Trump’s G20 Performance Gets Mixed Reviews

Hours after returning from his second presidential foray abroad, Donald Trump and his representatives were out in force Sunday, calling the trip an “outstanding success.” White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, told a television interviewer on “Fox News Sunday” the president was “a star” at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Trump led the …

Cardinal Lands in Australia to Face Sexual Abuse Charges

The most senior Vatican cleric to be implicated in the Roman Catholic Church child abuse scandal returned to Australia on Monday to stand trial in his home state on multiple charges of sexual assault from years ago.   Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis’ top financial adviser, avoided waiting media when he arrived at Sydney Airport …

Tillerson Travels to Kuwait in Hopes of Brokering Qatar Deal

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson travels to Kuwait Monday to try to help broker a deal between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors. Kuwait has tried to mediate a resolution between the small monarchy on the Arabian Peninsula and its neighbors, but has been unsuccessful so far. Tillerson met with top Qatari and Kuwaiti officials …

California Wildfires Force Children From Camp, Residents From Homes

A pair of Santa Barbara County wildfires quickly spread Saturday, threatening hundreds of homes and forcing evacuations at a popular lakeside campground and a summer camp, where flames temporarily trapped children and counselors, a fire official said.   The fire started in the early afternoon, spread to both sides of Highway 154 and was “completely …

Italy Building Collapse Kills 8; Last Body Pulled From Rubble

Firefighters and police in Italy Saturday pulled the eighth and final body from the rubble of a five-story apartment building that partially collapsed in a seaside town south of Naples.    The digging through the debris for victims ended more than 24 hours after the residential building collapsed in the early morning. About 80 firefighters …

Tillerson, Newly Named Envoy for Ukraine Crisis Head to Kyiv

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has named former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker to serve as Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations. The announcement came ahead of Tillerson’s first official visit to Kyiv Sunday, where he will meet with President Petro Poroshenko to discuss ways to help end the conflict in eastern Ukraine and support …

Tillerson Heads to Ukraine Following Trump-Putin Meeting

Ukraine was among the issues raised when U.S. President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday. And Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be taking the issue next to Ukraine’s capital and a meeting with the country’s president. VOA State Department correspondent Nike Ching previews Tillerson’s trip (narrated by VOA’s Steve Redisch.) …

US Missile Strike on North Korea an Unlikely Option, for Now

A pre-emptive military strike may be among the “pretty severe things” President Donald Trump says he is considering for North Korea, but it’s a step so fraught with risk that it ranks as among the unlikeliest options. Even a so-called surgical strike aimed at the North’s partially hidden nuclear and missile force is unlikely to …

Detroit Judge Extends Stay on Iraqi Deportations

A federal judge has extended a stay of deportation for Iraqi nationals, blocking their removal for another two weeks. U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith in Detroit on Thursday halted deportations nationwide until July 24, saying he needs more time to decide whether he has jurisdiction in the case. The judge had issued an injunction against …

Trump, Putin Hold Extensive First Talks On Sidelines Of G20

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Their discussion came amid a deepening rift between the countries over the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, as well as alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election. (AP, Reuters) …

North Korea Missile Test Has Hawaii Worried, Alaska Less So

Disused military tunnels snake beneath the crater of Diamond Head, out of sight of the tourists lounging near the volcano on Waikiki Beach but very much on the mind of Gene Ward, a state representative from Honolulu. Alarmed by North Korea’s latest missile tests and claims that its newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) can …

Hobby Lobby Accused of Hypocrisy Amid Smuggling Case

Hobby Lobby, the arts-and-crafts chain whose devout Christian owners won a landmark Supreme Court ruling on religious freedom, is caught up in an antiquities-smuggling scandal that has opened the company to accusations of hypocrisy. The Oklahoma City-based business agreed to pay a $3 million fine Wednesday over its role in what federal prosecutors said was …