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NEW YORK — New Zealand came out victorious in the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix, the "world's most exciting racing on water," on New York's Hudson River Sunday. The two-day event was the penultimate race weekend of Mubadala SailGP before the competition's fourth season concludes in San Francisco in July. SailGP is an international sailing competition in which F50 foiling catamarans compete at 13 global destinations for a season of grand prix races. Some of this season's previous destinations included Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Sydney, Australia. Each grand prix consists of separate "fleet races" before the three highest-scoring teams compete in a final race to decide the champion.   This SailGP season consists of 10 world-renowned teams: Australia, Canada, Emirates Great Britain, France, Germany, New Zealand, Rockwool Denmark, Spain, Switzerland and the United States. On Friday, Coutts announced that SailGP Season Five would feature a Brazil team, the competition's first-ever team from South America. "As a league, it's an awesome place to be," said Phil Robertson, Canada's driver. "You got new teams and a lot of interest from a lot of countries so to have Brazil on the start line is very special and cool to expand to South America." Coming off its last race in Halifax, Canada, earlier this month, SailGP completed its 12th stop around the world this season in the waters between New York and New Jersey in which Canada placed second and Emirates Great Britain placed third. The last time SailGP raced in New York was its debut season in 2019. "Looking back on that inaugural event is like reflecting on a totally different stage in our journey," Russell Coutts, CEO of SailGP, said in a press conference Friday. "We had just six national teams in a five-event calendar and now nearing the end of Season Four, we have 10 teams with the best of the best athletes in the sport, competing in a 13-event calendar, broadcast in 212 territories around the world." Approximately 9,000 ticketed attendees gathered on Governors Island and on the water Saturday and Sunday to watch the races. Taylor Canfield, driver for the U.S. team, spoke on the significance of sailing in front of home fans in New York City and in San Francisco next month. "It's so cool to be here in the U.S. and these two iconic cities in New York and San Francisco," Canfield said in Friday's press conference. "It's going to be amazing conditions and just perfect weather. This is the most iconic city in the world and it's going to come alive so we're excited about that." Looking forward to the final races in San Francisco next month, team Australia — reigning champion of SailGP seasons one, two and three — faces pressure to take home another win. "It's exciting to be in this position," Tom Slingsby, driver for Australia, said. "For sure there's a bit more adrenaline and there's a bit more on the line knowing that every race really counts at the moment but I have full faith in my team. We've performed under pressure, we've won three one million dollar races." On July 14, one team will walk away with a $2 million prize and the title of SailGP's season four champion.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Espargos, Cape Verde — Russian President Vladimir Putin's mutual defense agreement with North Korea has the potential to create friction with China, which has long been the reclusive state's main ally, the top U.S. military officer said Sunday. "We've got someone else who's kind of nudging in now, so that may drive a little bit more friction between (China) and Russia," Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters during an overseas trip. "So, it'll be interesting to see how these three countries — how this plays out." Analysts said the pact, signed Wednesday, could undercut Beijing's leverage over its two neighbors and any heightened instability could be negative for China's global economic and strategic ambitions. On Thursday, Putin said Russia might supply weapons to North Korea in what he suggested would be a mirror response to the Western arming of Ukraine. Brown acknowledged U.S. concern about the deal. But he also tempered those remarks by noting apparent limitations to the accord and expressing doubt Moscow would give North Korea "everything" it wanted. U.S. officials have said they believe North Korea is keen to acquire fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment or materials, and other advanced technologies from Russia. "The feedback I have on the agreement — it was a broad agreement that's not overly binding, which gives you an indication (that) they want to work together but they don't want to get their hands tied," Brown said. The treaty signed by Putin and Kim on Wednesday commits each side to provide immediate military assistance to the other in the event of armed aggression against either one of them. Putin has said Moscow expected that its cooperation with North Korea would serve as a deterrent to the West, but that there was no need to use North Korean soldiers for the war in Ukraine. The United States and Ukraine say North Korea has already provided Russia with significant quantities of artillery shells and ballistic missiles, which Moscow and Pyongyang deny.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Washington — U.S. prosecutors are recommending to senior Justice Department officials that criminal charges be brought against Boeing after finding the planemaker violated a settlement related to two fatal crashes, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Justice Department (DOJ) must decide by July 7 whether to prosecute Boeing. The recommendation of prosecutors handling the case has not been previously reported. In May, officials determined the company breached a 2021 agreement that had shielded Boeing from a criminal charge of conspiracy to commit fraud arising from two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 involving the 737 MAX jet. Under the 2021 deal, the Justice Department agreed not to prosecute Boeing over allegations it defrauded the Federal Aviation Administration so long as the company overhauled its compliance practices and submitted regular reports. Boeing also agreed to pay $2.5 billion to settle the investigation. Boeing declined to comment. It has previously said it has "honored the terms" of the 2021 settlement, which had a three-year term and is known as a deferred prosecution agreement. Boeing has told the Justice Department it disagrees with its determination that the company violated the settlement, Reuters reported this month. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment. The two sides are in discussions over a potential resolution to the Justice Department's investigation and there is no guarantee officials will move forward with charges, the two sources said. The internal Justice Department deliberations remain ongoing, and no final decisions have been reached, they added. Criminal charges would deepen an unfolding crisis at Boeing, which has faced intense scrutiny from U.S. prosecutors, regulators and lawmakers after a panel blew off one of its jets operated by Alaska Airlines mid-flight Jan. 5, just two days before the 2021 settlement expired. The sources did not specify what criminal charges Justice Department officials are considering, but one of the people said they could extend beyond the original 2021 fraud conspiracy charge. Alternatively, instead of prosecuting Boeing, the DOJ could extend the 2021 settlement by a year or propose new, stricter terms, the sources said. In addition to financial penalties, the strictest settlements typically involve installing a third party to monitor a company's compliance. The DOJ can also require the company to admit its wrongdoing by pleading guilty. Boeing may be willing to pay a penalty and agree to a monitor, but believes a guilty plea, which typically incurs additional business restrictions, could be too damaging, said one of the sources. Boeing derives significant revenue from contracts with the U.S. government, including the Defense Department, which could be jeopardized by a felony conviction, one of the sources said. Relatives of the victims of the two fatal 737 MAX crashes have long criticized the 2021 agreement, arguing that Justice Department officials should have prosecuted the company and its executives. At a Senate hearing in June, Chief Executive Dave Calhoun acknowledged the company's shortcomings on safety and apologized to the families who lost loved ones. Last week, the families pressed prosecutors to seek a fine against the planemaker of nearly $25 billion and move forward with a criminal prosecution.

Beijing — A landslide in a mountainous area of central China has left eight people dead, state media said Sunday, as parts of the country were placed on high alert for bad weather. Heavy rain caused a deadly landslide in a village in Hunan province, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Four houses collapsed early Sunday and all eight missing people "have been found with no vital signs," the channel said. China has been experiencing extreme weather conditions and unusually high temperatures in recent months. Climate change driven by human-emitted greenhouse gases makes extreme weather events more frequent and intense, and China is the world's biggest emitter. Meteorological authorities issued several red alerts — the highest in China's four-tier warning system — for torrential rain Sunday, including in Hubei and Anhui provinces. Downpours in southern and densely populated Guangdong province sparked inundations and landslides, with at least 38 people killed in China's manufacturing heartland, state media said Friday. While torrential rains have struck the south, northern China has sweated in temperatures well above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), including in Beijing, where the mercury exceeded 40C (104F) last week.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Paris — Thousands of women took to the streets in cities around France on Sunday to protest Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally, as polls indicated the party could win the upcoming parliamentary elections. About 200 women's rights groups and unions organized the marches in dozens of cities, including Paris, saying women's rights come under attack when countries are governed by far-right parties. In Paris, more than 10,000 women demonstrated peacefully, organizers said. In March, France enshrined the right to abortion in its constitution, a world first, but some RN lawmakers had opposed the legislation, raising concerns among some of the public about the party's attitudes to women's rights. "During the debates around making abortion a constitutional right, we could well observe how the far-right deputies were very uncomfortable with the subject, they were calling for filling the cribs with French babies," Shirley Wirden, officer in charge of women's rights at the French Communist Party, said as she took part in Sunday's protest in Paris. The National Rally (RN) party and its allies are seen coming out on top in the first round of French parliamentary elections due to take place on June 30, with 35.5% of the vote, according to a poll published Sunday. The Ipsos survey — conducted for Le Parisien newspaper and Radio France on June 19-20 — showed the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) alliance in second place with 29.5% of the vote. President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance was seen in third place, winning 19.5% of votes. Macron called the snap parliamentary election after the National Rally came out top in European Union elections this month, with about 32% of the vote, trouncing Macron's centrist alliance (15%). The RN secured 30% of the female vote, a 10-point rise versus the 2019 EU elections.

New York — Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama arrived Sunday in New York to undergo knee treatment, drawing a warm and festive welcome from thousands of followers. His office in the Indian hill town of Dharamsala, his adopted home, announced earlier this month that the 88-year-old Buddhist spiritual leader would travel to the United States to undergo "medical treatment" on his knees, but no further details have been released.   Followers, many wearing traditional Tibetan outfits, waited outside the Dalai Lama's Manhattan hotel in crushing heat hoping to catch a glimpse of the man. "Once we saw him, it felt really powerful. And everyone was, like, emotional because he's, like, our leader," said one of them, 18-year-old U.S.-born Tenzin Pasang, who has now seen the Dalai Lama three times. "So it's very nice to see him in New York," she said. She welcomed the spiritual leader by joining in a performance of a traditional Tibetan dance. Last week a group of senior U.S. lawmakers including former House speaker Nancy Pelosi met with the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala, sparking heavy criticism from China. That visit followed passage of a bill by the U.S. Congress that seeks to encourage Beijing to hold talks with Tibetan leaders -- frozen since 2010. Many exiled Tibetans fear Beijing will name a rival successor to the Dalai Lama, bolstering control over a land it poured troops into in 1950. The Dalai Lama was just 23 when he escaped the Tibetan capital Lhasa in fear of his life after Chinese soldiers eviscerated an uprising against Beijing's forces, crossing the snowy Himalayas into India. He stepped down as his people's political head in 2011, passing the baton of secular power to a government chosen democratically by some 130,000 Tibetans around the world.

Maiduguri, Nigeria — At least seven people were killed and 100 kidnapped on Saturday night when gunmen attacked a rural community in Nigeria's northwestern Katsina state, residents and police said Sunday, the latest attack against residents in the north of the country. Armed gangs, known locally as bandits, have frequently raided communities in the northwest, kidnapping residents, students and motorists for ransom. Residents said gunmen on motorbikes arrived in Maidabino village in Danmusa local government area of Katsina, and started shooting sporadically, forcing residents to flee. Hassan Aliyu told Reuters by phone that the attack took residents by surprise and dozens of women and children were confirmed missing. "They killed seven people, including burning two children," Aliyu said. "They spent more than six hours destroying our properties." Auwalu Ismail, another resident, said the gunmen first blocked all roads leading to Maidabino before the attack. "They burnt down our shops, vehicles, and took away our livestock. They also kidnapped my wife and more than 100 women and children," he said. Katsina state police spokesperson Abubakar Aliyu Sadiq confirmed the attack and the seven deaths but would not say whether anyone was missing. He said the police were investigating. "The remaining men who did not flee are living in fear ... and waiting to hear news about their abducted loved ones," said Muhammad Sani, whose sister was abducted.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Moscow — Armed militants attacked two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a traffic police post in Russia’s southern republic of Dagestan, killing a priest and six police officers, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said Sunday. Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said in a statement that a Russian Orthodox Church priest and police officers were killed in the “terrorist” attacks. Dagestan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said a group of armed men fired at a synagogue and a church in the city of Derbent, located on the Caspian Sea. The attackers fled and a search was underway for them, the statement from the ministry said. The ministry said two militants were “eliminated." Almost simultaneously, reports appeared about an attack on a traffic police post in the capital of the largely Muslim region, Makhachkala. According to RIA Novosti, six policemen were killed and 12 more were injured. Shamil Khadulaev, deputy chairman of the public monitoring commission of Dagestan, cited by RIA Novosti, said a priest in Derbent and a church security guard in Makhachkala were killed. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but some officials in Dagestan blamed Ukraine and NATO. “There is no doubt that these terrorist attacks are in one way or another connected with the intelligence services of Ukraine and NATO countries,” Dagestan lawmaker Abdulkhakim Gadzhiyev wrote on Telegram. Ukrainian officials did not comment immediately on the attacks. “What happened looks like a vile provocation and an attempt to cause discord between confessions,” President Ramzan Kadyrov of neighboring Chechnya said.

Athens, Greece — A Greek prosecutor on Sunday brought criminal charges against the captain and crew of a chartered yacht suspected of triggering a forest fire on a resort island in the Aegean Sea during a firework display. Greece has been plagued in recent days by scores of wildfires amid hot, dry and windy weather. On the day of the blaze authorities had warned of a maximum fire risk in several areas, appealing to the public for extreme caution. The blaze on a remote stretch of coastline on the popular island of Hydra, 74 kilometers south of Athens, destroyed about 30 hectares of pine forest late Friday. The crew members of the large motor yacht, which had allegedly been anchored just off where the fire started with 17 tourists on board, were arrested Saturday when they docked near Athens. The tourists were not detained or charged. State-run ERT television said the captain of another yacht anchored nearby told authorities that the blaze was started by fireworks let off by from the suspects' vessel on Friday evening. A prosecutor in the port of Piraeus, which serves Athens, on Sunday ordered the 13 suspects to be held in custody pending their appearance before an investigating judge. ERT said they were charged under stricter legislation adopted recently and would face sentences of 10-20 years in prison if convicted. Greece suffers every summer from destructive wildfires that have drastically reduced its forest cover, caused scores of deaths, and burned homes and property. Authorities warned of a particularly high risk this summer following a warm, dry winter that has left vegetation tinder-dry. The fire service said Sunday evening that 41 wildfires broke out all over the country in the past 24 hours. The blaze on Hydra was extinguished after several hours by firefighters brought by boat to the spot, which is uninhabited and not easily accessible by land.

Chicago — One of Chicago's most popular tourist attractions known as “The Bean” reopened to the public Sunday after nearly a year of renovations and construction. Construction started in August last year, and fencing around the iconic sculpture limited closeup access to visitors. The work on the plaza surrounding the sculpture included new stairs, accessible ramps and a waterproofing system, according to the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The bean-shaped sculpture by artist Anish Kapoor is formally known as “Cloud Gate” and weighs 110 tons (99.8 metric tons). It’s a busy tourist hub near Michigan Avenue, particularly for selfies with its reflective surface inspired by liquid mercury. Views of skyscrapers and crowds are reflected on the Millennium Park sculpture. “Visitors can once again have full access to Chicago’s iconic Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor,” city officials said in a Sunday statement. “Come back and get your #selfie!”

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.