WASHINGTON — Top Biden administration officials urged Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to abandon plans to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1.4 million Palestinian civilians seek safety, as U.S.-Israel tensions brew over Israel’s conduct in its six-month-old war against Hamas. In meetings Monday and Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary…
read moreBritain’s high court has ruled the United States must guarantee that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will not get the death penalty if he is extradited to the U.S. on espionage charges. Assange’s lawyers are fighting to allow a full appeal against his extradition on accusations related to Wikileaks’ publishing of stolen military files. For VOA,…
read morewashington — Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a record conditional loan of $2.26 billion to tap the largest known lithium reserves in North America. The loan is an important step in an effort by the U.S. government to reduce reliance on China for the metal used to make batteries. Analysts, however, say…
read moreWashington — Tim Cook, CEO of the American technology giant Apple, is facing criticism at home over laudatory remarks he made about China during a recent visit to try to boost sagging iPhone sales in the lucrative market. Cook was in Shanghai for the opening of China’s largest Apple retail store on Friday and met with…
read moreJUBA, South Sudan — South Sudan’s government on Tuesday said schools will reopen next week following a two-week closure due to extreme heat across the country. The health and education ministries said temperatures were expected to steadily drop with the rainy season set to begin in the coming days. South Sudan in recent years has experienced…
read moreDES MOINES, Iowa — Another day, another giant lottery jackpot. Next up is an estimated $1.12 billion Mega Millions prize on Tuesday night, enticing players who hope to win the eighth-largest prize in U.S. lottery history even though no one has won the jackpot since December 8, 2023. That is 30 consecutive drawings without a jackpot…
read moreCOLUMBIA, MISSOURI — U.S. President Joe Biden has won Missouri’s primary, the state Democratic Party announced. Biden’s win was not in doubt; he has already beaten his major competitors. But the primary races are still closely watched by insiders for turnout and signs of protest voters. Saturday’s primary was the Missouri Democratic Party’s first party-run presidential…
read moreElectric vehicles can lower pollution and save drivers money, but in Africa, uneven access to electricity is a significant barrier to their success. In Ghana, battery-swap technologies are offering a solution. Senanu Tord reports from Accra. …
read moreAn analysis by Britain’s Royal United Services Institute has found that many Western nations still rely on Russian nuclear fuel to power their reactors, despite efforts to sever economic ties with the Kremlin following its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Henry Ridgwell reports from London. …
read moreLos Angeles — Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani said Monday he never bet on sports and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole money from him and told lies. Ohtani held a news conference at Dodger Stadium, five days after Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to…
read moreTALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida will have one of the country’s most restrictive social media bans for minors — if it withstands expected legal challenges — under a bill signed by Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday. The bill will ban social media accounts for children under 14 and require parental permission for 15- and 16-year-olds.…
read morewashington — Thousands of cherry blossoms began blooming earlier this month in Washington, bringing scores of tourists from around the world to see them at the Tidal Basin. But this year many tourists are coming to see one tree in particular: Stumpy. Stumpy, a short cherry tree in poor condition, looks like it shouldn’t be in…
read moreAustin, Texas — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said the Biden administration has no intention to ban TikTok, the popular short video application from Chinese company ByteDance. Harris told ABC’s “This Week” program on Sunday that a ban was “not at all the goal or the purpose of this conversation.” The White House urged the Senate…
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