VIDEO: Leon Panetta, who has served as (among other jobs) Secretary of Defense, Director of the CIA, and White House Chief of Staff, sat down with VOA contributor Greta Van Susteren. The two discuss a variety of topics from Panetta’s lengthy experience in government .

ON THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY On August 23, 1926, silent-film star Rudolph Valentino dies at the age of 31. Valentino was considered the first male Hollywood sex symbol, and his death caused hysterical reactions, including reported suicide attempts, from his fans. Valentino was born in Italy in 1895 and immigrated to the United States in 1913. After working several menial jobs, he landed gigs as a vaudeville dancer before moving to Hollywood in 1917. His life was often stormy, with two failed marriages.

U.S. military officials worry that sharp cuts to the number of refugees resettled in the country will hurt national security. Unnamed officials say the concerns stem from the low numbers of Iraqi refugees admitted this fiscal year — just 48 as of mid-August — and the fear that people in volatile regions won’t work with U.S. forces on the ground if they don’t see a commitment to resettlement.

VIDEO: “To serve and protect” — police forces around the globe live and die by this motto. Pakistan’s police force is no different. But in a religious and conservative country where women are often relegated to the role of homemakers, a few are joining the police force. And not just any police force. These brave young women are rising to the occasion to serve their country and become the newest members of Pakistan’s Elite Commandos .

VIDEO: The southeast African country of Malawi has no film schools and no cinemas. But self-taught Malawi directors have still won international prizes for their films, seven of which are nominated for the African Movie Academy Awards this September in Rwanda. Malawi’s filmmakers are working hard to build their own “Mollywood” film industry .

A former German intelligence chief says NATO secrets aren’t safe to share with Austria, adding his alarm to growing concern among Western intelligence agencies about close ties between senior Austrian ministers and Russia .