Author: Tage

U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade. The proposed breakup floated in a 23-page document filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice calls for sweeping punishments that would include a sale of Google’s industry-leading Chrome web browser and impose restrictions to prevent Android from favoring its own search engine. A sale of Chrome “will permanently stop Google’s control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet,” Justice Department lawyers argued in their filing. Although regulators stopped short of demanding Google sell Android too, they asserted the judge should make it clear the company could still be required to divest its smartphone operating system if its oversight committee continues to see evidence of misconduct. The broad scope of the recommended penalties underscores how severely regulators operating under President Joe Biden’s administration believe Google should be punished following an August ruling by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta that branded the company as a monopolist. The Justice Department decision-makers who will inherit the case after President-elect Donald Trump takes office next year might not be as strident. The Washington, D.C., court hearings on Google’s punishment are scheduled to begin in April and Mehta is aiming to issue his final decision before Labor Day. If Mehta embraces the government’s recommendations, Google would be forced to sell its 16-year-old Chrome browser within six months of the final ruling. But the company certainly would appeal any punishment, potentially prolonging a legal tussle that has dragged on for more than four years. Besides seeking a Chrome spinoff and a corralling of the Android software, the Justice Department wants the judge to ban Google from forging multibillion-dollar deals to lock in its dominant search engine as the default option on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. It would also ban Google from favoring its own services, such as YouTube or its recently launched artificial intelligence platform, Gemini. Regulators also want Google to license the search index data it collects from people’s queries to its rivals, giving them a better chance at competing with the tech giant. On the commercial side of its search engine, Google would be … “US regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale” →

washington — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday blocked legislation that would have halted the sale of some U.S. weapons to Israel. The measures had been introduced out of concern about the human rights catastrophe Palestinians face in Gaza.  Seventy-nine of the 100 senators opposed a resolution that would have blocked sales of tank rounds to Israel, while 18 approved it and one voted present. Seventy-eight opposed a second measure, which would have stopped the shipment of mortar rounds, while 19 supported it and one voted present.   The Senate was to vote later Wednesday on a third resolution that would stop shipments of a GPS guidance system for bombs.  All of the votes in favor of the measures came from the Democratic caucus. Those against came from both Democrats and Republicans. The “resolutions of disapproval” were filed by Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, and co-sponsored by a handful of Democrats.  Strong bipartisan support for Israel in Congress meant the resolutions were never likely to pass, but backers hoped significant support in the Senate would encourage Israel’s government and President Joe Biden’s administration to do more to protect civilians in Gaza.  The Biden administration opposed the resolutions.  Most of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people has been displaced and the enclave is at risk of famine, more than a year into Israel’s war against Hamas in the Palestinian enclave. Gaza health officials say nearly 44,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive.  Sanders, accusing Israel of blocking aid shipments, said providing military aid to Israel violates U.S. law barring weapons sales to human rights abusers.   “It is time to tell the [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu government that they cannot use U.S. taxpayer dollars and American weapons in violation of U.S. and international law and our moral values,” Sanders said in a Senate speech before the vote.   Opponents said the resolutions were inappropriate as Israel faces threats from designated terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, and from archenemy Iran.  “Israel is surrounded by enemies dedicated to its annihilation,” the Senate’s Democratic majority leader, Chuck Schumer, said in a Senate speech before the votes.  Israel says that it has been working to address humanitarian needs and that the main problem with aid deliveries is U.N. distribution challenges. Its embassy in Washington did not respond this week to a request for comment on Sanders’ resolutions.  U.S. law gives Congress the right … “US Senate blocks bid to halt some Israel military sales “ →

President Joe Biden’s top Mideast envoy said Wednesday he’s hopeful about negotiations with Hezbollah to bring the conflict along Israel’s northern border to an end, although fighting continues, and an end appears nowhere in sight in Gaza. Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate blocked legislation Wednesday night that would have sent certain armaments to Israel – a move that opponents say will extend the war. Anita Powell reports from Washington. …

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated longtime ally Republican Representative Matt Gaetz for the nation’s top law enforcement position, attorney general of the United States. As VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, Gaetz is expected to face a tough confirmation process. …

new york — An Indian businessman who is one of the world’s richest people has been indicted in the United States on charges he duped investors by concealing that his company’s huge solar energy project on the subcontinent was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme. Gautam Adani, 62, was charged in an indictment unsealed Wednesday with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud. The case involves a lucrative arrangement for Adani Green Energy Ltd. and another firm to sell 12 gigawatts of solar power to the Indian government — enough to light millions of homes and businesses. The indictment portrays Adani and his co-defendants as playing two sides of the deal. It accuses them of portraying the plan as rosy and aboveboard to Wall Street investors who poured several billion dollars into the project while, back in India, they were paying or planning to pay about $265 million in bribes to government officials in exchange for billions of dollars’ worth of contracts and financing. Adani and his co-defendants allegedly sought to “obtain and finance massive state energy supply contracts through corruption and fraud at the expense of U.S. investors,” Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lisa Miller said. In a parallel civil action, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused Adani and two co-defendants of violating anti-fraud provisions of U.S. securities laws. The regulator is seeking monetary penalties and other sanctions. Both cases were filed in federal court in Brooklyn. Adani’s co-defendants include his nephew, Sagar Adani, the executive director of Adani Green Energy’s board, and Vneet Jaain, who was the company’s chief executive from 2020 to 2023 and remains managing director of its board. Online court records did not list lawyers who could speak on the defendants’ behalf. An email message seeking comment was left with an arm of Adani’s company, the Adani Group. Sanjay Wadhwa, acting director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division, said Gautam and Sagar Adani are accused of persuading investors to buy their company’s bonds by misrepresenting “not only that Adani Green had a robust anti-bribery compliance program but also that the company’s senior management had not and would not pay or promise to pay bribes.” Adani is a power player in the world’s most populous nation. He built his fortune in the coal business in the 1990s. The Adani Group grew to involve many aspects of Indian life, from making defense equipment to building … “US charges Indian billionaire Gautam Adani with fraud, conspiracy” →

Two former Georgia election workers who won a $148 million defamation judgment against Rudy Giuliani asked a judge Wednesday to penalize him even further for continuing to falsely accuse them of tampering with ballots during the 2020 presidential election.  Attorneys for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, argued in a filing in a Washington federal court that Giuliani has violated an agreement he signed to stop repeating the falsehoods. The alleged violations came in statements he made during two recent broadcasts of his nightly show on the social media platform X.  “These statements repeat the exact same lies for which Mr. Giuliani has already been held liable, and which he agreed to be bound by court order to stop repeating,” read the filing, which asked the judge to hold Giuliani in contempt and impose sanctions against him.  A lawyer for Giuliani, Joseph M. Cammarata, said he had not seen the court filing and could not respond to its specific claims, but accused the women’s attorneys of trying to intimidate the former New York City mayor. In a statement, Giuliani’s spokesperson, Ted Goodman, called the new legal filing an attempt to “deprive Mayor Rudy Giuliani of his First Amendment right to freedom of speech.”  Giuliani is barred from accusing the women of election wrongdoing. The longtime Donald Trump ally was found liable last year for defaming Freeman and Moss by accusing them of ballot tampering as he pushed then-President Trump’s lies about election fraud. The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani falsely claimed they sneaked in ballots in suitcases, counted ballots multiple times and tampered with voting machines.  The $148 million judgment led to a failed bankruptcy attempt by Giuliani. He has since been ordered to turn over many of his assets to Freeman and Moss, including his $5 million Upper East Side apartment.  In December, the women sued Giuliani again for continuing to repeat his ballot-tampering claims, resulting in the court issuing a permanent injunction in May that barred the former mayor from making any statements that suggest the women engaged in any wrongdoing in connection with the 2020 presidential election.  Lawyers for the two plaintiffs argued in Wednesday’s court filing that Giuliani broke that agreement when he referred to the pair again on his recent video broadcasts on November 12 and 14, including baselessly claiming that he was not allowed to show tapes of “quadruple counting” … “Georgia election workers say Giuliani continues to defame them” →

Honolulu, hawaii — Three generations of TJ Rickard’s family lost their homes in the deadly Maui wildfire more than a year ago, and he and his extended family still have not rebuilt. That leaves Rickard, a high school basketball coach, conflicted about next week’s return of the storied Maui Invitational college tournament.  Like many, Rickard is excited to have top-drawer basketball played in Lahaina’s humble arena, but he worries people will think it’s business as usual in his hometown. In truth, he said, Lahaina is still struggling after the fire killed at least 102 people and leveled thousands of homes.  “Not even a minute drive away from where they play, there’s houses that are burned down that are still waiting to be rebuilt,” said Rickard, the boys head coach at Lahainaluna High School.  Many residents are excited about the local exposure to high-caliber competition and the economic boost the Maui Invitational will bring. But there’s also a fear that travelers might show disrespect by wandering into the Lahaina burn zone and taking photos of the devastation, or trigger unpleasant memories with questions about that catastrophic day.  “People are in a weird state right now over here because there’s so much displacement and loss of community,” said Jon Conrad, Lahainaluna’s athletic director. “It’s a highly sensitive and slightly charged environment.”  Boosters coming to Lahaina should know “it’s been a year and more, but things are still a little raw,” Conrad said.  ‘It’s our home’ The Maui Invitational will bring eight of the NCAA’s best men’s teams — including two-time defending champion University of Connecticut — to Lahaina’s 2,400-seat gymnasium for three days.  Last year, organizers moved the tournament to Honolulu instead of intruding on Lahaina when many survivors were still living in hotels and charred rubble littered properties. This year, they decided to bring the 40-year-old event back after meeting with the governor’s office, the Hawaii Tourism Authority and Maui’s mayor, said Tom Valdiserri, executive vice president of KemperSports LIVE.  “It’s our home and we want to be there. And Maui is our ohana, frankly,” Valdiserri said, using the Hawaiian word for family.  Reconstruction is progressing slowly. The Army Corps of Engineers has fully cleared all residential lots and 91% of commercial lots of fire debris. Maui County has issued 133 building permits after receiving 291 applications. One property has been finished.  Rickard’s experience shows how challenging housing is even 15 months after … “Maui Invitational returns to a Lahaina still struggling after deadly wildfire” →

athens, georgia — A Venezuelan man has been convicted of murder in the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, a case that fueled the national debate over immigration during this year’s presidential race. Jose Ibarra was charged with murder and other crimes in Riley’s February death, and the guilty verdict was reached Wednesday by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard. Ibarra, 26, had waived his right to a jury trial, meaning that Haggard alone heard and decided the case. Riley’s family and roommates cried as the verdict was read. Ibarra didn’t visibly react.   The killing added fuel to the national debate over immigration when federal authorities said Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 and was allowed to stay in the country while he pursued his immigration case. The trial began Friday, and prosecutors called more than a dozen law enforcement officers, Riley’s roommates and a woman who lived in the same apartment as Ibarra. Defense attorneys called a police officer, a jogger and one of Ibarra’s neighbors on Tuesday and rested their case Wednesday morning. Prosecutor Sheila Ross told the judge that Ibarra encountered Riley while she was running on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22 and killed her during a struggle. Riley, 22, was a student at Augusta University College of Nursing, which also has a campus in Athens, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) east of Atlanta. Defense attorney Dustin Kirby said in his opening that Riley’s death was a tragedy and called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing. But he said there was not sufficient evidence to prove that his client killed Riley. Riley’s parents, roommates and other friends and family packed the courtroom throughout the trial. …

NEW YORK — Distant, ancient galaxies are giving scientists more hints that a mysterious force called dark energy may not be what they thought. Astronomers know that the universe is being pushed apart at an accelerating rate and they have puzzled for decades over what could possibly be speeding everything up. They theorize that a powerful, constant force is at play, one that fits nicely with the main mathematical model that describes how the universe behaves. But they can’t see it and they don’t know where it comes from, so they call it dark energy. It is so vast it is thought to make up nearly 70% of the universe — while ordinary matter like all the stars and planets and people make up just 5%. But findings published earlier this year by an international research collaboration of more than 900 scientists from around the globe yielded a major surprise. As the scientists analyzed how galaxies move they found that the force pushing or pulling them around did not seem to be constant. And the same group published a new, broader set of analyses Tuesday that yielded a similar answer. “I did not think that such a result would happen in my lifetime,” said Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki, a cosmologist at the University of Texas at Dallas who is part of the collaboration. Called the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, it uses a telescope based in Tucson, Arizona to create a three-dimensional map of the universe’s 11-billion-year history to see how galaxies have clustered throughout time and across space. That gives scientists information about how the universe evolved, and where it might be heading. The map they are building would not make sense if dark energy were a constant force, as it is theorized. Instead, the energy appears to be changing or weakening over time. If that is indeed the case, it would upend astronomers’ standard cosmological model. It could mean that dark energy is very different than what scientists thought — or that there may be something else altogether going on. “It’s a time of great excitement, and also some head-scratching and confusion,” said Bhuvnesh Jain, a cosmologist at the University of Pennsylvania who is not involved with the research. The collaboration’s latest finding points to a possible explanation from an older theory: that across billions of years of cosmic history, the universe expanded and galaxies clustered as Einstein’s general relativity predicted. The … “Dark energy pushing our universe apart may not be what it seems, scientists say” →

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this week visited the Philippines, where he met with its president and his defense counterpart to highlight the expansion and modernization of two countries’ alliance in just a few short years. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb has more. …

SEATTLE — What was expected to be one of the strongest storms in the northwest U.S. in decades arrived Tuesday evening, knocking out power and downing trees across the region. The Weather Prediction Center issued excessive rainfall risks beginning Tuesday and lasting through Friday as the strongest atmospheric river — a large plume of moisture — that California and the Pacific Northwest has seen this season bears down on the region. The storm system is considered a “bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly. The areas that could see particularly severe rainfall will likely reach from the south of Portland, Oregon, to the north of the San Francisco area, said Richard Bann, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center. “Be aware of the risk of flash flooding at lower elevations and winter storms at higher elevations. This is going to be an impactful event,” he said. Hurricane-force winds, which are gusts above 121 kph, could be felt along the Oregon coast, according to the National Weather Service in Medford, Oregon. And near Seattle, conditions for a “mountain wave” were shaping up, bringing large, low elevation wind gusts that could cause widespread power outages and downed trees, said Larry O’Neill, director of the Oregon Climate Service and Oregon State University associate professor. “This will be pretty strong in terms of the last 10 or 20 years,” he said. “We’ve only seen a couple storms that have really been this strong.” About 94,000 customers were without power in western Washington as strong winds ramped up and snow fell in the Cascade Mountain passes Tuesday evening. More than 12,000 customers had lost power in Oregon, according to poweroutage.us. The National Weather Service in Seattle said a peak wind speed of 109 kph was recorded at Crystal Mountain near Mount Rainier. Winds were expected to increase in western Washington throughout the evening, the weather service said. In northern California, flood and high wind watches were in effect, and a winter storm watch was issued for the northern Sierra Nevada above 1,066 meters, where 28 centimeters of snow was possible over two days. “Numerous flash floods, hazardous travel, power outages and tree damage can be expected as the storm reaches max intensity” on Wednesday, the Weather Prediction Center warned. In Northern California’s Yolo County, crews spent Monday clearing culverts, sewers and drainage ditches to avoid clogs that could lead to street … “‘Bomb cyclone’ brings high winds and soaking rain to Northern California and Pacific Northwest” →

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a “sanctuary city” ordinance to protect immigrants living in the city, a policy that would prohibit the use of city resources and personnel to carry out federal immigration enforcement. The move by the Southern California city, the second most populated city in the U.S. after New York City, follows President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to carry out mass deportations of immigrants. The ordinance codifies the protection of migrants in municipal law. Council member Paul Krekorian said the measure addresses “the need to ensure that our immigrant community here in Los Angeles understands that we understand their fear.” Pro-immigrant protesters spoke on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall before the vote, holding up signs saying, “Los Angeles Sanctuary City Now!” They chanted in Spanish “What do we want? Sanctuary. When do we want it? Now.” The city is home to 1.3 million migrants, council members said, without specifying how many entered the country legally. “We are extremely concerned, given that this is a city where about a third of the population is immigrants,” Shiu-Ming Cheer said at the rally. She is deputy director of immigrant and racial justice at the California Immigration Policy Center. People were “afraid that the National Guard or other people are going to be forced to execute Trump’s mass deportation plans,” she said. “But, you know, we’re also organized.” Eleven states have, to varying degrees, taken steps toward reducing cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, according to the non-profit Immigrant Legal Resource Center. Trump, winner of the Nov. 5 election, takes office on Jan. 20. The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment. …

New Orleans, Louisiana — The teaching of America’s racial history is dividing voters as state governments and federal judges weigh in on what is known as critical race theory. “What we are seeing is that America is having a very public argument about how to discuss race in our country,” explained Stanford law professor Ralph Richard Banks. “It is a conversation about how we talk about the racist incidents in our past but also about how the past continues to shape inequalities in the present. “But what makes the topic especially charged,” he added, “is that this is a debate that has reached our children and their classrooms.” Banks says part of the issue is disagreement over an approach to the subject known as critical race theory. Liberals largely see it as a way of understanding how American racism has shaped public policy, while conservatives view it as a divisive discourse aimed at shaming white Americans for past atrocities while further dividing the country’s racial groups. “I have no problem with the teaching of history,” explained Cody Clark, a Republican voter from Denton, Texas. “But I don’t like the idea of teachers telling our children that some of them are privileged and some of them are oppressed. I think that just passes our divisions to the next generation.” Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry this year signed an executive order banning the teaching of critical race theory in public schools, making the Pelican State the 18th in the country to limit or ban the subject. Public school teachers and civil rights attorneys are responding. Civil rights attorneys in Little Rock are arguing before a federal judge that an Arkansas law banning critical race theory in schools violates the U.S. Constitution. Louisiana public school teacher Lauren Jewett calls the bans misguided. “I think it’s laughable and insulting in the same breath,” she told VOA. “K-12 teachers don’t teach critical race theory. It’s not in the state standards or our curricula and, to be honest, we don’t even have enough time to eat our lunches or meet all our students’ needs, let alone create new material.” What is critical race theory? While Jewett says laws banning critical race theory in public schools are political stunts, she also calls accurate accounts of American history essential. “Our country has many uncomfortable and violent truths such as slavery, colonization, segregation, and mass incarceration,” she said. “It is … “Americans confront racial past in debate over critical race theory” →

CHEYENNE, Wyoming — A state judge on Monday struck down Wyoming’s overall ban on abortion and its first-in-the-nation explicit prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy.  Since 2022, Teton County District Judge Melissa Owens has ruled consistently three times to block the laws while they were disputed in court.  The decision marks another victory for abortion rights advocates after voters in seven states passed measures in support of access.  One Wyoming law that Owens said violated women’s rights under the state constitution bans abortion except to protect a pregnant woman’s life or in cases involving rape and incest. The other made Wyoming the only state to explicitly ban abortion pills, though other states have instituted de facto bans on the medication by broadly prohibiting abortion.  The laws were challenged by four women, including two obstetricians, and two nonprofit organizations. One of the groups, Wellspring Health Access, opened as the state’s first full-service abortion clinic in years in April 2023 following an arson attack in 2022.  “This is a wonderful day for the citizens of Wyoming — and women everywhere who should have control over their own bodies,” Wellspring Health Access President Julie Burkhart said in a statement.  The recent elections saw voters in Missouri clear the way to undo one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans in a series of victories for abortion rights advocates. Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota, meanwhile, defeated similar constitutional amendments, leaving bans in place.  Abortion rights amendments also passed in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland and Montana. Nevada voters also approved an amendment in support of abortion rights, but they’ll need to pass it again in 2026 for it to take effect. Another that bans discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy outcomes” prevailed in New York.  The abortion landscape underwent a seismic shift in 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a ruling that ended a nationwide right to abortion and cleared the way for bans to take effect in most Republican-controlled states.  Currently, 13 states are enforcing bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with limited exceptions, and four have bans that kick in at or about six weeks into pregnancy — often before women realize they’re pregnant.  Nearly every ban has been challenged with a lawsuit. Courts have blocked enforcement of some restrictions, including bans throughout pregnancy in Utah and Wyoming. Judges struck down bans in Georgia and North … “Judge strikes down Wyoming abortion ban, including explicit ban on pills” →

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate Wall Street financier Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary in his new administration, Trump announced on Tuesday.  The 63-year-old billionaire has been co-chair of Trump’s transition team, helping to consider and vet numerous people to assume top-level government jobs after Trump takes office on January 20. Lutnick has been an outspoken Trump supporter in recent months.  The CEO and chairman of the Cantor Fitzgerald global financial services firm, Lutnick was reported to be in contention to become Treasury secretary, another top job Trump has yet to fill. But Trump associates say Lutnick fell out of favor for the Treasury job amid conflicts with another leading candidate, investor Scott Bessent.  If nominated to become commerce secretary and confirmed by the Senate, as would be likely, Lutnick could play a leading role in implementing the president’s economic and trade policies.   Trump has proposed widespread increases in tariffs on imported goods, an effort to boost American manufacturing of the same products, but one that in the near term threatens to increase prices for American consumers and disrupt the global economy.  The Commerce Department oversees an array of federal business policies, including on semiconductors, cybersecurity and patents, and helps promote new businesses and economic growth in the United States, the world’s biggest economy.  Lutnick has donated to both Democrats and Republicans in the past. He also once appeared on Trump’s NBC reality TV show “The Apprentice” before Trump was first elected president in 2016.  The Cantor Fitzgerald firm that Lutnick heads lost more employees — 658 out of 960 — than any other business in the September 11, 2001, al-Qaida terrorist attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York. Another 46 contractors and visitors who were in the Cantor Fitzgerald offices that day were killed when the towers collapsed.  Lutnick’s brother Gary was among those killed when hijackers flew commercial jetliners into the skyscrapers, hitting the North Tower just below where Cantor Fitzgerald occupied floors 101 to 105. Howard Lutnick would have been there as well but was taking his son Kyle to his first day of kindergarten.  Back at the site, Howard Lutnick survived the collapse of the South Tower by taking cover under a nearby car. He later created the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund to assist families of victims of the attacks and natural disasters.  …

MANILA, Philippines — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday condemned China’s dangerous actions against the Philippines and renewed a warning that the United States would defend its treaty ally if Filipino forces come under an armed attack in the increasingly volatile waters. During a visit to the Philippine province of Palawan next to the disputed South China Sea, Austin was asked if the strong U.S. military support to the Philippines would continue under incoming President Donald Trump, including $500 million in new military funding. Austin expressed the belief that the strong alliance “will transcend” changes of administration. “We stand with the Philippines, and we condemn dangerous actions by the PRC against lawful Philippine operations in the South China Sea,” he said, using the acronym of China’s official name. He added: “The behavior of PRC has been concerning. They’ve used dangerous and escalatory measures to enforce their expansive South China Sea maritime claims.” China has also had recent territorial spats with smaller coastal states, including Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, over the key global trade and security route. Brunei and Taiwan are also involved in long-unresolved disputes. The outgoing Biden administration has taken steps to strengthen an arc of military alliances across the Indo-Pacific region to better counter China, including in any future confrontation over Taiwan or in the South China Sea, which Beijing has claimed almost in its entirety. That has dovetailed with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s thrust to strengthen his country’s external defenses, given an alarming escalation of territorial confrontations between Chinese and Filipinos forces in the South China Sea. There has been intense speculation over how Trump would steer U.S. military engagements in Asia. Marcos told reporters Tuesday that he congratulated Trump on his presidential election victory in a telephone call and renewed Philippine commitment to continue strengthening its alliance with the U.S. “I expressed to him our continuing desire to strengthen that relationship between our two countries, which is a relationship that is as deep as can possibly be because it has been for a very long time,” Marcos said. Austin was speaking during a joint news conference with his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, in the military headquarters in Palawan. They were given a demonstration of an unmanned vessel the U.S. has funded for use by the Philippine Navy for intelligence-gathering and defense surveillance. Austin “reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. commitment to the Philippines” and reiterated that the … “US defense chief says alliance with Philippines will transcend administrations” →

RIO DE JANEIRO — With just two months remaining in President Joe Biden’s administration, the United States is ramping up financial, military and diplomatic support for Kyiv’s effort to defend itself against Russian aggression. At the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Biden and leaders of 20 of the world’s largest economies are meeting, U.S. officials are pushing for the “strongest possible” language on Ukraine, deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told VOA during a briefing Monday. Western diplomats have renewed their push for stronger criticism on Moscow following Russia’s weekend airstrike, its largest on Ukrainian territory in months. They’ve also warned that increased Russian war efforts could have a destabilizing effect beyond Europe. Earlier this month, the U.S. and Ukraine announced that North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops to help Moscow reclaim territory seized by Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk region. However, the final leaders’ statement did not include the language the U.S. pushed for. It highlights human suffering and the negative impacts of the war in Ukraine to the global economy without any condemnation to Russia. On Gaza, it called for cease-fire in Gaza and in Lebanon and commitment to the two-state solution, without mentioning Israel’s right to defend itself. Finer acknowledges that finding a consensus on global conflicts is elusive given the diversity of the G20. In addition to mostly like-minded countries of the G7, the G20 also includes Russia, China and nations of the Global South. Ever since the G20 summit in Bali in 2022 — held months after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine — the global grouping has faced challenges hammering out a response to the conflict. Long-range missiles authorized The U.S. has been surging its military assistance to Kyiv. It is also authorizing Ukraine to use American-supplied long-range missiles to strike inside Russia, according to media reports quoting officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Finer declined to confirm but said it is “consistent” with the U.S. approach of tailoring its response to meet developments on the ground to “allow the Ukrainians to continue to defend their territory and their sovereignty.” On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that if true, authorization for Kyiv to strike inside Russia with U.S. long-range missiles, “will mark a qualitatively new round of tensions and level of Washington’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict.” Last week in Brussels, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to reassure European … “Cracks in G20 consensus over Ukraine as US ramps up aid” →

When President-elect Donald Trump takes office for the second time in January, two of his highest-profile supporters will be handed the keys to a new operation designed to slash government spending and improve its performance. The Department of Government Efficiency, which, despite its name, will likely be an advisory committee rather than an actual department, will be co-chaired by Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, and wealthy former Republican presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy. The operation’s name, which can be reduced to the acronym DOGE, pronounced like “dohj,” appears to be a product of Musk’s sense of humor. The world’s richest man, Musk has long been a proponent of a fringe cryptocurrency known as Dogecoin. Musk and Ramaswamy have set July 4, 2026 — the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence — as the target date for completing their work, which is expected to reach into all corners of the sprawling U.S. government in search of spending to cut and bureaucracy to eliminate. Big promises In a statement announcing the creation of DOGE, Trump said it “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies.” Musk has publicly speculated that it should be possible to identify some $2 trillion in potential cuts to the federal budget. That would represent nearly one-third of the $6.1 trillion the federal government spent in fiscal year 2023 and could not be accomplished without drastic reductions in government services and programs. Ramaswamy has indicated that such cuts are precisely what he and Musk will be suggesting. In an appearance on Fox News this Sunday, he was asked if they intend to shut down entire government departments. He replied, “We expect mass reductions. We expect certain agencies to be deleted outright. We expect mass reductions in force in areas of the federal government that are bloated. We expect massive cuts, among federal contractors and others, who are overbilling the federal government.” He added, “I think people will be surprised by how quickly we’re able to move with some of those changes.” First since Reagan Organizations that press for closer oversight of federal spending were cautiously optimistic about the creation of DOGE. Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste, told VOA that DOGE will be “the first significant and comprehensive private sector review of the federal government” since President Ronald Reagan … “‘Department of Government Efficiency’ faces a daunting task” →

dubai/washington — The U.S. special envoy to Sudan traveled to the African country for the first time on Monday to seek an increase in the flow of aid to millions of people in need and an end to a devastating war. Tom Perriello, who was named Washington’s envoy for Sudan in February, traveled to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, the de facto capital for the army-led government. It marked the first visit to the country by a senior U.S. official since the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out in April 2023 and the U.S. embassy was evacuated. “We feel an enormous amount of urgency to end this crisis and to ensure that we can … help to get food and medicine and life-saving support to the 20 million people plus that are in need,” a State Department official said before the trip. The U.N. says more than 25 million people — half of Sudan’s population — need aid as famine has taken hold in one region and more than 11 million people have fled their homes. Perriello met with Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan as well as humanitarian, government and tribal leaders, a statement by the country’s sovereign council said. In a meeting the council said was “lengthy, comprehensive, and frank,” the two men discussed ways to deliver humanitarian aid and a political process to end the war. “The U.S. envoy presented several suggestions which the head of the sovereign council agreed to,” the statement said. U.S.-mediated talks in Geneva earlier this year failed to achieve progress toward a cease-fire as the army refused to attend, but did secure promises from the warring parties to improve aid access. The war erupted more than a year ago amid a power struggle between the army and the RSF ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule. Perriello discussed “the need to cease fighting, enable unhindered humanitarian access, including through localized pauses in the fighting to allow for the delivery of emergency relief supplies, and commit to a civilian government,” a State Department statement said. While the U.S. would continue to pursue a more comprehensive cease-fire and negotiations, “right now, I think there’s a really key opportunity to build on the expansion of humanitarian aid,” the State Department official said, highlighting the need for relief corridors to the most battle-ravaged areas including … “US Sudan envoy meets army chief Burhan on first visit” →

The U.S. House of Representatives Ethics Committee is set to meet Wednesday to decide whether to release its investigative report on former Representative Matt Gaetz, who was accused of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use before he was picked by President-elect Donald Trump to be attorney general in his new administration. Several U.S. senators, Democrats and Republicans alike, are demanding that the report be released so they can consider the scope of Gaetz’s background as they undertake their constitutionally mandated role of confirming or rejecting a new president’s Cabinet nominees. Last Wednesday, Trump named Gaetz, 42, a Republican congressman from Florida for eight years, to become the country’s top law enforcement official. Hours later, Gaetz resigned from Congress, even though he had just been reelected to a fifth term. His resignation ended the House Ethics Committee’s investigation, which had been nearing a conclusion. But it remained uncertain whether the panel would divulge what conclusions it had reached. The committee, with five Democrats and five Republicans, had been looking into allegations that Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and used drugs illicitly. Gaetz has denied the allegations. The Justice Department, which Gaetz hopes to lead, investigated the case but declined last year to bring any charges. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who leads the narrow Republican majority in the chamber, has contended that no ethics report should be made public because Gaetz is no longer a member of Congress. However, there have been instances where that has occurred in the past. Johnson told CNN on Sunday that senators reviewing the Gaetz nomination as the country’s top law enforcement official will “have a vigorous review and vetting process,” but that they did not need to see the House Ethics Committee’s report. Some senators have suggested they could move to subpoena it if it is not turned over to them voluntarily. Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin on Sunday told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the panel should share its report with the Senate. “The Senate should have access to that,” Mullin said. “Should it be released to the public or not? That I guess will be part of the negotiations.” Gaetz is one of several Trump appointees to his Cabinet who do not have the credentials normally seen in candidates for high-level government jobs. Over the weekend, a lawyer for another Trump choice, Pete Hegseth, a 44-year-old Fox News host named to … “US House panel to consider releasing report on Trump’s attorney general nominee” →

fergus falls, minnesota — Nearly three years after a couple from India and their two young children froze to death while trying to cross the border from Canada into the U.S., two men went on trial Monday on human smuggling charges, accused of being part of a criminal network that stretched around the world. Prosecutors say Indian national Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, ran part of the scheme and recruited Steve Shand, 50, of Florida, to shuttle migrants across the border. Both men have pleaded not guilty in federal court in Minnesota. They’re standing trial before U.S. District Judge John Tunheim, with proceedings expected to last about five days. They each face four counts related to human smuggling. On January 19, 2022, Shand was allegedly waiting in a truck for 11 migrants, including the family of four from the village of Dingucha in Gujarat state. Prosecutors say 39-year-old Jagdish Patel; his wife, Vaishaliben, who was in her mid-30s; the couple’s 11-year-old daughter, Vihangi; and 3-year-old son, Dharmik, died after spending hours wandering fields in blizzard conditions as the wind chill reached minus 36 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 38 Celsius). Prosecutors say when Jagdish Patel’s body was found, he was holding Dharmik, who was wrapped in a blanket. Before jury selection began Monday morning, defense attorneys objected to prosecutors’ plan to show seven photos of the frozen bodies of Jagdish Patel and his family, including close-up images of the children. Shand’s attorney, Aaron Morrison, said the heart-wrenching images could cause “extreme prejudice to the jury” and asked for the photos to be removed as evidence. Prosecutors argued the photos were necessary to show the family was not adequately prepared by Shand and Harshkumar Patel for the frigid conditions. Tunheim allowed the images to remain evidence. Patel is a common Indian surname and the victims were not related to Harshkumar Patel. Federal prosecutors say Harshkumar Patel and Shand were part of an operation that scouted clients in India, got them Canadian student visas, arranged transportation and smuggled them into the U.S., mostly through Washington state or Minnesota. The U.S. Border Patrol arrested more than 14,000 Indians on the Canadian border in the year ending this Sept. 30. By 2022, the Pew Research Center estimates more than 725,000 Indians were living illegally in the U.S., behind only Mexicans and El Salvadorans. Harshkumar Patel’s attorney, Thomas Leinenweber, told The Associated Press that his client came to America … “Jury selection begins in human smuggling case after deaths of Indian family at Canada-US border” →

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is requesting nearly $100 billion in emergency disaster aid after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and other natural disasters, telling lawmakers that the money is “urgently needed.”  The letter Monday to House Speaker Mike Johnson comes as lawmakers meet during a lame-duck session to finish key priorities before making way for a new Congress and the incoming Trump administration. Biden said he has met firsthand with those harmed by the storms and he heard what residents and businesses needed from the federal government.  “Additional resources are critical to continue to support these communities,” Biden said.  The largest share of the money, about $40 billion, would go to the main disaster relief fund at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Biden said the fund would face a shortfall this budget year without additional money. He said that would not only affect the agency’s ability to provide lifesaving assistance to survivors, but also would slow recovery efforts from prior disasters.  An additional $24 billion would help farmers that have experienced crop or livestock losses, and $12 billion would go toward community development block grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Some $8 billion more would help rebuild and repair highways and bridges in more than 40 states and territories. The administration is also seeking $4 billion for long-term water system upgrades to mitigate future damage from natural disasters. Several other agencies would also receive emergency funds if Congress agrees to the request.  Lawmakers were expecting a hefty number from the administration. Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said Congress will evaluate the request and “we’ll make sure we deliver for the hurricane victims and the people that have suffered from that.”  The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to hear Wednesday from the heads of several of the government agencies that would receive funding through Biden’s request. It’s possible that emergency aid could be attached to any spending bill designed to keep federal agencies operating after current funding expires Dec. 20.  Biden noted that Congress had provided more than $90 billion in aid after Hurricane Katrina nearly two decades ago, and more than $50 billion after Hurricane Sandy in 2013. He urged Congress to take “immediate action.”  “Just as the Congress acted then, it is our sworn duty now to deliver the necessary resources to ensure that everyone in communities reeling from Hurricanes Helene and Milton — and those … “Biden seeks nearly $100 billion in emergency aid after Hurricanes Helene, Milton” →

ISANTI, Minn. — The young Buddhist lama sat on a throne near an altar decorated with flowers, fruits and golden statues of the Buddha, watching the celebrations of his 18th birthday in silence, with a faint smile.  Jalue Dorje knew it would be the last big party before he joins a monastery in the Himalayan foothills — thousands of kilometers from his home in a Minneapolis suburb, where he grew up like a typical American teen playing football and listening to rap music.  But this was not an ordinary coming-of-age celebration. It was an enthronement ceremony for an aspiring spiritual leader who from an early age was recognized by the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist leaders as a reincarnated lama.  From the stage, he saw it all: The young women in white long bearded masks who danced, jumping acrobatically and twirling colorful sticks to wish him luck in a tradition reserved for dignitaries. The banging of drums. The procession of hundreds – from children to elderly — who lined up to bow to him and present him with a “khata” — the white Tibetan ceremonial scarves that symbolize auspiciousness.  From a throne reserved for lamas, he smelled the aroma of Tibetan dishes prepared by his mother over sleepless nights. He heard the monks with shaved heads, in maroon and gold robes like his own, chant sacred mantras. Behind them, his shaggy-haired high school football teammates sang “Happy Birthday” before he cut the first slice of cake.  One of his buddies gave him shaker bottles for hydrating during training at the gym; another, a gift card to eat at Chipotle Mexican Grill.  “I was in awe!” Dorje recalled later. “Usually, I’d be at the monk section looking up to whomever was celebrating. But that night it was for me.”  Watching Monday Night Football and memorizing ancient Buddhist prayers  Since the Dalai Lama’s recognition, Dorje has spent much of his life training to become a monk, memorizing sacred scriptures, practicing calligraphy and learning the teachings of Buddha.  After graduation in 2025, he’ll head to northern India to join the Mindrolling Monastery, more than 11,500 kilometers from his home in Columbia Heights.  Following several years of contemplation and ascetism, he hopes to return to America to teach in the Minnesota Buddhist community. His goal is “to become a leader of peace,” following the example of the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Gandhi.  “There’s … “Teenage Buddhist lama marks last birthday in US before joining monastery in Himalayas” →

President-elect Donald Trump will come into office in January 2025 with unified control of the U.S. Congress. Republicans will hold majorities in both the Senate and House as the result of a mandate from American voters. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more from Capitol Hill. …

Spirit Airlines said Monday that it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will attempt to reboot as it struggles to recover from the pandemic-caused swoon in travel and a failed attempt to sell the airline to JetBlue. Spirit, the biggest U.S. budget airline, has lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020 and faces looming debt payments totaling more than $1 billion over the next year. Spirit said it expects to operate as normal as it works its way through a prearranged Chapter 11 bankruptcy process and that customers can continue to book and fly without interruption. Shares of Miramar, Florida-based Spirit dropped 25% on Friday, after The Wall Street Journal reported that the airline was discussing terms of a possible bankruptcy filing with its bondholders. It was just the latest in a series of blows that have sent the stock crashing down by 97% since late 2018 — when Spirit was still making money. CEO Ted Christie confirmed in August that Spirit was talking to advisers of its bondholders about the upcoming debt maturities. He called the discussions a priority, and said the airline was trying to get the best deal it could as quickly as possible. “The chatter in the market about Spirit is notable, but we are not distracted,” he told investors during an earnings call. “We are focused on refinancing our debt, improving our overall liquidity position, deploying our new reimagined product into the market, and growing our loyalty programs.” People are still flying on Spirit Airlines. They’re just not paying as much. In the first six months of this year, Spirit passengers flew 2% more than they did in the same period last year. However, they are paying 10% less per mile, and revenue per mile from fares is down nearly 20%, contributing to Spirit’s red ink. It’s not a new trend. Spirit failed to return to profitability when the coronavirus pandemic eased and travel rebounded. There are several reasons behind the slump. Spirit’s costs, especially for labor, have risen. The biggest U.S. airlines have snagged some of Spirit’s budget-conscious customers by offering their own brand of bare-bones tickets. And fares for U.S. leisure travel — Spirit’s core business — have sagged because of a glut of new flights. The premium end of the air-travel market has surged while Spirit’s traditional no-frills end has stagnated. So this summer, Spirit decided to sell bundled … “Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy as financial losses pile up and debt payments loom” →

Manila, Philippines — The Philippines and the United States signed on Monday a military intelligence-sharing deal in a further deepening of defense ties between the two nations facing common security challenges in the region. Visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed the agreement with his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, at Manila’s military headquarters where both officials also broke ground for a combined coordination center that will facilitate collaboration between their armed forces. Called the General Security of Military Information Agreement or GSOMIA, the pact allows both countries to share classified military information securely. “Not only will this allow the Philippines access to higher capabilities and big-ticket items from the United States, it will also open opportunities to pursue similar agreements with like-minded nations,” said Philippines’ defense ministry spokesperson Arsenio Andolong. Security engagements between the United States and the Philippines have deepened under President Joe Biden and his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with both leaders keen to counter what they see as China’s aggressive policies in the South China Sea and near Taiwan. The two countries have a mutual defense treaty dating back to 1951, which could be invoked if either side came under attack, including in the South China Sea. “I want to start by underscoring our ironclad commitment to the Philippines,” Austin said during the groundbreaking ceremony for the coordination center. Austin said the coordination center should enable real-time information sharing between the two defense treaty allies and boost interoperability. ‘’It will be a place where our forces can work side by side to respond to regional challenges,” Austin said. The Philippines has expressed confidence the alliance will remain strong under incoming U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. Both the Philippines and the United States face increasingly aggressive actions from China in the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship-borne commerce, which it claims almost entirely as its own. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague said China’s claims had no legal basis, siding with the Philippines, which brought the case. But China has rejected the ruling, leading to a series of sea and air confrontations with the Philippines that have turned the highly strategic South China Sea into a potential flashpoint between Washington and Beijing. “The United States’ presence in the Indo Pacific region is essential for maintaining peace and stability in this region,” Teodoro said during the inauguration, echoing previous … “Philippines, United States sign military intelligence-sharing deal” →