More Than 31 Million Internally Displaced in 2016

A watchdog organization says 31.1 million people were displaced in 2016 within their home countries due to conflict, violence and disasters.  The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) released a report Monday about the startling statistics. “In 2016, one person every second was forced to flee their home inside their …

China to Detail its Antarctic Ambitions at Treaty Meeting

Chinese officials will detail their growing ambitions in Antarctica on Monday as Beijing hosts a meeting of nations that oversee management of the polar region amid concerns over its susceptibility to climate change. Scientific research in Antarctica is governed under a 1959 treaty that designates the ice-capped continent as a natural reserve and prohibits commercial …

Pope Names Cardinals for Laos, Mali, Sweden, Spain, Salvador

In a surprise announcement Sunday, Pope Francis named five new cardinals, for Spain, El Salvador and three countries where Catholics are a tiny minority: Mali, Laos and Sweden. “Their origin, from different parts of the world, manifests the universality of the Church spread out all over the Earth,” Francis said, speaking from the window of …

Erdogan to Return to Turkey’s Ruling Party As Its Chairman

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party on Sunday kicked off a congress to re-elect President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as its chairman after last month’s referendum. Erdogan will return to lead the party he co-founded after Sunday’s extraordinary congress in Ankara, since last month’s referendum removed a constitutional requirement that presidents be neutral and cut ties …

Video Shows Transit Officer Asking About Immigration Status

Minneapolis Metro Transit police are investigating an incident shown on video in which a transit officer asks a light-rail passenger about his immigration status. The agency announced it was investigating after Minneapolis artist Ricardo Levins Morales posted video of the incident to his Facebook page on Friday. Morales says the officer was checking passenger fares, …

Tillerson: Saudi Arms Deal Meant to Counter Iranian Influence

A $100-billion arms deal signed Saturday between Saudi Arabia and the United States is meant to counter Iran’s “malign” influence in the region, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. Speaking at a joint briefing in Riyadh Saturday with his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Tillerson said the defense package is meant to …

Iran Strikes Back at US With More Reciprocal Sanctions

Iran has sanctioned nine more U.S.-linked businesses, organizations and people over America’s sanctions over its ballistic missile program. Iran’s Foreign Ministry published a new sanctions list online Saturday, which added nine targets. The sanctions means Iran could seize local assets of the companies targeted and bar its employees from the country. Those targets include Booz …

US: Turkish Security Detail’s Clash in Washington Is ‘Deeply Disturbing’ 

The U.S. State Department said a clash in Washington this week in which Turkish security personnel apparently attacked demonstrators was “deeply disturbing.” A State Department statement Friday promised a “thorough investigation’’ to hold those responsible accountable. Tom Shannon, the acting deputy secretary of state, met Wednesday with Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kilic to discuss the altercation. …

Rape Case Dropped, but Assange Can’t ‘Forgive or Forget’ Treatment

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says he cannot “forgive or forget” what Sweden has put him through, following an announcement by Swedish prosecutors that they have dropped their rape case against him. Assange has been living at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012 under virtual house arrest to avoid being detained in connection with the …

2 US Fighter Jets Scramble to Escort Hawaii-bound Plane

U.S. military fighter jets scrambled to escort a Hawaii-bound American Airlines plane after a man allegedly tried to enter the cockpit Friday. Pacific Command spokesman Navy Commander Dave Benham told VOA via email Friday that two F-22 Raptors from the Hawaii National Guard were called to respond to a reported disturbance on the commercial aircraft …