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U.S. President Donald Trump talked with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Ukraine. Trump said the call was “highly productive.” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic and in sweeping remarks suggested that the country should abandon hopes of returning to its pre-2014 borders and prepare for a negotiated settlement with Russia that would be backed up by international troops. Allies have been waiting to hear how much continued...

On Sunday, violence erupted at a security checkpoint outside of the Kurdistan Region's capital Irbil after security forces prevented hundreds of protesting teachers from Sulaymaniyah and Halabja provinces from entering the city. The teachers, who are still waiting to receive their December salary payments, told VOA it was their right to take their protests to Irbil as the capital of the Kurdistan Region. Police, however, said the teachers' request to protest was not approved by the...

Shaida Sayad, a university graduate from Sirwan district in Kurdistan's Halabja province, has harnessed her scientific skills and practical experience to create over 20 types of cosmetics, soaps, softeners, and other women’s products. Her journey is a testament to the power of women in science and their role in driving progress and innovation. Click here for the full story in Kurdish.

Officials say people were working without safety precautions in factory with combustible materials

The future of the United States’ military presence in Syria is in question, with President Donald Trump facing competing demands from Turkey and Israel over the 2,000-strong force that is supporting a Syrian Kurdish-led coalition fighting Islamic State. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

US presidents traditionally avoid even the appearance of meddling with monetary policy

US Embassy in Islamabad issues alert following emergence of social media video earlier this week featuring purported militant operative at city’s Faisal Mosque

The Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling R&B songwriter was convicted in 2021 of multiple charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking

Arriving as a refugee in Pakistan four decades ago, Besmillah Miakhil’s first purchase was a radio. Now 88, Miakhil says broadcasts help keep him connected to his home country, Afghanistan. From Kohat, Pakistan, Muska Safi has the story, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard.

Impunity, insecurity a common theme in countries deemed dangerous for media

Domestic displaced farmers still wait for payments under a 2020 agreement

WASHINGTON — Ahmed Maeleninine, an Omani-born leader of Islamic State, was killed in U.S. airstrikes against the terror group in Somalia earlier this month, officials of the Puntland region said Wednesday. Maeleninine was the main target of the Feb. 1 airstrike against Islamic State hideouts in the semi-autonomous region of northern Somalia. In an interview with VOA Somali, the Puntland state minister for presidency, Abdifitah Mohamed Abdinur, said Somalia and its international...

Andrey Kuznechyk spent more than three years imprisoned in a case that was widely viewed as politically motivated

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

Pakistan rolls out the red carpet Wednesday for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He will jointly hold the seventh session of the Pakistan-Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation Council with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during his brief visit. VOA's Sarah Zaman reports.

US president vows to begin immediate negotiations with Putin, Zelenskyy

Tulsi Gabbard ascends to the top US intelligence post by a 52-48 vote

Pete Hegseth also says the US does not see Ukraine's NATO membership as part of a negotiated settlement of its war with Russia