Court declines to hear challenge; Green Party’s Stein to stay on Wisconsin ballot

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madison, wisconsin — Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein will remain on the ballot in the crucial swing state of Wisconsin after the state Supreme Court decided on Monday not to hear a Democratic challenge seeking to oust her.  Democrats are concerned that third-party candidates could draw votes away from Vice President Kamala Harris and help Republican Donald Trump win Wisconsin. The presence of independent and third-party candidates on the ballot could be a deciding factor in a state where four of the last six presidential elections have been decided by between 5,700 votes and about 23,000 votes.  The court decidedmore

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France’s Macron: Arrest of head of Telegram messaging app wasn’t political

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Paris — French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that the arrest in France of the CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, wasn’t a political move but part of an independent investigation. French media reported that Durov was detained at a Paris airport on Saturday on an arrest warrant alleging his platform has been used for money laundering, drug trafficking and other offenses. Durov is a citizen of Russia, France, the United Arab Emirates, and the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis. In France’s first public comment on the arrest, Macron posted on the social media platformmore

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Asian American voters diverse in culture, political views

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Since 2020, Asians Americans have been the fastest-growing group of eligible voters in the U.S., according to Pew Research Center. In 2022, California had the most eligible Asian American voters in the U.S., followed by New York and Texas. From Houston, Texas, Elizabeth Lee has more on the potential and challenges of the Asian American vote. …

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China robot conference spotlights the changing face of humanoids

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Beijing — As China seeks to race ahead in humanoid robot development, its supply chains showcased cheaper and innovative parts at the world robot conference in Beijing, but some executives warn the industry has yet to improve product reliability. Wisson Technology (Shenzhen), known for its flexible robotic manipulators, doesn’t depend on motors and reducers – transmission devices commonly used in robotics – but instead uses 3D-printed plastics and relies on pneumatic artificial muscles to power its robots. This less expensive form of production allows it to price its flexible arms at about one-tenth that of traditional robotic arms, said Cao Wei,more

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No federal abortion ban under Trump, says JD Vance; Harris campaign breaks donations record

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Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance said Sunday that he won’t impose a federal abortion ban in the United States if he and Donald Trump win the White House. Meanwhile, the Democratic presidential ticket of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz keeps pushing its messaging for reproductive rights and announced record-breaking campaign donations. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias has the details. …

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CEO of Telegram messaging app arrested in France, say French media

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paris — Pavel Durov, billionaire founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested at the Bourget airport outside Paris on Saturday evening, TF1 TV and BFM TV said, citing unnamed sources.  Telegram, particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union, is ranked as one of the major social media platforms after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and WeChat. It aims to hit 1 billion users in the next year.   Based in Dubai, Telegram was founded by Russian-born Durov. He left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut downmore

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While in Taiwan, Haley says isolationist policy not ‘healthy’

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TAIPEI, Taiwan — Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on a visit to Taiwan Saturday that an isolationist policy isn’t “healthy” and called on the Republican Party to stand with her country’s allies, while still putting in good words for the party’s nominee, Donald Trump. Haley, who ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, told reporters in the capital, Taipei, that supporting U.S. allies, including Ukraine and Israel, is vital. She underscored the importance of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, to be brought under control by force if necessary. “I don’t think the isolationistmore

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RFK Jr. endorses Donald Trump

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his endorsement of former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, on Friday. VOA’s Carolyn Presutti reports from Glendale, Arizona, where the two politicians campaigned together for the first time. …

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Sidelined at the DNC, pro-Palestinian Democrats still see progress

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Chicago — Hundreds of pro-Palestinian delegates were sidelined at the Democratic National Convention that ended with Vice President Kamala Harris reaffirming her support for Israel. “The people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on October 7,” she said in her speech accepting the party’s presidential nomination Thursday evening. As anti-war protesters filled the streets throughout the week, 270 pro-Palestinian Democrats calling themselves “cease-fire delegates” signed a petition demanding Harris, if she’s elected, enact an arms embargo on Israel. The unheeded petition was pushed by leaders of the “Uncommitted” movement, which garnered hundredsmore

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RFK Jr. suspends US presidential campaign, endorses Trump

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washington — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential candidate with a famous political pedigree but whose bid was overshadowed by a brain worm and a dead bear, has announced the suspension of his campaign, endorsing the Republican Party’s nominee, former President Donald Trump.  “In my heart, I no longer believe I have a realistic path to an electoral victory,” Kennedy said to a group of reporters and supporters in Phoenix. “I am not terminating my campaign. I am simply suspending it,” he added, explaining he did not want to help Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s nominee.   Inmore

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3 journalists arrested covering DNC protests, prompting press freedom concerns

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washington — At least three journalists were arrested in Chicago this week while covering protests during the Democratic National Convention.   On Tuesday night, a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Israeli Consulate in Chicago. The demonstration intensified, with protesters and police clashing and protesters charging the police line.   More than 70 people were arrested, according to the Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. At least three journalists were among those arrested.   Sinna Nasseri, a freelance photographer who was arrested that night, said the situation was chaotic.   “There was just pandemonium,” Nasseri told VOA. “Theremore

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Chinese entities turn to Amazon cloud, rivals to access US chips, AI

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BEIJING/SINGAPORE/NEW YORK — State-linked Chinese entities are using cloud services provided by Amazon or its rivals to access advanced U.S. chips and artificial intelligence capabilities that they cannot acquire otherwise, recent public tender documents showed. The U.S. government has restricted the export of high-end AI chips to China over the past two years, citing the need to limit the Chinese military’s capabilities. Providing access to such chips or advanced AI models through the cloud, however, is not a violation of U.S. regulations since only exports or transfers of a commodity, software or technology are regulated. A Reuters review of more thanmore

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RFK Jr. withdraws from Arizona ballot as questions swirl around possible alliance with Trump 

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PHOENIX — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew from the ballot in Arizona late Thursday, a day before he and Donald Trump were set to appear miles apart in the Phoenix area as speculation grows that Kennedy could drop his independent presidential bid and endorse the Republican nominee. Kennedy is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m. Eastern time in Phoenix “about the present historical moment and his path forward,” according to his campaign. Hours later, Trump will hold a rally in neighboring Glendale. Trump, campaigning Thursday in southern Arizona at the U.S.-Mexico border, said that “no plans have been made” for Kennedymore

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Kamala Harris caps convention with call to end Gaza war, fight tyranny

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CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday with a rousing call to end the war in Gaza and to fight tyranny around the world, drawing a sharp contrast with Republican Donald Trump. “In the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs,” Harris said, accusing Trump of bowing down to dictators. On the final, and most anticipated, night of the four-day Chicago convention, Harris, 59, promised to chart a “New Way Forward” as she and Trump, 78, enter the final 11 weeksmore

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Takeaways from the Democratic National Convention

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CHICAGO — It was U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’s big night Thursday, but she wasn’t the only U.S. Democrat to knock it out of the park during a week of rousing speeches, celebrity cameos and lashings of hope and joy. Here are some takeaways from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago: Star-studded convention Oprah Winfrey stole the show, exhorting voters to “choose joy” and Stevie Wonder took the convention to Higher Ground. John Legend lit up the United Center with a tribute to Prince, while comic actress Mindy Kaling shared stories of cooking lessons from the vice president. And there wasmore

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Harris’ remarks on Gaza do little to heal Democrats’ biggest rift

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CHICAGO — Disappointed Pro-Palestinian activists said Kamala Harris’ speech to close the Democratic convention in Chicago failed to demonstrate any break from the status quo, after a week in which the most divisive issue facing the party was mostly ignored. Under pressure to respond to critics of U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza, the vice president used her Thursday night speech to repeat earlier calls for a cease-fire and a deal to free the last of the hostages Hamas captured on October 7. She said she supported Israel’s right to defend itself while also favoring the Palestinian right to self-determination.more

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