A Friday report by the United Nations says Iran is using advanced technology, including drones, facial recognition and a citizen-reporting app to crack down on violations of its mandatory hijab laws. A key element of the effort is the government-backed Nazer app, which enables the police and “vetted” members of …
your ad hereTrump intent on imposing global tariffs
The on-again, off-again tariffs between the United States and other countries are again under scrutiny, with the U.S. president not budging. VOA White House Correspondent Carolyn Presutti reports. …
your ad hereWall Street tumbles 10% below its record after Trump escalates trade war
NEW YORK — Wall Street’s sell-off hit a new low Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war dragged the S&P 500 more than 10% below its record, which was set just last month. A 10% drop is deemed a correction by professional investors, and the S&P 500’s 1.4% slide …
your ad hereBelgium makes arrests in corruption probe linked to EU
BRUSSELS — Belgian federal prosecutors announced Thursday the arrests of several people as part of a corruption probe linked to the European Parliament amid reports in local media that Chinese company Huawei bribed EU lawmakers. The arrests came as an investigation by Le Soir newspaper and other media said lobbyists working …
your ad hereTrump threatens hefty tariffs on European spirits
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened the European Union with 200% tariffs on wine, champagne and other spirits produced in the 27-nation bloc after the EU levied what he said was “a nasty 50% tariff” on American-distilled whiskey. Trump contended in a post on his Truth Social media platform …
your ad hereMeta tests ‘Community Notes’ to replace fact-checkers
SAN FRANCISCO — Social media giant Meta on Thursday announced it would begin testing its new “Community Notes” feature across its platforms on March 18, as it shifts away from third-party fact-checking toward a crowd-sourced approach to content moderation. Meta’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced the new system in January as …
your ad hereUS October-February budget deficit hits record $1.147 trillion
WASHINGTON — The U.S. budget deficit for the first five months of fiscal 2025 hit a record $1.147 trillion, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday, including a $307 billion February deficit for President Donald Trump’s first full month in office that was up 4% from a year earlier. The October-February deficit, …
your ad hereLaunch pad problem delays SpaceX flight to replace NASA’s stuck astronauts
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — A launch pad problem prompted SpaceX to delay a flight to the International Space Station on Wednesday to replace NASA’s two stuck astronauts. The new crew needs to get to the station so that Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams can head home after nine months in orbit. …
your ad hereDirt-powered sensors help farmers optimize their fields
An innovative solution to remotely power devices using natural biological processes could help farmers get the most from their fields. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh has more. …
your ad hereTrump, Irish leader meet amid differences on trade, Gaza war
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump met Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin on Wednesday for wide-ranging talks that reflected differences over trade and the conflict in Gaza, although both leaders pledged to expand cooperation between the two countries. The annual White House meeting around the time of St. Patrick’s Day is …
your ad hereChina boosting development of AI for use in trade war with US
NEW DELHI — Encouraged by the enthusiastic reception to its DeepSeek artificial intelligence platform in January, China’s leaders are going all out to encourage AI companies to harness the power of this technology to compete with the United States and other countries in business and military spheres. China considers AI an …
your ad hereUS stocks drop sharply as Trump hedges on recession
All three major U.S. stock indexes dropped sharply in Monday morning trading, with investors worried about the uncertainty of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on key trading partners and then his refusal to rule out the possibility of a U.S. recession in the coming months. The key Dow Jones …
your ad hereOne-day strike at 13 German airports, including main hubs, brings most flights to halt
Berlin — A one-day strike by workers at 13 German airports, including the Frankfurt and Munich hubs and all the country’s other main destinations, caused the cancelation of most flights on Monday. The 24-hour walkout, which started at midnight on Sunday, involves public-sector employees at the airports as well as ground …
your ad hereTrump to keep tariffs to pressure Mexico, Canada, China on fentanyl, aides say
U.S. President Donald Trump is keeping new tariffs in place on Mexico, Canada and China to pressure them to block the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl into the United States, top White House economic officials said Sunday. “If fentanyl ends, I think these [tariffs] will come off,” Commerce Secretary …
your ad hereIndia says it is working to cut tariffs as it eyes US trade deal
NEW DELHI — India said Friday it is working to lower trade barriers with the United States as it tries to reach a bilateral trade deal with Washington this year. The two countries said after a February White House meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi …
your ad hereUS lawmaker backs tariffs, calls for changing China’s trade status
WASHINGTON — Calls to revoke China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status have grown louder in recent months. In a memo released on the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump asked his Cabinet members to “assess legislative proposals regarding PNTR.” Three days later, Republican Representative John Moolenaar, the …
your ad hereTrump hosts crypto industry leaders at White House
US President Donald Trump convened cryptocurrency leaders at the White House to talk about digital assets and his goal to build a strategic reserve of bitcoin. Michelle Quinn reports. Camera: Michelle Quinn …
your ad hereUS drops antitrust case against Google over AI, not Chrome
The U.S. Department of Justice dropped a proposal Friday to force Alphabet’s Google to sell its investments in artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI competitor Anthropic, to boost competition in online search. The DOJ and a coalition of 38 state attorneys general still seek a court order requiring Google to sell …
your ad hereTrump tells crypto leaders he’s committed to helping their industry
President Donald Trump said Friday that he was committed to making the U.S. a world leader in cryptocurrencies as industry leaders heaped praise on him for reversing what they said had been unfair attacks on digital assets by the previous administration. “I thought it was very important that we stay …
your ad hereGreenland and Afghanistan: Frontiers in race for critical minerals
Just as discoveries of fossil fuel reserves helped to shape the 20th century, the race for critical minerals is shaping the 21st. These minerals are seen as strategically crucial for modern economies, including those used in construction, energy and manufacturing — particularly for semiconductors and other technology applications. Where mineral …
your ad hereUS employers add 151,000 jobs; unemployment up to 4.1%
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added a solid 151,000 jobs last month, but the outlook is cloudy as President Donald Trump threatens a trade war, trims the federal workforce and promises to deport millions of immigrants. The Labor Department reported Friday that hiring was up from a revised 125,000 in January. Economists …
your ad hereChina vows retaliation after Trump raises tariffs
Beijing’s next moves may be cautious, though, analysts say …
your ad hereChina criticizes Trump tariffs, threatens possible retaliation
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday criticized the United States for imposing tariffs on Chinese imports and vowed to “resolutely retaliate” if Washington continues to increase pressure on Beijing. Speaking to local and foreign media outlets during the annual meeting of China’s parliament on Friday, Wang questioned …
your ad hereTrump to host White House crypto summit
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday hosts top cryptocurrency players at the White House, a political boost for an industry that has struggled to gain legitimacy — and where the Republican president faces conflict of interest concerns. The president’s “crypto czar,” Silicon Valley investor David Sacks, has invited prominent …
your ad hereTrump signs executive order to establish government bitcoin reserve
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday establishing a government reserve of bitcoin, a key marker in the cryptocurrency’s journey toward possible mainstream acceptance. Under Trump’s new order, the U.S. government will retain the estimated 200,000 bitcoin it’s already seized in criminal and civil proceedings, according to Trump’s “crypto …
your ad here