WASHINGTON — In a fresh broadside against one of the world’s most popular technology companies, the Justice Department late Friday accused TikTok of harnessing the capability to gather bulk information on users based on views on divisive social issues like gun control, abortion and religion. Government lawyers wrote in a brief filed to the federal appeals court in Washington that TikTok and its Beijing-based parent company …
FBI says Trump was struck by bullet during assassination attempt
WASHINGTON — Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump’s near assassination, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president’s ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused his injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally. “What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from …
Trump vows to return to site of assassination attempt; Obamas endorse Harris
WASHINGTON — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Friday he will return to the Pennsylvania town where he narrowly survived an assassination attempt, while Vice President Kamala Harris capped her weeklong bid to become the Democratic presidential nominee with former president Barack Obama’s endorsement. “I WILL BE GOING BACK TO BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA, FOR A BIG AND BEAUTIFUL RALLY,” former president Trump wrote on his Truth Social …
Former US diplomat and author Martin Indyk dies at 73
NORWICH, Conn. — Veteran diplomat Martin S. Indyk, an author and leader at prominent U.S. think tanks who devoted years to finding a path toward peace in the Middle East, died Thursday. He was 73. His wife, Gahl Hodges Burt, confirmed in a phone call that he died from complications of esophageal cancer at the couple’s home in New Fairfield, Connecticut. The Council on Foreign Relations, …
Rockets launched at bases hosting US troops in Iraq and Syria
Baghdad — Several rockets were launched Thursday and Friday against bases hosting troops from the U.S.-led anti-jihadist coalition in Iraq and Syria, security officials and a war monitor said. Such attacks were frequent early in the war between Israel and Hamas Palestinian militants in Gaza but since then have largely halted. “Four rockets fell in the vicinity” of Ain al-Assad base in Anbar province, an Iraqi …
US arrests cartel leaders ‘El Mayo’ Zambada and son of ‘El Chapo’
WASHINGTON — Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a longtime leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of another infamous cartel leader, were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said. A leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel for decades alongside Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, Zambada is one of the most notorious drug traffickers in the world and known …
US presidential election energizes fast-growing Indian American community
washington — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ meteoric rise to the top of the Democratic Party’s presidential ticket has energized many Indian Americans, raising the fast-growing community’s political profile and sparking widespread excitement. Harris, who is of Indian and Jamaican descent, appears set to become the first female presidential nominee of color after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday. But the fervor …
Washington warns adversaries: US politics not a sign of weakness
washington — U.S. diplomats and military officials rejected concerns that recent — and sudden — changes to the American political landscape are a sign of weakness, warning America’s adversaries Thursday against trying to seek any sort of advantage. “They should think again,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, briefing reporters. “They should be disabused of the notion that we are anything but focused on the national …
Video game performers to strike over artificial intelligence concerns
LOS ANGELES — Hollywood’s video game performers voted Thursday to go on strike, throwing part of the entertainment industry into another work stoppage after talks for a new contract with major game studios broke down over artificial intelligence protections. The strike — the second for video game voice actors and motion capture performers under the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists — will …
Name game begins for Harris running mate on Democrats’ ticket
Who will she pick? That’s the big political question in America after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid and Vice President Kamala Harris became the likely Democratic nominee. The selection in question is Harris’ running mate against Republicans Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. VOA’s chief national correspondent Steve Herman is at the White House and has this report. (Camera: Anne-Marie Frederick) …
US economic growth increased last quarter to a healthy 2.8% annual rate
Washington — The nation’s economy accelerated last quarter at a strong 2.8% annual pace, with consumers and businesses helping drive growth despite the pressure of continually high interest rates. Thursday’s report from the Commerce Department said the gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — picked up in the April-June quarter after growing at a 1.4% pace in the January-March period. …
Biden speaks, with hope and wistfulness of decision to leave race
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday explained to American citizens and to the world why he decided not to stand for reelection in the 2024 presidential race. Biden, speaking from the Oval Office, also outlined what urgent challenges he sees as the nation careens toward a November vote. VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell reports. …
Netanyahu to US lawmakers: Demilitarized, deradicalized Gaza will bring peace
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a divided U.S. Congress on Wednesday, with many Democratic lawmakers boycotting his speech but Republicans saying it was key to reaffirming the U.S. commitment to its Middle Eastern ally. VOA Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports. …
Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters converge on US Capitol
As Benjamin Netanyahu addressed both houses of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, thousands of people protested outside the Capitol, denouncing the Israeli prime minister for Israel’s war against Hamas. Robin Guess reports from Washington. …
Man who attacked author Salman Rushdie charged with supporting terrorist group
Buffalo, New York — A man who severely injured author Salman Rushdie in a frenzied knife attack in western New York faces new terrorism charges. A three-count indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Buffalo on Wednesday charges Hadi Matar with attempting to provide material support to Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon and backed by Iran. The indictment didn’t detail what evidence linked Matar …
Drill team cultivates sense of identity for Chinese American girls
In the Pacific Northwest, there is a marching group that has thrilled parade audiences for more than 70 years. The Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team has brought a sense of community and identity for generations of Chinese American girls. VOA’s Natasha Mozgovaya reports. …
US links Pakistan’s economic growth to political stability
ISLAMABAD — The United States urged Pakistan Wednesday to protect the rights of all citizens, including freedom of expression and assembly, as a military-backed crackdown on the opposition party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan continues. Donald Blome, the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, stressed during a seminar in Islamabad that upholding constitutionally guaranteed rights is crucial to the country’s economic progress. “Protecting human rights for …