Year: 2019

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck northwestern Iran early Friday, killing at least five people and injuring more than 300 others, officials said. The temblor struck Tark county in Iran’s Eastern Azerbaijan province at 2:17 a.m., Iran’s seismological center said. The area is about 400 kilometers…

When billboards in Chinese start appearing, along with Korean and Japanese grocery stores and restaurants that span tastes from almost all of Asia, they are signs that you have entered California's San Gabriel Valley. For some people, it is a bedroom community of Los Angeles.…

U.S. Democrats are celebrating election victories in the states of Virginia and Kentucky that could point to trouble for Republican President Donald Trump and his bid for re-election next year.  Thanks to support from suburban voters, Democrats took control of both chambers of the state…

Melania Trump is visiting a Boston hospital's cuddling program that aims to help infants born dependent on drugs or alcohol. The first lady's stop Wednesday at Boston Medical Center is part of her “Be Best” initiative. The hospital developed the program to nurture babies born…

A Chilean prosecutor on Wednesday said he would seek court approval to investigate 14 police officers for allegedly torturing protesters during almost three weeks of intense unrest and rioting in the country. Manual Guerra, the prosecutor for Santiago East, said the investigation was related to…

Voting in U.S. state and local elections on Tuesday showed no evidence of successful tampering by any foreign government, the Justice Department and six U.S. security agencies said. But Russia, China, Iran and other adversaries of the United States will seek to meddle in U.S.…

From ex-prostitutes making jewelry out of bullet casing to drones delivering blood, rising numbers of businesses with a mission to help address social problems are emerging in Ethiopia as the economy opens up. An estimated 55,000 social enterprises operate in Ethiopia, the second-most populous country…

Brazil's mining regulator on Tuesday blasted iron ore miner Vale SA for failing to disclose problems with a mining dam before a deadly collapse in January, saying this kept the agency from taking actions that could have saved lives. The dam in Brumadinho collapsed and…

U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to tap Steve Biegun, the special representative for North Korea, as deputy secretary of state could spur Washington’s denuclearization talks with Pyongyang, said experts. “[Biegun’s] in a position now where he will have much more influence, and he will be…

North Korea on Tuesday lashed out at the United States for mentioning Pyongyang in its annual report on state sponsors of terrorism, saying the report is an example of Washington's "hostile policy" that is limiting chances for dialogue. The U.S. State Department on Friday published…

Newly-announced U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's construction sector have drawn a skeptical response from some Iran analysts who foresee the measures doing only limited harm to one of its top industries. In an Oct. 31 announcement, the Trump administration said it had imposed sanctions on Iran's…

As the US House of Representatives continues to march forward with an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, voters are speaking out in the political battleground state of Wisconsin. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh has more from Madison ...

Iran's nuclear chief announced Monday the country is operating dozens of advanced centrifuges in a move that further goes against the 2015 agreement the country signed with a group of world powers. Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said told state…

Pakistan has closed its consular office in Afghanistan's capital, citing unspecified security reasons. Pakistan said the Kabul office will be closed until further notice. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said Afghanistan's charge d'affaires has been summoned to "convey serious concerns over the safety and security" about its…

Smuggling gangs in Mexico are cutting through the "virtually impenetrable" wall President Donald Trump is building along the U.S.-Mexico border to keep migrants and drugs out of the country, but Trump says he is not concerned. "We have a very powerful wall," Trump told reporters…

The White House on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's bid to get Ukraine to investigate one of his chief 2020 Democratic political rivals, former Vice President Joe Biden, saying the request did not amount to an impeachable offense. "Nothing would lead to a high crime…

Venezuela's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday it was expelling El Salvador's diplomats from the country, in response to the Central American country's decision to expel diplomats representing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. In a statement, the ministry said it would give the diplomats 48 hours to…

Airbnb's boss announced Saturday that the online platform, which offers private homes for rent for short periods, is banning "party houses" after a deadly shooting at a Halloween event in California. Five people were killed and others wounded in a Thursday night shooting in Orinda,…

Firefighters began to get the upper hand on a destructive wildfire in a Southern California farming region Saturday, taking advantage of lighter winds as authorities let some evacuated residents return home.  The Maria Fire erupted Thursday near Santa Paula, about 70 miles (110 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles,…

The song “Baby Shark'' blared over loudspeakers and a wave of red washed across this politically blue capital Saturday as Nationals fans rejoiced at a parade marking Washington's first World Series victory since 1924.  ``They say good things come to those who wait. Ninety-five years…

China's direct investment in the U.S. has slowed to a trickle, dropping by 80% from 2016 to 2018, according to New York-based research provider Rhodium Group.  Among the hardest-hit sectors are real estate and hospitality, with Chinese investors no longer scrambling to buy prime properties…

Ten Southeast Asian heads of state will hold their landmark annual meeting next week, and four are enmeshed in a maritime sovereignty dispute with their more powerful neighbor China. But the event is widely expected to produce a statement that avoids condemning Beijing. That’s because…

George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign aide who was a key figure in the FBI's Russia probe, filed paperwork Tuesday to run for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Democrat Katie Hill. Papadopoulos didn't immediately comment, but on Sunday he tweeted, ``I love my…

Former President Jimmy Carter will miss a second week teaching Sunday school as he recovers from a fall that resulted in a broken pelvis. Maranatha Baptist Church posted an update late Monday requesting prayers for the 95-year-old Carter and his family during the healing process.…

Over the last year Russia has sent Cuba 1,000 minibuses, 50 locomotives, tens of thousands of tourists and a promise to upgrade the island’s power grid with a multi-million dollar improvement plan. Russian-Cuban trade has more than doubled since 2013, to an expected $500 million…

A military officer at the National Security Council twice raised concerns over the Trump administration's push to have Ukraine investigate Democrats and Joe Biden, according to testimony the official is to deliver Tuesday in the House impeachment inquiry. Alexander Vindman, an Army lieutenant colonel who…

President Donald Trump used a conference of police chiefs on Monday to slam the host city as “embarrassing to us as a nation” under the leadership of its top cop, who skipped the event over disagreements with Trump’s immigration policies. Trump has frequently criticized Chicago…

Americans will celebrate Halloween on October 31, a tradition that dates to an ancient Celtic festival in which it was believed the dead would return to haunt the living. Chances are, many of today’s trick-or-treaters will paint their faces like skulls, borrowing from an ancient…