Following the shooting deaths of 11 worshippers at a synagogue in the eastern United States, a U.N. human rights expert urged governments on Monday to do more to curb racist and anti-Semitic intolerance, especially online. “That event should be a catalyst for urgent action against hate crimes, but also a reminder to fight harder against…
read moreThe United States urged European Union governments on Monday to reflect on whether it was really in their interest to go ahead with a trade dispute over U.S. metals tariffs, and said it was hopeful of settling the issue with Mexico and Canada. The U.S. tariffs attracted an unprecedented seven requests for WTO adjudication, as…
read moreU.S. stocks fell on Monday in a volatile session, with the S&P 500 ending just shy of confirming its second correction of 2018, hurt by fresh worries of an escalation of U.S.-China trade tensions and a sharp drop in big tech and Internet names. Following a morning rally, major U.S. indexes pulled back steeply after…
read moreU.S. President Donald Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, are to travel to Pittsburgh Tuesday, three days after a mass killing at a synagogue in the city. Trump and members of his administration blame the news media for inciting anger in the country leading to the shooting, as well as the mailing of…
read moreCesar Sayoc, the man accused of mailing at least 13 packages containing explosive devices to critics of U.S. President Donald Trump, had a list of more than 100 other potential targets, law enforcement officials said Monday. U.S. news accounts said authorities believe that Sayoc was making his way through the list, which NBC said included…
read moreA web-based application that monitors the impact of successful forest-rights claims can help rural communities manage resources better and improve their livelihoods, according to analysts. The app was developed by the Indian School of Business (ISB) to track community rights in India, where the 2006 Forest Rights Act aimed to improve the lives of rural…
read moreGab, a social networking site often accused of being a haven for white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other hate groups, went offline Monday after being refused by several web hosting providers following revelations that Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect Robert Bowers used the platform to threaten Jews. “Gab isn’t going anywhere,” said Andrew Torba, chief executive officer…
read moreThe U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rebuffed a bid by Republican legislators in Pennsylvania to reinstate a congressional district map struck down by that state’s top court as unlawfully biased in favor of Republicans. The justices rejected the appeal of a January Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling invalidating the Republican-drawn map because it violated the state…
read moreThe leaders of Japan and India are reaffirming their ties amid growing worries about trade and regional stability. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived Saturday, was meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a resort area near Mount Fuji on Sunday. Modi is also visiting a nearby plant of major Japanese robot maker Fanuc.…
read moreThere is no risk of contagion from Italy’s budget crisis in the European Union but the euro zone is not prepared enough to face a new economic crisis, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told daily Le Parisien on Sunday. The European Commission rejected Italy’s draft 2019 budget earlier this week for breaking EU rules…
read moreRecep Tayyip Erdogan has held plenty of grand opening ceremonies in his 15 years at Turkey’s helm. On Monday he will unveil one of his prized jewels — Istanbul New Airport — a megaproject that has been dogged by concerns about labor rights, environmental issues and Turkey’s weakening economy. Erdogan is opening what he claims…
read morePancreatic cancer treatment could become more advanced with help from 13-year-old Rishab Jain. He’s created a tool for doctors to locate the hard-to-find pancreas more quickly and precisely during cancer treatment. The teen recently won a prestigious young scientist award for his potentially game-changing idea. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. …
read moreIn the hours before his arrest, as federal authorities zeroed in and secretly accumulated evidence, Cesar Sayoc was in his element: spinning classic and Top 40 hits in a nightclub where he’d found work as a DJ. As he entertained patrons from a dimly lit booth overlooking a stage at the Ultra Gentlemen’s Club, where…
read moreChina plans to provide an unspecified financial “grant” to Pakistan while the United Arab Emirates is actively considering Islamabad’s request for a fiscal relief package of up to $6 billion to help the country deal with a looming balance-of-payments crisis, Chinese and Pakistani officials say. News of the anticipated financial aid came days after Prime Minister…
read moreA battle is brewing between the Trump administration and some of the president’s biggest supporters in Congress who are concerned that sanctions to be reimposed on Iran early next month won’t be tough enough. As President Donald Trump prepares to reimpose a second batch of Iran sanctions that had been eased under the 2015 nuclear deal, conservative…
read moreFormer U.S. President Barack Obama is blasting President Donald Trump’s Republican Party for allegedly deceiving the American public on a variety of issues, including taxes and health care. Obama, Trump’s predecessor in the White House, delivered two fiery speeches Friday in Wisconsin and Michigan, urging people to vote for the states’ Democratic candidates in the Nov.…
read morePresident Donald Trump lectured the media at length on Friday evening, accusing reporters of trying “to use the sinister actions of one individual to score political points” against him hours after police apprehended a staunch supporter of his in connection with the mail-bomb scare targeting Democrats and CNN. Trump was campaigning in Charlotte, North…
read moreIt may surprise you that cement is responsible for 7 percent of the world’s carbon emissions. That’s because it takes a lot of heat to produce the basic powdery base of cement that eventually becomes concrete. But it turns out that simple fibers from carrots could not only reduce that carbon footprint but also make…
read moreAuthorities have arrested a 59-year-old man in connection with the mail bombs sent to celebrities, prominent news outlets, and Democratic politicians. The suspect has a long criminal record, as VOA’s Bill Gallo reports. …
read moreMegyn Kelly, the former Fox News Channel personality who made a rocky transition to softer news at NBC, was fired from her morning show Friday after triggering a furor by suggesting it was OK for white people to wear blackface at Halloween. “‘Megyn Kelly Today’ is not returning,” NBC News said in a statement. The…
read moreFacebook announced Friday that it had removed 82 Iranian-linked accounts on Facebook and Instagram. A Facebook spokesperson answered VOA’s questions about its process and efforts to detect what it calls “coordinated inauthentic behavior” by accounts pretending to be U.S. and U.K. citizens and aimed at U.S. and U.K. audiences. Q: Facebook’s post says there were…
read moreThe state of California on Friday agreed not to enforce its own state net neutrality law until a final court decision on the Trump administration’s decision to overturn the 2015 Obama-era open internet rules. The move likely means the California net neutrality law, which was set to take effect Jan. 1, now will be on…
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