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Pierce Bush, the grandson of former President George H.W. Bush, announced his candidacy Monday for a congressional seat in Texas, becoming the latest member of his famous Republican family to enter politics. But his first run for office won't be easy. Bush joins one of the nation's most crowded congressional races of 2020 in his bid to replace Republican Rep. Pete Olson, who is retiring from his suburban Houston district that Democrats nearly flipped last year and are aggressively targeting again.Pierce Bush's announcement video, rolled out on the deadline in Texas for candidates to get on the 2020 ballot, includes an image of him speaking next to a picture of his late grandfather, who died last year. Today, I’m proud to announce my candidacy for Texas's 22nd district. I look…

Minutes before a recent show, “VOD Roundtable” host Lim Thida readied notes and warmed up the day’s guests. Control room staffers prepped to go live with all the trappings of the kind of on-air radio broadcast that, until a few years ago, was typical for the longtime Voice of Democracy program. But this was 2019, and instead of radio, “VOD Roundtable” was being reborn online. Producer Srey Sopheak ran a final check with the engineers, then gave Lim a go-ahead via walkie-talkie. “Hi, this is me, Thida, welcoming all TV viewers who are watching this live ‘VOD Roundtable’ show, which is broadcast via the Facebook page of vodkhmer.news. Today, we will look at measures to eliminate corruption in Cambodia’s judicial system.” Lim Thida, VOD production chief and a co-host of…

The Justice Department's internal watchdog will release a highly anticipated report Monday that is expected to reject President Donald Trump's claims that the Russia investigation was illegitimate and tainted by political bias from FBI leaders. But it is also expected to document errors during the investigation that may animate Trump supporters. The report, as described by people familiar with its findings, is expected to conclude there was an adequate basis for opening one of the most politically sensitive investigations in FBI history and one that Trump has denounced as a witch hunt. It began in secret during Trump's 2016 presidential run and was ultimately taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller. The report comes as Trump faces an impeachment inquiry in Congress centered on his efforts to press Ukraine to…

Women in Saudi Arabia will no longer need to use separate entrances from men or sit behind partitions at restaurants in the latest measure announced by the government that upends a major hallmark of conservative restrictions that had been in place for decades. The decision, which essentially erodes one of the most visible gender segregation restrictions in place, was quietly announced Sunday in a lengthy and technically worded statement by the Municipal and Rural Affairs Ministry. While some restaurants and cafes in the coastal city of Jiddah and Riyadh's upscale hotels had already been allowing unrelated men and women to sit freely, the move codifies what has been a sensitive issue in the past among traditional Saudis who view gender segregation as a religious requirement. Despite that, neighboring Muslim countries…

President Donald Trump said Saturday that Israel has never had a better friend in the White House than him because, unlike his predecessors, "I kept my promises." Trump energized an audience that numbered in the hundreds at the Israeli American Council National Summit in Florida by recounting his record on issues of importance to Jews, including an extensive riff on his promise to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and relocate the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv. Trump said his predecessors only paid lip service to the issue. "They never had any intention of doing it, in my opinion," Trump said. "But unlike other presidents, I kept my promises." Trump also highlighted his decision to reverse more than a half-century of U.S. policy in the Middle East by recognizing…

Hong Kong police have conducted raids ahead of Sunday afternoon's protest rally, uncovering several weapons, including a pistol with more than 100 bullets. Eleven people were arrested during the raids. Daggers, swords, batons and pepper spray were also recovered in the raids at several locations. The city's organized crime bureau said it believed protesters planned to use the weapons during the demonstration "to  incite chaos" and "impugn the police." The territory is bracing for a large turnout for Sunday's protest.  Hong Kong has given its approval for the rally called by the Civil Human Rights Front, a group that has organized some of the city's biggest demonstrations. Monday marks the sixth month anniversary of the rallies that were initially mounted to rally against a now-withdrawn government proposal that would have…

Myanmar leader and Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi  departed on Sunday for the U.N.'s top court in The Hague to defend the country against charges of genocide of its Rohingya Muslim minority. Suu Kyi was pictured smiling as she walked through the airport in the nation's capital, Naypyitaw, flanked by officials, a day after thousands rallied in the city to support her and a prayer ceremony was held in her name. Crowds are expected to gather again in the afternoon to send off several dozen supporters who will travel to The Hague in the Netherlands and demonstrations are planned throughout the coming week, with hearings set for Dec. 10 to 12. Gambia, a tiny, mainly Muslim West African country, filed a lawsuit in November accusing Buddhist-majority Myanmar…

Strikes disrupted weekend travel around France on Saturday as truckers blocked highways and most trains remained at a standstill because of worker anger at President Emmanuel Macron’s policies. Meanwhile, yellow vest protesters held their weekly demonstrations over economic injustice in Paris and other cities, under the close watch of police. The marchers appear to be emboldened by the biggest national protests in years Thursday that kicked off a mass movement against the government’s plan to redesign the national retirement system. As the strikes entered a third day Saturday, tourists and shoppers faced shuttered subway lines around Paris and near-empty train stations. Other groups are joining the fray, too. Nationwide Strike Paralyzes France video player. EmbedCopy Link Nationwide Strike Paralyzes France Truckers striking over a fuel tax hike disrupted traffic on…

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday called for the World Bank to stop loaning money to China, one day after the institution adopted a lending plan to Beijing over Washington's objections. The World Bank on Thursday adopted a plan to aid China with $1 billion to $1.5 billion in low-interest loans annually through June 2025. The plan calls for lending to "gradually decline" from the previous five-year average of $1.8 billion. "Why is the World Bank loaning money to China? Can this be possible? China has plenty of money, and if they don't, they create it. STOP!" Trump wrote in a post on Twitter. "World Bank lending to China has fallen sharply and will continue to reduce as part of our agreement with all our shareholders including the United States,"…

One hundred forty bushfires continue to burn across eastern Australia.  A huge blaze near Sydney is bigger in size than the city itself and could take weeks to put out.  Conditions have eased Saturday but the dangers persist.   Sydney is again shrouded in a toxic, smoky haze.  Health warnings have been issued and many weekend sporting activities have been cancelled.  Several blazes have combined to create a “mega fire” north of Australia’s biggest city. The fire's front is 60 kilometers long and officials warn it is simply too big to put out. <!--[if IE 9]><![endif]--><!--[if IE 9]><![endif]-->Unstoppable ‘Mega fire’ Forms North of SydneyA New South Wales fire official said firefighters can do little more than help residents flee Lauren McGowan works in a bar in the nearby city of Cessnock.…

VOA Connect Episode 99 - We look at different educational settings, from Native American studies to training veterans about beekeeping to kids learning how to code.   ...

The Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico is a school designed for Native Americans.  We talk to students and professors about a learning environment that specifically addresses tribal cultures and values.   Reporter:  Julie Taboh, Camera: Adam Greenbaum, Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki ...

We go to an apiary in New Hampshire where US veterans have turned to beekeeping for post-traumatic stress relief.  Find out how taking care of bees is helping these former fighters use stay grounded and lessen their trauma.   Reporter/Camera: Deborah Block; Adapted by: Martin Secrest ...

Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company, on Thursday set a share price for its initial public stock offering — expected to be the biggest ever — that puts the value of the company at $1.7 trillion, more than Apple or Microsoft.    The company said it would sell its shares at 32 riyals ($8.53) each, putting the overall value of the stake being sold at $25.6 billion.    Aramco is floating a 1.5% stake in the company, or 3 billion shares. Trading is expected to happen on the Saudi Tadawul stock exchange as early as December 11.    The company is selling 0.5% to individuals who are Saudi citizens and residents  and 1% to institutional investors, which can be sovereign wealth funds, asset managers or government-run pension programs.    The pricing of the shares was at the top of the range Aramco had sought. The company…

A piece of paper no bigger than a business card could enrich struggling coffee farmers and their soil, a growing challenge as temperatures rise and prices fluctuate.    Enveritas, a U.S. nonprofit, signed an agreement with International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) on Thursday to pilot the AgroPad, which analyzes soil samples remotely and quickly.    Powered by artificial intelligence, the AgroPad can perform a chemical analysis in 10 seconds, reading nitrate or chloride levels from a drop of water or small soil sample, said IBM.    Enveritas plans to provide the devices for free to farmers in coffee-growing regions of Latin America and Africa, and IBM said it aims to make them affordable for everyone. Its target production cost: less than 25 cents.    The nonprofit, which works with 100,000 farms, mills and estates in Latin America and Africa,…

President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States may take action on trade with countries that are not contributing enough to NATO. Trump, fresh from a trip to London for a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has been pushing member countries to contribute more to the organization. The U.S. president said a lot of countries were getting close to the goal of 2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product for NATO contributions. "A lot of countries are close and getting closer. And some are really not close, and we may do things having to do with trade. It's not fair that they get U.S. protection and they're not putting up their money," he said. Trump and French leader Emmanuel Macron clashed over the future of NATO on…

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday led hundreds of people in a march against corruption, calling corrupt people parasites who steal public wealth. Museveni said to end corruption, leaders must develop the economy. “Commercial agriculture, industry services and ICT, because that’s how we can create jobs and wealth and income so that our people do not have a material basis for acute need, which forces them to be corrupt,” Museveni said. President Yoweri Museveni addresses a gathering that had participated in the anti-corruption walk in Kampala, Uganda, Dec. 4, 2019. (Halima Athumani/VOA News) Critics note that last year, Transparency International ranked Uganda as one of the most corrupt countries in Africa, below Kenya, Mauritania and Nigeria. Action Aid International-Uganda says Museveni marching against corruption is ironic, because his government is…

The Alyn Pediatric Rehabilitation Hospital in Jerusalem offers innovative therapies for children with serious injuries. They treat children (and parents) from diverse national, cultural and religious backgrounds, preparing them to cope with their special needs in their home communities. Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem. ...

The highly anticipated final chapter in the Skywalker film saga will feature a significant role for Princess Leia, the beloved "Star Wars" character played by late actress Carrie Fisher. Writer and director J.J. Abrams said he had enough unused footage of Fisher from the filming of 2015 movie "The Force Awakens" to make Leia a key player in "The Rise of Skywalker," the "Star Wars" film that debuts in theaters on Dec. 20. Fisher died in 2016 at age 60. "We couldn't tell the story without Leia," Abrams said in an interview on Wednesday. "She's the mother of the villain of the piece. She's in a sense the mother of the resistance, the rebellion, the leader, the general." "Her role is, I would say, integral," he added. "This is not…

Iran's President Hassan Rohani has called for the release of protesters who were arrested in recent demonstrations against a sharp hike in gas prices if they were unarmed and simply voicing their opinion. "Religious and Islamic clemency should be shown and those innocent people who protested against petrol price hikes and were not armed...should be released," Rohani said in a televised speech on December 4. Protests erupted on November 15 after the government announced a fuel price hike of up to 200 % but were quickly stifled by security forces who also imposed a week-long near-total Internet blackout. Earlier this week rights group Amnesty International said at least 208 people were killed in the crackdown, a number that is "evidence that Iran's security forces went on a horrific killing spree."…

NATO leaders are gathering at a golf resort outside of London Wednesday to present a united front amid bitter differences over terrorism, Turkey and increased burden sharing with the United States. The 29 leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, posed for a traditional "family" photograph before retreating for the planned three-hour meeting.  The leaders are expected to release a statement afterwards promising to focus more attention on the challenges posed by Russia and rising superpower China.   On the sidelines of the meeting Wednesday, Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.  The White House said "the  two Presidents discussed the importance of Turkey fulfilling its alliance commitments, further strengthening commerce through boosting bilateral trade by $100 billion, regional security challenges, and energy security." A day earlier, leaders had gathered…

China has expressed anger over passage of a bill by the U.S. House of Representatives that calls for official actions against Beijing over its crackdown on millions of ethnic Muslims.   By a vote of 407-to-1, the Democratic-led chamber approved the Uighur Act of 2019 Tuesday which condemns the detention of an estimated one million Uighurs, Kazahks and other ethnic Muslims in so-called "re-education camps" in the remote western province of Xinjiang.  The bill directs various U.S. government agencies to prepare reports on China's treatment of the Muslim minorities, and calls on President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Chinese officials deemed responsible for the mass detentions, specifically Chen Quanguo, the ruling Communist Party's chief in Xinjiang. Beijing has denied that it is detaining the Uighurs against their will, maintaining…

Nevada's powerful casino workers' Culinary Union will hold a series of town halls next week with Democratic presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden, the group said Tuesday. The town halls in Las Vegas on Dec. 9-11 are designed to give the White House hopefuls a chance to pitch themselves to the bartenders, housekeepers and other workers in the city's famed casinos. Their Culinary Workers Union Local 226 is considered one of the most influential endorsements in Nevada, the third state to weigh in on the Democratic presidential race. The union's secretary-treasurer Geoconda Arguello-Kline said the group has not yet decided if it will endorse anyone in the primary but is listening to candidates and telling them what workers want. The union's 60,000 members are mostly women and…

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he supports the demonstrations in Iran and urged the world to watch the Iranian government's violent effort to quash protests that he says have killed “thousands of people.” Speaking in London, where he is attending the NATO leaders summit, Trump said, “Iran is killing thousands and thousands of people right now as we speak.” He added they were killed “for the mere fact that they're protesting,” and he called it a “terrible thing.” Trump was mum on what, if anything, the U.S. could do in response to the violence, but he said, “I think the world has to be watching.” Later, during a meeting, Trump misheard a question when he said he did not support the protesters. The president also sent out a tweet…

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak was a "victim" of the multimillion-dollar 1MDB scandal that saw state coffers drained on his watch, his lawyer said Tuesday, as the ex-premier gave evidence in his own fraud trial. Huge sums were stolen from sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, allegedly by the ex-prime minister and his cronies, and spent on everything from high-end real estate to artwork. Najib's coalition was ousted at the polls last year after six decades in power, largely due to public anger over the scandal. He has since been arrested and hit with dozens of charges linked to the looting of the investment vehicle. "Najib is not part of the conspiracy. He is a victim as much as others in the 1MDB scandal," his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Adbullah…

Twitter is updating its global privacy policy to give users more information about what data advertisers might receive and is launching a site to provide clarity on its data protection efforts, the company said on Monday. The changes, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2020, will comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The California law requires large businesses to give consumers more transparency and control over their personal information, such as allowing them to request that their data be deleted and to opt out of having their data sold to third parties. Social media companies including Facebook and Alphabet's Google have come under scrutiny on data privacy issues, fueled by Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal in which personal data were harvested from millions of users without their consent.…

Tens of millions of people in southern and eastern Africa are facing emergency food insecurity partly caused by climate change – with half of them children, according to the charity Save the Children. The area has been hit by extreme cyclones, flooding and drought in recent months - and scientists warn the region is warming much faster than other parts of the world. As Henry Ridgwell reports, aid agencies are calling on world leaders meeting at the climate conference in Madrid to commit to bigger cuts in greenhouse gases. ...