Section: Voice of America (USA)
Yankee Go Home: What Does Moving Troops out of Germany Mean?
After more than a year of thinly-veiled threats to start pulling U.S. troops out of Germany unless Berlin increases its defense spending, President Donald Trump appears to be proceeding with a hardball approach, planning to cut the U.S. military contingent by more than 25%.About 34,500 American troops are stationed in Germany — 50,000 including...
Ukraine Alleges $5M Bribe Over Burisma, No Biden Link
Ukrainian officials on Saturday said they were offered $5 million in bribes to end a probe into energy company Burisma’s founder, but said there was no connection to former board member Hunter Biden, whose father is running for the U.S. presidency.The Ukrainian company was thrust into the global spotlight last year in the impeachment...
US Accuses China of Intensifying Religious Repression
An annual U.S. government report finds religious freedom under assault throughout the world, notably in what the State Department calls Countries of Particular Concern — China, Iran, North Korea among others.“In China, state-sponsored repression against all religions continues to intensify. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is now ordering...
Africa Harbors 9 of 10 Worst Displacement Crises, Aid Group Says
Of the world’s 10 most neglected displacement crises, nine are in Africa, the Norwegian Refugee Council reports in an annual assessment released Wednesday. “The deep crises represented by millions of displaced Africans are yet again the most underfunded, ignored and deprioritized in the world,” Jan Egeland, the NRC’s secretary...
Covering US Protests, Journalists Find Unexpected Threats
Khrystyna Shevchenko had her camera on Santa Monica looters, as any good video journalist would. So she never saw it coming.“All of a sudden, I felt that punch in my temple area of my head,” she said, adding that she blacked out for a couple of seconds.When she came to, Shevchenko instinctively yelled, “I’m press.”Then she began to notice...
Ousted State Department Watchdog Confirms Investigations Into Pompeo
Ousted State Department Inspector General Steve Linick on Wednesday told members of three congressional committees that before he was abruptly fired, he was investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s use of government resources as well as the secretary’s decision to approve a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia....
Russian General Chafes at ‘Provocative’ NATO Drills
The Russian military on Monday accused the U.S. and its NATO allies of conducting “provocative” military drills near the nation’s borders, a statement that reflected simmering Russia-NATO tensions.Col.-Gen. Sergei Rudskoi of the Russian General Staff said Russia has sent a formal letter to NATO proposing to scale down each...
US General: Russia Using ‘Same Playbook’ in Libya as in Ukraine, Syria
Russia is further destabilizing Libya to gain a stronghold in northern Africa, just as it has in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, according to a top official with U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).”Russia is executing the same playbook as successfully employed in Crimea, Ukraine and to a lesser extent in Syria. Russia has proved its...
Three Wounded in Shootout in Kyiv Suburb; 20 Detained
Dozens of people, some armed with what appeared to be hunting rifles, clashed in broad daylight on Friday in a residential suburb outside the capital Kyiv, and at least three people were wounded, according to officials.The violence, captured in amateur footage taken from surrounding apartment blocks and posted online, occurred in the morning in...
COVID-19 Could Present Protection Issues in Conflict Zones
The U.N. secretary-general said Wednesday that the safety of civilians in conflict zones had been further threatened by the coronavirus.“Civilians caught up in violence now face a new and deadly threat from COVID-19,” Antonio Guterres told a virtual meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the protection of civilians in conflict situations. “The...
