The governor of Puerto Rico is not backing down despite massive street protests in the capital, San Juan, demanding his resignation. Thousands of people have taken to the streets after Puerto Rico’s Center for Investigative Journalism published nearly 900 pages of leaked text messages in which Gov. Ricardo Rossello used homophobic and misogynistic language. VOA’s … continue reading -> “Puerto Rico Governor Resists Calls for Resignation”
The U.K. will plunge into recession if it leaves the European Union without a divorce deal, with the pound plunging in value and the economy shrinking by 2% in a year, Britain’s official economic watchdog said Thursday. The Office for Budget Responsibility made its assessment as chances of an economically disruptive no-deal Brexit appear to … continue reading -> “Budget Watchdog Says No-Deal Brexit Will Spur UK Recession”
Iranian state television said Thursday forces from the country’s Revolutionary Guard seized a foreign tanker accused of smuggling oil. The report said the vessel was intercepted Sunday in a section of the Strait of Hormuz south of Iran’s Larak Island with 12 crew members on board. It said the tanker was involved in smuggling one … continue reading -> “Iranian State Television Reports Seizure of Oil Tanker”
India’s space agency says it will make a second attempt to launch an unmanned probe to the Moon’s south pole next Monday, July 22. The launch of the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft will take place exactly one week after its first attempt was aborted less than an hour before liftoff due to a “technical snag” on the … continue reading -> “India Reschedules Launch of Lunar Probe for Next Week”
STATE DEPARTMENT — “My father is a fixer, a bridge-builder, a connector. He knows that a better future is one where Han Chinese and Uighur children are in school together, are friends together and have the same opportunities,” said Jewher Ilham, who pleaded for the release of her father, prominent jailed Uighur scholar and economist Ilham Tohti. … continue reading -> “Jailed Uighur Scholar’s Daughter Pleads for His Freedom”
After months of on-again, off-again talks, Sudan’s military and opposition leaders have signed a power-sharing deal that rotates control of an executive council, but leaves other key details to be determined. Under the deal, the 11-member Sovereign Council, the top level of government, will be made up of five civilians, five military officials, and one … continue reading -> “Sudan’s Power-Sharing Deal Missing Key Details”
John Paul Stevens, who served on the Supreme Court for nearly 35 years and became its leading liberal, has died. He was 99. Stevens’ influence was felt on issues including abortion rights, protecting consumers and placing limits on the death penalty. He led the high court’s decision to allow terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay … continue reading -> “Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Dies at 99”
A major immigration policy shift took effect Tuesday to deny asylum to anyone who shows up on the Mexican border after traveling through another country. The dramatic move will likely have the biggest impact on Guatemalans and Hondurans, who must pass through Mexico to reach the U.S. by land. Together, they account for most Border … continue reading -> “AP Explains: Questions and Answers on New US Asylum Ban”
Federally funded family planning clinics, including Planned Parenthood, are defying the Trump administration’s ban on referring women for abortions, drawing a line against what they say amounts to keeping patients in the dark about legitimate health care options. “We are not going to comply with a regulation that would require health care providers to not … continue reading -> “Planned Parenthood to Defy Trump Abortion Referral Rule”
The Democrat-led House of Representatives is set to vote Tuesday on a resolution “condemning President Trump’s racist comments directed at Members of Congress,” in response to a series of tweets Trump issued attacking four lawmakers of color. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced the vote and said he hoped Republicans would “put country before party” … continue reading -> “US House to Vote on Resolution Condemning Trump’s ‘Racist Comments’”
An undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck south of Indonesia’s Bali on Tuesday, the European earthquake monitoring agency EMSC said, causing minor damage and prompting residents and visitors on the tourist island to briefly flee buildings. There were no reports of casualties and no tsunami warning issued by the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning … continue reading -> “Undersea Quake Near Indonesia’s Bali Causes Panic, Minor Damage”
European Union foreign ministers on Monday turned up the pressure on Turkey after approving an initial batch of sanctions against the country over its drilling for gas in waters where EU member Cyprus has exclusive economic rights. The ministers said in a statement that in light of Turkey’s “continued and new illegal drilling activities,” they … continue reading -> “EU Slaps Sanctions on Turkey Over Gas Drilling Off Cyprus”
Federal judges will decide how to proceed with bond hearings in two separate federal indictments against R. Kelly. The 52-year-old singer was arrested Thursday night while walking his dog on a 13-count indictment that includes sex crimes and obstruction of justice. A federal indictment was also unsealed in New York Friday that charges him with … continue reading -> “Judges to Decide on Bond Hearings for R. Kelly Indictments”
A nonprofit foundation set up by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden that relies on health care world partnerships to speed a cure for cancer has suspended its operations. The Biden Cancer Initiative was founded two years ago by Biden and his wife, Jill, as a tribute to his son Beau, who died of cancer in … continue reading -> “Biden Cancer Nonprofit Suspends Operations Indefinitely”
Codebreaker and computing pioneer Alan Turing has been chosen as the face of Britain’s new 50 pound note, the Bank of England announced Monday. Governor Mark Carney said Turing, who did ground-breaking work on computers and artificial intelligence, was “a giant on whose shoulders so many now stand.” During World War II Turing worked at … continue reading -> “Codebreaker Alan Turing To Be Face of New British Banknote”
In a series of Sunday morning tweets quickly deemed racist and xenophobic by critics, U.S. President Donald Trump has provoked fresh controversy with taunts at several new members of Congress. Trump on Twitter, targeted Progressive Democratic Congresswomen, telling them to “go back” and help fix the “crime infested” countries from which they came. So interesting … continue reading -> “Trump Tweets about Non-White Lawmakers Prompt Fresh Outrage”
Flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall have killed at least 50 people in Nepal in the past few days, with more deaths reported across the border in India and Bangladesh, officials said Sunday. At least 30 other people were missing in Nepal, either swept away by swollen rivers or buried by mudslides since monsoon … continue reading -> “Heavy Rain Leaves Scores Dead in Nepal, India, Bangladesh”
Militants targeted a gas pipeline in government-controlled central Syria, putting it out of order Sunday, according to state media. The SANA news agency didn’t name the attackers. The area in the central Homs province is close to where remnants of the Islamic State group are still holed up after losing all the territory they once … continue reading -> “Syria Says Militant Attack Shuts Down Gas Pipeline”
Barry rolled into the Louisiana coast Saturday, flooding highways, forcing people to scramble to rooftops and dumping heavy rain that officials had feared could test the levees and pumps that were bolstered after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005. After briefly becoming a Category 1 hurricane, the system weakened to a tropical storm as … continue reading -> “Weakened Barry Rolls into Louisiana, Drenches Gulf Coast”
NEW YORK — Authorities said a widespread power shortage in Manhattan on Saturday evening left businesses without electricity, elevators stuck and subway cars stalled. Power reportedly went out at much of Rockefeller Center, and the outage reached the city’s Upper West Side. The full extent of the outage, however, wasn’t clear. A diner on Broadway at … continue reading -> “NYC Power Outage Hits Subways, Businesses, Elevators”
JERUSALEM — Israel’s education minister voiced support Saturday for so-called gay “conversion therapy,” drawing a disavowal from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government’s religious-rightist tilt has worried liberals at home and backers abroad. Conversion therapy, an attempt to alter sexual orientation or gender identity through psychological, spiritual and, in extreme cases, physical means, has been widely discredited in the West and condemned by … continue reading -> “Israeli Education Minister Backs Gay ‘Conversion Therapy’”
As Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters vow to keep up their fight, churches remain on the front lines. Christian groups hold regular public gatherings and sing hymns at demonstrations, both as a way to protest and to de-escalate clashes between police and more aggressive protesters. As VOA’s Bill Gallo reports, many churches in Hong Kong fear … continue reading -> “Fearing Crackdown, Christians at Forefront of Hong Kong Protests”
As the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the historic mission to land humans on the surface of the moon, VOA’s Kane Farabaugh presents this reflection of the monumental achievement through the eyes of the NASA astronauts themselves. In exclusive interviews Farabaugh gathered, the men of the Apollo program reflect on the path to the … continue reading -> “In Exclusive VOA Interviews, NASA Astronauts Reflect on Historic Moon Missions”
Congressional Democrats are pushing for new protections for asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. They unveiled legislation this week that reflects the lawmakers’ increasing anger and concern over the Trump administration’s immigration policies. But Republicans accuse Democrats of refusing to acknowledge an immigration crisis exists and making the problem worse. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson … continue reading -> “Capitol Hill Frustration Grows Over Immigration Crisis”
China is criticizing a short visit by Taiwan’s president to the United States, saying it violates the “one-China” principle. Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang urged the U.S. on Friday to cease official exchanges with Taiwan and not allow stopovers by President Tsai Ing-wen. Tsai is already in New York on a two-night stay en route … continue reading -> “China Says US Should Not Allow Visit by Taiwan’s Leader”