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This is VOA news. Reporting by remote, I'm David Byrd.
President Trump's financial records will stay private for the time being after a mixed verdict from the U.S. Supreme Court. AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports. The high court is upholding the Manhattan District Attorney's subpoena for the president's tax returns. But it's unclear when a lower court judge might enforce the demand. In another ruling, the justices are keeping a hold on Trump financial records Congress has been seeking for more than a year. Still, they rejected the president's arguments that he is immune from investigation while in office and had sent the case to a lower court, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi bills as a "win" for the constitution. "It's not good news for the president of the United States" He is not viewing it a as a win, either. "... this is a political witch hunt. It just continues. It's been from before I got here." Still, the rulings mean his opponents are unlikely to see his potentially embarrassing records before the election. Sagar Meghani, Washington. The World Health Organization said Thursday it was setting up an independent panel to review its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the response by governments. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says that the pandemic is a time for self-reflection and to look at what went right and what went wrong. "This is a time for self-reflection to look at the world and to find ways to strengthen our collaboration as we work together to save lives and bring this pandemic under control." The announcement follows strong criticism by U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused the WHO of being "China-centric," and the U.S. notification on Tuesday that it was withdrawing from the U.N. agency in a year's time. This is VOA news. One of South Korea's most prominent elected officials, Park Won-soon, the long time mayor of Seoul, was found dead by police on Friday after he was reported missing by his daughter amid a criminal probe of alleged impropriety. Reuters Freddie Joyner has more. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said the mayor's body was found at Mt. Bugak in northern Seoul around midnight near where his phone signal had last been detected. The agency did not give a cause of death. A police official told reporters at a television briefing at the scene there was no sign of foul play although a detailed investigation would be needed. As mayor of the city of nearly 10 million people, Park was one of South Korea's most influential politicians and played the high-profile role in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. He was seen as a potential presidential hopeful for the liberals in the 2022 presidential elections. That's Reuters Freddie Joyner. People who illegally upload movies can keep their full personal data to themselves. That's according to a ruling from the European Union's highest court. AP's Karen Chammas reports. The ruling means online platforms do not have to reveal personal information, such as email addresses, phone numbers or IP addresses of users who illegally share copyright material. The case stems from a German film distributor's request the details about users who had uploaded the films "Parker" and "Scary Movie 5 onto YouTube. YouTube had refused to disclose the full personal information. The case was referred on to the European Court of Justice, which said online platforms like YouTube just need to provide the user's postal address asked for European intellectual property law. I'm Karen Chammas. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio joined the Reverend Al Sharpton and others Thursday in painting the words "Black Lives Matter" on Fifth Avenue right outside of the Trump Tower. Reuters Lisa Bernhard has more. De Blasio, who was joined by his wife and the Reverend Al Sharpton, addressed the president's response Thursday. "Let me tell you, we are not denigrating anything. We are liberating Fifth Avenue. So, when we say, eBlack Lives Matter', there is no more American statement, there is no more patriotic statement, because there is no America without Black America." The mural escalates an ongoing feud between the mayor and the president. Last July, de Blasio said New York would not welcome back Trump - who was born in Queens - after his presidency. Three months later, Trump announced that he switched his permanent residence to his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, from his Trump Tower residence in New York. That's Reuters Lisa Bernhard. |