Two years ago, VOA’s team visited the Achin district in the Nangarhar province of eastern Afghanistan when it was a stronghold if the Islamic State in Afghanistan. They found evidence of human rights abuses that forced many in the local population to flee. Since then, Afghan security forces, helped by the United States and NATO,…
read moreToys and TVs at J.C. Penney, Barbies at Best Buy, kitchen appliances like wine refrigerators at B.J.’s. As the holiday shopping season officially kicks off Thursday, shoppers may find some surprises at their favorite stores. Even as retailers are counting on a lift from a better economy, they’re looking beyond economic data and mapping out…
read moreWhen Gonzalo Perez bought the Castlewood Restaurant last December, it was one of the few outposts among the nearby corn and soybean fields hungry farmers could depend as a place to dine out. It could become much more than that for Perez. “It’s my lottery ticket,” he told VOA. That’s because one of the largest…
read moreU.S. Rep. Joe Barton told a woman that he would complain to the U.S. Capitol Police if sexually explicit photographs of him and other material from their relationship were to be exposed publicly, according to a published report. The Washington Post reported the threat Wednesday after Barton, a North Texas Republican, apologized for a nude…
read moreA federal judge on Wednesday blocked a new Texas law seeking to ban a commonly used abortion method, the latest in a string of court defeats to the Legislature’s attempts to make getting an abortion as difficult as possible in America’s second most-populous state. Austin-based U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel extended indefinitely a temporary ban…
read moreFacebook Inc. said Wednesday that it would build a web page to allow users to see which Russian propaganda accounts they have liked or followed, after U.S. lawmakers demanded that the social network be more open about the reach of the accounts. U.S. lawmakers called the announcement a positive step. The web page, though, would…
read moreThe $10 billion-dollar deal to bring a Taiwanese-based electronics manufacturer to Wisconsin is raising questions from critics despite the promise that the investment could provide tens of thousands of new American jobs and other long term benefits. The deal’s critics say Wisconsin taxpayers could lose money in what is the largest U.S. state tax incentive package…
read moreThe U.S. holiday shopping season shifts into high gear this week after the Thanksgiving Day Holiday on Thursday. Black Friday, as it’s called, has become an important day for retailers because for some stores – the start of the holiday shopping season marks the transition, in accounting terms – from red, meaning debt – to black,…
read moreThe U.S. Attorney General says federal agencies must do a better job of keeping track of criminals who are not supposed to be able to buy guns. On Wednesday, Jeff Sessions ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to investigate an administrative foul up that allowed felon Devin…
read morePumpkins, squash, beets and collard greens are just a few of the more than 50 different crops that Garner’s Produce in Virginia grows and sells at farmers markets about two hours away in Washington, D.C. At a small soup shop in the northwest section of the District of Columbia, cooks are chopping Garner’s fresh squash…
read moreBabies are much more likely to die in their first few weeks of life if their mothers live close to the site of an oil spill, according to new research. Scientists studied data on infant mortality and oil spills in Nigeria’s Niger delta region – and describe their results as ‘shocking’. Henry Ridgwell reports. …
read moreU.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state targeting Muslim Rohingya qualifies as ethnic cleansing. “After a careful and thorough analysis of available facts, it is clear that the situation in northern Rakhine state constitutes ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya,” Tillerson said in a written statement Wednesday. U.S. officials have…
read moreThe fashion and textile industry could generate nearly half a million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa over the next decade. That’s according to the African Development Bank, which launched its “Fashionomics” initiative in 2015 to revitalize the industry. However, designers in the region still struggle to grow their businesses. Lenny Ruvaga reports for VOA from Nairobi.…
read moreIraq and General Electric have signed a deal to develop Iraq’s power infrastructure, which would help bring much-needed electricity to areas facing significant shortages across the country. GE says in a statement released Wednesday that the more than $400 million contract will help building 14 electric substations and supply critical equipment such as transformers, circuit…
read moreEach year in America, when summer ends and fall begins, it’s a safe bet you’ll find pumpkins and sweet potatoes flavoring everything from coffee to pie. It’s seasonal food that makes its way from farms to tables around the country from Thanksgiving to Christmas time. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports from a farm feeding local produce…
read morePresident Donald Trump, just prior to beginning his Thanksgiving holiday vacation, carried out one last executive action – pardoning a turkey. VOA White House Bureau Chief Steve Herman was in the Rose Garden for the ceremony and has this report. …
read moreU.S. President Donald Trump all but endorsed embattled Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore on Tuesday, saying the former state judge “totally denies” allegations that he sexually molested underage girls years ago. “I can tell you one thing for sure: We don’t need a liberal person in there, a Democrat,” Trump told reporters at the White…
read moreVenezuelan authorities arrested the acting president of Citgo, the U.S. subsidiary of state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), along with five other senior executives Tuesday for alleged corruption. Attorney General Tarek William Saab told a press conference that interim president Jose Pereira and other managers allegedly arranged contracts that put Citgo at a disadvantage. The…
read moreThe White House is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a ban on travelers from six countries after an appeals court in California last week allowed only parts of the president’s order to go into effect. The request on Monday is the most recent salvo in an ongoing legal skirmish between plaintiffs in federal…
read moreMelania Trump and son Barron joined in a time-honored tradition of receiving the official White House Christmas tree, which will become the showstopper for a president who has vowed to put Christmas back at the center of the winter holidays. A military quartet played holiday tunes Monday as a horse-drawn wagon carried the 19 1/2-foot…
read moreFederal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on Tuesday followed through on his pledge to repeal 2015 regulations designed to ensure that internet service providers treat all online content and apps equally, setting up a showdown with consumer groups and internet companies who fear the move will stifle competition and innovation. The current rules, known as…
read moreA federal judge has further blocked the Trump administration’s order to cut funding to so-called sanctuary cities. The move by U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick in San Francisco made permanent Monday his earlier ruling from April that temporarily stayed the order. Orrick agreed with plaintiffs who argued the order violates the constitution. The city…
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