USA

The future of the United States’ military presence in Syria is in question, with President Donald Trump facing competing demands from Turkey and Israel over the 2,000-strong force that is supporting a Syrian Kurdish-led coalition fighting Islamic State. Israel wants the U.S. to keep supporting Kurdish forces in Syria, while Turkey opposes that strategy. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …

WASHINGTON — As his trade advisers finalized plans to enact reciprocal measures on every country that charges duties on U.S. imports, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he will push for lower interest rates alongside his tariff policies. “Interest Rates should be lowered, something which would go hand in hand with upcoming Tariffs!!! Lets Rock and Roll, America!!!” Trump said on social media Wednesday morning. To maintain …

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 hearing arguments last March.  The Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling R&B songwriter was …

The 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 the White House informed the nonprofit news agency that the …

WASHINGTON — 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 the Labor Department showed, up from 2.9% the previous month. …

NEW 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 closely it matches the ideal for its breed. Winners get …

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has ordered a pause and review of a law that has defined the activities of U.S. business overseas for nearly five decades, claiming that the strict prohibitions against bribing foreign officials strangle American competitiveness in a tough global market.   “It’s going to mean a lot more business for America,” Trump said as he signed the order on Monday for the …

U.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. …

The 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 Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “Tariffs are …

WASHINGTON — 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, the first stop on his first international trip since being …

A 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 emergency ahead of the storm, allowing state agencies to assist …

SCOTTSDALE, 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 representative Worrick Robinson, IV, said in a statement. There were …

U.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. …

A 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 of the startup at the heart of a boom in …

So-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 Lee narrates. …

Pentagon — New U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is headed to Europe, his first international trip since taking office last month. Hegseth departed from Joint Base Andrews, just outside of Washington, early Monday, for stops in Germany, Belgium and Poland. In Germany, the defense secretary is scheduled to visit the headquarters for U.S. European Command, and U.S. Africa Command, getting updates on developments in both regions.  …

President Donald Trump’s point person for making rapid changes at U.S. governmental agencies is Elon Musk, the chief executive of carmaker Tesla and aerospace company SpaceX. Congressional Democrats say that the Trump-backed multibillionaire’s attempt to reduce federal government spending is wrong. Michelle Quinn looks at what Musk has been doing in Washington. …

Mayville, New York — Lawyers began delivering opening statements Monday at the trial of the man charged with trying to fatally stab author Salman Rushdie in front of a lecture audience in western New York.   Rushdie, 77, is expected to testify during the trial of Hadi Matar, bringing the writer face-to-face with his knife-wielding attacker for the first time in more than two years.   …

Concord, New Hampshire — A third federal judge on Monday blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship for the children of people who are in the U.S. illegally.   The ruling from U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante in New Hampshire comes after two similar rulings by judges in Seattle and Maryland last week. A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union contends …

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A federal court on Sunday blocked the Trump administration from sending three Venezuelan immigrants held in New Mexico to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba as part of the president’s immigration crackdown. In a legal filing earlier in the day, lawyers for the men said the detainees “fit the profile of those the administration has prioritized for detention in Guantanamo, i.e. Venezuelan men …

The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Kansas City Chief in this year’s Super Bowl, defeating the reigning champions by a score of 40-22. The Chiefs had been slightly favored to win the game, going into the American football showdown with hopes of winning their third consecutive National Football League title. But the Eagles held the Chiefs scoreless until late in the third quarter. By that time, …

Did a wide-open Oscar race just get a front runner? Sean Baker’s Brooklyn comedy “Anora” took top honors at both the Producers Guild Awards and the Directors Guild Awards on Saturday night, catapulting it to Oscar favorite status with wins from a pair of closely watched Academy Awards precursors. Hollywood’s award season has been uncharacteristically up for grabs with half a dozen films viewed as …

Most of the commercials airing during this year’s Super Bowl are going for laughs, with advertisers betting that America could use a little break. As the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs hit the field in New Orleans, a parade of silly ads will hit airwaves Sunday. Many companies put their ads online ahead of the game, but some held out to maintain an …

eover plan that U.S. President Donald Trump suggested last week. On the ground in the Middle East, the Israel-Hamas truce resulted in another successful hostage for prisoners exchange. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias has the story. …