WASHINGTON — A drill to search for ice. A 4G network test. Three rovers and a first-of-its-kind hopping drone. After becoming the first private firm to land on the moon last year, Intuitive Machines is aiming for its second lunar touchdown on Thursday, carrying cutting-edge payloads to support future human missions. The Houston-based company is targeting…
read moreThe U.S. Justice Department announced indictments Wednesday against 12 Chinese nationals accused in a global hacking campaign targeting U.S.-based dissidents, news organizations, government agencies and a large religious organization. According to court documents, China’s Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of State Security used a network of private companies and hackers-for-hire to steal information and…
read moreU.S. Vice President JD Vance led a trio of White House officials on a visit Wednesday to a key crossing point on the Texas-Mexico border, where he echoed President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration push and assured Americans that U.S. forces don’t plan to invade Mexico. His trip to the small border town of Eagle Pass,…
read moreNEW DELHI — The U.S. government will stop sharing air quality data gathered from its embassies and consulates, worrying local scientists and experts who say the effort was vital to monitor global air quality and improve public health. In response to an inquiry from The Associated Press, the State Department said Wednesday that its air quality…
read moreIn a wide-ranging speech to Congress, U.S. President Donald Trump laid out his vision for the country. VOA’s Katherine Gypson spoke to lawmakers about Trump’s plans for the economy, immigration and U.S. foreign policy. Kateryna Lisunova contributed. VOA footage by Hakim Shammo. …
read moreBefore a congressional committee Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson defended his city’s status as a “sanctuary city” — a jurisdiction that guides local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh has more. …
read moreWASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that U.S. officials have had “ongoing talks and discussions” with representatives of U.S.-designated terror group Hamas. Confirmation of the talks in Doha, Qatar, come as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire remains in the balance. Leavitt declined to provide details on the substance of the talks. “Look, dialogue and…
read moreA U.S. board that reviews the firings of federal employees on Wednesday ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to temporarily reinstate thousands of workers who lost their jobs as part of President Donald Trump’s layoffs of the federal workforce. Cathy Harris, a member of the Merit System Protection Board, ordered the USDA to reinstate fired…
read moreISLAMABAD — The U.S. Justice Department plans Wednesday to present in a federal court in Virginia the alleged mastermind of the August 2021 bombing that killed 13 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The justice department said Islamic State Khorasan operative Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” was charged on March 2 with “providing and conspiring to provide…
read moreU.S. President Donald Trump said late Tuesday he received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table to discuss ending Russia’s three-year war on Ukraine. “Wouldn’t that be beautiful?” Trump said in an address to the U.S. Congress. “It’s time to stop this madness. It’s time…
read moreNEW ORLEANS — Powerful storms killed two people in Mississippi, tore the roofs off an apartment building and a nursing home in a small town in Oklahoma and threatened more communities across the nation Tuesday with wide-ranging weather. The large storm system also brought blinding dust storms to the Southwest, blizzards with whiteout conditions to the…
read morePresident Donald Trump delivered remarks before a joint session of Congress Tuesday evening, lauding early steps taken by his administration to slash the bureaucracy, order steep tariffs on America’s closest trading partners, and pressure Ukraine to stop fighting against a Russian invasion. As Trump spoke, Democrats watched and made their protests clear. White House Bureau…
read moreU.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin said Tuesday the country needs responsible changes and should be an engaged leader in an interconnected world, as she gave the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. Slotkin said prices for things such as groceries, housing and health care need to come down and…
read moreWashington — U.S. President Donald Trump in a Tuesday night speech to a joint session of Congress defended his new tariffs on U.S. trading partners and pledged that more are coming. “Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn,” Trump said in what was his first address to U.S. lawmakers…
read moreSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA — A U.S. judge on Tuesday denied Elon Musk’s request to prevent OpenAI from becoming a for-profit business in a loss for the Tesla tycoon amid his feud with Sam Altman. U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Musk and his xAI startup failed to prove an injunction against OpenAI was…
read moreWASHINGTON — A government watchdog wants more than 5,000 probationary employees to be reinstated at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the latest example of resistance to President Donald Trump ‘s efforts to downsize the federal workforce. The Office of Special Counsel made the request Friday and disclosed it Tuesday. If the request is granted by the…
read moreU.S. President Donald Trump ordered a “pause” Monday to military aid shipments to Ukraine with immediate effect, which his administration said was aimed at forcing all sides to peace talks. As Henry Ridgwell reports from London, European leaders have said it is vital to continue weapons shipments to Kyiv — but there are doubts over…
read moreNEW YORK — The Pritzker Prize, dubbed the “Nobel” for architecture, was awarded Tuesday to China’s Liu Jiakun, who was recognized for designs that celebrate “everyday lives.” “In a global context where architecture is struggling to find adequate responses to fast evolving social and environmental challenges, Liu Jiakun has provided convincing answers that also celebrate the…
read moreCAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA — NASA’s two stuck astronauts are just a few weeks away from finally returning to Earth after nine months in space. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have to wait until their replacements arrive at the International Space Station next week before they can check out later this month. They’ll be joined on their…
read moreUkrainians in Czechia raised nearly 19,000 dollars to help a Ukrainian war veteran and dancer get back on the floor. Yevhen Skripnichuk lost his leg while fighting the Russians. Omelyan Oshchudlyak has the story. Camera: Yuriy Dankevych …
read moreJames Harrison, whose blood plasma donations are credited with saving 2.4 million babies, dies at 88
MELBOURNE, Australia — James Harrison, whose blood plasma donations are credited with An Australian man credited with saving 2.4 million babies through his record-breaking blood plasma donations over six decades, has died at 88, his family said Tuesday. James Harrison, a retired state railway department clerk, died in a nursing home on the central coast of…
read moreNEW ORLEANS — Thousands of revelers adorned in beads and outlandish costumes will fill the streets of New Orleans as the city celebrates Mardi Gras Day despite anticipated severe storms. The city’s two biggest parades — hosted by social clubs Krewe of Zulu and Krewe of Rex — are set to go on with earlier start…
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