https://www.voanews.com Voice of America is an international news and broadcast organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Balkan countries https://www.voanews.com/Content/responsive/VOA/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.voanews.com en 2026 - VOA 60 Mon, 02 Nov 2026 21:47:16 -0500 Pangea CMS – VOA Marefati was convicted in March 2026 by an Islamic revolutionary court in Tehran on charges alleging participation in activities against national security, entering religious sites with the intent to destroy them, and participating in the burning of a mosque and a religious seminary. https://www.voanews.com/a/irans-supreme-court-upholds-death-sentence-for-a-fruit-seller-arrested-in-connection-with-nationwide-protests/8217982.html https://www.voanews.com/a/irans-supreme-court-upholds-death-sentence-for-a-fruit-seller-arrested-in-connection-with-nationwide-protests/8217982.html Mon, 02 Nov 2026 17:17:01 -0500 VOA Persianwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Persian) South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff told members of the National Assembly’s intelligence and defense committee last month that North Korea has laid an estimated 960,000 land mines in the Demilitarized Zone since 2024.  https://www.voanews.com/a/icbl-north-koreas-reported-mine-laying-could-be-worlds-largest-since-2001/8217987.html https://www.voanews.com/a/icbl-north-koreas-reported-mine-laying-could-be-worlds-largest-since-2001/8217987.html Mon, 02 Nov 2026 17:10:22 -0500 VOA Koreanwebdesk@voanews.com (Sangjin Cho) The Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health announced that the campaign, in coordination with international partners, would run from November 2 through November 5. The campaign will extend to the Southern Zone from November 3 through 6, and in the Logar Province from November 9 through 13. https://www.voanews.com/a/polio-vaccination-campaign-begins-in-afghanistan-as-cases-surge/8217898.html https://www.voanews.com/a/polio-vaccination-campaign-begins-in-afghanistan-as-cases-surge/8217898.html Mon, 02 Nov 2026 16:50:59 -0500 VOA Pashtowebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Afghan) Representative John Moolenaar, the chairman of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party is calling on Beijing to release all political prisoners in China. https://www.voanews.com/a/us-lawmaker-calls-on-beijing-to-release-all-political-prisoners-20261102/8217878.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-lawmaker-calls-on-beijing-to-release-all-political-prisoners-20261102/8217878.html Mon, 02 Nov 2026 16:31:31 -0500 VOA Mandarinwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Mandarin) Afghanistan ranked 142nd out of 143 countries in the WJP’s 2026 Rule of Law Index, published in October, just ahead of Venezuela, while Denmark, Norway and Finland occupied the top three positions. https://www.voanews.com/a/report-afghanistan-ranks-second-worst-globally-in-rule-of-law/8217876.html https://www.voanews.com/a/report-afghanistan-ranks-second-worst-globally-in-rule-of-law/8217876.html Mon, 02 Nov 2026 16:15:49 -0500 VOA Dariwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Afghan) A Russian human rights group says at least 69 people subjected to political persecution have died in Russia or Russian-occupied territory since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022. https://www.voanews.com/a/human-rights-group-at-least-69-political-prisoners-in-russian-custody-have-died-since-february-2022/8217070.html https://www.voanews.com/a/human-rights-group-at-least-69-political-prisoners-in-russian-custody-have-died-since-february-2022/8217070.html Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:13:06 -0500 VOA Russianwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Russian) The U.S. military has released a clear image showing China's secretive reusable spaceplane docked with a satellite in orbit. https://www.voanews.com/a/us-military-reveals-a-clear-image-of-china-s-secretive-spaceplane-20261030/8217021.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-military-reveals-a-clear-image-of-china-s-secretive-spaceplane-20261030/8217021.html Mon, 02 Nov 2026 12:04:48 -0500 VOA Mandarinwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Mandarin) The commander of the U.S. Central Command known as CENTCOM operating in the Middle East says Iran's Revolutionary Guard naval forces which once had a near constant presence in the strategic Strait of Hormuz have disappeared. https://www.voanews.com/a/centcom-top-commander-says-no-sign-of-irgc-in-the-strait-of-hormuz/8217048.html https://www.voanews.com/a/centcom-top-commander-says-no-sign-of-irgc-in-the-strait-of-hormuz/8217048.html Fri, 30 Oct 2026 16:53:57 -0400 VOA Persianwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Persian) A large evacuation and humanitarian mission is under way in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky on the Dnipro River. The temporary ceasefire that made the truce evacuation possible, brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, is a rare example of successful Russia-Ukraine negotiations. https://www.voanews.com/a/oleshky-evacuation-begins-as-former-us-ambassador-to-ukraine-calls-vladimir-putin-an-obstacle-to-talks/8217018.html https://www.voanews.com/a/oleshky-evacuation-begins-as-former-us-ambassador-to-ukraine-calls-vladimir-putin-an-obstacle-to-talks/8217018.html Fri, 30 Oct 2026 16:46:17 -0400 VOA Russianwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Russian) Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan increased by 330 percent and opium production rose by 400 percent in 2026 compared to last year, according to a new survey by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. https://www.voanews.com/a/un-reports-sharp-increase-in-opium-poppy-cultivation-and-production-in-afghanistan/8216897.html https://www.voanews.com/a/un-reports-sharp-increase-in-opium-poppy-cultivation-and-production-in-afghanistan/8216897.html Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:10:57 -0400 VOA Pashtowebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Afghan) President Donald Trump is keeping “all options on the table” to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, a White House official told VOA following reports that the U.S. military has drawn up options for potential new strikes against Iran after the midterm election. https://www.voanews.com/a/white-house-official-to-voa-trump-keeps-all-options-on-the-table-to-deny-iran-acquiring-nuclear-weapons/8216604.html https://www.voanews.com/a/white-house-official-to-voa-trump-keeps-all-options-on-the-table-to-deny-iran-acquiring-nuclear-weapons/8216604.html Thu, 29 Oct 2026 19:00:06 -0400 VOA Persianwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Persian) Jordanian airstrikes targeting Islamic State (ISIS) positions in southern Syria have underscored the continuing threat posed by the militant group, with security analysts warning that regional conflicts, political instability and economic hardship could create conditions for its resurgence. https://www.voanews.com/a/jordans-strikes-highlight-persistent-isis-threat-fuel-tensions-with-syria/8216588.html https://www.voanews.com/a/jordans-strikes-highlight-persistent-isis-threat-fuel-tensions-with-syria/8216588.html Thu, 29 Oct 2026 18:10:38 -0400 VOA Kurdiwebdesk@voanews.com (Samira Ali Mandi) This is seen as the first significant localized truce observed by both Ukraine and Russia since the beginning of Russia`s full-scale invasion in 2022. https://www.voanews.com/a/ceasefire-holds-near-ukraine-s-occupied-oleshky-as-humanitarian-aid-and-evacuation-effort-begin/8216528.html https://www.voanews.com/a/ceasefire-holds-near-ukraine-s-occupied-oleshky-as-humanitarian-aid-and-evacuation-effort-begin/8216528.html Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:38:32 -0400 VOA Ukrainianwebdesk@voanews.com (Tatiana Vorozhko, Nataliia Struk) U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth proposed a new defense cooperation framework with Southeast Asian nations Wednesday, as Indonesia conducts counterterrorism training with China while also maintaining its security partnership with the United States. https://www.voanews.com/a/us-war-secretary-seeks-stronger-asean-ties-as-china-indonesia-begin-joint-training-20261029/8216573.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-war-secretary-seeks-stronger-asean-ties-as-china-indonesia-begin-joint-training-20261029/8216573.html Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:25:41 -0400 VOA Mandarinwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Mandarin) U.S. Deputy Representative to the United Nations Tammy Bruce said, “Over the past five years, the Taliban have systematically reversed decades of hard-won progress on women’s participation in peace and security... These practices are unacceptable and must cease immediately.” https://www.voanews.com/a/us-calls-for-an-immediate-end-to-taliban-violations-of-afghan-womens-rights/8216405.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-calls-for-an-immediate-end-to-taliban-violations-of-afghan-womens-rights/8216405.html Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:17:57 -0400 VOA Pashtowebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Afghan) Pakistani officials and the Afghan Taliban blamed each other this week for what they described as “unprovoked” attacks at a border crossing. The Afghan Taliban said that Pakistani forces carried out four drone strikes in the southeastern Afghan province of Paktika “without any provocation.” https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-afghan-taliban-trade-accusations-over-unprovoked-attacks/8216406.html https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-afghan-taliban-trade-accusations-over-unprovoked-attacks/8216406.html Thu, 29 Oct 2026 12:33:31 -0400 VOA Dariwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Afghan) France and Real Madrid soccer star Kylian Mbappé is facing a backlash in China after commercial sponsors cut ties with him over comments he made about China's founding leader Mao Zedong. https://www.voanews.com/a/mbappe-real-madrid-forced-to-apologize-over-dictator-comment-about-chinas-mao-zedong-20261028/8216232.html https://www.voanews.com/a/mbappe-real-madrid-forced-to-apologize-over-dictator-comment-about-chinas-mao-zedong-20261028/8216232.html Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:37:03 -0400 VOA Mandarinwebdesk@voanews.com (Si Yang) The sister of former Russian detainee Stephen Hubbard says her brother's condition is better than the family expected. The 74-year-old American was released from Russia after more than four years in detention and returned to the United States last week. https://www.voanews.com/a/former-russian-detainees-sister-says-stephen-hubbard-escaped-hell/8216170.html https://www.voanews.com/a/former-russian-detainees-sister-says-stephen-hubbard-escaped-hell/8216170.html Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:16:37 -0400 VOA Russianwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Russian) The Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced Jafar Panahi, the renowned Iranian director and filmmaker, to five years and one month in prison. The court also ordered the total confiscation of all his property, a two-year ban on social media activity, and a two-year travel ban. https://www.voanews.com/a/renowned-iranian-filmmaker-sentenced-to-prison-asset-confiscation/8216128.html https://www.voanews.com/a/renowned-iranian-filmmaker-sentenced-to-prison-asset-confiscation/8216128.html Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:50:06 -0400 VOA Persianwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Persian) Russian defense-linked companies are beginning to embed production inside China, acquire Chinese intellectual property and use Chinese equipment to sustain manufacturing at home, according to Washington-based research organization Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS). https://www.voanews.com/a/china-russia-defense-ties-move-upstream-as-beijing-gains-russian-know-how-20261028/8216050.html https://www.voanews.com/a/china-russia-defense-ties-move-upstream-as-beijing-gains-russian-know-how-20261028/8216050.html Wed, 28 Oct 2026 11:38:48 -0400 VOA Mandarinwebdesk@voanews.com (Adrianna Zhang) A senior American official has reiterated President Donald Trump's recent threats to resume military action against Iran's Islamic regime if refuses to stop its threatening activities. https://www.voanews.com/a/us-official-to-voa-on-iranian-regime-unless-they-change-their-ways-rapidly-we-will-soon-finish-the-job/8215755.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-official-to-voa-on-iranian-regime-unless-they-change-their-ways-rapidly-we-will-soon-finish-the-job/8215755.html Wed, 28 Oct 2026 08:47:17 -0400 VOA Persianwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Persian) North Korea’s human rights situation has not improved over the past decade and has deteriorated significantly in some key areas, including the use of the death penalty, a senior U.N. human rights official told VOA.   https://www.voanews.com/a/un-official-says-north-koreas-human-rights-situation-has-not-improved-over-past-decade/8215797.html https://www.voanews.com/a/un-official-says-north-koreas-human-rights-situation-has-not-improved-over-past-decade/8215797.html Tue, 27 Oct 2026 17:19:43 -0400 VOA Koreanwebdesk@voanews.com (Sangjin Cho) The United Nations Development Program in Afghanistan said Tuesday in a post on X that the large-scale return of Afghans has added “pressure on jobs, essential services and infrastructure.” UNDP adds that between 2023 and 2025, about 4.9 million Afghans returned to the country. https://www.voanews.com/a/un-large-scale-return-of-afghan-refugees-strains-afghan-economy/8215803.html https://www.voanews.com/a/un-large-scale-return-of-afghan-refugees-strains-afghan-economy/8215803.html Tue, 27 Oct 2026 17:14:33 -0400 VOA Dariwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Afghan) The exhibition The Declaration’s Journey, which explores the influence of the U.S. Declaration of Independence on historical events over the past 250 years, includes Ukraine’s Declaration of Independence, displayed alongside declarations from other nations. https://www.voanews.com/a/the-museum-of-the-american-revolution-in-philadelphia-now-speaks-ukrainian/8215691.html https://www.voanews.com/a/the-museum-of-the-american-revolution-in-philadelphia-now-speaks-ukrainian/8215691.html Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:00:40 -0400 VOA Ukrainianwebdesk@voanews.com (Olga Valchyshen) The crossing was closed Wednesday, October 21, until further notice. Iraqi authorities cited technical and security concerns, but the decision has drawn growing opposition from influential Iran-aligned factions within Iraq's political establishment. https://www.voanews.com/a/iraqs-closure-of-iran-border-crossing-fuels-protests/8215389.html https://www.voanews.com/a/iraqs-closure-of-iran-border-crossing-fuels-protests/8215389.html Mon, 26 Oct 2026 18:33:27 -0400 VOA Kurdiwebdesk@voanews.com (Samira Ali Mandi) The Department of War has designated Chinese-funded Confucius Institutes on American university campuses as a national security threat. China's Foreign Ministry responded Monday, saying it opposed what it called “smears and stigmatization” targeting the institutes. https://www.voanews.com/a/pentagon-designates-confucius-institute-in-us-as-national-security-threat-20261026/8215393.html https://www.voanews.com/a/pentagon-designates-confucius-institute-in-us-as-national-security-threat-20261026/8215393.html Mon, 26 Oct 2026 17:35:27 -0400 VOA Mandarinwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Mandarin) The Afghan Taliban called Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan “an act of aggression and crime in violation of all accepted principles.” https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-defends-attacks-on-afghanistan-denies-civilian-casualties/8215391.html https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-defends-attacks-on-afghanistan-denies-civilian-casualties/8215391.html Mon, 26 Oct 2026 17:33:07 -0400 VOA Pashtowebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Afghan) University enrollment among men in Afghanistan in 2026 has fallen nearly one-third from levels before the Taliban’s takeover, while women’s enrollment has remained at zero for the third consecutive year. https://www.voanews.com/a/afghanistan-sees-drop-in-mens-university-enrollment-as-women-remain-barred/8215395.html https://www.voanews.com/a/afghanistan-sees-drop-in-mens-university-enrollment-as-women-remain-barred/8215395.html Mon, 26 Oct 2026 16:51:24 -0400 VOA Dariwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Afghan) Two North Korean oil tankers sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council have been repeatedly spotted off China’s coast, according to the public record by vessel-tracking Marine Traffic website, raising concerns that they may be circumventing sanctions while continuing to operate at sea.  https://www.voanews.com/a/two-un-sanctioned-north-korean-tankers-spotted-repeatedly-off-china/8215347.html https://www.voanews.com/a/two-un-sanctioned-north-korean-tankers-spotted-repeatedly-off-china/8215347.html Mon, 26 Oct 2026 14:25:17 -0400 VOA Koreanwebdesk@voanews.com (Jiha Ham) In its annual Freedom on the Net 2026 report, U.S.-based nonprofit Freedom House gave Iran just 9 points out of 100, placing it alongside China and Myanmar among the world’s worst countries for internet freedom. https://www.voanews.com/a/mobile-internet-tariffs-in-iran-rise-by-40/8214639.html https://www.voanews.com/a/mobile-internet-tariffs-in-iran-rise-by-40/8214639.html Fri, 23 Oct 2026 16:33:21 -0400 VOA Persianwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Persian) Mohammad Younus Mohmand, Vice President of the Afghan Chapter of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the bilateral trade has fallen by about 95 percent. https://www.voanews.com/a/afghanistan-pakistan-trade-declines-sharply-as-border-crossings-remain-closed/8214502.html https://www.voanews.com/a/afghanistan-pakistan-trade-declines-sharply-as-border-crossings-remain-closed/8214502.html Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:35:05 -0400 VOA Dariwebdesk@voanews.com (Fawzia Ahsan) North Korea has continued to expand and renovate detention facilities across the country, while estimates of the number of prisoners held in its political prison camps vary widely, reflecting the limited information available about the secretive system. https://www.voanews.com/a/north-koreas-secretive-prison-camps-building-the-case-for-accountability/8214236.html https://www.voanews.com/a/north-koreas-secretive-prison-camps-building-the-case-for-accountability/8214236.html Thu, 22 Oct 2026 18:04:23 -0400 VOA Koreanwebdesk@voanews.com (Soyoung Ahn) Emtedad said Branch 2 initially sentenced Fallah to death on the charge of “destruction with the intent of confronting the Islamic government” for causing about $180 in damage to the door of the Rasht judiciary building. https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-based-news-site-says-supreme-court-upholds-death-sentence-for-political-prisoner-months-after-granting-him-reprieve/8214185.html https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-based-news-site-says-supreme-court-upholds-death-sentence-for-political-prisoner-months-after-granting-him-reprieve/8214185.html Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:44:58 -0400 VOA Persianwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Persian) The U.S. has rejected China's claim that a U.S. warship trespassed its territorial waters and urged Beijing to halt its "aggressive" maneuvers in the South China Sea. https://www.voanews.com/a/us-rejects-chinas-claim-of-unauthorized-trespassing-after-warship-sails-through-disputed-reef-20261022/8214168.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-rejects-chinas-claim-of-unauthorized-trespassing-after-warship-sails-through-disputed-reef-20261022/8214168.html Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:55:47 -0400 VOA Mandarinwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Mandarin) The WHO said so far this year, 48 positive cases of the wild poliovirus have been registered globally, 42 of which are in Afghanistan and six in Pakistan. https://www.voanews.com/a/8214068.html https://www.voanews.com/a/8214068.html Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:28:19 -0400 VOA Pashtowebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Afghan) The U.S. State Department has added a wrongful detention warning to its travel advisory for mainland China, cautioning that Americans face a serious risk of being detained without a fair legal process. https://www.voanews.com/a/us-adds-wrongful-detention-warning-to-china-travel-advisory/8213783.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-adds-wrongful-detention-warning-to-china-travel-advisory/8213783.html Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:49:30 -0400 VOA Mandarinwebdesk@voanews.com (Sharon Wu) The United States has reiterated that wartime operational control, or OPCON, of allied forces on the Korean Peninsula will transition to South Korea only after mutually agreed conditions are met, despite renewed calls from Seoul to accelerate the process.  https://www.voanews.com/a/us-says-wartime-command-transfer-to-south-korea-remains-conditions-based/8213749.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-says-wartime-command-transfer-to-south-korea-remains-conditions-based/8213749.html Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:45:59 -0400 VOA Koreanwebdesk@voanews.com (Jiha Ham) The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said that it documented at least four killings and 14 arbitrary arrests and detentions of former Afghan security personnel. Despite the Taliban’s announcement of a general amnesty, former Afghan officials who return to the country remain at risk. https://www.voanews.com/a/former-afghan-soldiers-fear-deportation-from-iran/8213778.html https://www.voanews.com/a/former-afghan-soldiers-fear-deportation-from-iran/8213778.html Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:25:17 -0400 VOA Dariwebdesk@voanews.com (Sahar Azimi) With a lull in the U.S. Iran conflict and the September completion of the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, Iran appears to be increasing pressure on Iranian Kurdish opposition groups. https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-steps-up-pressure-on-kurdish-opposition-in-iraq/8213699.html https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-steps-up-pressure-on-kurdish-opposition-in-iraq/8213699.html Wed, 21 Oct 2026 15:59:38 -0400 VOA Kurdiwebdesk@voanews.com (Samira Ali Mandi) During the meeting with the Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Rubio pledged government and private sector cooperation, with the announcement of 54 agreements and proposed projects. https://www.voanews.com/a/us-relations-with-central-asia-a-priority-says-secretary-rubio/8213399.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-relations-with-central-asia-a-priority-says-secretary-rubio/8213399.html Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:39:28 -0400 VOA Pashtowebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Afghan) For the first time ever, the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington hosted the Ukrainian Defense Tech Pavilion. The pavilion brought together 17 Ukrainian companies to showcase their aerial and ground drones, and their communications systems. https://www.voanews.com/a/ukraine-showcases-its-defense-tech-at-the-ausa-expo-2026/8213351.html https://www.voanews.com/a/ukraine-showcases-its-defense-tech-at-the-ausa-expo-2026/8213351.html Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:36:48 -0400 VOA Ukrainianwebdesk@voanews.com (Oksana Bedratenko) Since the international express carrier DHL announced the suspension of services to North Korea in August, the country's mission to the United Nations in New York has become a key route for serving U.S. court documents tied to lawsuits against Pyongyang. https://www.voanews.com/a/with-direct-delivery-to-pyongyang-limited-us-litigants-turn-to-north-korea-un-mission/8213408.html https://www.voanews.com/a/with-direct-delivery-to-pyongyang-limited-us-litigants-turn-to-north-korea-un-mission/8213408.html Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:33:56 -0400 VOA Koreanwebdesk@voanews.com (Jiha Ham) The Israeli leader went on to describe the issue as “a matter of our very existence, because if this regime acquires nuclear bombs, we will no longer exist. If we do not overthrow this regime, it will destroy us,” he said. https://www.voanews.com/a/israeli-prime-minister-tells-mossad-idf-military-intelligence-to-overthrow-islamic-republic/8213353.html https://www.voanews.com/a/israeli-prime-minister-tells-mossad-idf-military-intelligence-to-overthrow-islamic-republic/8213353.html Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:25:24 -0400 VOA Persianwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Persian) With two weeks until the November 3 midterm elections, the U.S., and China’s relationship is on the ballot in some closely contested races nationwide — from soybean exports and factory jobs to the cost of powering data centers. https://www.voanews.com/a/from-soybeans-to-data-centers-china-debate-hits-us-midterm-campaigns-20261020/8213314.html https://www.voanews.com/a/from-soybeans-to-data-centers-china-debate-hits-us-midterm-campaigns-20261020/8213314.html Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:12:33 -0400 VOA Mandarinwebdesk@voanews.com (Lin Feng) A chilly rooftop in downtown D.C. was turned into a culinary battleground last weekend as more than a dozen cooks made their best versions of Borscht, a traditional Ukrainian dish. https://www.voanews.com/a/borscht-battle-in-washington-raises-funds-for-ukrainian-medics/8213387.html https://www.voanews.com/a/borscht-battle-in-washington-raises-funds-for-ukrainian-medics/8213387.html Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:09:26 -0400 VOA Russianwebdesk@voanews.com (Andrey Nazarbekian) Iran's intelligence forces are continuing their crackdown on people who took part in the late December 2025 to January 2026 anti-regime protests.     https://www.voanews.com/a/iranian-security-forces-continue-crackdown-on-protestors-38-detained-in-qazvin/8212942.html https://www.voanews.com/a/iranian-security-forces-continue-crackdown-on-protestors-38-detained-in-qazvin/8212942.html Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:18:01 -0400 VOA Persianwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Persian) The Philippines has summoned China’s ambassador to protest remarks suggesting Beijing could easily defeat Manila in a conflict, escalating a diplomatic dispute amid tensions over the South China Sea. https://www.voanews.com/a/china-philippines-war-of-words-raises-south-china-sea-tensions-20261019/8212818.html https://www.voanews.com/a/china-philippines-war-of-words-raises-south-china-sea-tensions-20261019/8212818.html Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:15:21 -0400 VOA Mandarinwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Mandarin) Rabab Fatima is taking charge of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan when the country faces growing human rights concerns and a worsening humanitarian crisis. https://www.voanews.com/a/un-envoy-begins-mission-in-afghanistan-amid-humanitarian-human-rights-challenges/8212939.html https://www.voanews.com/a/un-envoy-begins-mission-in-afghanistan-amid-humanitarian-human-rights-challenges/8212939.html Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:12:03 -0400 VOA Pashtowebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Afghan) The United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF is warning that more than four million Afghan children could need treatment for acute malnutrition in 2027. That is the highest number recorded in the past five years, highlighting the scale of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.   https://www.voanews.com/a/more-than-4-million-afghan-children-could-need-malnutrition-treatment-in-2027-unicef-warns/8212974.html https://www.voanews.com/a/more-than-4-million-afghan-children-could-need-malnutrition-treatment-in-2027-unicef-warns/8212974.html Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:01:00 -0400 VOA Dariwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA Afghan) Ukrainian skeleton racer and Olympian Vladyslav Heraskevych recently visited Washington, D.C., for the Ukraine Action Summit to advocate against Russian aggression. https://www.voanews.com/a/ukrainian-skeleton-racer-olympian-vladyslav-heraskevych-talks-about-sports-politics/8212890.html https://www.voanews.com/a/ukrainian-skeleton-racer-olympian-vladyslav-heraskevych-talks-about-sports-politics/8212890.html Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:00:20 -0400 VOA Ukrainianwebdesk@voanews.com (Mariia Prus)