India’s Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Hindu temple on a disputed religious ground and ordered that alternative land be given to Muslims. The dispute over land ownership has been one of the country’s most contentious issues. The 16th-century Babri Masjid mosque was destroyed by Hindu hard-liners in …
Seven Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers have either been detained or face arrest Saturday, in a move expected to escalate public fury a day after the death of a student linked to months of anti-government protests. A police statement said three of the lawmakers had been detained and charged Saturday with …
President Donald Trump prepares to welcome Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the White House Nov. 13, just weeks after Turkey launched an assault in Syria on Kurdish fighters — longtime allies of the United States in the fight against Islamic State terrorists. U.S. lawmakers from both parties have slammed …
A new, unreleased book called “A Warning” paints the most damning public profile of Trump since he took office nearly three years ago. Trump is “like a 12-year-old in an air traffic control tower” and a senile old man running around with no pants, according to the book by an …
The dramatic demise in Vietnam of two maps that show China’s claim to a disputed tract of sea herald a longer-term effort at expunging material that officials find politically offensive — and not just in Vietnam. Both maps, one in a luxury Volkswagen car and the other in a DreamWorks …
Human rights groups, lawyers and former defectors are criticizing South Korea’s decision to return two North Korean fishermen who are suspected of killing 16 of their colleagues and then fleeing to the South. The two men were captured late last week after their squid fishing boat crossed the eastern sea …
A top aide to Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer in Iowa has privately offered campaign contributions to local politicians in exchange for endorsing his White House bid, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of the conversations. The overtures from Pat Murphy, a former state House speaker who is …
A new book on Ruth Bader Ginsburg explores the Supreme Court justice’s thoughts on the (hash)MeToo movement and her hope that non-disclosure agreements, which have come under fire in sexual misconduct cases, “will not be enforced by the courts.” Several women have spoken out about their encounters with disgraced movie …
The U.N. General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to condemn the American economic embargo of Cuba for the 28th year, rejecting U.S. concerns about human rights on the Caribbean island. The vote in the 193-member assembly on Thursday was 187-3 with the U.S., Israel and Brazil voting “no” and Ukraine …
James Dean hasn’t been alive in 64 years, but the “Rebel Without a Cause” actor has been cast in a new film about the Vietnam War. The filmmakers behind the independent film “Finding Jack” said Wednesday that a computer-generated Dean will play a co-starring role in the upcoming production. The …
Twitter said Wednesday that it was rolling out a feature that lets users follow topics the way they do people, starting with sports and K-pop, as part of its efforts to bring in and keep more users on the service. The new “Topics” option was expected to be available …
When France’s president wants to carry European concerns to the world stage to find solutions for climate change, trade tensions or Iran’s nuclear ambitions, he no longer calls Washington. He flies to Beijing. President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China this week suggests that the United States risks being sidelined on …
The latest wave of endorsements for new Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi has U.S. intelligence officials taking notice. IS media operatives Tuesday disseminated more photographs of fighters from the group’s various affiliates giving bay’ah, or loyalty, to Qurashi, including a series of 16 photographs from IS-Khorasan, as Afghan …
Sakshi Chauhan has not left her house in a quiet inner-city slum in the Indian capital for the past six days on her doctor’s orders. The 22-year-old call center operator is recovering from a severe throat infection and the thick smog now blanketing New Delhi has made even breathing dangerous. “The …
Brazil’s carbon emissions have remained stable despite an increase in deforestation because they were offset by a larger use of clean energy sources such as ethanol and wind power, a report said on Tuesday. Brazilian emissions of gases blamed for global warming reached 1.939 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent …
Five years ago, a car bound for the Ho Chi Minh City airport from downtown might get stuck in a couple of quick jams, costing just an extra minute. Now big swathes of the Vietnamese financial center are congested, and not just during rush hour. That stationary traffic, with engines …
North Korea may have stormed away from nuclear talks with the United States, set an end-of-year ultimatum, and fired missiles at a record pace in the second half of this year. But that is not stopping U.S. President Donald Trump from portraying his outreach to North Korean leader Kim Jong …
It has captured the attention of teenagers, celebrities and global brands. And now U.S. lawmakers and regulators are interested in TikTok, the video app downloaded by 1 billion people. According to Reuters, the U.S. government is launching a national security review into the Chinese company ByteDance’s 2017 acquisition of U.S. …
Dense, noxious smog enveloped the Indian capital and surrounding area Sunday, causing residents to suffer from burning eyes, sore throats, and shortness of breath. Pollution levels in New Delhi hit a three-year high, forcing 37 flights to be diverted from the city’s international airport due to low visibility. The Central …
Democrats and Republicans continue to spar as the US House of Representatives prepares for public hearings in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports from Washington …
Dozens of Iraqi protesters attacked the Iranian consulate in the Shiite holy city of Karbala on Sunday, scaling the concrete barriers ringing the building, bringing down an Iranian flag and replacing it with the Iraqi flag, eyewitnesses said. Security forces fired in the air to disperse the protesters who threw …
Anti-government protesters attacked the Hong Kong office of China’s official news agency in a show of anger against Beijing after chaos broke out downtown on Saturday, with police firing tear gas to repel gasoline bombs. Streets in the upscale Causeway Bay shopping area and nearby Victoria Park were clouded in …
Illegal loggers ambushed a group of indigenous forest guards in Brazil’s Amazon, killing one and injuring another, authorities said Saturday. A logger also died in the attack Friday night in Maranhao, a northeastern state, according to FUNAI, a state agency that represents indigenous interests. Paulo Paulino Guajajara, who died after …
A supply ship rocketed toward the International Space Station on Saturday with sports car parts, an oven for baking cookies and a vest to protect against radiation. Northrop Grumman launched its Cygnus capsule for NASA from Wallops Island, Virginia. The 8,200-pound shipment (3,700 kilograms) should reach the orbiting lab …
GISBORN, NEW ZEALAND – New Zealand has launched an official campaign to revive the indigenous Maori language. The ambitious project is part of an official strategy that sees the revival of the language as a key part in national identity and reconciliation. The language has been surprisingly resilient on its …
A land mine explosion in Afghanistan claimed the lives of 9 children Saturday as they walked to school, according to police. Spokesman Khalil Asir said the mine detonated in the northeastern province of Takhar, killing the children, who were nine to 12 years old. Asir said the Taliban planted …