Fewer NFL Players Kneel During Anthem as Trump Repeats Call for Protest to End

Several dozen NFL players, fewer than last week, chose to kneel during the U.S. national anthem before league games on Sunday, a day after President Donald Trump again demanded an end to a protest he sees as a sign of disrespect for the flag. At least 40 players, most of them on the San Francisco …

Thailand ‘Closely Following’ Rohingya Crisis, Will Send Aid

Thailand’s foreign ministry, in a rare statement on an ongoing crisis in neighboring Myanmar’s Rakhine state, said late Saturday that it was “closely following the situation” and would provide aid to the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh. Violence erupted in Rakhine last month when Rohingya militants attacked security posts, triggering a crackdown by the Myanmar …

Poland Keeps Election Promise, Lowers Retirement Age

Poland lowers its retirement age Sunday, a costly election promise by the ruling conservatives that goes against a European trend of gradually increasing the pension age as people live longer and stay more healthy. Lowering the age to 60 for women and 65 for men is popular in particular among supporters of the governing right-wing …

Catalans Gather at Polling Stations, Defy Police Orders

Catalans were defying rain and police orders to leave designated polling stations Sunday ahead of a banned referendum on the region’s secession that has challenged Spain’s political and institutional order. The country’s Constitutional Court has suspended the vote, and the Spanish central government says it’s illegal. Regional separatist leaders have pledged to hold it anyway …

Plague Spreading Rapidly in Madagascar

The World Health Organization warns a highly infectious, deadly form of pneumonic plague is spreading rapidly in Madagascar and quick action is needed to stop it.  Pneumonic plague, which is transmitted from person to person, has been detected in several cities in Madagascar.  This worries the World Health Organization as the disease is highly contagious …

Russian Soldier who Killed 3 Comrades Shot Dead

Officials in far east Russia say a soldier who opened fire at other servicemen during drills has been tracked down and killed. The military says the soldier, who killed three and wounded two other soldiers, offered resistance to arrest and was shot dead early Saturday following a massive manhunt. During Friday’s incident, the soldier fired …

Women Expected to Plead Not Guilty in Death of Kim Jong Un’s Half Brother

Two women accused of murdering the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are expected to plead not guilty when their trial begins Monday in Malaysia, according to an attorney representing one of the defendants. Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam are accused of murdering Kim Jong Nam on February …

EU Moves Ahead on New Future Faster Than on Brexit Talks

Twenty-seven European Union nations, not including Britain, will be coming up with clear options on a more tightly knit future for themselves even before they will allow divorce negotiations with the U.K. to move toward brokering a new relationship. EU Council President Donald Tusk said Friday he would be presenting “a political agenda in two …

Daghestan’s Abdulatipov Resigns, Finally

Although Ramazan Abdulatipov explained his decision to step down in terms of his age, in light of misfortunes that have dogged his tenure it might be that the Kremlin simply lost patience with him. (The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL.) …

North Korean Workers Overseas Feeling Sanctions’ Squeeze

North Korean overseas workers are feeling the heat as countries are stepping up their efforts to implement U.N. sanctions against their motherland. On Wednesday, the Polish foreign ministry told VOA’s Korea Service that Poland does not intend to issue new work permits to North Korean workers to comply with the two latest U.N. Security Council …

Tillerson Heads to China Amid North Korea Nuclear Escalation

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson embarks Thursday on his second trip to China, seeking Beijing’s cooperation on a “maximum pressure” campaign against North Korea’s nuclear aggression amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. In a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong on Thursday, the top U.S. diplomat is seeking China’s cooperation to curb …

UN Chief Urges ‘Swift Action’ to Alleviate Suffering of Myanmar Muslims

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Thursday for “swift action” to halt the deteriorating situation in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine State, where a half million mostly Rohingya Muslims have fled to neighboring Bangladesh in the past month. “The situation has spiraled into the world’s fastest developing refugee emergency; a humanitarian and human rights nightmare,” Guterres told an …