Mosques around the world have stepped-up security during Ramadan following recent attacks on places of worship. Phil Dierking visited some Washington-area mosques to find out what they are doing. …

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange missed a court session Thursday, apparently due to health problems. He had been expected to appear from prison via video link at a brief extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.   Lawyer Gareth Peirce told the court Assange was “not very well.”   Assange, 47, is in Belmarsh Prison serving a 50-week sentence for jumping bail in Britain while fighting extradition to the United States, which accuses him of violating the Espionage Act by publishing secret documents containing the names of confidential military and diplomatic sources.   Sweden also seeks him for questioning about an alleged rape, which Assange has denied.   It is not clear which claim would take precedence. The decision would likely be made by Britain’s home secretary.   Judge Emma Arbuthnot said a more substantive extradition hearing set for June 12 may be moved to a court next to Belmarsh Prison for …

The highly-anticipated showdown on Wednesday night between Trish Regan of Fox Business and Liu Xin of China Global Television Network (CGTN) — the overseas arm of state-controlled China Central Television (CCTV) — turned out to be a tame question-and-answer session with little exchange of barbs.   Some observers say that, as both are neither policymakers nor experts on trade, their “disappointing” talks contributed nothing of substance, but stoked up emotions of national pride in China. Others, however, welcome such dialogues that allow free exchange of differing views to continue and set an example for U.S. and Chinese officials to resume their trade negotiations.   The media hype has not only shed light on the increasingly sharp divide between the two countries over trade but also press freedom in China as well, they add.   Face-off   The buildup for the debate started last week when Liu released a commentary, accusing Regan of …

In the Washington area, there is a push to give Muslims more dining options during Ramadan. Local restaurants would open a couple of hours earlier or later during the holy month to accommodate Muslim customers who fast from sunrise to sunset. The moves give Muslims more places to dine and restaurants more customers to serve. A couple of restaurants that are open late have joined the effort with the hope others will follow. VOA’s Deborah Block tells us about the initiative called Dine After Dark. …

Provoking trade disputes is “naked economic terrorism,” a senior Chinese diplomat said Thursday, ramping up the rhetoric against the United States amid a bitter trade war that is showing no signs of ending soon. Trade tensions between Washington and Beijing escalated sharply earlier this month after the Trump administration accused China of having “reneged” on its previous promises to make structural changes to its economic practices. Washington later slapped additional tariffs of up to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to retaliate. ​Opposed to big sticks Speaking to reporters in Beijing, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui said China opposed the use of “big sticks” like trade sanctions, tariffs and protectionism.  “We oppose a trade war but are not afraid of a trade war. This kind of deliberately provoking trade disputes is naked economic terrorism, economic homicide, economic bullying,” Zhang said, when asked about the trade war …

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan said Thursday he did not authorize and was not even aware of a White House directive to have the U.S. Navy warship USS John S. McCain “out of sight” when President Donald Trump visited Japan. “I would never dishonor the memory of a great American patriot like Senator (John) McCain,” Shanahan told reporters traveling with him aboard a U.S. military aircraft en route to Singapore. “I’d never disrespect the young men and women who crew that ship.” During a visit to Indonesia earlier, Shanahan told reporters “What I read this morning was the first I heard about it.” He said he is asking his chief of staff to look into the matter. An email seen by VOA shows discussions about the USS John S. McCain between the White House Military Office and an officer with the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet ahead of Trump’s trip. …

Leading U.S. defense and security officials warn Iran was getting ready to unleash a wave of attacks across the Middle East targeting the United States and its allies when the decision was made to boost the U.S. military presence in the region. But U.S. officials also echoed President Donald Trump, saying the U.S. does not want war with Iran. VOA’s diplomatic correspondent Cindy Saine reports from the State Department. …

More tariffs on Chinese goods are at least a month away, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. Testifying before Congress, Mnuchin said the impact on the U.S. economy is a key consideration for next steps in the Trump administration’s trade strategy. In early May, U.S. President Donald Trump again raised tariffs on Chinese goods, which China will then match on U.S. goods. VOA’s Steve Redisch explains what’s at stake in the tariff tit-for-tat. …

Special counsel Robert Mueller Wednesday declined to clear President Donald Trump of obstructing justice, though the president responded by declaring himself innocent and the “case is closed.” In his first public comments on the Russia probe, Mueller said because of a long-standing Department of Justice policy, the president cannot be charged with a federal crime while in office, and he indicated it is up to Congress to take further action. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has more. …

Thousands of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana residents braced for more flooding Wednesday, and some evacuated their homes, as forecasts of further rain drove fears that decades-old levees girding the Arkansas River may not hold. More than a week of violent weather, including downpours and deadly tornadoes, has lashed the central United States, bringing record-breaking floods to parts of the states, turning highways into lakes and submerging all but the roofs of some homes. “This is a flood of historic magnitude,” Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson told a news conference Wednesday, joined by state and federal emergency officials. He said of the Arkansas River: “It’s a beautiful sight until it comes to get you.” ​Arkansas River Flooding has already closed 12 state highways, he said, and 400 households have agreed to voluntary evacuations. Hutchinson sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump Wednesday asking for a federal emergency declaration for Arkansas. The …

Israel’s prime minister has been a vocal critic of Iran over the years, accusing the Islamic Republic of sinister intentions at every opportunity. But the outspoken Benjamin Netanyahu has remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout the current crisis between the U.S. and Iran. While Israel has welcomed Washington’s pressure on Tehran, the crisis has nonetheless put Netanyahu in a delicate position, not wanting to be seen as pushing the Americans into a military confrontation and wary of being drawn into fighting with Iran’s powerful proxy, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. “In recent developments, Israel has taken the backseat. There’s one reason for this: it’s not in Israel’s interest to take the lead,” said Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank, and former Iran analyst in the prime minister’s office. It’s a new look for Netanyahu, who has made Iran his top priority …

Americans have long felt the call to go west, but they’re also moving south. Between July 2017 and July 2018, more people relocated to counties in the West and South of the United States than moved out, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Overall, suburbs in the South and West welcomed more people than counties in the Midwest and Northeast. Texas is particularly popular. Four counties in the Lone Star State are in the top 10 spots. They include Harris, just outside of Houston; Collin, about 64 kilometers from Dallas; Tarrant, outside of Forth Worth; and Bexar, near San Antonio. Texas state demographer Lloyd Potter says there’s a reason newcomers are heading to areas outside the state’s core urban counties. “Many jobs are being created in these counties, but there is also affordable and newer housing, and the quality of schools is generally pretty good relative to urban core counties,” …

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s first public statement on his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Two years ago, the Acting Attorney General asked me to serve as Special Counsel, and he created the Special Counsel’s Office.   The appointment order directed the office to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. This included investigating any links or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump campaign. I have not spoken publicly during our investigation. I am speaking today because our investigation is complete. The Attorney General has made the report on our investigation largely public. And we are formally closing the Special Counsel’s Office. As well, I am resigning from the Department of Justice and returning to private life. I’ll make a few remarks about the results of our work. But beyond these few remarks, it is important that the office’s written work …

The Boeing 737 Max jet that was grounded after two deadly crashes will not fly before mid-August at the earliest, the global airline trade group said Wednesday. The spokesman for the International Air Transport Association, Anthony Concil, said the group estimates the planes will remain grounded for at least another 10-12 weeks, though regulators like the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration will have final say. The plane was grounded in mid-March after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max. A Lion Air Max crashed in October off the Indonesian coast. In all, 346 people died. Concil said IATA’s estimate is based on comments from U.S. carriers that they wouldn’t be scheduling commercial flights of the planes through August, and that the FAA hasn’t yet provided a timeline on decisions that could allow the planes to resume service. Concil spoke from Seoul, where IATA is preparing its annual meeting. IATA has 290 …

President Donald Trump warned Wednesday the “consequences will be devastating” if Alabama Republican Roy Moore, whose 2017 U.S. Senate campaign was battered by allegations of long-ago sexual harassment of teenagers, seeks the seat again in 2020. Moore lost in the once-reliably red state in a 2017 special election amid the sexual misconduct allegations, which he denied. He told The Associated Press earlier this month he is considering another campaign next year. Trump, who backed Moore in 2017 despite the allegations, tweeted “I have NOTHING against Roy Moore,” but warned that “Roy Moore cannot win.” He adds that if Democrat Doug Jones retains the seat in 2020 “many of the incredible gains that we have made during my Presidency may be lost.” Trump’s comments come as national Republicans have tried to keep Moore out of the race. Moore’s nomination could have national repercussions, allowing Democrats to accuse the GOP of ignoring …

Special counsel Robert Mueller reiterated Wednesday that charging President Donald Trump with obstruction of justice was not an option his office could consider under Justice Department guidelines, as he announced the closure of his office after concluding in late March a 22-month investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible obstruction of justice by Trump.    Explaining his decision not to recommend formal charges against Trump despite uncovering nearly a dozen instances of possible obstruction of justice, Mueller cited a long-standing Justice Department legal opinion that says a sitting president can’t be indicted.    “The special counsel’s office is part of the Department of Justice and, by regulation, it was bound by that department policy,” Mueller said in his first public remarks since his appointment as special counsel more than two years ago. “Charging the president with a crime, therefore, was not an option we could consider.”   WATCH: …

U.S. authorities and other personnel dealing with the influx of migrants at the U.S. border with Mexico are seeing more people from indigenous regions in Central America who only speak Mayan. That’s creating a communications problem between the migrants and border agents, medical staff and immigration officials who work with them. Celia Mendoza reports from Tucson, Arizona. …

Chinese telecom giant Huawei has asked a U.S. federal court to rule, without going to trial, that a law prohibiting government agencies, contractors and grant recipients from buying or using Huawei products is unconstitutional. Huawei lawyers filed a motion for summary judgment Tuesday seeking an accelerated end to the lawsuit the company originally filed in March. The motion says the provision in the National Defense Authorization Act violates due process and amount to Congress judging the company guilty without a trial and without any way for Huawei to challenge the result. It asks a judge to decide there is no disputing the facts of the case and to rule in Huawei’s favor. U.S. lawmakers included the provision in the defense funding bill last year because of what they allege are ties between Huawei and the Chinese government, and security concerns that arise from that relationship. Huawei has denied that is …

Roberta Boltz keeps her doors unlocked at night. The former coal mine worker says it is just one perk of living in the small Pennsylvania town of Hegins. But last Christmas morning, she had her first epileptic seizure, and her only worry about rural life took center stage: access to health care. There is no hospital in her community of 812 residents, and she says she does not trust the one closest to her. “I’ve heard people say they wouldn’t send their dog to that hospital,” Boltz said. “They’re so understaffed.” Seated upright in a platinum nightgown, with gauze covering her thin forehead, Boltz recently made the one-hour commute to Danville, Pennsylvania’s, eight-story, 559-bed Geisinger Medical Center to receive care, as she has done during several critical life moments. Geisinger treated her son’s Crohn’s disease when he was a child, and more recently, after her husband suffered a heart attack.  …

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said Wednesday that Iran was “almost certainly” responsible for attacks earlier this month on oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Speaking to reporters during a visit to the Abu Dhabi for what he called talks on “important and timely regional security matters,” Bolton did not give any evidence to back up his accusation, but said the tankers were hit by naval mines. Iran previously denied responsibility for the attacks, and on Wednesday foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi rejected Bolton’s accusation as “ridiculous,” but not a surprise since Bolton is a long-time critic of Iran. Tensions between Iran and the United States have escalated in recent weeks since President Donald Trump announced his decision to try to totally eliminate Iran’s oil exports to pressure the Iranian government to alter its aggression in the Middle East, and his move to add 1,500 …