VOA News Two space veterans and a rookie French astronaut are on their way to the International Space Station for a five-month mission. American astronaut Peggy Whitson, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and France’s Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency blasted off aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft Friday morning from Kazakhstan. This will be a […]readmore
Luis Ramirez/VOA NEWS LONDON — President Barack Obama brought his message of America’s enduring unity and cooperation to the heart of Europe Thursday, stressing to Germans and all Europeans that the United States will continue to engage with the world. Obama called on his successor, Donald Trump, to “stand up” to Russia, saying his hope is […]readmore
Wayne Lee/VOA NEWS A group of news media advocacy organizations is calling on President-elect Donald Trump to «preserve long-standing traditions» to ensure the press is free to inform the public of his presidential activities. In an open letter Wednesday to Trump, 18 organizations asked him to maintain a pool of reporters that covers all of […]readmore
Nike Ching/VOA NEWS STATE DEPARTMENT — The United States is doubling down on aid programs for de-mining efforts in Colombia, a country that has the second most unexploded ordnance next to Afghanistan since 1990, as its government is making peace with the largest guerrilla rebel group after a decades-long conflict. According to the latest «To Walk […]readmore
VOA NEWS WASHINGTON — An International Criminal Court investigation of possible war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan is not «warranted or appropriate,» the U.S. State Department said Tuesday after prosecutors in The Hague found initial grounds for such a probe. State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the United States was not a party to the […]readmore
Michael Bowman VOA NEWS CAPITOL HILL — VOA senate correspondent Michael Bowman spoke Tuesday with Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee. Here is an edited transcript of that interview. Q: Confirmation hearing soon for your new Cabinet position? Bob Corker: I know my name is in the mix. Some people that have […]readmore
In the week since the U.S. elections, numerous organizations whose agendas counter those proposed by President-elect Donald Trump have reported a dramatic surge in donations. Within hours after Trump was declared the winner last Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union unleashed feisty fundraising appeals, including one warning that if Trump implemented certain campaign promises, «we’ll […]readmore
Ken Schwartz VOA NEWS WASHINGTON — The United States and Peru have agreed to step up efforts to fight illegal logging and bolster environmental protection in the South American country. U.S. trade officials held their first talks last week with officials from the government of Peru’s new president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman […]readmore
Steve Herman VOA NEWS MARRAKECH, MOROCCO —The election of Republican businessman Donald Trump as the next U.S. president is casting a cloud over the conference of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) and also will overshadow the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting later in the week. «I know the American people support this overwhelmingly,» […]readmore
Luis Ramirez VOA NEWS LONDON — President Barack Obama says NATO is «absolutely vital» as he seeks to reassure Europe about the U.S. commitment to the alliance under the presidency of Donald Trump. In Athens, Greece Tuesday on his last foreign trip as president, Obama said NATO «provides significant continuity even as we see a transition […]readmore