A day before Egyptians are to vote in a controversial referendum on constitutional changes, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice says she told Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak about her concerns over the progress of democratic reform in Egypt.
Get the full story...
The top U.S. general today said China sent a "confusing" message with its antisatellite-missile test in January, and called on Beijing to be more open about its military plans.
Get the full story...
The Senate committee that oversees U.S. banking heard testimony yesterday about the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions on Iran. The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote on a new resolution toughening the existing sanctions. Meanwhile, Iranian leaders remain defiant in the face of international pressure to suspend nuclear enrichment. VOA's Sean Maroney reports.
Get the full story...
North Korea strongly condemned upcoming joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, saying Thursday that they would harm progress at international talks aimed at the North's nuclear disarmament.
Get the full story...
Palestinian officials say a U.S. diplomat has held the first U.S. talks with a member of the new Palestinian unity government. The officials say U.S. Consul General Jacob Walles met Palestinian finance minister Salam Fayyad Tuesday. Fayyad is not affliliated with the main Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.
Get the full story...
As Iraqis mark the fourth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion, many people are expressing frustration and fear about the future of their country. VOA's Margaret Besheer spoke to Iraqis in the northern Kurdish city of Irbil, where many have gone to flee the violence of Baghdad.
Get the full story...
North Korea says it will not shut down its nuclear programs as agreed, until the United States releases millions of dollars frozen in a Macau bank. U.S. officials say that decision is up to Macau. The comments come ahead of Monday's resumption of six-nation talks in Beijing on North Korean nuclear disarmament. VOA's Heda Bayron reports from our Asia News Center in Hong Kong.
Read the full story
Bishops from 111 Episcopal dioceses in the United States are meeting at retreat center near Houston to consider, among other things, how to respond to an ultimatum from African bishops to ban gay bishops and same-sex marriages. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, the U.S. bishops are not expected to pronounce on this issue at this meeting, but time is running out.
Read the full story
The U.S. military in Iraq says six American soldiers were killed in separate incidents over the past two days. The military said four soldiers were killed and two others wounded in a roadside bomb explosion Thursday in eastern Baghdad, where two bombs went off as the soldiers were returning from a search operation. The second explosion caused the U.S. casualties.
Read the full story
The U.S. Senate has rejected by a 50 to 48 vote a Democratic-sponsored measure calling for withdrawal of US troops from Iraq by March of next year. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.
Read the full story
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed human rights and other issues in a meeting Thursday with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem. The Vietnamese government is accused of a new crackdown on political dissent. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
Read the full story
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to visit Warsaw today for talks with Polish leaders. The talks are expected to include Poland's decision to join the Czech Republic in hosting U.S. missile-defense bases aimed at protecting against possible missile launches from nations such as Iran.
Read the full story
