visit a Mississippi town ravaged by a deadly tornado even as a new series of severe storms threatens to rip across the Midwest and…
Russia Sends Bombs as Ukraine Marks Grim Bucha Anniversary
Russia used its long-range arsenal to bombard anew several areas of Ukraine on Friday, killing at least two civilians and damaging homes as Ukrainians commemorated the anniversary of the liberation…
Finland’s NATO Membership: What’s Next?
Finland received the green light to join NATO when Turkey ratified the Nordic country’s membership late Thursday, becoming the last country in the 30-member Western military alliance to sign off.…
Britain Claims Post-Brexit Win by Sealing Trans-Pacific Trade Pact Membership
Britain will join 11 other countries in a major Asia-Pacific trade partnership, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced Friday, in the country’s biggest post-Brexit trade deal following nearly two years of…
Is Banning TikTok Constitutional?
U.S. lawmakers and officials are ratcheting up threats to ban TikTok, saying the Chinese-owned video-sharing app used by millions of Americans poses a threat to privacy and U.S. national security.…
Trump Faces Criminal Indictment
A grand jury in New York has voted to indict former US President Donald Trump on criminal charges related to a payoff to a former adult film star. Mike O’Sullivan…