Southern California firefighters made some progress in containing two major wildfires, while forecasters said weather conditions in the coming days could bring welcome relief from the days of dry air and high winds that have plagued the region. The relief will give firefighters a key window to battle the Palisades Fire on the west edge…
read moreElon Musk, the world’s richest person, will be among several billionaires attending Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration. Tesla CEO Musk was instrumental in Trump’s reelection with his contribution of over a quarter of a billion dollars to Trump’s campaign coffers, according to Forbes. Musk is set to head Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, along…
read moreTaiwan plans to spend $4.56 billion to boost its startup ecosystem and has set up a liaison center in Silicon Valley designated to attract American venture capital and talent to Taiwan. Liu Chin-ching, minister of the National Development Council of Taiwan, told VOA of the importance of the bridge between the U.S. and Taiwan, adding…
read moreWASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the CIA signaled substantial changes are in store for America’s premier spy agency, telling lawmakers that it must be more aggressive both in collecting intelligence and pushing back against Washington’s adversaries. John Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence at the end of Trump’s first term, told…
read moreOn Wednesday the U.S. Department of Commerce announced it would implement new export controls on certain biotechnology equipment, citing national security concerns relating to artificial intelligence and data science. The Commerce Department warned that China could use the biotech equipment’s technology to bolster its military capabilities and help design new weapons using artificial intelligence. The…
read moreUsha Vance will be the next second lady of the United States, making the Yale-educated lawyer the first vice presidential spouse of South Asian origin. VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell takes a look at her life story – and how it intersects with her husband’s political career and interests – as she prepares for…
read moreWASHINGTON — Pam Bondi, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, will face sharp questioning from Democratic senators at a confirmation hearing Wednesday expected to center on concerns that Trump will look to use the Justice Department’s powers to seek retribution against his adversaries. Bondi, a former Florida attorney general who was part of Trump’s…
read moreWASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did not inform Congress or the White House as required when he was incapacitated due to treatment for prostate cancer or when complications worsened his condition last year, the Pentagon’s watchdog concluded in a highly critical report released Wednesday. The inspector general’s report faults Austin for the communications failures early…
read moreWarnings were in place again Wednesday in the Los Angeles area for the prospect of strong winds combining with dry conditions to spread wildfires as firefighters battled a series of blazes in the region that have already killed at least 25 people. After winds were weaker than expected during the day Tuesday, the National Weather…
read morePresident-elect Donald Trump’s choice for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, faced resistance from Democrats in the Senate Armed Service Committee on Tuesday. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb has details. …
read moreBATON ROUGE — Before plowing a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers in New Orleans, killing 14 people, the man who carried out the Islamic State group-inspired attack had researched how to access a balcony on the city’s famed Bourbon Street and looked up information about a similar recent attack at a Christmas…
read moreU.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday ordered that flags at the Capitol be raised to their full height on Inauguration Day, pausing a 30-day flag-lowering order following the death of former President Jimmy Carter. The Republican leader’s decision means that President-elect Donald Trump will not take the oath of office for his…
read moreGENEVA — U.S. President Donald Trump will take part virtually in the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos just days after his inauguration, the forum president said Tuesday. Borge Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister who heads the Geneva-based organization, noted that Trump had twice attended the elite gathering of business, government and other leaders…
read moreDES MOINES, Iowa — More than 150 recipients of the Nobel and World Food prizes released an open letter Tuesday calling for a dramatic increase in research and a commitment to new food distribution efforts with a goal of producing more crops and avoiding a global hunger crisis in coming decades. The letter notes that an…
read moreIn a report to Congress released early Tuesday, special counsel Jack Smith said his office had sufficient evidence to “obtain and sustain” a trial conviction of President-elect Donald Trump for efforts to overturn Trump’s loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Smith said Trump “resorted to a series of criminal efforts to retain…
read moreThe public could learn as early as Tuesday new details about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. A federal judge has cleared the U.S. Department of Justice to release special counsel Jack Smith’s report about Trump’s efforts to cling to power as he falsely claimed he…
read moreCalifornia firefighters backed by fresh reinforcements of manpower and equipment prepared for the potential of new or worsening wildfires in southern California on Tuesday amid warnings of high winds and dry conditions. The National Weather Service said wind gusts Tuesday could exceed 100 kph, putting large areas of southern California under extreme fire danger warnings.…
read moreRaging wildfires in Los Angeles, fueled by strong winds, have destroyed homes and businesses, including those owned by Indonesian diaspora in the area. The Indonesian Consulate in Los Angeles has urged vigilance and is offering emergency assistance for those impacted. Click here for the full story in Indonesian. …
read moreWASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday warned of a potential public safety threat from violent extremists who might try to copy the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people. The warning comes a week before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.…
read moreWashington — Outgoing President Joe Biden sought to burnish his foreign policy record Monday and said U.S. adversaries are weaker than when he took office four years ago despite global crises that remain unresolved. A week before handing over to President-elect Donald Trump, Biden in a rare State Department speech touted his administration’s backing for Ukraine…
read moreBaltiomore, Md. — Baltimore prosecutors filed a motion supporting Adnan Syed’s recent request to have his sentence reduced to time served, which could ensure he remains free indefinitely as he awaits further court decisions in a decadeslong legal saga that amassed a large following from the hit podcast “Serial.” Syed was released from prison in 2022…
read moreThe deadly fires in the Los Angeles area have persisted for a week amid firefighters’ efforts to contain the infernos, which had killed at least 24 people by Sunday. Officials say more than 7,000 structures have gone up in flames in what has been called the Eaton Fire, including the home of a firefighter. VOA’s…
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