Zlatica Hoke

Iran is claiming moral victory in its stand-off with the United States over Tehran's nuclear program. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday that Washington has failed to win international support for tougher sanctions on Tehran for increasing its production of enriched uranium. Meanwhile in another leaked remark, the former British ambassador to the U.S. said President Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear deal with Iran to spite his predecessor, Barack Obama. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.

U.S. President Donald Trump has abandoned efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 U.S. Census and will get the information through other federal agencies. On Thursday, Trump blamed Democrats and "unfriendly" courts for creating obstacles to the question. Opponents say the question would deter many non-citizens, legal or illegal, from participating in the census and that the skewed results would give Republicans more seats in the House and other advantages. VOA's Zlatica Hoke has more.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta has defended a plea deal he helped broker with Jeffrey Epstein in 2008 in Florida. The billionaire financier, who socialized with U.S. President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton, is detained in New York where federal prosecutors have charged him with sex trafficking of minors between 2002 and 2005. Acosta is under pressure to step down because as U.S. attorney in Florida, he agreed to a mild sentence for Epstein. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.

[[The U.S. State Department said Tuesday it will continue to deal with British diplomats in Washington as usual, unless directed differently by the White House. U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his Twitter attack on British ambassador to Washington Kim Darroch, whose unflattering reports on the White House had angered him. Trump also did not mince words in his tweeted references to outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.

US financier and registered sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was charged Monday with running a network of underage girls for sex

A group of prominent Afghan citizens are meeting with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, in an effort toward ending the 18-year civil war

While some choose to fly, most are driving even if they have to cover a long distance

President Donald Trump adds a military aura to July 4th holiday and not everyone is happy

Iran announced Monday that it has exceeded its low-enriched uranium stockpile limit, violating the amount it agreed to hold in the 2015 international deal. The move is aimed at forcing the signatories of the nuclear deal to give Iran relief from U.S. sanctions. VOA's Kurdish Service discussed the consequences of Iran's action with two experts on Iranian issues. Zlatica Hoke has a summary of what they said.

The third meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has drawn praise as well as criticism.  Critics say Trump is showering attention on a dictator without getting any concessions on the North Korean nuclear development, while others see it as a ray of hope for a permanent peace on the Korean peninsula.  VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.