Zlatica Hoke

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered additional sanctions against Iran after receiving reports that Tehran is most likely responsible for Saturday's attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities. The president said Wednesday that he had directed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to stiffen existing sanctions. He also named his fourth national security adviser Wednesday. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.

US Justice Department filed a suit Tuesday against former NSA contractor for violating nondisclosure agreements by publishing a memoir

Russian actor Pavel Ustinov is the latest in a series of protesters that have been handed lengthy prison sentences

Houthi rebels Sunday claimed attacks on Saudi oil facilities that crippled oil production, Iran denied involvement

Israeli settlers in the West Bank are celebrating the announcement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex one-third of the Palestinian territory in the West Bank if he is re-elected. Netanyahu wants to declare sovereignty over the Jordan River Valley and Israeli settlements in the West Bank. His plan has sparked condemnation by the Palestinians and has been declared illegal by the international community. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.

U.S. President Donald Trump Wednesday announced action against flavored electronic cigarettes, which have been linked to breathing problems, lung damage and death. Vaping has become popular, as many considered it healthier than smoking. Flavors such as mint, bubble gum or ice cream attracted young people. But a spike in serious lung problems and deaths linked to vaping have alarmed officials. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports the Trump administration is preparing a ban on all flavored e-cigarettes.

The Washington Post reports that U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a crackdown on homelessness in California. In a report Tuesday, the newspaper quotes four unnamed administration officials who said the president wants the administration to get involved in getting homeless people off the streets of cities with growing homeless populations. Officials say the focus has been on Los Angeles' Skid Row. VOA's Zlatica Hoke has insight into the so-called "homeless capital of the United States."

A Customs and Border protection official on Monday reported a decline in border crossings in the past three months

Hurricane Dorian entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Sunday after battering the Canadian Nova Scotia peninsula, leaving hundreds of thousands without power. The powerful storm wreaked havoc all along the eastern shore of the North American continent in the past week after devastating the Bahamas, where it left 70,000 people homeless. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday the United States is ready to make a free trade agreement with Britain as soon as the country completes its exit from the European Union. In a keynote address at the International Trade Dinner in London's Guildhall, Pence conveyed a message of strong support from President Donald Trump for the embattled British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose determination to take Britain out of the bloc at any cost has angered even some members of his own party.