Section: Voice of America (USA)
Trump Says Won’t Send Lawyer to Impeachment Hearing
U.S. President Donald Trump says he will not be sending a lawyer to Wednesday’s House Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing “because the whole thing is a hoax.”Committee Chairman Democrat Jerrold Nadler invited Trump and his counsel to attend the committee’s first hearing as the impeachment inquiry moves into its next...
Defense Budgets Set to Dominate Yet Another NATO Summit
Despite pleas to set aside bickering over military spending so the issue doesn’t dominate a third NATO summit in a row, the United States is almost certain to demand again this week that its 28 NATO partners respect their pledges to boost defense budgets.NATO countries slashed spending as tensions eased after the Cold War. But...
Putin and Xi Oversee Launch of Landmark Russian Gas Pipeline to China
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Monday oversaw the launch of a landmark pipeline that will transport natural gas from Siberia to northeast China, an economic and political boost to ties between Moscow and Beijing.The start of gas flows via the Power of Siberia pipeline reflects Moscow’s attempts to...
White House Says It Will Skip Wednesday’s Impeachment Hearing
The White House says it will not participate in Wednesday impeachment hearing by the House Judiciary Committee.Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler invited U.S. President Donald Trump and his counsel to attend the committee’s first hearing as the impeachment inquiry moves into its next phase.While no one expected Trump to attend – he...
Apple to Reevaluate Policy on Mapping ‘Disputed Borders’ After Crimea Outcry
Apple says it will reevaluate how it identifies “disputed borders” after receiving criticism for displaying Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula as part of Russia on maps and weather apps for Russian users. Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told Reuters on Friday that the U.S. technology giant was “taking a deeper look at how we...
From a Box to a Coffin: The Long, Deadly Road for Vietnamese Migrants
They left Vietnam carrying dreams of small fortunes and the heavy burden of family expectations.But they died in a box, and came home in coffins.For the 39 migrants who set off from one of the poorest parts of their Southeast Asian country in search of work in Britain, the promise of riches outweighed the risks of the perilous journey through...
Deadline Set for Trump to Decide on Role in Impeachment Hearings
A U.S. congressional panel on Friday gave President Donald Trump a deadline of one week to say whether his legal counsel intends to introduce evidence and call witnesses in upcoming impeachment proceedings that could lead to formal charges of misconduct within a few weeks. The Democrat-led House Judiciary Committee, which is due to begin weighing...
NATO Seeks to Head Off Budget Row Saying Spending is Rising
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday that European allies and Canada are spending even more than previously thought on defense, just days before U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to demand once more that other leaders boost their military budgets.Trump meets with his NATO counterparts in London on Dec. 3-4. The previous two...
NATO at 70: Internal Tensions, External Threats as Leaders Set to Gather
NATO leaders are preparing to gather in London for a two-day meeting Tuesday to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the alliance, but growing tensions among members could overshadow the celebrations.The war in Syria and the ongoing Russian threat will serve as the backdrop to the summit. Fellow NATO members the United States and...
Russia’s Alternative to Western Credit Cards Debuts in London
A Russian-backed bank payment card, introduced after Western sanctions upended Russia’s financial system five years ago and prompted Visa and Mastercard to deny electronic services to some of the country’s leading banks, is set for its European debut on London Wednesday, when a pilot project will be launched in collaboration with the...
