From: voa on Wed, Jul 06 2011 5:22 PM

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced his government plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on weapons modernization by 2020. In his address to parliament earlier this year, Putin said Russia must be strong enough to fend off any threats from abroad, so missile production w...

From: voa on Wed, Jul 06 2011 4:40 AM

The cost of pensions and medical care for retired people is rising sharply in the United States and in some other nations where the elderly are a growing percentage of the population. As governments and companies seek ways to cut costs, some Americans worry they will not have enough money to liv...

From: voa on Wed, Jul 06 2011 4:40 AM

There are reports of talks between representatives of the Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and members of the opposition that have been fighting to oust him since February. There is skepticism about the potential for a quick solution among analysts.

From: voa on Wed, Jul 06 2011 4:40 AM

The astronauts who make up the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis have arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center - and tourists who are eager to witness the historic final shuttle launch are not far behind.  VOA's Suzanne Presto reports from Florida, where Atlantis is set to lift off for the l...

From: voa on Wed, Jul 06 2011 4:40 AM

Rhode Island on Saturday adopted a law legalizing same-sex civil unions.  The week before, New York became the sixth American state to allow the marriage of two men or two women. Twenty-nine states have passed constitutional amendments banning homosexuals from marrying.  As VOA New York Correspo...

From: voa on Tue, Jul 05 2011 3:30 PM

Over her 27-year career as a U.S. diplomat, Patricia McArdle served in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe. But it was her last assignment in Afghanistan that inspired her to write about her experiences in a novel entitled, "Farishta."

From: voa on Tue, Jul 05 2011 3:30 PM

Ninety year old Charlie Koiner cares for a small plot of land just a few blocks from a busy downtown near Washington DC. He has been growing fruits and vegetables here since this suburb was mostly undeveloped rural land, and selling his produce in local farmers markets.

From: voa on Mon, Jul 04 2011 1:32 PM

South Sudan is set to become the world’s newest country on July 9, with Juba as its capital. Until relatively recently, Juba was a small outpost, but it is now one of Africa’s fastest-growing towns.

From: voa on Sat, Jul 02 2011 10:42 PM

Soon after it gained independence, modern India outlawed discrimination against so-called "untouchables," the lowest of the social classifications outlined in Hindu scripture.  In reality, hundreds of millions of Indians continue to be ostracized and mistreated because of their connection t...

From: voa on Sat, Jul 02 2011 9:22 AM

The admission by French officials that they have supplied weapons to rebels in western Libya could help explain the opposition’s recent territorial gain. The advance has been one of the few breakthroughs in the rebels' fight against the government's professional army

From: voa on Fri, Jul 01 2011 9:13 PM

Last year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico drew attention to the use of underwater robots, more properly called remote-controlled vehicles, that served as the eyes and hands of operators above as they struggled to fix the leaking wellhead far below on the sea floor. Some 800 underwater robot en...

From: voa on Fri, Jul 01 2011 9:13 PM

U.S. lawmakers recently voted to end subsidies on ethanol. Though the legislation is still pending, it has re-started the conversation on whether or not ethanol is effective as a way to curb greenhouse gas emissions. That conversation, as Rebecca Ward reports, is actually more of a deb...

From: voa on Fri, Jul 01 2011 9:13 PM

Southern Sudan becomes the world’s newest country on July 9. After more than 20 years of civil war, followed by a half decade of uncertain peace, the new country is starting virtually from scratch. The challenges are many, but the level of optimism is high enough to match. Cathy Majtenyi visited...

From: voa on Fri, Jul 01 2011 9:13 PM

Religion scholars say the fastest-growing form of Christianity is Pentecostalism, with its exuberant worship and belief in the so-called gifts of the Spirit, including speaking in tongues and divine healing. Researchers say Pentecostals and charismatics - Catholics and others who share in Pentec...

From: voa on Fri, Jul 01 2011 7:56 AM

The sixth FIFA Women’s World Cup is being played in Germany through July 17.  Worldwide, some 26 million girls and women now play football ((soccer)) and those numbers are growing every year.  VOA’s Parke Brewer has more.

From: voa on Fri, Jul 01 2011 7:56 AM

After devastating natural disasters, mobile phone networks, satellites and other computer software are often used to help to pinpoint where help is needed the most.  They are crucial for the creation of crisis maps. VOA’s Deborah Block explains how it works.

From: voa on Thu, Jun 30 2011 7:11 PM

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday awarded retiring Defense Secretary Robert Gates the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  The award came during a military tribute to Gates on his final day in office.  VOA Correspondent Meredith Buel in Washington has details.

From: voa on Thu, Jun 30 2011 7:11 PM

Robert Gates steps down as U.S. Defense Secretary on Thursday after more than four years of service under two presidents of different political parties. He has overseen military surges in both Iraq and Afghanistan and leaves at a time when the U.S. military is facing a growing range of challenges...

From: voa on Thu, Jun 30 2011 7:11 PM

As China’s ruling Communist Party prepares to celebrate its 90th anniversary (July 1), many Chinese are literally singing the party's praises as its membership rolls reach a new high. VOA's Stephanie Ho talked to ordinary Chinese, young and old, to find out what the Communist Party mea...

From: voa on Thu, Jun 30 2011 7:11 PM

The end of an era is near.  The U.S. space shuttles - the complex workhorses of the U.S. space program - are being retired so NASA can focus on developing spacecraft that can travel beyond low-Earth-orbit.  The space shuttle Atlantis is set to lift off on July 8 - the final launch in the 30-year-...