Headlines- The US's ongoing blockade of Iranian ports, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp, has caused control of the Strait of Hormuz to "return to its previous state."
- US President Donald Trump stated that a peace agreement was "very close," even though Tehran denied his assertion that it was prepared to turn over nuclear weapons.
- Iran's Foreign Ministry denied claims made by US President Donald Trump regarding the nation's enriched uranium stockpile, stating that it would not be moved "anywhere."
- After Iran's declaration that the Strait of Hormuz is "completely open" amid a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, oil prices fell by about 10% on Friday.
- The six-week conflict in Lebanon has resulted in the deaths of over 2,000 people and the displacement of one in five.
Year: 2020
Six Camp Detainees From a Street...
At least three people have died and three are seriously ill from among 17 people taken to internment camps from a single street in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR)
Hispanics Expected to Outnumber Blacks at...
Hispanics are expected to make up the largest minority voting group in the 2020 election, Pew Research Center says. And just days before the vote, an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll finds former Vice President Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump by a 2-1 margin among Hispanic voters
Belarus Radiation
The Gomel region of southern Belarus – once a part of the former Soviet Union – suffered the biggest radioactive blow from the 1986 Chernobyl accident
Weekend Reports
Thousands of people turned out on October 31 to pay their respects to the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, who died at the age of 82 after being hospitalized…Around 300 people took part in a sanctioned rally on October 31 in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s second-largest city. The protest was held to demand political reforms
On Halloween, Americans Find Ways to...
Traditional Halloween celebrations like trick or treating have been discouraged by U.S. health authorities to prevent the spread of COVID19. But Americans are finding ways to spook the virus away
In Los Angeles, COVID Inspires Drive-Thru...
The coronavirus pandemic has affected how people celebrate holidays, like Halloween. approaches, the notion that the traditional trick-or-treating by children will be curtailed has inspired alternatives – including various drive-through experiences in Los Angeles, California
Huge Voter Turnout Expected in US...
Muslim Americans make up only about 1% of the U.S. population. As VOA’s Faiza Bukhari reports, Muslim communities are mobilizing to cast their ballots for the Nov. 3 presidential election
Culture War Erupts in Poland After...
Women’s rights activists have called a national strike and thousands of people have joined demonstrations to protest a decision by Poland’s Constitutional Court to ban nearly all abortions
Interview: ‘Grassroots Participation in Democracy is...
On April 24, 2019, a court in Hong Kong handed down jail terms to four pro-democracy activists accused of “inciting” the 2014 Occupy Central movement, after finding them guilty of public order charges. Movement co-founders Benny Tai and Chan Kin-man were both sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment by the West Kowloon District Court for “conspiracy to cause a public nuisance,” while fellow movement leader Chu Yiu-ming, 75, and Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan were given suspended prison terms owing to poor health. The charges were based on comments made to the media, and on a 2013 press conference given by Chan Kin-man, Benny Tai and Chu Yiu-ming calling on people to occupy the Central business district in a peaceful civil disobedience
Black Films Popularity Increase
Black films and TV series are receiving critical acclaim and have become box office sensations. VOA’s Penelope Poulou spoke with film critics who say this “New Black Renaissance” shows audiences’ appetite for thought-provoking, entertaining and diverse stories is growing