The United States and Pakistan have had a relationship since its creation in 1947. While ties have been strained on numerous occasions, military and economic needs have dictated that the two nations remain cautious allies.  1947: Pakistan is established when colonial power Britain grants independence to India’s mostly-Muslim northwest. The United States is one of the first nations to establish relations with the new sovereign state. 1954: Pakistan, torn between rival powers, chooses to ally with the United States instead of the Soviet Union. It signs the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement with the U.S., which allows Pakistani soldiers to train in the United States in exchange for allowing the U.S. to set up a Military Assistance Advisory Group in Rawalpindi. 1956: Pakistan grants the U.S. Army permission to lease Peshawar Air Station, giving U.S. troops a base from which to monitor the Soviets’ ballistic missile program. When a U.S. spy …

The Trump administration would consider immigration legislation that includes a pathway to citizenship for hundreds of thousands of young people, the U.S. Homeland Security secretary said Tuesday, while emphasizing no decision on that issue has been made and a border wall remains the priority.   Congress is considering at least three options, including citizenship or permanent legal status for people who were temporarily shielded from deportation, Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in an interview.   Details on qualifying for citizenship, including on how many years to wait and other requirements, would have to be addressed.   Asked whether the president would support citizenship, she said, “I think he’s open to hearing about the different possibilities and what it means but, to my knowledge, there certainly hasn’t been any decision from the White House.”   In September, Trump said he wouldn’t consider citizenship for DACA recipients — an Obama-era program that Trump …

Hundreds of Iraqi nationals held for months under U.S. deportation orders will get a shot at freedom while they fight their removal, a judge said Tuesday.   U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith ordered immigration judges to hold hearings and release the detainees unless they’re a public safety risk. The order applies to people who have been held for at least six months.   The government must release detainees who don’t get a bond hearing by Feb. 2.   “Our legal tradition rejects warehousing human beings while their legal rights are being determined, without an opportunity to persuade a judge that the norm of monitored freedom should be followed,” Goldsmith said.   He made some exceptions, saying a detainee could remain locked up if the government provides specific objections.   In July, Goldsmith blocked the deportation of 1,400 Iraqi nationals to give them time to challenge their removal. Many are Christians …

The top American commander for the Middle East wants a more aggressive Afghan military pressuring Taliban and other insurgents over the normally quieter months of Afghanistan’s winter, and then quickly going on the offensive in the spring. It’s all part of a plan the United States hopes will change the course of a war now entering its 17th year. Gen. Joseph Votel of U.S. Central Command said an influx of new American trainers can help escalate the fight. They’ll be operating with Afghan units, closer to the front lines and at greater risk, but Votel said U.S. commanders will ensure American and allied forces have adequate protection. The goal is to get the Afghan military moving on its military campaign sooner, rather than later. The United States wants the “focus on offensive operations and we’ll look for a major effort to gain the initiative very quickly as we enter into …

A U.S. judge on Tuesday refused to order a mistrial in the case of Mehmet Hakan Atilla, an executive at Turkey’s majority state-owned Halkbank who is charged with helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan federal court rejected arguments by Atilla’s lawyers that the trial was tainted when prosecutors asked Atilla, during a Dec. 19 cross-examination, whether he remembered that a report by a Turkish expert had concluded he violated sanctions. ‘Grossly mischaracterized’ Atilla’s lawyers objected before Atilla could answer, saying the question involved hearsay and “grossly mischaracterized” the Turkish expert’s conclusion. Berman told the jury to disregard it. Atilla’s lawyers moved for a mistrial on Dec. 20. Berman said on Tuesday that his instruction to the jury was enough to prevent any unfairness to Atilla, adding that a mistrial was an “extreme” outcome that should be avoided whenever possible. Berman had already denied another …

One of the top U.S. government officials working on refugee issues announced her impending retirement on Tuesday, and refugee advocates expressed concern about the fate of the country’s resettlement program which faces mounting pressure from the Trump administration. Barbara Strack, a career official and chief of the Refugee Affairs Division at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, did not specify when she will leave her post, but USCIS spokesman R. Carter Langston said it would be in January. “It’s something I’ve been planning towards for a long time, and it’s not driven by policy considerations,” Strack said. “I will deeply miss the colleagues and friendships that I’m leaving behind, and the important mission of refugee resettlement. It’s been a privilege to be part of this community for the last 12 years, working to make the U.S. refugee resettlement program robust and secure.” Advocates expressed concern at the timing of Strack’s retirement, …

Acknowledging his push to broker peace in the Middle East has stalled, President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to threaten to cut off U.S. aid money to the Palestinian Authority, asking why the U.S. should make “any of these massive future payments” when the Palestinians are “no longer willing to talk peace.”   Trump, in a pair of tweets, said the U.S. pays “the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect.”   “They don’t even want to negotiate a long overdue … peace treaty with Israel,” he wrote.   Trump infuriated Palestinians and Muslims across the Middle East when he announced late last year that the U.S. would consider Jerusalem the capital of Israel and move its embassy there, upending decades of U.S. policy and igniting protests.   While the Palestinians haven’t closed the door to a potential deal with Israel, Palestinian leader …

Every day after work, Ariana Hawk drives to a water distribution center in Flint, Michigan, where the city provides free bottled water to its residents. Hawk’s 4-year-old son, Sincere Smith, became the poster child for Flint’s water crisis when his face, pocked by lead-poisoning scars, appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 2016. His mother says she still only uses bottled water when she bathes her five children and prepares food. She continues this practice even though the state of Michigan has declared the water is safe to drink, but only if filtered because not all of the lead-affected pipes have been replaced. “Governor Snyder say that we need to use that filter because our water is safe,” Hawk says. “Our water is not safe.” Two years after a state of emergency was declared because of lead-poisoned water, many in Flint, like Hawk, still don’t believe the water is …

The United States, Britain and Norway have called on parties in South Sudan’s conflict to stop violating a cease-fire signed last month, their heads of mission in the capital Juba said on Tuesday. The deal aimed to end a four-year war between the government of President Salva Kiir and rebels in which tens of thousands of people have been killed. But since the signing of the deal in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, there have been several reported violations for which both sides have been blamed. The United States, Britain and Norway form a group that supported the 2005 accord leading to the independence of South Sudan from Sudan. They have threatened to impose individual or group sanctions for those violating the cease-fire. “We call on all signatories, and the field commanders who answer to them, to immediately end all military operations,” the three Western countries said in a statement. …

Bone-chilling cold gripped much of the U.S. as 2018 began, breaking century-old records and leading to several deaths that authorities attributed to exposure to the dangerously low temperatures.   The National Weather Service issued wind chill advisories and freeze warnings Tuesday covering a vast area from South Texas to Canada and from Montana through New England. Authorities opened warming shelters in the South as temperatures dipped notably close to zero degrees Fahrenheit (-17.7 degrees Celsius) in Alabama and Georgia. The bitter cold wave enveloped much of the Midwest on Monday, yet that didn’t deter hundreds of people from ringing in the New Year by jumping into Lake Michigan. Throngs of people took part in the Polar Plunge in Milwaukee, despite sub-freezing temperatures and a warning of potential hypothermia from the local fire chief. Organizers canceled a similar event on the Chicago lakefront, after the temperature there dipped below zero and …

American blogger Logan Paul has apologized after facing widespread criticism for a video he posted that appeared to show the body of a suicide victim. Paul posted a video of himself walking with friends in the Aokigahara forest near Mount Fuji, known to be a site of frequent suicides.  They come across a man’s hanging body and react with shock, but also a number of jokes.   Critics commented the jokes were “disrespectful” and “disgusting.” Paul posted an apology Tuesday on Twitter, saying “Where do I begin.  Let us start with this.  I am sorry,” explaining that in his daily production of video blogs, or vlogs, “it is easy to get caught up in the moment without fully weighing the possible ramifications.” “I intended to raise awareness for suicide and suicide prevention and while I thought ‘if this video saves just ONE life, it will be worth it,’ I was …

The Fire Department of New York says 23 people, including a firefighter, are hurt following a Bronx blaze. All of them are expected to be OK.   Investigators believe the fire started in a first-floor furniture store around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.   Adults and children fled from the three stories of apartments above, including a man who ran outside with no shirt and no shoes. Nearby, icicles hung from power lines and ladders. Resident Erica Ortiz told WCBS that a window guard blocked a fire escape. She says she tried to kick it open, to no avail.   Over 200 firefighters battled the blaze. The blaze comes only days after the deadliest residential fire to hit New York City in at least a quarter century killed 12 people in a Bronx apartment building. …

The longtime leader of the New York City Ballet is retiring in the midst of an investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct by him. Peter Martins wrote a letter to the company’s board of directors on Monday announcing his retirement, saying the scandal had “exacted a painful toll on me and my family.”   The 71-year-old Martins told board members he continues to deny sexually harassing or abusing members of the company, including dancers. He said he had been the subject of news articles reporting largely anonymous and decades-old accusations. City Ballet announced last month Martins would take a leave of absence from the company and its School of American Ballet during an independent investigation. The company hired a law firm to conduct the investigation after receiving an anonymous letter accusing Martins of harassment. Martins said he had “cooperated fully” in the investigation. “I believe its findings would have vindicated …

Pakistan has summoned the U.S. ambassador to protest President Donald Trump’s tweets accusing Islamabad of sheltering terrorists who are battling U.S. forces in neighboring Afghanistan. A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Islamabad says David Hale was summoned to the foreign ministry Monday night to discuss Trump’s New Year’s Day tweet.  In his first tweet of 2018, the president angrily said the U.S. has “foolishly” given Pakistan over 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and had gotten “nothing but lies and deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools.” “They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!” Trump said at the end of his tweet.  Washington has long accused Pakistan, especially its security institutions, of turning a blind eye or covertly helping the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani terrorist network to stage cross-border attacks against Afghan and U.S.-led forces. …

California lawmakers will grapple for the first time as a group with a growing sexual misconduct scandal when they return to Sacramento on Wednesday.  The 2018 legislative year will bring debates over legislation to boost protections for victims and people who report sexual misconduct, as well as both chambers’ continued efforts to improve their own policies for handling misconduct.  On the very first day back, the Senate must confront how to handle one of its members, Sen. Tony Mendoza, who has refused calls to step aside amid an investigation into his alleged inappropriate behavior toward young women who worked for him. “This is certainly not something we thought we’d be working on,” Democratic Sen. Connie Leyva of Chino said. “We’re finally going to be able to get it right and make sure any injustices in the past we can correct and that moving forward, everyone who works in the Capitol …

VOA’s Pentagon Correspondent Nike Ching spoke with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Peek about the protests in Iran. Q: “Let me start by asking, what is the implication of the protests in Iran to Washington’s policy towards that country and to the region? What is the next step for the United States?” Peek: “Well these protests are indicative of what the United States government has said all along. The biggest victim of the Iranian government are the Iranian people. We are watching the events extremely closely. We continue to support the Iranian people, the president has been very clear about that. We call on the Iranian government to respect the right of their people to protest peacefully, to respect the right of free-flow information and not to use violence against peaceful protesters. These are basic human rights we think they should uphold.” Q: “Just to follow up, today, the …

The United States is pondering further sanctions against individuals in the Tehran regime who are responsible for cracking down on Iranian protesters, amid the largest anti-government demonstrations since the country’s disputed presidential election in 2009. In an interview with VOA on Monday, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran Andrew Peek also outlined Washington’s plan to build an international coalition to support Iranian people’s legitimate rights to express discontent. The following is an excerpt from the interview: Q: Let me start by asking, what is the implication of the protests in Iran to Washington’s policy towards that country and to the region? What is the next step for the United States? Peek: “Well these protests are indicative of what the United States government has said all along. The biggest victim of the Iranian government are the Iranian people. We are watching the events extremely closely. We continue to …

New York, Chicago and Washington all experienced significant declines in homicides in 2017, though the murder rate rose in Baltimore, Maryland, amid drug problems and lingering racial tensions. And while its number of murders was down, Washington saw some particularly brutal killings, including a gruesome decapitation blamed on a gang, and authorities in every city said they still had much work to do. The homicide decline was dramatic in New York, which experienced 2,245 killings as recently as 1990 but just 286 in 2017 as of December 27, according to The New York Times. That was down from 334 in 2016 and represented the city’s lowest number of murders since the 1950s. Every major category of crime declined there, from rape to car theft, the Times reported. Indeed, violent crime in the city has declined for 27 straight years. Chicago, which in 2016 suffered through its deadliest year in two …

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been quick and forceful in his support for Iranian anti-government protests, will have a chance later this month to further step up pressure on Tehran.  In mid-January, Trump faces another series of congressionally mandated deadlines to certify whether Iran is complying with the terms of the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers.  Many Iran watchers say Trump may use the deadlines to reimpose or enact new sanctions in an attempt to deliver a blow to Iran’s government at a moment of vulnerability. Andrew Peek, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Iran and Iraq, told VOA further sanctions are possible against Iranian government elements that crack down on protesters. “We will hold accountable those people and entities who are committing violence — from the top to the bottom — against the [Iranian protesters],” Peek said Monday. While it is far from …

The regulars amble in before dawn and claim their usual table, the one next to an old box television playing the news on mute.   Steven Whitt fires up the coffee pot and flips on the fluorescent sign in the window of the Frosty Freeze, his diner that looks and sounds and smells about the same as it did when it opened a half-century ago. Coffee is 50 cents a cup, refills 25 cents. The pot sits on the counter, and payment is based on the honor system.   People like it that way, he thinks. It reminds them of a time before the world seemed to stray away from them, when coal was king and the values of the nation seemed the same as the values here, in God’s Country, in this small county isolated in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Everyone in town comes to his diner …