Month: August 2018

A Crimean Tatar activist set himself on fire to protest a plan by Russia-imposed authorities to build a new apartment complex on Tatar land in the Crimean capital, Simferopol. Vatan Karabash doused himself with gasoline on August 3 and set himself alight. People nearby quickly extinguished the flames and Karabash did not appear to suffer …

Read more “Crimean Tatar Sets Himself On Fire To Protest Building Development”

Three seasoned journalists were shot dead as they were investigating Russian military contractors and mining interests far beyond the country’s borders, while pension-reform plans put millions of people back home in a protest mood and exposed rifts in the ruling party. …

Government officials do not typically enjoy a positive reputation in Myanmar, and reform efforts have been sluggish since the country began moving toward democracy. Decades of rule by a military junta that did not regard itself as accountable to the general public have created a legacy of distrust. But successive governments since 2011 — the …

Read more “Capacity Issues Hinder Public Sector Reform in Myanmar”

It’s been in use for nearly 160 years and still holds 2,500 inmates. Kyiv’s Lukyanivska prison is notorious for overcrowding, crumbling infrastructure, and poor hygiene. …

Seventeen victims of abduction have been recognized by Japan, but abductions occurred across Asia. There are more than 800 missing people for whom abduction cannot be ruled out. …

A pair of suicide bombers, armed with assault rifles, stormed a crowded Shiite mosque in eastern Afghanistan during Friday prayers, killing at least 25 worshippers and wounding more than 70 others. The assailants entered the mosque in Gardez, the capital of eastern Paktia province, and sprayed worshippers with bullets before blowing themselves up, the provincial …

Read more “Suicide Bombers Hit Afghan Shiite Mosque, Kill, Hurt Dozens”

After a whirlwind six-day visit to the U.S., Abiy Ahmed, the new prime minister of Ethiopia, has returned home. Now, the question is how newfound relationships will impact one of Africa’s fastest-changing countries. Salem Solomon and Karina Choudhury attended one of the prime minister’s business meetings in Washington and have this story. …

Leaders of the U.S. intelligence and security community told a briefing at the White House that Russia is continuing to use “pervasive methods” to exploit and intensify differences in U.S. society and that they remain concerned about U.S. election security. …

A look at the best news photos from around the world. …

Apple made history Thursday when it became the first publicly listed U.S. company to be valued at $1 trillion. The tech giant’s share price climbed well over 2 percent in mid-session trading, boosting it about 9 percent higher since Tuesday, when it announced better-than-expected second-quarter earnings and a buyback of $20 billion worth of its …

Read more “Apple is 1st Public US Company to be Valued at $1 Trillion”

An amateur video appears to show protests in Tehran as unrest spread across the country over Iran’s collapsing currency. A speaker recorded in the video says that the protest was under way in the center of the capital on August 2. Demonstrators are also heard chanting “Mullahs, get lost.” …

Russian soldiers and veterans gathered with their families in Moscow’s Gorky Park on August 2 to mark national Paratroopers Day. The paratroopers, wearing their signature berets and striped tank tops, repeated their tradition of swimming in public fountains. …

Decades after the end of the Korean War in 1953, the remains of dozens of presumed U.S. war dead returned Wednesday to Hawaii for analysis and identification. The U.S. military believes the bones are those of U.S. servicemen and potentially servicemen from other United Nations member countries who fought alongside the U.S. on behalf of …

Read more “US Welcomes Return of Presumed Korean War Dead”

A Roman Catholic diocese in Pennsylvania has released a list of more than 70 of its clergy members accused of child abuse dating back decades. Harrisburg Bishop Ronald Gainer also announced changes to confidentiality policies and said the names of anyone accused of abuse, as well as the bishops who led the church for the …

Read more “Pennsylvania Diocese Names Clergy Accused of Sex Abuse”

He came from Bulgaria to study at an American university 13 years ago. He received a master’s degree, followed by a doctorate. J.B., who prefers not to be identified by his real name, told VOA that life in the U.S. has been going great. He has been working as a visiting professor for a U.S. …

Read more “Trump Administration Pares Legal Immigration, Attorneys Say”

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia – U.S. prosecutors drilled deep into Paul Manafort’s lavish lifestyle and spending habits, as they continued building their case that President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager committed bank fraud and tax evasion.   Prosecutors spent the second day of the trial against Manafort presenting more invoices and witness testimony as they detailed wire …

Read more “U.S. Prosecutors Detail Lavish Spending of Trump’s Ex-Campaign Chief”