NATO Chief: ‘Have to be Strong’ in Response to Russia But Dialogue Important

The head of NATO says members of the alliance are united in their stance toward Russia in a way they have not been for many years. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday in an interview with VOA’s Serbian Service that NATO is committed to stepping up its defense while at the same time continuing dialogue with …

Tillerson: Trump Says Look Past Turmoil and Re-Engage Russia

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday that President Donald Trump has asked him to rebuild the U.S. relationship with Russia and not allow the political turmoil over possible Russian ties to the Trump campaign to impede him. Tillerson said relations with Russia are at a low point and deteriorating, and Trump asked him to …

Britain’s Election Has Pollsters Nervous

Having predicted the last British election wrong, as well as June’s referendum on European Union membership, the country’s pollsters are understandably nervous about Thursday’s vote — even more so after Saturday’s terror attack in the heart of London. Before the attack, several opinion polls suggested a shift in public sentiment. Prime Minister Theresa May, who …

British Security Services Questioned About Surveillance Priorities

For the second time in a month Britain’s security services are facing awkward questions about their surveillance policies, after it emerged the ringleader of Saturday’s terror attack in the heart of London was known to them and had been interrogated in the past. The British-Pakistani, who police are not naming for operational reasons, was also …

Facebook Vows Steps to Create ‘Hostile Environment’ for Terrorists

Facebook said it wanted to make its social media platform a “hostile environment” for terrorists in a statement issued after attackers killed seven people in London and prompted Prime Minister Theresa May to demand action from internet firms. Three attackers rammed a rental van into pedestrians on London Bridge and stabbed others nearby on Saturday …

Election Tests Ruling Party in Mexico’s Most Populous State

Voters in Mexico’s most populous state on Sunday could hand the ruling party a much-needed boost ahead of next year’s presidential elections or a potentially devastating blow by throwing off its uninterrupted 88-year local rule.   Voting centers opened in the morning amid complaints that some voters had received intimidating telephone calls warning them not …

Pence Praises Trump as ‘More Concerned with Des Moines Than Denmark’

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Saturday that it’s “great to have a president who is more concerned with Des Moines than Denmark,” after rolling up to a political fundraiser on a motorcycle. Pence was in Iowa Saturday at a fundraiser for Senator Joni Ernst dubbed “Roast and Ride,” a barbecue to honor U.S. veterans. …

Remembering Tiananmen Square, 28 Years Later 

Rights activists in Hong Kong are set to commemorate the anniversary of China’s Tiananmen Square protests, once again calling on China to revise its official explanation of the event. Sunday marks 28 years since Chinese tanks rolled into crowds of demonstrators in Tiananmen Square, opening fire and killing hundreds of pro-democracy activists. Some estimates put …

SpaceX Launches First Recycled Supply Ship

SpaceX launched its first recycled cargo ship to the International Space Station on Saturday, another milestone in its bid to drive down flight costs. After a two-day delay caused by thunderstorms, the unmanned Falcon rocket blasted off carrying a Dragon capsule that made a station delivery nearly three years ago. When this refurbished Dragon reaches …

Mattis Says China’s Militarization of Man-Made Islands Unacceptable

U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis applauded China’s efforts to work with the international community on North Korea at an annual security forum in Singapore Saturday. But when it came to the South China Sea, he called China’s ongoing militarization of man-made islands there and its disregard for international order, unacceptable. “We cannot accept Chinese …