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Sasha Selipanov, a well-known car designer, was born in the Soviet Union but at 17 moved to the U.S. In California, he mastered the skill of designing high-end cars, creating vehicles for Lamborghini and Bugatti among others. He showed VOA Russian the concept of his first hypercar, which he is building in Los Angeles. Click…

As the U.S. and Armenia signed a strategic partnership agreement in Washington this week, experts say the Kremlin is slowly losing one of its few remaining allies. While Moscow says that Armenia’s distancing itself from Russia will bear consequences, the Armenian government is trying to steadily chart a pro-Western path. Click here for the full…

TAIPEI, TAIWAN —  China said Friday that Vice President Han Zheng will attend U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday. Beijing said the move follows “the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation in viewing and growing its relationship with the United States.” “We stand ready to work with the new U.S. government to…

Firefighters from all over the United States are currently in Los Angeles fighting deadly wildfires. Backup from Canada and Mexico arrived this week as well. VOA’s Fernando Mejía spent some time with a team of Mexican firefighters. Veronica Villafañe narrates this report. Camera: Fernando MejíaThis post was originally published on here

Slovenian model turned US first lady Melania Trump is headed back to the White House after a bittersweet experience in the limelight after her husband, President-elect Donald Trump, first took office in 2016. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias gives us a look at her life and voter expectations for her second term. Camera: Veronica Balderas Iglesias…

A Committee of Congress is coordinating the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump with strict security measures, attendance of international dignitaries and the presence of prominent political and business figures. Click here for the full story in Spanish. This post was originally published on here

The vast majority of Americans are about to get an extended taste of frigid Siberian weather. Another polar vortex disruption will stretch Arctic air across the top of the globe and make Donald Trump’s second inauguration the coldest in 40 years, meteorologists said. After starting in the Rockies Thursday night, the cold will blast eastward…

One of President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign promises was to urge the US Congress to pass legislation banning sanctuary cities. These jurisdictions limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Some local officials vowed to fight the new Trump administration. VOA’s immigration reporter, Aline Barros, has more.This post was originally published on here

With a pending law declaring the social media application TikTok illegal in the United States, set to take effect on Sunday, the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is signaling that it plans to try to find a way to prevent the service from going offline. Under current law, the service’s parent company, China-based…

Pamela Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to become attorney general, faced more questions from U.S. senators Thursday. Witnesses testified to her character and integrity to serve in one of the nation’s most critical positions. VOA Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports.This post was originally published on here

washington —  Washington has slapped sanctions on Sudan’s army leader, citing his responsibility for war crimes in a conflict that has bled the oil-rich country dry over the last year — sparking a famine, killing tens of thousands of people and driving millions from their homes — just a week after the U.S. sanctioned his…

People hospitalized for flu should be tested for bird flu within 24 hours, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday, in an expansion of the agency’s efforts to tackle increasing infections in humans. The advisory is intended to prevent delays in identifying human cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses amid…

SPARROWS POINT, MARYLAND —  Most Americans and visitors to the United States encounter Customs and Border Protection agents when they enter or return to the country at land crossings or airports. But CBP also is responsible for inspecting goods leaving the country, which creates a nearly impossible assignment of trying to intercept all stolen automobiles…

With Donald Trump returning to the White House, analysts say Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sees an opportunity to rekindle what he calls his close working relationship with the president-elect. However, as Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, the incoming Trump presidency poses risks as well as opportunities. This post was originally published on here

LOS ANGELES —  David Lynch, the filmmaker celebrated for his uniquely dark vision in such movies as “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” and the TV series “Twin Peaks,” has died just days before his 79th birthday. His family announced the death in a Facebook post on Thursday. The cause of death and location was not…

WASHINGTON —  U.S. Treasury nominee Scott Bessent on Thursday faced sharp questions from Democrats on tax policy, tariffs, China, Russia sanctions and the future of an IRS tax filing system that Republicans have called to be cut. Bessent sat in front of the Senate Finance Committee for his confirmation hearing, where he told lawmakers that…

Republican Vice President-elect JD Vance rose from humble beginnings. He grew up in a struggling industrial town in the Midwestern state of Ohio. He went on to attend an Ivy League school and now will be one of the youngest vice presidents in history. VOA Senior Washington Correspondent Carolyn Presutti takes us back to his…

Donald Trump takes the oath of office Monday to become the 47th president of the United States. It is a historic return to power for a man who in just over nine years reshaped the Republican Party in an increasingly divided country. VOA’s Tina Trinh looks at Trump’s political comeback.This post was originally published on…

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA —  Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody will take Marco Rubio ‘s seat in the U.S. Senate, Governor Ron DeSantis announced Thursday, making Moody only the second woman to represent Florida in the chamber. Elected as the state’s top law enforcement officer in 2018, Moody campaigned on a pledge to voters that she’d be…

TAIPEI, TAIWAN —  China initiated a new round of diplomatic outreach to Japan and the European Union this week as Washington prepares for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. A delegation of Japanese lawmakers traveled to Beijing and a Chinese military delegation went to Japan for the first time in five years. Meanwhile, the European Council’s new…

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says he wants the United States to be the world leader in artificial intelligence and crypto currency. To that end, he has tapped a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor to be the AI and crypto czar. Michelle Quinn has the story.This post was originally published on here

Most people encounter Customs and Border Protection agents when they enter the United States at land border crossings or airports. But those agents are also responsible for inspecting goods leaving the country. VOA’s chief national correspondent, Steve Herman, reports from the Port of Baltimore about a significant trade in stolen vehicles leaving the U.S. for…

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the United States of “obscurantist hypocrisy” for allowing inmates to fight Los Angeles wildfires. Russia’s state-owned news agency RIA Novosti cited Zakharova on January 12, saying that the use of prisoners as firefighters is no different from China’s use of forced labor, which the U.S. has been condemning…

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida —  Blue Origin’s giant New Glenn rocket blasted off from Florida early Thursday morning on its first mission to space, an inaugural step into Earth’s orbit for Jeff Bezos’ space company as it aims to rival SpaceX in the satellite launch business. Thirty stories tall with a reusable first stage, New Glenn…

Southern California firefighters made some progress in containing two major wildfires, while forecasters said weather conditions in the coming days could bring welcome relief from the days of dry air and high winds that have plagued the region. The relief will give firefighters a key window to battle the Palisades Fire on the west edge…

Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, will be among several billionaires attending Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration. Tesla CEO Musk was instrumental in Trump’s reelection with his contribution of over a quarter of a billion dollars to Trump’s campaign coffers, according to Forbes. Musk is set to head Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, along…

In his farewell address from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening, US President Joe Biden warned of the dangers in the concentration of power and wealth. The speech capped his decades-long political career and a four-year term bookended by Donald Trump, who in days is set to be inaugurated for a second time. White House…

HAVANA —  Cuba started releasing some prisoners Wednesday as part of talks with the Vatican, a day after President Joe Biden’s administration announced his intent to lift the U.S. designation of the island nation as a state sponsor of terrorism. More than a dozen people who were convicted of different crimes — and some of…

President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to serve as secretary of state faced questioning from lawmakers Wednesday. Republican Marco Rubio told senators that if confirmed he would make U.S. national interest a priority. VOA Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reportss from Capitol Hill.This post was originally published on here

WASHINGTON —  House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday removed the Republican chairman of the powerful House Intelligence Committee, who was a vocal supporter of assistance for Ukraine and held other views that put him at odds with President-elect Donald Trump. Johnson told reporters late Wednesday that Representative Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican, would no longer…

One of the buildings that survived last week’s severe and deadly fire in California city of Pacific Palisades houses a local American Legion Post. The fire destroyed more than 5,000 structures and killed at least eight people. Today, U.S. veterans belonging to this chapter want to help the community recover from the disaster. VOA’s Genia…

Taiwan plans to spend $4.56 billion to boost its startup ecosystem and has set up a liaison center in Silicon Valley designated to attract American venture capital and talent to Taiwan. Liu Chin-ching, minister of the National Development Council of Taiwan, told VOA of the importance of the bridge between the U.S. and Taiwan, adding…

WASHINGTON —  President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the CIA signaled substantial changes are in store for America’s premier spy agency, telling lawmakers that it must be more aggressive both in collecting intelligence and pushing back against Washington’s adversaries. John Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence at the end of Trump’s first term,…

Russia’s nearly three-year invasion of Ukraine has become a “war of attrition” and a “stalemate” that must be ended, Senator Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be secretary of state, told senators at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Rubio broke from the passive stance of the administration of outgoing President Joe Biden, which has…

On Wednesday the U.S. Department of Commerce announced it would implement new export controls on certain biotechnology equipment, citing national security concerns relating to artificial intelligence and data science. The Commerce Department warned that China could use the biotech equipment’s technology to bolster its military capabilities and help design new weapons using artificial intelligence. The…

Usha Vance will be the next second lady of the United States, making the Yale-educated lawyer the first vice presidential spouse of South Asian origin. VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell takes a look at her life story – and how it intersects with her husband’s political career and interests – as she prepares for…

TAIPEI, TAIWAN —  As TikTok’s Sunday deadline to divest or face a U.S. ban approaches, hundreds of American users of the popular social media video app say they are migrating to another Chinese social media app, Xiaohongshu, or RedNote. Dubbing themselves “TikTok Refugees,” some say they are making the move in search of a new…

While U.S. President Joe Biden views his response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a cornerstone of his foreign policy legacy, critics argue he missed a historic opportunity to help Ukraine win the war. Michael Carpenter, director for Europe at the National Security Council, spoke with VOA, defending the administration’s policies on Ukraine, stating they…

Hundreds of thousands in Southern California faced new threats of fire-spreading high winds on Wednesday as firefighters continued to fight wildfires that have killed at least 25 people and left nearly 30 missing. A day after firefighters got a reprieve with lighter winds than expected, gusts were hitting up to 56 kilometers per hour on…

WASHINGTON —  U.S. President Joe Biden gives his farewell address from the Oval Office Wednesday evening, five days before he ends his term and President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated. In a letter released Wednesday morning, Biden reflected on how his administration began in the shadows of COVID-19 and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the…

Washington —  The U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday that it is expanding the web of sanctions on companies and institutions supporting Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine, re-designating about 100 entities for sanctions and placing sanctions on 15 new entities. A senior Treasury Department official said that under the sanctions, any company that does meaningful business…

WASHINGTON —  Pam Bondi, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, will face sharp questioning from Democratic senators at a confirmation hearing Wednesday expected to center on concerns that Trump will look to use the Justice Department’s powers to seek retribution against his adversaries. Bondi, a former Florida attorney general who was part of…

WASHINGTON —  Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did not inform Congress or the White House as required when he was incapacitated due to treatment for prostate cancer or when complications worsened his condition last year, the Pentagon’s watchdog concluded in a highly critical report released Wednesday. The inspector general’s report faults Austin for the communications failures…

President-elect Donald Trump achieved an extraordinary comeback in the 2024 election, having lost his reelection bid in 2020. But he’s not the only political leader — past or present — to be elected for nonconsecutive terms. Several have stunned the world by clawing their way back to power from scandal, jail time or crushing defeats.…

Michael Carpenter, director for Europe at the National Security Council, spoke with VOA, defending the Biden administration’s policies on Ukraine, stating they were undeterred by Russia’s nuclear threats, and attributing Ukraine’s lack of success in regaining lost territories to manpower shortages. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. (Camera: Anne-Marie Fendrick)This post…

Washington —  Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is promising to implement President-elect Donald Trump’s “America First” vision as secretary of state, vowing in his confirmation hearing Wednesday that the incoming administration will forge a new path by placing American interests “above all else.” “Placing our core national interests above all else is not isolationism,” Rubio will…

Warnings were in place again Wednesday in the Los Angeles area for the prospect of strong winds combining with dry conditions to spread wildfires as firefighters battled a series of blazes in the region that have already killed at least 25 people. After winds were weaker than expected during the day Tuesday, the National Weather…

Two moon landers built by private U.S. and Japanese companies are on their way to the moon after lifting off early Wednesday on a shared ride aboard a SpaceX rocket. The launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is the latest in a public-private program that put a spacecraft from Intuitive Machines on the…

WASHINGTON —  U.S. President Joe Biden signed on Tuesday an executive order to boost development of artificial intelligence infrastructure in America. A day earlier, his administration announced sweeping measures to block access to the most advanced semiconductors by China and other adversaries. But the U.S. left India, its strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific, off a…

Elon Musk was sued on Tuesday by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which accused the world’s richest person of waiting too long to disclose in 2022 he had amassed a large stake in Twitter, the social media company he later bought. In a complaint filed in Washington, the SEC said Musk violated federal securities…