In his first major foreign policy speech, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has said at the Munich Security Conference that America will be ‘unwavering’ in its support for the NATO alliance – but warned allies that they must step up defense spending. Amid controversy over the Trump administration’s ties to Moscow, Mr. Pence said the… more
While German Chancellor Angela Merkel proposed that European nations strengthen their multilateral ties, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence praised NATO but made no mention of the European Union, fueling concerns about America’s new approach to international affairs. At the Munich Security Conference Saturday, Merkel delivered a speech stressing the importance of supporting organizations such as… more
President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Saturday morning to take another shot at reporters ahead of his planned campaign-style rally Saturday afternoon in Florida, by calling on his followers not to believe “the main stream (fake news) media.” Trump traveled to Florida on Friday to stay at his Mar-a-Lago resort for the weekend. Some… more
On her website, former acrobat Silke Pan has a quote that says: “You are stronger than you ever expected!” She’s had to be. After working as a professional acrobat for years, she was sidelined in 2007 when a fall left her unable to use her legs. Now she is walking again, thanks to a new… more
Most experts agree that we are past the dawn of robotic age, and one of the countries strongly pushing to the forefront is China. As the cost of human labor in China is rising, factories are increasingly replacing production line workers with robots. VOA’s George Putic reports. …… more
U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has told European allies that American security is tied to that of Europe, describing NATO’s principle of collective defense as a ‘bedrock commitment’. He made the comments at the Munich Security Conference, where heads of state and delegates from across the world are gathered at a time of… more
The Kremlin denied Friday that it has grown frustrated with a lack of progress in improving relations with Washington under President Donald Trump, saying it’s too early to say what course Russia-U.S. ties will take. “We never wore rose-tinted glasses, never had any illusions, so there is nothing to be disappointed with,” Kremlin spokesman… more
Senate Republicans used their majority to confirm Scott Pruitt, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, despite calls from Democrats for a delay. Republicans backed Pruitt, despite a public records lawsuit which ordered Pruitt, who has been serving as Oklahoma’s attorney general, to release thousands of emails that he exchanged with oil… more
Google’s parent company, Alphabet, says the company has made a “breakthrough” on its plans to offer Internet access to rural areas via connected balloons through an endeavor called Project Loon. Initially, the idea was to have a steady stream of balloons circling the globe. When one went out of range in a certain area, another… more
Mark Zuckerberg helped create the modern world by connecting nearly a quarter of its citizens to Facebook and giving them a platform to share, well, everything – baby pictures and Pepe memes, social updates and abusive bullying, helpful how-to videos and live-streamed violence. Now he wants to remake it, too, in a way that counters… more
A smart trap for mosquitoes? A new high-tech version is promising to catch the bloodsuckers while letting friendlier insects escape — and even record the exact weather conditions when different species emerge to bite. Whether it really could improve public health is still to be determined. But when the robotic traps were pilot-tested around Houston… more
President Donald Trump is holding a campaign rally Saturday in politically strategic Florida – 1,354 days before the 2020 election. The unusually early politicking follows a pattern: Trump filed his paperwork for re-election on January 20, Inauguration Day. By comparison, President Barack Obama didn’t make his re-election bid official with the Federal Election Commission… more
President Donald Trump mounted a vigorous defense of his presidency Thursday, pushing back against media reports that his campaign advisers had inappropriate contact with Russian officials and vowing to crack down on the leaking of classified information. Nearly a month into his presidency, Trump said in a free-wheeling White House news conference that his… more
Legislation to repeal Obamacare and replace major portions of the healthcare program will be unveiled after a 10-day U.S. House of Representatives recess that begins on Friday, House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday. Republicans, who control both House and Senate, have been struggling to come up with a detailed plan for replacing former Democratic… more
A rising tide of automation, trade problems and lagging growth in productivity have slashed millions of jobs from the U.S. manufacturing sector. At the same time, a small factory in Massachusetts has been hiring, expanding and exporting. Riverdale Mills hopes to grow further by making unusual products and building a strong workforce. VOA’s Jim Randle… more
Many dogs and cats have it, and now a small company in Belgium says if people carried a personal identifying chip under their skin, modern life could become a lot easier. Others agree, but what if the technology changes? VOA’s George Putic reports. …… more
U.S. retail sales and inflation rose in January, strengthening the case for the central bank to raise interest rates. Retail sales advanced four-tenths of a percent for the month. PNC Bank economists Gush Faucher says the gain is partly due to an improving labor market with “more jobs and rising wages” as workers become more… more
Many people find they cannot live without their smartphones, tablets, laptops and other digital devices for play, and increasingly for work at home or when they are on the move. The use of modern communication technologies is rapidly transforming the traditional mode of working in a fixed location in favor of working at home.… more
One of President Donald Trump’s signature campaign promises was to crack down on illegal immigration. So late last week when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rounded up 680 people in five major cities, the immigrant community went on alert, even though ICE said the operation was routine like many conducted in the past targeting… more
A teenager in northwestern Cameroon has become the first African to win Google’s global youth coding challenge, despite an ongoing internet blackout in his hometown. Nji Patrick Gbah’s tailor shop in Bamenda is buzzing with business and pride. His son, Collins, was recently named one of 34 grand-prize winners in this year’s Google Code-In, a… more
The word “robot” was coined by Czech playwright Karel Capek almost 100 years ago. But robots have been around, in some form, for 500 years or more. London’s Science Museum has opened a “Robots” exhibit that traces the mechanical technology over the past five centuries. VOA’s Deborah Block has more. …… more
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s recent plea for relief from decades-old debt to the United States appears to have little chance of success, regional analyst say. Cambodians, they say, would be better off seeking to restructure the debt, easing the repayment burden. But Hun Sen is sticking with his mantra and has repeatedly noted the… more
Director Joseph Clancy came out of retirement more than two years ago to take over the embattled agency amid a series of embarrassing scandals and security missteps. Clancy was made the interim director in late 2014 and President Barack Obama made the job permanent in early 2015. The agency announced his retirement in a tweet… more
Public tours of the White House are scheduled to resume on March 7. The tours had been temporarily suspended during the change in government and the beginning weeks of President Donald Trump’s administration. But first lady Melania Trump announced Tuesday that the popular tours will resume early next month. The tours of public… more
The secretary-general of the United Nations says he “deeply regrets” the United States’ decision to block a former Palestinian prime minister from leading the world body’s political mission in Libya. Antonio Guterres says that Salam Fayyad was “the right person for the right job at the right moment.” Guterres said: “I think it is a… more
With tensions between the United States and Iran mounting over Tehran’s test-firing of mid-range ballistic missiles, Iran’s hardliners appear emboldened. They talk now of having a chance of winning their country’s presidential election in May – or at least turning incumbent Hassan Rouhani into a lame-duck president, if he does manage to secure reelection. Observers… more