International Edition - Voice of America

Sheik Hasina, the longtime leader of Bangladesh, resigned and fled the country on Monday. Families in Israel marked 300 days since their loved ones were taken hostage following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack. Nicolas Véron, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, shares his analysis of the global markets following a day of sell-offs.

Nearly 100 people have been killed in clashes with police in Bangladesh. The protesters are calling for Sheikh Hasina's resignation. Hasina says the protesters are engaged in “sabotage” while the military imposes an indefinite curfew. The United States, Western partners and Jordan are telling their citizens to leave Lebanon. This as Washington deploys additional military to the Middle East in posturing the White House describes as defensive amid fears of an Iranian military strike on Israel. It comes as the latest round of diplomatic efforts ended without agreement. Experts say famine conditions have been met in the North Darfur area of Sudan and say starvation is likely occurring in other parts of the country. Barrett Alexander, Mercy Corps director of programs for Sudan, shares details from his recent visit.

The United States and Russia have completed a 24-person prisoner swap, the largest in post-Soviet history, with Moscow releasing journalist Evan Gershkovich and fellow American Paul Whelan in a multinational deal. We talk with Hoover Fellow Sergey Sanovich from Stanford University. At least three protesters were killed in Nigeria's Kaduna state on Thursday. And weed-killing robots roll through farms.

Iran has vowed “harsh punishment” against Israel for its suspected assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran Wednesday. We talk to Alex Vatanka, founding director of the Iran program at the Middle East Institute. Evidence continues to mount countering the claim by Venezuelan election officials that President Nicolas Maduro won. And leaving dating apps behind for a run.

Israel carried out a rare strike Tuesday on Beirut that killed at least one person and wounded others, raising the stakes in the escalating tensions with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Anti-government activists across Venezuela are toppling giant statues of Hugo Chávez to express their anger over the alleged stealing of elections by the late president’s handpicked successor, Nicolás Maduro. And putting insects on the menu.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was formally declared the winner of his country's disputed presidential election Monday, a day after the political opposition and the entrenched incumbent each claimed victory in the contest. Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been expelled from the African National Congress. And want to own Diego Maradona's jersey from the 1986 World Cup? We’ll tell you how you can.

The Middle East is bracing for a potential flare-up in violence after Israeli authorities said a rocket from Lebanon struck a soccer field in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights and killed 12 children and teens. We talk to Mike DiMino with Defense Priorities. Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country may deploy new “strike weapons.” And an engineer in Nigeria is aiming to create a new industry for his country with his unique made-in-Nigeria car prototype.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House Thursday to discuss the war in Gaza -- and the possibility of securing a cease-fire deal -- with President Joe Biden and likely Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. We talk to Michael Provence, who teaches modern Middle East history with a focus on the 20th century Arab East at the University of California San Diego. The Olympics get underway in Paris with the opening ceremony on the Seine River. And what would your ideal partner be like if you could create them from the ground up? Scientists are trying to find out using artificial intelligence.

Protesters gathered outside the Watergate hotel in Washington on Tuesday to call for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he addressed the U.S. Congress. U.S. President Joe Biden said in a landmark Oval Office speech on Wednesday that he dropped out of the 2024 election to protect democracy by passing the torch to a new generation of leaders. And a Taylor Swift museum exhibit!

U.S. President Joe Biden returned to work at the White House on Tuesday. His doctor says he is testing negative for COVID-19. He plans to address the nation on Wednesday night about his decision to drop his reelection bid. Vice President Kamala Harris makes her first stump speech as a candidate for the presidency. We talk to Clifford Young from Ipsos about the latest polling data and other indicators. And Mattel has added its first-ever blind Barbie doll to its diverse collection.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris lauded President Joe Biden for his service to the country in her first public appearance on Monday since he dropped out of the race. We take a look at why 2024 in the U.S. is so much like 1968. We talk to Barbara A. Perry, a professor in presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. And As Paris gets ready to host the Olympic Games, as well as millions of visitors from all over the world, French restaurants are looking forward serving up some of their famous cuisine.

President Joe Biden is dropping out of the 2024 race following a disastrous debate with Republican Donald Trump, throwing the Democratic Party into chaos just months before the election. We talk to Charles Chamberlayne from Chamberlayne PR in Southern California. The Israeli army on Sunday sent out the first batch of 1,000 draft orders to ultra-Orthodox men, in a move that could threaten the Israeli government. And 55 years ago we heard “one giant leap for mankind.” Those words endure as one of the best-known quotes in the English language.

Former President Donald Trump delivers his first speech since an assassination attempt. He accepted the Republican nomination for president. Officials in the Central African Republic say at least 300 rebels have dropped their weapons in the past month in an operation jointly organized by United Nations peacekeeping forces and government troops. And, the latest fashion statement at the Republican National Convention is fake ear bandages.

Donald Trump ’s running mate, J.D. Vance introduced himself to a national audience Wednesday night when he addressed the Republican National Convention. The Ohio senator’s headlining address was his first speech as the Republican vice-presidential nominee. Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say President Joe Biden should withdraw from the presidential race and let his party select a different candidate, according to a new poll. And Nelson Mandela International Day is observed annually on his birthday, July 18, and people everywhere are encouraged to volunteer for 67 minutes.

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez was convicted on Tuesday on all 16 criminal counts he faced, including bribery, at his corruption trial. The second day of the Republican National Convention focuses on immigration and crime. U.S. President Joe Biden is reportedly going to propose a major Supreme Court overhaul that would include term limits for justices.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has picked U.S. Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate as the Republican National Convention opens. We talk to John Mark Hansen from the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago. A federal judge in Florida has dismissed the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump, siding with defense lawyers who said the special counsel who filed the charges was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. We talk to Harold Krent, a professor of Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law. And, honoring the former fire chief who was killed while shielding his daughters during the Trump campaign.

On the heels an attempt on his life, former President Donald Trump called Sunday for unity and resilience as shocked leaders across the political divide recoiled from the shooting that left him wounded but “fine.”. The Republican National Convention begins and is expected to nominate Donald Trump to be the official Republican contender for the presidency. We talk to Republican political consultant Matt Klink about what to expect and what the assassination attempt is likely to have on the election. And a look back at the history of U.S. presidential assassinations and attempted assassinations.

U.S. President Joe Biden fielded question after question about his fitness to be president at his NATO news conference challenging reporters with the rhetorical question “Am I getting the job done?” It was 20 minutes into the news conference before he got his first question about NATO. The first Israeli military report on the October 7th attack finds that the army failed to protect civilians And, want to own a dinosaur? There’s one going up for auction!

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said of Ukraine; “we'll continue to support them on the irreversible path to NATO membership.” We talk with University of Southern California professor Robert English, director of the USC School of International Relations. Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter trial begins. And what bat brains can help us understand human brain disorders.

NATO leaders are gathering in Washington this week as the military alliance celebrates its 75th anniversary, confronts the prospect of the return of NATO skeptic Donald Trump to the White House, the Ukraine war, and a bigger global role. We talk to Charles Kupchan is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and professor of international affairs at Georgetown University. Heavy Israeli bombardment is shaking Gaza City. Thousands of fleeing Palestinians are searching for shelter, and medical facilities have been forced to shut down.

A daytime Russian missile strike hit the main children's hospital in Kyiv Monday, as well as other cities across Ukraine, killing at least 36 civilians in one of the deadliest airstrikes in months. Deliberate attacks on civilians violates the Geneva Convention. We talk to Matthew Evangelista, professor of history and political science emeritus at Cor nell University. A Russian court sentenced a playwright and a theater director each to six years in prison on Monday for "justifying terrorism," concluding a trial that rights campaigners had said demonstrated Russia's intolerance of artistic freedom

An alliance of French left-wing parties was on course Sunday to become the biggest parliamentary bloc by beating the far right and President Emmanuel Macron's coalition, according to surprise projected results. No one group won an absolute majority in the poll, plunging France into political limbo with no clear path to forming a new government, two days before a major NATO summit and three weeks before the Paris Olympics. We talk to Frédéric Mérand, professor and chair of the political science department at the University of Montreal. A memorial concert was held in Kenya's capital Nairobi on Sunday for those killed in anti-government protests. And four people came out of isolation after a year in a simulated Mars habitat to study what it would be like.

Keir Starmer will be Britain's next prime minister with his Labour Party set to win a massive majority in a parliamentary election, an exit poll on Thursday indicated, while Rishi Sunak's Conservatives are forecast to suffer historic losses. President Joe Biden admitted in a radio interview that he "screwed up" his presidential debate against Republican candidate former President Donald Trump. We talk to political consultant Matt Klink of Klink Campaigns. And the United States celebrates its independence in the annual 4th of July festivities.

Voters in the United Kingdom cast ballots in a national election on Thursday, passing judgment on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s 20 months in office, and the four Conservative prime ministers before him. Voters are widely expected to do something they have not done since 2005: elect a Labour Party government. We talk with American University professor Laura Beers. Donald Trump has established a sizable lead over President Joe Biden in the White House race since the two candidates debated last week. Hurricane Beryl hits Jamaica. And the evolution of Barbie opens in London this week as the famed Mattel doll celebrates her 65th birthday this year.

The U.S. will soon announce an additional $2.3 billion in security assistance for Ukraine, to include anti-tank weapons, interceptors and munitions for Patriot and other air defense systems. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday (July 2) to consider a cease-fire to accelerate an end to the war with Russia. President Joe Biden announced a plan to protect communities and workers from extreme weather. And Hong Kong's M+ Museum is hosting the first comprehensive retrospective of the famed architect Ieoh Ming Pei, also known as I.M. Pei.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts. We talk to Joel Richard Paul is a professor of law at the University of California Hastings Law School in San Francisco and Carolyn Shapiro, the founder and co-director of Chicago-Kent's Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States. The Israeli army has ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians from much of Gaza's second largest city, Khan Younis. Hurricane Beryl has made landfall on the Caribbean island of Carriacou. The dangerous and powerful Category 4 storm is the earliest one of its strength to form in the Atlantic. And ew York photographer and writer Gary He has single handedly documented McDonald’s evolution over the last 40 years in his new book “McAtlas.

France’s high-stakes legislative elections propelled the far-right National Rally to a strong but not decisive lead in the first-round vote Sunday. We talk Terri E. Givens is a professor at McGill University in the Department of Political Science. Representatives of Afghanistan's Taliban government began meetings on Sunday. Hurricane Beryl strengthened into what experts called an "extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm as it approaches the southeast Caribbean. And In Russia's far northeastern Yakutia region, local scientists are performing an autopsy on a wolf frozen in permafrost for around 44,000 years.

U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump take the debate stage in Atlanta. It’s the first debate of this election cycle and the third between Biden and Trump. We talk to political strategist Matt Klink about how it went for both candidates. Supporters of Bolivia’s president were rallying outside his palace as authorities made more arrests in a failed coup. And Paris 2024 on Thursday unveiled its merchandise 'megastore' on the Champs Elysees. It boasts 300 different products from mascots to T-shirts to miniature Eiffel Towers.

Armored vehicles rammed the doors of Bolivia’s government palace Wednesday in an apparent coup attempt against President Luis Arce, but he vowed to stand firm and named a new army commander who ordered troops to stand down. The first debate between U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in 2024 takes place Thursday. We talk to political consultant Matt Klink of Klink campaigns about what to look for. And Croatian electric vehicle maker P3 presented its self-driving robotaxi named after Jules Verne.

Police in Nairobi opened fire on protesters, killing at least five who were storming the parliament in protest of a new finance bill, while the first contingent of Kenyan police arrived in Haiti to launch a peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean country ravaged by gangs. The U.S. surgeon general declared gun violence in the country a public health crisis. And Protein-rich larvae are increasingly being studied for their potential as a sustainable alternative form of protein to meat amid growing hunger in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Julian Assange is due to plead guilty to violating U.S. espionage law. The European Union opens formal accession talks with Ukraine on Tuesday after Kyiv's decade-long effort to join the organization. We talk to Amy Verdun, a professor of Political Science at University of Victoria. The European Investment Bank intends to ramp up its investments in European defense such as drones and cyber security, aiming to inject 6 billion euros ($6.4 billion) into the sector. UN chief Antonio Guterres accuses Israel of spreading misinformation about him. And TV personality Rachael Ray is a US based chef, author and celebrity. But Ukrainians know her better thanks to her charity work to help the war-torn country.

Gunmen opened fire at a synagogue, an Orthodox church and a police post in simultaneous attacks across two cities in Russia's North Caucasus region of Dagestan on Sunday, killing at least 15 policemen and injuring 12. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the phase of intense fighting against Hamas was coming to an end. We talk to Professor James Gelvin at UCLA about what Netanyahu is trying to do. The World Worm Charming Championship was held in the UK's Cheshire on Sunday with competitors trying methods including music and fancy dress to try and lure worms out of the ground.

South Korea says it will consider sending arms to Ukraine after Russia and North Korea rattled the region and beyond by signing a pact to come to each other’s defense in the event of war. We talk to Gregg A. Brazinsky works on U.S.-East Asian relations and East Asian international history at George Washington University. Donald Sutherland, one of Canada's most versatile and gifted actors, who charmed and enthralled audiences in films such as "M*A*S*H," "Klute," "Ordinary People" and the "Hunger Games,” has died at the age of 88.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Vietnam early on Thursday for talks with the country's communist leaders after concluding a defense pact with North Korea It is his final stop on a two-nation tour of Asia. The head of a United Nations Commission of Inquiry, Navi Pillay, said on Wednesday that the Israeli military is carrying out the "extermination" of Palestinians. From Mecca to Maryland global heat waves create dangerous conditions. And Naomi Campbell becomes the first model to be featured in an exhibition at the V&A museum in London.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in North Korea for his first visit in 24 years and pledged strong support. We talk to Naoko Aoki, an associate political scientist at the RAND Corporation. June 19th is the U.S. holiday known as Juneteenth, which marks the day in 1865 when slavery ended in the former Confederate states of the American Civil War. U.S. lawmakers grilled Boeing's chief executive Tuesday about the company's plans to fix its manufacturing problems. Nvidia passes Microsoft to become the world’s most valuable company.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the six-member war cabinet, an Israeli official said on Monday, in a widely expected move that came after the departure from government of the centrist former military chief Benny Gantz. President Joe Biden holds a bilateral meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg as a record number of NATO allies are expected to reach the alliance's recommended defense funding amid the war in Ukraine. In Namibia, German charity Skate-Aid has built a skate park on the National Institute for Special Education campus.

Scores of participants attending a two-day international summit in Switzerland on peace in Ukraine, signed a document saying that Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” should be the basis for a peace agreement with Russia and that Kyiv should enter dialogue with Moscow on ending the war. Texas Christian University professor Ralph Carter provides analysis. Israel’s military announced a “tactical pause” Sunday in daytime fighting around a critical aid route in Gaza. The plan falls short of a total cease-fire outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden. VOA’s Ricki Rosen in Tel Aviv shares the details.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement on Thursday aimed at bolstering Ukraine's defense against Russian invaders and getting Ukraine closer to NATO membership. Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies agreed an outline of a deal on Thursday to provide $50 billion in loans for Ukraine using interest from Russian sovereign assets frozen after Moscow launched its invasion of its neighbor in 2022. We talk to Sergey Sanovich - a Hoover Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. And Chinese scientists at a giant panda sanctuary in Ya’an say efforts to introduce the captive-bred bears back into the wild are “paying off” and that the wild giant panda population is growing.

While in Qatar, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Hamas’ response to the proposed cease-fire proposal includes “numerous” changes – some of which are “workable, some are not.” It comes on the same day that a United Nations inquiry finds that both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes at the onset of the war. In this U.S. presidential campaign, guns continue to divide Americans. President Joe Biden wants a ban on assault weapons. His opponent, Donald Trump, says Biden is threatening the constitutional rights of gun owners. Inter-Korean relations have sunk to their lowest level in years, as both countries intensify cross-border psychological warfare. Australia’s national science agency warns a lack of scientists specialized in plant breeding could lead to "dire" food security implications around the world.

A 12-member jury in Wilmington, Delaware, federal court found Hunter Biden guilty on all three counts against him, making him the first child of a sitting U.S. president to be convicted of a crime. Hamas' response to a proposed Gaza cease-fire deal. The Humboldt penguin population has dramatically decreased in areas along the central coast of Chile, making them one of the most vulnerable of the world's 18 penguin species. And a private club in Los Angeles – where the dogs are the members, and the humans are the guests.

Hamas has welcomed a UN Security Council resolution proposed by the U.S. backing a plan for a cease-fire in Gaza, saying it is ready to cooperate with mediators over implementing the principles of the plan. We talk to University of California Los Angeles professor Saree Makdisi. In the balloon warfare between North Korea and South Korean activists, one Seoul-based group has honed its tech expertise to develop smart balloons capable of dispersing leaflets and electronic speakers hundreds of kilometers across the border. An aircraft carrying the Malawi’s vice president and nine others has gone missing. And people from all walks of life played colorful pianos at New York's Fosun Plaza in downtown Manhattan on Monday at a launch event for the Sing for Hope Pianos.

Far-right parties made major gains in European Union parliamentary elections, dealing stunning defeats to two of the bloc’s most important leaders: French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday (June 9) said he would dissolve parliament and call new legislative elections later this month. We talk with Matt Klink a political consultant with Klink Campaigns. Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s three-man war Cabinet, announced his resignation Sunday. And hundreds of naked cyclists rode through London and Mexico City streets to protest against car culture and demand rights for cyclists.

President Joe Biden has marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day by pledging during a ceremony at the American cemetery in Normandy that “we will not walk away” from Ukraine. He's drawing a direct line from the fight to liberate Europe from Nazi domination to today’s war against Russian aggression. We talk to Jesse Driscoll, a professor of political science and chair of the Global Leadership Institute at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego. Hamas rejects cease-fire deal. A teacher changing lives in the Northern Mariana Islands. And soy sauce flavored ice cream!

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent action to avert "climate hell." The 80th anniversary of D-Day with a modern-day warning. Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed readiness to use nuclear weapons. And the race to space; a new space capsule launches from Florida and a new place to launch from in New Zealand.

President Joe Biden says he’s restricting asylum to help “gain control” of the U.S.-Mexico border. Mexico’s newly elected president faces a long list of challenges, including persistent cartel violence, a deeply divided country, and cash-straitened social programs. This week marks the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy demonstrations in China. Veterans are in France to attend the 80th anniversary on Thursday of the D-Day landings, which will be marked with several ceremonies attended by world leaders

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday downplayed the immediate prospects for a cease-fire in the war with Hamas in Gaza, saying that a deal proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden to halt the fighting and release militant-held hostages was a partial outline. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused China of pressuring other countries to not attend an upcoming Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland later this month, a summit Vice President Kamala Harris will attend according to a statement released Monday. Hundreds of millions of European Union citizens will be able to vote June 6-9 to choose the 720 members of the next European Parliament. Young Europeans reflect on past promises and future hopes for the bloc, two decades since most of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe joined the EU in 2004.

If Hamas agrees to Israel's proposed truce on Gaza, the United States says it expects that Israel will accept the plan. Peace mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the U.S. have called on both sides to agree to a cease-fire and hostage release plan outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden Friday. Former President Donald Trump weighed in on Sunday about the possibility of being sentenced to jail next month after his conviction for falsifying business records. A new Netflix series made in India puts a historic red-light district in Pakistan in the spotlight. A nonprofit community of breast milk donors has formed in Uganda.

Donald Trump becomes the first former U.S. president in the nation’s history to be convicted of felony crimes after a New York jury finds him guilty of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election. And with the 2024 election just five months away, Joe Biden and Donald Trump have very different views on fighting climate change. Another European country moves toward recognizing Palestinian statehood. How much for the price of a Big Mac? McDonalds responds to social media posts complaining of price increases

Jurors in Donald Trump's hush money trial finished their first day of closed-door deliberations on Wednesday without reaching a verdict. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Prague on Wednesday to attend an informal gathering of NATO foreign ministers. Polling stations closed across South Africa on Wednesday after a day of long lines as voters turned out in force for a pivotal election that could see the African National Congress (ANC) party lose its majority after 30 years in power. And giant pandas are returning to the National Zoo in Washington.

Israel’s tanks advanced to the heart of Rafah for the first time on Tuesday, pressing its offensive in Gaza's southern city despite international condemnation of an attack Sunday that sparked a blaze in a tent camp for the displaced, killing at least 45 people. Ireland officially recognized a Palestinian state on Tuesday, joining Norway and Spain and defying Israel, which had condemned the plan. Scotland First Minister John Swinney said on Tuesday that the UK must also recognize Palestinian statehood. And using coffee grinds to make concrete stronger and more earth friendly.

An Israeli airstrike triggered a fire that killed dozens of people in a tent camp in the Gazan city of Rafah. Condemnation has been swift. French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europeans to protect themselves more strongly against enemies and not just rely on the USA. U.S. President Joe Biden honored fallen service members during the 156th observance of Memorial Day in the U.S. And it’s National Hamburger Day in the U.S. We’ll look at how it was invented and how far and wide it has spread around the globe.

Bangladesh has evacuated nearly 800,000 people from vulnerable areas as cyclone Remal makes landfall. Georgia celebrates Independence Day as fear of a Russian like law will likely be passed in parliament. Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy releases a video urging the West for more help. We talk to Branislav Slantchev, a professor at the University of California San Diego. Another plane battered by turbulence causing 12 people to be injured. Is climate change making turbulence worse?

Russia pounded Kharkiv with missiles on Thursday, killing seven people inside a printing house, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy chided Ukraine's Western allies for not providing enough military support to rebuff Russian attacks. Sweden, NATO's newest member, this week announced a three-year plan to provide additional support for Ukraine totaling more than $7 billion. China launched "punishment" drills around Taiwan on Thursday in what it said was a response to "separatist acts," sending up heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has projected an exceptionally active Atlantic hurricane season this year. And 'I still remember it like it was yesterday' - D-Day survivor on 80th anniversary

Norway, Ireland and Spain say they will recognize a Palestinian state. The historic but largely symbolic move further deepens Israel’s isolation. We talk to Michael Provence from the University of California San Diego. China is sending "lethal aid" to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine, Britain's defense minister Grant Shapps said on Wednesday. State visit for Kenya at the White House. And an airline where dogs fly first class and people are in coach.

European Union countries formally adopted a plan on Tuesday to use windfall profits from Russian central bank assets frozen in the EU for Ukraine's defense. The Israeli government seized the Associated Press equipment from a location in southern Israel after accusing it of violating a new media law by providing images to the satellite channel Al Jazeera. We talk to Clayton Weimers from Reporters Without Borders about this and how Israel is blocking coverage of Gaza. And with the flamingo population in Chile's Los Flamencos National Reserve dwindling, scientists have begun trapping the birds and attaching satellite transmitters to find out where they're going.

The International Criminal Court's prosecutor said on Monday he had requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense chief and three Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes. We talk to Douglass Cassel who specializes in business and human rights, international human rights law, and international law at King & Spalding. Microsoft on Monday debuted a new category of personal computers with AI features. ChatGPT-maker OpenAI on Monday said it was working on temporarily muting a synthetic voice that sounds a lot like that of actress Scarlett Johansson. And a spoon that makes low salt food taste saltier.

The helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister crashed on Sunday as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog. We talk to Alex Vatanka, the founding Director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute. Volodymyr Zelenskyy marks five years in power as Ukraine's president. We talk to Sergey Sanovich, a Hoover Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. And the first U.S. Black astronaut candidate from the 1960s flew on the Blue Origin space craft more than 60 years after his selection as an astronaut.

Russian forces are expanding their attacks on Ukrainian border settlements close to the northeastern city of Kharkiv, opening up a new front in the war. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned what they cast as increasingly aggressive U.S. behavior on Thursday and pledged to deepen their countries' already close defense and military ties. In India, 18 million first time voters in the country’s ongoing general elections include millions of college students, but they want more focus on issues like development and jobs and less on religious issues that have dominated the campaign so far. And Kimia Alizadeh made history by becoming the first Iranian woman to win an Olympic medal back in 2016. After defecting, the taekwondo athlete is aiming for gold at this year's Paris Games under Bulgaria's flag.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot in a "politically motivated" assassination attempt when leaving a government meeting. As Russia ramps up its offensive in eastern Ukraine, officials with the U.S. command in Eastern Europe say it’s urgent for NATO to be ready for a possible confrontation. U.S. President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump traded barbs online Wednesday while agreeing to debate each other. The elusive street artist Banksy is front and center at a new museum in lower Manhattan dedicated to his paintings.

Ukraine's military said on Tuesday it was moving troops to new positions in the north of Kharkiv region in response to heavy Russian fire and advances. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Ukraine saying Russia should pay for rebuilding Ukraine. After his diplomatic duties he sang and played the guitar at a night club in Kyiv on Tuesday. U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday unveiled steep tariff increases on an array of Chinese imports including electric vehicles. We talk to Kyle Handley, an economist who specializes in international trade at the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. And robots are taking to the seas – performing jobs that are dangerous and mundane.

Russia pummeled towns and villages in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region on Monday, days after launching a surprise ground offensive over the border that has forced thousands to evacuate. Russia is becoming more aggressive in the Arctic in and around a remote Norwegian community. Polls closed in India for the fourth phase of its massive general elections on Monday after voters turned out to cast their ballots across several regions. And the release of a new AI model called GPT-4o, capable of realistic voice conversation and able to interact across text and vision is a big step forward in Artificial Intelligence.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a new defense minister, nominating civilian Andrei Belousov, a former deputy prime minister who specializes in economics, for the job more than two years into the Ukraine war. Putin wants Sergei Shoigu, defense minister since 2012 and a long-standing ally, to become the secretary of Russia's Security Council replacing incumbent Nikolai Patrushev. We talk to Rajan Menon, director of the Grand Strategy program at Defense Priorities and Sergey Sanovich is a Hoover Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday delivered some of the Biden administration’s strongest public criticism yet of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza, saying Israeli tactics have meant “a horrible loss of life of innocent civilians” but failed to neutralize Hamas leaders and fighters and could drive a lasting insurgency. Israeli forces pushed deeper into Rafah.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a U.S. threat to withhold some arms would not prevent Israel from continuing its offensive in Gaza, indicating it might proceed with an invasion of the packed city of Rafah against the wishes of its closest ally. The United States warned on Thursday that Israel will be dealing a strategic victory to Hamas if it carries out plans for an all-out assault on Rafah. We talk to University of California San Diego professor Michael Provence who teaches modern Middle East history, focusing on the 20th century Arab East. Displaced Palestinians are fleeing Rafah, fearing an Israeli ground offensive is imminent. And a girl born deaf can hear after breakthrough gene-therapy.

In an interview with CNN, U.S. President Joe Biden said he will halt shipments of weapons to Israel if it invades Rafah. We talk to Rajan Menon, director of the Grand Strategy program at Defense Priorities about this. Washington, DC police began clearing a pro-Palestinian encampment at George Washington University early Wednesday morning. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Budapest late on Wednesday marking the third stop on his first European tour in five years. And If taking out the trash isn't on your list of favorite things to do; AI robots may soon be able to help with that chore or any other mundane physical task you can think of.

Israeli troops seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday in what the White House described as a limited operation, as fears mount of a full-scale invasion of the southern city as talks with Hamas over a cease-fire and hostage release remain on a knife's edge. We talk to James Gelvin a professor in the department of history at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and has written extensively on the history of the modern Middle East. Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his two-day visit to France Tuesday — his first trip to Europe in five years. TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance are suing the U.S. And what is that sperm whale saying? Scientists say they may have found a path to understand their language.

Israel began striking targets in Rafah hours after Hamas announced it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal. Israel rejected the cease-fire proposal but then said it would send negotiators to continue the talks. We talk to Steven Simon, a Professor of Practice in Middle East Studies at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies of the University of Washington and Senior Research Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. French President Emmanuel Macron hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping. And Scientists believe every bird - from pigeons at the park to penguins at the zoo - are living, breathing dinosaurs, thanks to the discovery of a fossil called Archaeopteryx.

Israel raids the offices of Al Jazeera after ordering the local offices of Qatar's satellite news network to close Sunday. We talk to Professor Joseph Russomanno from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication journalism at Arizona State University. The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after “in-depth and serious discussions,” the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected. Earlier signs of progress dimmed as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to resist international pressure to halt the war.

Police have arrested more than 2,000 people during pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the United States in recent weeks, according to an Associated Press tally Thursday. Israel and Hamas appear to be seriously negotiating an end to the war in Gaza and the return of Israeli hostages. the U.S. has reached out to China and Russia to match declarations by the United States and others that only humans, and never artificial intelligence, would make decisions on deploying nuclear weapons. We talk to Lance Hunter a Professor at Agusta University and co-author of “The military application of artificial intelligence technology in the United States, China, and Russia and the implications for global security.” And it’s Press Freedom Day. We’ll look at how Moscow has cracked down on Russian media outlets that offer independent reporting on the war in Ukraine, prompting hundreds of journalists to flee and work in exile.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Israeli leaders in his push for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. Violence and chaos erupt on campuses as protesters and counter-protesters clash over the war in Gaza. South Korea held talks on joining a part of the AUKUS defense deal between the U.S., Britain and Australia. We talk with Naoko Aoki, an associate political scientist at the RAND Corporation. The average income of people around the world will be cut by one-fifth because of climate change. And high school students in the U.S. are becoming poll workers for the upcoming election.

New York Police arrest protesters occupying Columbia University building. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel. He is pushing for a cease-fire and increasing aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier on Tuesday vowed to go ahead with a military operation in Rafah despite international concern over the fate of more than 1 million Palestinians sheltering there. Authorities across South and Southeast Asia are warning people of health risks as a life-threatening heat wave bears down across the region. A Polish soccer fan completed a 100-kilometre walk on Sunday to meet the goalkeeper of Radomiak Radom, honoring a pledge he made on social media.

There is a cease-fire deal on the table and it’s up to Hamas to accept or not. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, British Foreign Minister David Cameron and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on behalf of U.S. President Joe Biden all sent that message to the world on Monday. Students at universities across the United States continue to protest the Gaza war. We talk to Scott Gac with Trinity College in the U.S. state of Connecticut. A twice-delayed legislative election got underway in Togo on Monday. And Taylor Swift sold 2.61 million album and streaming units of "The Tortured Poets Department" during its first week of release in the U.S. and set a new global streaming record too.

The White House says U.S. President Joe Biden has again spoken with Netanyahu as Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to the Middle East. Pressure is building on Israel and Hamas to reach a deal that would free some Israeli hostages and bring a cease-fire in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza. It’s being widely reported that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday (April 28) issued a fresh plea to the international community to hurry up and deliver more air defenses, start formal talks for his country to enter the European Union, and invite Ukraine to join NATO. And Elon Musk arrived in Beijing on Sunday on an unannounced visit. He wants to discuss the rollout of Full Self-Driving software and permission to transfer data overseas.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday took up Donald Trump's bid to avoid prosecution over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump’s lawyers argue that former presidents are entitled to absolute immunity for their official acts. We talk to Richard O. Lempert from the University of Michigan School of Law. New York’s highest court on Thursday threw out Harvey Weinstein ’s 2020 rape conviction with a ruling that shocked and disappointed women who celebrated historic gains during the #MeToo era. And paleontologists in Argentina have announced a new herbivorous dinosaur that lived over 90 million years.

Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests. A proposed repeal of Arizona’s near-total ban on abortions has won approval from the state House. It’s unclear exactly where the Supreme Court will land after hearing arguments about Idaho's abortion ban. TikTok pushes back on pending U.S. ban if it doesn’t sell the company. We talk to Seth Schachner, Managing Director of Strat Americas, a Los Angeles-based consultancy that provides strategic guidance and helps clients with media and technology partnerships. And NASA is talking to Voyager 1 again! It’s 24 billion kilometers from Earth. That’s the farthest any object has made it into deep space. We talk with Linda J. Spilker at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to move ahead with $95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, bringing the bill to the brink of passage after months of delays and contentious internal debate over how involved the United States should be abroad. We talk with University of Southern California professor Robert English about the aid. What began last week when students at a New York Ivy League school refused to end their protest against Israel’s war with Hamas had turned into a much larger movement by Tuesday as students across the nation set up encampments, occupied buildings and ignored demands to leave. A new robot allows doctors to produce safer and more accurate lung cancer diagnoses.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said that the United States is looking into allegations of human rights abuses by Israel in its operations against Hamas in Gaza. Two people were seen being taken into custody during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University on Monday. A prosecutor told jurors that Donald Trump tried to illegally influence the 2016 presidential election by preventing damaging stories about his personal life from becoming public. The statement came Monday at the start of the former president’s historic hush money trial. And on Earth Day a ship which emits no pollution as it sails the seas.

Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelming passed a 95 billion foreign aid bill. At least five rockets were launched from Iraq's town of Zummar toward a U.S. military base in northeastern Syria on Sunday. Palestinians on Sunday recovered bodies found under rubble and dirt at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The trial of former President Donald Trump enters a new stage Monday when opening remarks begin. And on this Earth Day scuba diving groups and marine organizations in Thailand have been working to remove abandoned fishing gear.

Israel attacks Iran in retaliation for Iran's attack on Israel. The United States on Thursday effectively stopped the United Nations from recognizing a Palestinian state by casting a veto in the Security Council to deny Palestinians full membership of the world body. As lawmakers in Congress edge closer to a vote on a $61 million security assistance package for Ukraine, a top U.S. intelligence official warned that help cannot come soon enough. Researchers in India have found fossils of an ancient giant snake that could have been longer than a school bus and a fossil jawbone found by a British girl and her father on a beach in Somerset, England belongs to a gigantic marine reptile from 202 million years ago.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is steadfast that Israel will make its own decisions about how to defend itself after a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones launched from Tehran last Saturday. Western countries meanwhile are pleading for a restrained response from Isarel. Jordan’s King Abdullah says his country will not be a battleground for any party in the confrontation between Israel and Iran and the protection of its citizens and sovereignty are paramount. Michael Cohen, who once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump, is now poised to serve as a star prosecution witness in the former U.S. president's criminal trial on charges of covering up hush money paid to an adult film star.

Israel is vowing to retaliate against Iran even though such a mission carries many risks. Any direct attack on Iranian soil would risk prompting an all-out war between the two foes at a time when Israel is focused on defeating Hamas in Gaza. The Supreme Court is questioning whether federal prosecutors went too far in bringing obstruction charges against hundreds of participants in the Capitol riot. Former President Donald Trump also faces the same charge for his efforts to overturn his election loss in 2020. The flame that is to burn at the Paris Olympics has been kindled at the site of the ancient games in southern Greece. Cloudy skies frustrated efforts to produce the flame in the customary fashion, when an actress dressed as an ancient Greek priestess uses the sun to ignite a silver torch. Instead, a backup flame was used that had been lit on the same spot, during the final rehearsal.

International pressure is building on Israel to hold back in responding to Iran’s attacks, but Israel says it will retaliate. Despite the size of the Iranian assault on Israel is Iran really looking to escalate the situation? We talk to Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran program at the Middle East Institute. Ukrainian officials are voicing concern about future military support from the West, especially the United States. A bakery in Gaza City has started operating for the first time in six months with aid from the World Food Program (WFP), providing desperately needed food in a part of the territory where a U.N.-backed report has warned of imminent famine.

Israel and Iran condemned each other's actions in the recent weeks during a tense United Nations Security Council on Sunday. Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles on Saturday in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation. The attack was in response to a suspected Israeli strike on Iran's embassy compound in Syria. A year since war broke out in Sudan, analysts foresee no end to the conflict and say the longer it drags on, the more likely Sudan will become a breeding ground for terrorist groups. And learning how one person can control a “drone swarm.”

Israel is keeping up its war in Gaza but is also preparing for scenarios in other areas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday, amid concern that Iran was preparing to strike Israel in response for the killing of senior Iranian commanders. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Thursday denied his sons that were killed in an Israeli strike this week were fighters for the group. He said "the interests of the Palestinian people are placed ahead of everything." Has the conflict reached an inflection point? VOA's Lori Lundin put the question to Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington. Russian missiles and drones destroyed a large electricity plant near Kyiv on Thursday. And using microrobots to battle cancer and other diseases.

An Israeli missile strike in Gaza has killed three sons and four grandchildren of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. He said their deaths would not influence Hamas’ position in cease-fire talks with Israel. U.S. President Joe Biden urged Hamas militants on Wednesday to accept the latest proposal for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of some hostages held by Hamas. World Athletics has become the first sport to offer prize money to Olympic champions, announcing on Wednesday that the 48 gold medalists in Paris this year will earn $50,000 each to end a 128-year tradition.

Israel will complete the elimination of Hamas' brigades, including in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and nothing will prevent this, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday. Europe’s highest human rights court ruled Tuesday that its member nations must protect their citizens from the consequences of climate change in a landmark ruling that sided with a group of 2-thousand Swiss women against their government in a case that could have implications across the continent. An underwater drone is using AI to help survey the Great Barrier Reef as a widespread mass coral bleaching event unfolds across the world's most extensive reef ecosystem.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that a date has been set for an Israeli invasion of Rafah, Gaza's last refuge for displaced Palestinians, without disclosing that date. He made his statement as a new round of cease-fire talks was ongoing in Cairo. A Hamas official told Reuters on Monday that no progress was made at a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo also attended by delegations from Israel, Qatar and the United States. We talk with Laurie Brand, professor emerita of political science and international relations and Middle East studies at the University of Southern California. She says the two-state solution is dead. And millions of people watch the sky go dark in the middle of the afternoon as a total solar eclipse cut a diagonal path across North America from Mexico to Canada.

It’s been six months since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, 2023. In the six months that followed the attack there has been a relentless attack by Israel on the Gaza strip with the stated intention of “wiping out Hamas.” While cease-fire talks are set to resume and although both Israel and Hamas say they will attend, the two have demands which may be difficult to meet. We talk with University of Southern California professor Emerita Laurie Brand about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they are still planning on a military action in the Gaza city of Rafah. Mexico pulls its diplomats from Ecuador after it arrests a man inside the Mexican Embassy in Quito. And chasing total eclipses. We’ll tell you about a 63-year-old woman who has seen 20 of them!

During a phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden told Netanyahu to improve the humanitarian situation and the safety of innocents in the Palestinian enclave. White House National Security Adviser John Kirby said If Israel does not change how it is carrying out its war in Gaza, the U.S. will change its policy toward Israel. Within hours, Israel opened three humanitarian routes for aid. We talk with Nomi Bar-Yaacov, an associate fellow of the International Security Program at Chatham House. NATO discussed a $108 billion fund for Ukraine's military. And at the 2024 New York International Auto Show, to no one’s surprise, the electric car stole the show.

Taiwan says there have been more than 50 aftershocks following the biggest earthquake to hit the island in 25 years. Demolition work was beginning on four buildings heavily damaged by the quake. Uganda's constitutional court has declined to annul or grant a permanent injunction against the enforcement of the country’s anti-gay law. Foreign ministers of NATO's 32 allies posed for a photo during a two-day meeting to celebrate the alliance's 75th anniversary and discuss long-term support for Ukraine. And what time is it on the moon? NASA instructed to come up with a universal “moon time.”

At least five employees from the World Central Kitchen charity, including foreigners, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza. Those killed in the incident in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah included citizens of Poland, Australia and Britain, as well as one Palestinian. On Monday, the Iranian embassy in Damascus was hit by an airstrike. VOA’s Michael Lipin spoke with Retired Israeli Major General Yaakov Amidror, former national security adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As Senegal’s Faye takes office, France watches closely. Bassirou Diomaye Faye was sworn in Tuesday as Senegal’s newest president. Thai LGBT activists rang in another victory after the marriage equality bill overwhelmingly passed the upper house's first reading on Tuesday, a significant move that will bring the country closer to becoming the third territory in Asia to legalize same-sex unions

It’s suspected that Israeli warplanes bombed Iran’s embassy in Syria on Monday, a marked escalation in the region. Israel bans Al Jazeera from broadcasting in the country. The U.S. State Department says they “support the work the free press does.” Another day of demonstrations in Israel against the Netanyahu government. Israeli forces have left Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. And a visit with a Cambodian kickboxer in Southern California who has inspired generations of fighters.

Tens of thousands of Israelis came out to protest the Netanyahu government. It’s the largest protest since the start of the October 7th war in Gaza. Netanyahu turned over the reins of the Israeli government temporarily Sunday to have surgery. We talk with Atalia Omer, PhD Professor of Religion, Conflict, and Peace Studies Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies/Sociology at the University of Notre Dame. He says he’ll be back after a short recovery. The Palestinian Authority forms a new government. In Turkey, a defeat for the ruling national party in municipal elections. And teaching girls to be soldiers in Ukraine at what was once a boys-only military school.

Russia on Thursday vetoed the annual renewal of a panel of experts that oversees the enforcement of long-standing United Nations sanctions against North Korea. The move comes amid U.S.-led accusations that North Korea has transferred weapons to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine. We talk with Gregg Brazinsky, a professor of history and international affairs at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. More trouble for Israel as the news service Retuers has investigated numerous examples of Israeli soldiers posting photos and videos of themselves toying with lingerie found in Palestinian homes. And traditional Easter chocolate eggs have transformed into sports-themed characters in some Paris chocolate shops, as chocolatiers concoct pieces with a nod to the nearing Olympic Games.

Israel bombed at least three homes in Rafah, raising fears that the ground assault could begin soon. Rafah is the last refuge in the Gaza Strip for people who fled the northern and central parts of the enclave. Reporter Evan Gershkovich marks one year in Russian prison. And, a million people expected to flood Niagara Falls to experience a rare solar eclipse.

Israel pulls out of the Qatar cease-fire talks following the UN resolution demanding a cease-fire in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with Israel’s offensive. He blasted a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a pause to the fighting, saying Tuesday that it had emboldened Hamas to reject a separate cease-fire proposal. We talk with University of California San Diego professor Michael Provence about the situation. A bridge in the U.S. city of Baltimore collapses after a freighter slams into it. And, handwritten letters are making a comeback. But they’re not written by hand.

The UN Security Council issued its first demand for a cease-fire in Gaza. The U.S. abstains, angering Israel. Opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye wins Senegal presidential election. And, wooing women voters in India.

The alleged perpetrators of the attack on a Moscow music venue appeared in court as the nation mourned the loss of more than 130. Craig Albert, political science professor and graduate director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University in Georgia, shares takeaways from what’s known. Russia carried out attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure, while Kyiv says it destroyed a pair of Russian naval vessels docked in Crimea. Israeli forces continue their operations around two hospitals in Gaza. Senegalese officials begin counting votes from Sunday’s election.

The call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza coupled with a flood of humanitarian aid is growing louder. The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote on a cease-fire resolution on Friday. The U.S. government sues Apple, charging antitrust. And, a bit of Hiroshima in New York City.

Fighting continues around Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital. One day after the World Meteorological Organization declared a climate change Red Alert, the Biden administration announced the strongest standards ever to cut planet-warming emissions from passenger automobiles. And, U.S. baseball in South Korea.