Author: Fworld

Amid reports that the White House is reviewing its policy toward North Korea, the former head of the U.S. Pacific Command says it’s crucial to consider a full range of options — including the use of military force, if necessary — to deter the growing nuclear threat from Pyongyang.  In an interview with VOA Tuesday, …

A day after President Donald Trump signed a revised travel ban, attorneys for Hawaii said the state plans to challenge that order as well. The state wants to amend its existing lawsuit challenging Trump’s previous order to contest the revised one, according to a motion filed Tuesday in federal court in Honolulu. The new order …

Longtime federal prosecutor Rod Rosenstein is expected to face questions about a federal investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election as he appears before Congress Tuesday for a confirmation hearing for the role of deputy attorney general.   That No. 2 person at the Justice Department handles day-to-day oversight of the department and its …

Facebook has launched a tool it says will help flag so-called fake news. The tool adds a “disputed news” flag on stories that have been deemed fake by what Facebook says are third parties, including Snopes, Politifact and Factcheck.org. Facebook announced the disputed news flag in December, but it appears it only has gone live …

Syrian refugee, Mohamad Naser Trad is spending his birthday dinner in a new land and with some strangers who are becoming new friends. “A lot of Americans welcome us and so nice to us, and they want to help us,” said Trad. Trad, his parents and three other siblings arrived in the United States six …

Q: Who is subject to the suspension of entry under the Executive Order (EO)? Foreign nationals from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen, who are outside the U.S. who do not have a valid visa on the effective date of this order are not eligible to enter the U.S. while the temporary suspension remains …

The Supreme Court has passed a case of a transgendered high school student on bathroom access back to a lower court without ruling. The case was sent back Monday to the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in state of Virginia, the same court that last year ruled in favor of the student. High …

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new executive order Monday, barring travelers from six countries to the United States for three months, and all refugees for four months, after federal appeals judges blocked a similar order from implementation last month. “This executive order is a vital measure for strengthening our national security,” Secretary of State …

U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said Sunday their offensive to retake Raqqa, the de facto capital of so-called Islamic State (IS), has resumed after a halt that lasted for one week. The SDF, a Kurdish-led force, intends to isolate Raqqa from Deir Ezzor, another IS stronghold in eastern Syria, and to take control of more …

Washington is engulfed by a dizzying flurry of contradictory statements and rampant speculation over whether federal authorities wiretapped Donald Trump’s telephones during last year’s presidential campaign. VOA’s Michael Bowman reports, the White House is demanding ongoing investigations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election be expanded to probe whether the FBI spied on Trump at …

Local police and the FBI continue to look for the white male who shot a Sikh man after telling him to “go back to your own country” in a Seattle, Washington (state) suburb Friday. The victim had been released from the hospital Sunday, but wishes to remain anonymous and has not made any public statement …

Four days after Donald Trump’s surprising White House victory, the liberal organization CREDO Action fired off a frantic warning to its 4.6 million anxious supporters. Their worry wasn’t the new president. It was his opposition. “Democratic leaders have been welcoming Trump,” the email said. “That’s not acceptable. Democratic leaders need to stand up and fight. …

A New York man was being held without bail on terrorism charges after federal authorities said he was prepared to strap on a bomb and sacrifice himself for jihad and persistently tried to join the Islamic State or another extremist group in Syria. Elvis Redzepagic, 26, was charged Saturday with attempting to provide material support …

Police in a Seattle suburb were looking for a gunman who shot a Sikh man in the arm and told him to “go back to your own country,” the Seattle Times reported. The victim — a 39-year-old man who observes the Sikh faith — told police that he was working in his driveway about 8 …

Pakistan’s prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, on Friday ceremonially broke ground on an $81 million U.S.-funded component of a larger dam project to be built in North Waziristan, a volatile tribal region that until recently was condemned as the epicenter of global terrorism. Officials say that, once completed, the $230 million Kurram Tangi Dam would promote …

Delia Douglas’ experience growing up has been different from the rest of her schoolmates. “In any of the storybooks that I was reading growing up, I remember the families always looked a certain way. Both parents matched,” she said. “Even it seemed like in many of the storylines that were about animal families, both bears …

A man near the cordoned-off area near the baggage claim for international arrivals at Dulles International Airport questioned Mirriam Seddiq as she stood with her sign offering free legal assistance. As Seddiq later tells the story, he sneered, “Would you take these Muslims home with you?”  She looked down at herself, then back up at …

When Johnnie Yellock enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, he knew his job as a combat controller would frequently put him in harm’s way.   “We volunteered in a time of war, we knew exactly what we were up against,” he told VOA. “A lot of our job titles were putting us right on the …

Mercedes is recalling about 1 million cars and SUVs worldwide because a starter part can overheat and cause fires.   The recall covers certain C-Class, E-Class and CLA cars and GLA and GLC SUVs, all from 2015 through 2017, including nearly 308,000 in the U.S.   The German automaker reported 51 fires worldwide, with about …

One by one, several Federal Reserve officials have signaled in recent days that the Fed is ready to resume raising interest rates as soon as this month. The question is whether the official who matters most — Chair Janet Yellen — will add her own voice to that impression. When Yellen speaks Friday in Chicago …

New U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Thursday issued an order  overturning an Obama administration ban on the controversial use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle used on federal lands and waters, in a nod to hunters and fishermen on his first day on the job. Zinke, who was a first-term Montana Congressman and a …

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will deliver the commencement address at the University of Notre Dame this year, an honor customarily reserved for newly elected U.S. presidents. Notre Dame’s president, the Reverend John Jenkins, said, “It is fitting that in the 175th year of our founding on Indiana soil that Notre Dame recognize a native …

U.S. first lady Melania Trump read to a group of children at a New York hospital Thursday to celebrate National Read Across America Day. In one of her first outings in a traditional first lady role, Trump read to children at the pediatrics ward from the Dr. Seuss favorite, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! She …

As the world awaits President Donald Trump’s revised executive order on immigration, the future of the U.S. refugee program remains in limbo. VOA spoke with a Kurdish Syrian-born refugee whose personal and tragic experience has led her to advocate for open-door policies for refugees globally. Elizabeth Cherneff has her story. …

From international tourism to federal employment prospects, every new White House administration alters the fabric of life in Washington, D.C. For local restaurateurs, it’s no different. Washington’s restaurants, from gastropubs to fine-dining spots, are beginning to get a sense of the new clientele. VOA Russian Service correspondent Anush Avetisyan has the story. …

The day after President Donald Trump’s address to Congress, much of official Washington focused on the president’s softer, more optimistic tone. Now supporters, critics and analysts are wondering if this change is fleeting or here to stay, a key question as Congress begins the task of grappling with Trump’s ambitious domestic agenda. VOA National correspondent …