Category: World

Dutch voters have been casting ballots in an election that is considered an indicator of anti-immigrant and nationalist feeling and comes amid a dispute with Turkey. …

Newly appointed U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will visit South Korea later this week at a time of significant political change that could complicate the alliance between Washington and Seoul.  VOA’s Brian Padden has more from Seoul. …

The release of two pages of President Donald Trump’s 2005 tax returns has sparked a legal dispute, with the White House and a major television network squaring off over whether a law was broken. The White House said MSNBC’s publication of the pages Tuesday night violated a federal law that prohibits the unauthorized release of …

Read more “At A Glance: The Legal Dispute Over Release of Trump’s Taxes”

Syrian state media say a suicide bombing at a courthouse in the capital, Damascus, has killed at least 25 people. …

At least 25 people were killed Wednesday in a suicide bomb attack inside the main Damascus justice building, according to Syria’s official news agency. The attack occurred inside the Palace of Justice, a courthouse in central Damascus, state media said. No other details were immediately available. The suicide bombing Wednesday comes just less than a …

Read more “25 Killed in Damascus Court Bombing”

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL. …

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his government to conclude an agreement to effectively incorporate the military of Georgia’s breakaway South Ossetia region into the Russian armed forces’ command structure. …

U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabian Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Tuesday at the White House to discuss what the Saudi Press Agency said was “the strengthening of bilaterial relations between the two countries and regional issues of mutual interest.” It was the highest level visit to Washington by a Saudi royal …

Read more “Trump Meets with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince”

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

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered that “blasphemous” content on social media websites be removed or blocked. …

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau plans to be in New York on Wednesday for a Broadway play about Newfoundlanders who opened their doors to thousands of passengers who descended on the town of Gander the day U.S. airspace was shut on 9/11. More than 200 flights were diverted to Canada. Little-used Gander became the second …

Read more “Trudeau in New York for Broadway Play About Canada on 9/11”

Turkey has criticized a ruling by the European Union’s top court that companies in the EU can ban employees from wearing religious or political symbols including the Islamic headscarf. …

Poland plans to seek the extradition of an American on suspicion of committing crimes against humanity in the World War II deaths of 44 Polish villagers, Poland’s government-affiliated history institute said Monday. The man, identified as Michael K., is suspected of ordering the killings in 1944 in eastern Poland when he was a commander in …

Read more “Poland to Seek Extradition from United States of Suspected Nazi Commander”

The U.S. has been relying on Pakistan as an ally in the war on terror in the region and has provided the country with billions of dollars in aid over the last 15 years. But American military and diplomatic officials have time and again expressed concerns about Pakistan’s inability or unwillingness to crack down on …

Read more “Experts Divided Over What Trump Administration Should Do With Pakistan”

Somali officials say pirates have hijacked an oil tanker in the Indian Ocean and guided it to the coast of Puntland region. Sources tell VOA’s Somali service that the ship is believed to be a merchant tanker flying the flag of the United Arab Emirates. Regional officials say they are still assessing the circumstances of …

Read more “Officials: Somali Pirates Hijack Oil Tanker in Indian Ocean”

Turkey says it is halting all high-level political discussions with the Netherlands and that Ankara’s agreement with the European Union to help hold back a flood of Asian migrants has ended. …

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance saw a 60 percent increase in “cyberincidents” during 2016 compared to the previous year. …

Western governments and human rights groups are criticizing Belarusian authorities for the biggest crackdown in years against peaceful protesters. …

Asia Trip Poses Numerous Challenges for Tillerson …

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is vowing harsh retaliation against the Dutch government for barring his ministers from speaking at a rally. Ankara was hoping to sway Turkish nationals in Europe to support Erdogan’s side at an upcoming referendum in Turkey. European leaders have largely condemned the referendum, which seeks to give the Turkish authoritarian …

Read more “Turkey’s Spat With Netherlands Could Undermine EU Entry Bid”

The U.S. envoy to the coalition against Islamic State (IS) fighters in Mosul says any militants left in the Iraqi city will die. …

Leaders of European Union countries have criticized Turkey, while the dispute over the Turkish government’s attempts to hold rallies in European countries has been growing since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Germany and the Netherlands of “Nazism” and “fascism” because officials blocked rallies there.   Erdogan warned the Netherlands Sunday it would “pay a price” …

Read more “EU Leaders Criticize Turkey Over Accusations of ‘Nazism, Fascism’”

Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza says he plans to return to Russia to continue his protests against the government of President Vladimir Putin. …

The United Nations says 2016 was the worst year yet for children affected by Syria’s six-year-long civil war, with at least 652 being killed and many millions more suffering as refugees. …