VOA

Independence Drive: Afghan Women Get Behind The Wheel

Since the fall of the Taliban government in 2001, Afghan women have gradually gained more freedoms, including driving a car. One woman has turned her skill at the wheel into a business and her own declaration of independence.

Fresh Protests As Iranian President Calls Flight Downing An 'Unforgivable Error'

There have been fresh protests in Tehran more than three days after the Iranian authorities admitted they accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner on January 8, killing 176 people. Meanwhile, in a televised speech, Iranian President Hassan Rohani called for a special court to be set up to investigate the tragedy and promised that those responsible would pay. Social-media videos were vetted by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, but their authenticity could not be independently verified.

Iranians Protest After Airplane Downing

Anti-government protests were filmed in Iranian cities on January 11 and 12. University campuses appear to be the centers of growing anger at the government after the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps acknowledged downing a Ukrainian passenger jet in error.

Iran-U.S. Tensions: Calls For Revenge And Restraint

The killing of a top Iranian general in a U.S. drone strike has leaders, diplomats, and analysts around the world on edge, wondering where this might lead.

Ghani To Remain As Afghan President, Preliminary Results Suggest

Incumbent Afghan President Ashraf Ghani won a second term in the September 28 election according to preliminary results announced on December 22. Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan Chairwoman Hawa Alam Nuristani said that Ghani had earned more than half of all votes.

Outcry Over Syringes And Medical Waste On Pakistani Beach

Authorities in Karachi, Pakistan, have promised a cleanup after Shaniera Akram, wife of cricket legend Wasim, tweeted a video of syringes and medical waste on the seafront.

Saving Pakistan's Rare Vultures Egg By Egg

Conservationists at a zoo in Lahore, Pakistan, are trying to bolster numbers of the critically endangered Oriental white-backed vulture, after a drug used for livestock killed many of the birds.

Wife In Ukraine Sees Abducted Husband On YouTube, Fears For His Life

Nearly two years after being abducted by Russia-backed separatists in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, Oleksandr Tymofiyev has appeared in a YouTube video. His wife holds out little hope for his release.

For Ukrainian-Born Artist, A New York Garbage Truck Is A Canvas

Misha Tyutyunik, an artist born in Kyiv, has enlivened his Brooklyn neighborhood with vibrant murals. In one of his high-profile projects, conceived by the City of New York, he turned a garbage truck into a moving work of art.

Hypersonic: An Arms Race At Five Times The Speed Of Sound

An explosion in northern Russia, which some have linked to the Kremlin's development of an advanced generation of super weapons, has focused attention on hypersonic missile systems. Analysts say this new arms race has the potential to scuttle global security agreements.

Bolton Discusses Russia's Hypersonic Weapons, Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

U.S. national-security adviser John Bolton discusses the recent nuclear incident in Russia and Iran's nuclear program in an interview with Voice of America contributor Greta Van Susteren on August 14.

Tabla For Two: Bringing Afghan Beats To American Audiences

Tabla For Two is an Afghan-American musical duo that is bringing beats from Afghanistan to audiences in the United States.

American Financier's Detention In Moscow Rattles Investors

A major U.S. investor in Russia is potentially facing a long jail sentence after being arrested on financial fraud charges. It's the latest case to shock an already wary foreign investment community in Moscow.

Pompeo 'Concerned' About China's Efforts In Latin America

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has expressed concern about China's efforts to boost ties in Latin America. "We are all concerned about China and the way China enters countries," Pompeo said in an interview with VOA in Buenos Aires on December 1.

Interview: Trump On Russia, Ukraine, Brexit

U.S. President Donald Trump discussed Russia, Ukraine, and Brexit among other things in the November 30 interview with VOA contributor Greta Van Susteren.

Trump Says He'll Meet Putin 'At The Appropriate Time'

President Donald Trump spoke to VOA contributor Greta Van Susteren in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he is taking part in the G20 Summit. Asked about his cancellation of a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said the meeting would go ahead at another time.

Russian Taxi Service Sparks Suspicions In Lithuania

Lithuania has issued a warning over a Russian-owned taxi service and banned government officials from using it. It claimed analysis showed that Yandex.Taxi was sending users' data to Russia, which it says may violate EU laws. But opinion inside the country's capital, Vilnius, is divided.

Carpenters Challenge Notions Of 'Women's Work' In Pakistan

Uncovering A Lost Afghan City

French and Afghan archaeologists are digging through the ruins of Afghanistan's Bamiyan Valley to uncover the mysteries of a great lost city. (VOA)

As Iran's Economy Suffers, Afghan Migrants Are Forced To Go Home

Iran's currency has dropped sharply this year, and U.S. sanctions on the country are expected to further undermine its economy. The financial instability is taking a toll on the large numbers of Afghan migrants who live in Iran, forcing many to return home to their war-torn country.