US Drops Sanctions on Former Iranian Officials; Step Called Routine

VOA — The United States said Thursday it had removed sanctions on three former Iranian officials and two companies that previously traded Iranian petrochemicals, a step one U.S. official called routine but... Read more »

As Iran Prepares to Vote, Battered Economy a Major Worry

VOA — TEHRAN – Almost six years ago, Iranians poured into the streets to celebrate Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers. They saw it as a chance for the Islamic Republic to... Read more »

Ariana Vafadari breathes life into Anahita, Persian goddess of water

RFI — After exploring Zoroastrian chants on her 2016 album “Gathas, songs my father taught me”, mezzo soprano Ariana Vafadari puts femininity to the fore with the heart-wrenching “Anahita”, inspired by the... Read more »

Joe Manchin: The West Virginia Senator Blocking Joe Biden’s Agenda

VOA — WASHINGTON – A long-simmering battle within the Democratic Party came to a head this week when  Democratic Senator Joe Manchin announced he will not support a sweeping package of voting... Read more »

Women Vote More Than Men, So Should They Be the New Default Group?

VOA — Many were surprised when white women voted for Donald Trump in 2016, but they shouldn’t have been. Even though women overall tend to vote for Democrats, white women have regularly... Read more »

UN: Like COVID-19, Inequalities Drive AIDS Epidemic

VOA — NEW YORK – The head of UNAIDS said Tuesday that inequalities are a chief driver of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, just as they are with COVID-19. “Inequalities in power, status, rights... Read more »

Unchecked climate change will cost G7 ‘twice as much as Covid’

RFI — Climate change will cost wealthy nations twice as much as the Covid pandemic if more is not done to slash carbon emissions, researchers have warned. Under existing climate policies, G7... Read more »

UN Nuclear Watchdog Accuses Iran of Snubbing Inquiry

VOA — The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency accused Iran on Monday of failing to answer questions about the discovery of uranium particles at undeclared nuclear sites in the... Read more »

Women Outnumber and Outvote Men, But They Don’t Vote Alike

VOA — Female voters are not a sure bet for Democrats, recent research on voting says. While Black, Latina and Asian American women voted for Democratic President Joe Biden by large margins, 55% of white women voted... Read more »

COVID Origins Probe Should Focus on Lab-Leak Theory, Analysts Say

VOA — WASHINGTON – Analysts say there is increasing interest in determining whether the coronavirus leaked from a research lab in Wuhan, China, where the deadly virus was first detected in humans,... Read more »