Month: August 2019

While most migrants who arrive at America's southern border are from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas' Del Rio Sector reports apprehending people from more than 50 countries in the last year. VOA's Ramon Taylor…

In Russia, countrywide celebrations have been held to mark the 350th anniversary of the national flag. Yet, only 50 percent of respondents polled in a recent survey could correctly name the sequence of the colors on the flag. Russia recently saw a surge of patriotic…

Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg took her Friday school strikes to the gates of the United Nations, surrounded by hundreds of other young activists, calling on adults to take action on climate change. Thunberg will speak at a climate change summit of world leaders next month…

This week, on #VOAOurVoices: from afro beats and South Africa’s hypnotic gqom music, to the Ivorian sounds of Coupé-Decalé, African artists continue to reinvent the rhythms of Africa – and the world is taking note. This week, our hosts are joined by David Vandy, from…

The first legal challenge to prevent British Prime Minister Boris Johnson from suspending Parliament has been delayed in a Scottish court. The Court of Session in Edinburgh refused Friday to take immediate legal action to prevent Johnson from suspending Parliament for several weeks during part…

Police in Hong Kong have arrested three prominent pro-democracy activists, ahead of a major protest that had been planned for Saturday. The march had already been called off by organizers after an appeals board denied permission. Joshua Wong, founder of political party Demosisto, was arrested…

A large scientific study into the biological basis of sexual behavior has confirmed there is no single "gay gene" but that a complex mix of genetics and environment affects whether a person has same-sex sexual partners.  The research, which analyzed data on DNA and sexual experiences from almost half a…

The U.S. Special Representative to Venezuela Elliot Abrams told reporters at the State Department that America is "ready for change in Venezuela," and that embattled President Nicolas Maduro leaving power is a critical part of the country being able to move forward toward free elections…

U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security adviser visited Belarus Thursday, receiving an enthusiastic welcome from its autocratic leader who has faced Western criticism over the nation’s democratic record. John Bolton met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the nation of 10 million with…

Democratic U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Chris Van Hollen last week endorsed taking action to head off a possible Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lauded an innovative Ugandan approach to resettling war refugees, and called for greater political openness in Uganda. The senators…

CNN has apologized for a misleading headline that appeared on its website during its coverage Sunday of the Hong Kong riots. At one point, a headline reading “Police Use Petrol Bombs and Water Cannons Against Hong Kong Protesters” flashed on the screen. According to Hong…

Teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg arrived in New York on Wednesday after crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a zero-emissions sailboat to attend a conference on global warming.    The 16-year-old Swede set sail from Plymouth, England, on Aug. 14. At 4 a.m., she tweeted: Land!! The lights of Long Island and…

As the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s new president unveils his coalition government, opposition members are complaining about being left out.  On Monday, President Felix Tshisekedi announced his cabinet, seven months after winning a contested election that landed him in the country’s highest office. The…

Exasperated with the government's unflinching attitude to escalating civil unrest, Jason Tse quit his job in Australia and jumped on a plane to join what he believes is a do-or-die fight for Hong Kong's future. The Chinese territory is grappling with its biggest crisis since…

Water scarcity is one factor driving millions of people from their homes each year but is often not the only reason why they move, researchers told an international conference on Tuesday. In most cases, other economic and social problems like conflict, corruption or a lack…

More than a thousand students have rallied in the capital of Pakistan-held Kashmir to denounce India's downgrading of the special status of the portion of the disputed region it controls. The demonstrators chanted ``We want freedom'' and denounced human rights violations in Indian-administrated Kashmir. Tuesday's…

Syrian insurgents launched counterattacks Tuesday in and near areas recently taken by government forces in the country’s last remaining rebel region, after a series of setbacks they suffered in recent weeks, opposition activists said. The fierce fighting killed more than 50 fighters on both sides,…

Thailand’s royal palace has released photos of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his recently anointed royal consort, though the official website hosting the images became inaccessible within a few hours. The photos released Monday show the 67-year-old monarch and Sineenatra Wongvajirabhakdi in formal regalia as well…

It was music to the ears of Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson.  The British will be able to strike a "fantastic deal" with the United States once Britain has thrown off the "anchor" of the European Union, U.S. President Donald Trump told Johnson during a…

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday "there's a really good chance" he would meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in the coming weeks to try to negotiate a new deal to curb Tehran's nuclear weapons program to replace the 2015 international deal that Trump withdrew…

The Justice Department is moving forward to expand the number of marijuana growers for federally-authorized cannabis research.   Uttam Dhillon, the acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, says Monday's move would give researchers a wider variety of cannabis to study. He says the DEA…

Opera legend Placido Domingo was greeted with a standing ovation in Salzburg, Austria, at his first appearance on stage since nine women accused him of sexual harassment dating back three decades. Even before he sang a single note, Domingo was greeted with a thunderous applause…

Hong Kong police drew their guns and fired a warning shot Sunday night after protesters attacked officers with sticks and rods, and brought out water cannon trucks for the first time, an escalation in the summerlong protests that have shaken the city’s government and residents.…

Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees rallied to mark the second anniversary of their exodus out of Myanmar. Almost 200,000 Rohingya participated in a peaceful gathering, which was attended by UN officials, at the Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar on Sunday. More than a…

Backed by military aircraft, Brazilian troops on Saturday were deploying in the Amazon to fight fires that have swept the region and prompted anti-government protests as well as an international outcry. President Jair Bolsonaro also tried to temper global concern, saying that previously deforested areas…

President Donald Trump is threatening to use the emergency authority granted by a powerful but obscure federal law to make good on his tweeted "order" to U.S. businesses to cut ties in China amid a spiraling trade war between the two nations. China's announcement Friday…

Thousands of angry and frustrated Rohingya refugees marked the second anniversary of their exodus from Myanmar into Bangladesh on Sunday by demanding their citizenship and other rights in the country they fled from. The event came days after Bangladesh with the help of the U.N.…

This is the second story in a series on how the U.S. government’s Migrant Protection Protocols are being carried out in Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Read the first story here. VOA News Center Immigration Reporter Ramon Taylor, and VOA Spanish Service reporters Jorge…