NEW YORK — R. Kelly’s racketeering and sex trafficking convictions, along with a 30-year prison sentence, were upheld Wednesday by a federal appeals court that concluded the American singer exploited his fame for over a quarter century to sexually abuse girls and young women. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled Wednesday after…
read moreThe White House blocked an Associated Press reporter from an event in the Oval Office on Tuesday because the news agency has not altered its style on the Gulf of Mexico, which U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered renamed to the Gulf of America, the news agency said. Julie Pace, the AP’s executive editor, said…
read moreWASHINGTON — U.S. inflation accelerated last month as the cost of groceries, gas and used cars rose, a disappointment for families and businesses struggling with higher costs and likely underscoring the Federal Reserve’s resolve to delay any further interest rate cuts. The consumer price index increased 3% in January from a year ago, Wednesday’s report from…
read moreNEW YORK — A giant schnauzer named Monty won the top prize at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show Tuesday night. Monty bested six other finalists to take best in show at Madison Square Garden. The award is considered the most prestigious prize in the U.S. dog show world. Each dog is judged according to how…
read moreU.S. President Donald Trump welcomed American teacher Marc Fogel to the White House late Tuesday after Fogel was freed from Russia where he had been detained since August 2021 for bringing medically prescribed marijuana into the country. “I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now,” Fogel said as he stood next to Trump.…
read moreThe New York State Department of Health on Tuesday confirmed its first case of the new mpox strain, adding to the global concerns over the spread of the little-known variant. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were three confirmed cases in the country — in California, Georgia and New Hampshire…
read moreU.S. Vice President J.D. Vance on Tuesday vowed that the United States would maintain its leadership position in the development of advanced artificial intelligence and warned leaders of other countries not to adopt regulatory standards that might “kill” the new technology “just as it’s taking off.” “The United States of America is the leader in…
read moreU.S. President Donald Trump is doubling down on his demand that Jordan permanently take in Palestinians while the U.S. takes over Gaza. Tuesday’s White House meeting came amid a possible collapse of the fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reports. …
read moreDemocratic lawmakers are criticizing what they call the Trump administration’s “extreme” efforts to reshape the U.S. government, vowing to oppose those changes despite limited political capital in both chambers of the U.S. Congress. Republicans, however, defend the moves, saying attempts to stop fraud and waste are long overdue. VOA congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports from…
read moreThe 27-nation European Union and Canada quickly vowed Tuesday to stand firm against U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to impose 25% tariffs on their steel and aluminum exports, verbal sparring that could lead to a full-blown trade war between the traditionally allied nations. “The EU will act to safeguard its economic interests,” European Commission President…
read moreWASHINGTON — World leaders are making a mistake if they conclude that an effort by U.S. President Donald Trump to review America’s global military posture means Washington is pulling back, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth Tuesday spoke to reporters in Stuttgart, Germany, home to the headquarters for U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command,…
read moreEurope says it will ease regulations on artificial intelligence at a key AI summit in Paris on Feb. 11, 2025, that brought together the U.S. and other global tech giants and politicians. But some experts see bigger challenges stalling the bloc’s ambitions to be an AI heavyweight, from the need to pool resources to attracting…
read moreParis — U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Europeans on Tuesday their “massive” regulations on artificial intelligence could strangle the technology, and rejected content moderation as “authoritarian censorship.” The mood on AI has shifted as the technology takes root, from one of concerns around safety to geopolitical competition, as countries jockey to nurture the next big…
read morePARIS — Europe will invest an additional $51.5 billion to bolster the bloc’s artificial intelligence ambition, European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday. It will come on top of the European AI Champions Initiative, that has already pledged 150 billion euros from providers, investors and industry, von der Leyen told the Paris AI Summit.…
read moreA wintry mess was bearing down on mid-Atlantic states Tuesday with forecasts of significant snow and ice accumulations prompting warnings of potential power outages. The National Weather Service said travel would become treacherous Tuesday through early Wednesday in much of Virginia and West Virginia. Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Monday declared a state of…
read moreSCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — One person was killed and others were injured when a private jet owned by Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil collided with another jet Monday afternoon at the Scottsdale Airport in Arizona, authorities said. Neil’s jet was landing at the airport when it veered off the runway and collided with another parked plane, Neil’s…
read moreU.S. President Donald Trump on Monday announced a 25% tariff on aluminum and steel tariffs that could hit Canada and Mexico, the top two exporters to the U.S., the hardest. Trump’s ongoing trade offensive also provoked chiding from the U.S.’ top competitor, China. VOA correspondent Anita Powell reports from the White House. …
read moreFrench President Emmanuel Macron wants Europe to become a leader in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, he told a global summit of AI and political leaders in Paris Monday where he announced that France’s private sector has invested nearly $113 billion in French AI. Financial investment is key to achieving the goal of Europe as…
read moreA consortium led by Elon Musk said Monday it has offered $97.4 billion to buy the nonprofit that controls OpenAI, another salvo in the billionaire’s fight to block the artificial intelligence startup from transitioning to a for-profit firm. Musk’s bid is likely to ratchet up longstanding tensions with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over the future…
read moreSo-called birth tourism is not only happening on the U.S. mainland. Pregnant Chinese mothers have been heading to a U.S. territory much closer to home to have their babies and obtain for them coveted U.S. citizenship. VOA Mandarin’s Yu Yao and Jiu Dao have the details from Saipan, capital of the Northern Mariana Islands. Elizabeth…
read moreFLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA — Scientists have long suspected that Mexican long-nosed bats migrate through southeastern Arizona, but without capturing and measuring the night-flying creatures, proof has been elusive. Researchers say they now have a way to tell the endangered species apart from other bats by analyzing saliva the nocturnal mammals leave behind when sipping nectar from plants…
read moreFifteen measles cases — mostly in school-aged children — have been confirmed in a small county in West Texas with one of the highest rates of vaccine exemptions in the state. South Plains Public Health District Director Zach Holbrooks said Monday that his department was first notified in late January about the first two cases…
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