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This is VOA News. I'm Alexis Strope.
The United States is boosting its military presence in the Middle East due to increased tensions. AP correspondent Norman Hall reports. The U.S. Defense Department will move a fighter jet squadron to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region. The move by the Pentagon comes as President Joe Biden made good on his promise to beef up the American military presence to help defend Israel from possible attacks by Iran and its proxies and safeguard U.S. troops. In a statement, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also ordered additional ballistic missile defense capable cruisers and destroyers to the European and Middle East regions. Steps are also being taken to send more land-based ballistic missile defense weapons there. I'm Norman Hall. The inspector general of police said Nigerian police are on red alert and may seek the help of the military after protests against the cost of living and governance issues turned violent in some cities. Reuters correspondent ??? has more. At least three protesters were killed in Nigeria's Kaduna state on Thursday, according to Reuters reporters. Police there say they fired tear gas at protesters and not live ammunition. Protesters are angry with President Bola Tinubu's economic reforms, which have led to rampant inflation. They were inspired by protests in Kenya in June that led to the government scrapping planned tax increases. Tinubu says he understands the pain caused by his reforms, but claims that they are the only way to put Nigeria on a firm path to economic growth. Reuters correspondent ???. For pictures, video stories and more, follow Voice of America on X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and for additional stories, visit voanews.com. This is VOA News. The U.S. Justice Department is suing TikTok, accusing the company of illegally collecting children's data. AP correspondent Jackie Quinn has more. Federal law requires that kid-oriented apps and websites get parental consent before collecting personal information on children under 13. This latest lawsuit alleges TikTok and its China-based parent company ByteDance violated that law by allowing registration through third party credentials and alleging that information was shared with other companies. They're also accused of failing to honor requests from parents to delete their children's accounts. TikTok has disagreed with the allegations, saying many of the issues have already been addressed. The federal government is considering a ban on TikTok in the United States. I'm Jackie Quinn. The Canadian government says it has completed negotiations with the United States on an agreement that would allow the use of U.S. space launch technology, expertise and data for [spac...] space launches in Canada. The agreement, which is yet to be signed, will establish the legal and technical safeguards needed while ensuring the proper handling of sensitive technology, the government said Friday in a news release. Ottawa has said it hopes to position Canada as a future leader in commercial space launches. Canada has geographical advantages, including a vast, sparsely populated territory and high inclination orbits. Singer Justin Timberlake pleaded not guilty Friday to a charge of driving while intoxicated after being arrested in June in Sag Harbor, New York. Alex Cohen from Reuters has more. Singer Justin Timberlake can say "Bye, Bye, Bye" to driving in the state of New York. A Sag Harbor Village judge has suspended his driving privileges at a virtual hearing. He was arrested in June after police spotted him failing to obey a stop sign and veering off lane shortly after midnight. Court documents indicated Timberlake's eyes were bloodshot, he smelled of alcohol and he performed poorly on all field sobriety tests. The judge also threatened Timberlake's attorney with a gag order after the lawyer claimed at a press conference that the singer was not intoxicated and that police made significant errors. Timberlake is due back in court next week. Alex Cohen from Reuters. Members of the International Seabed Authority have elected Leticia Carvalho of Brazil as the group's new secretary-general amid growing support for a preliminary halt to deep-sea mining. Carvalho received 79 votes compared to incumbent Michael Lodge's 34 votes. The ISA concluded its session Friday with no consensus on a regulatory framework for deep-sea mining. The drawn-out debate raises concerns that the authority could receive an application later this year seeking the first deep-sea mining exploitation license without having rules or regulations in place. For additional stories, visit voanews.com. I'm Alexa Strope. |