VIDEO: It may be hard to believe that in modern-day America, not everybody has access to high-speed internet. But that is the reality for many Americans, especially those in rural areas of the country. VOA traveled to the southern region of the state of West Virginia to learn how lack of connectivity is affecting members of a farming community.

ON THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY On June 21, 1965, the Byrds release their debut album, “Mr. Tambourine Man.” A critical and commercial success, the album launched the folk-rock movement and was considered the first American response to the so-called British invasion. Members of the Byrds included guitar pioneer Roger McGuinn, songwriting legend Gene Clark and singer-songwriter David Crosby. The album peaked at number six on the charts, and the eponymous single, which was written by Bob Dylan, was a number one hit in both the U.S. and U.K. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the album as number 232 of the best 500 albums of all time.

The United States was “cocked & loaded,” ready to strike three sites in Iran in retaliation for the downing of a U.S. drone over the Strait of Hormuz but called off the attacks at the last moment to spare Iranian lives.

When Russian officials abruptly scrapped drug charges against a prominent investigative reporter, Ivan Golunov, and then jailed the officers who fabricated them, the multitudes who rallied for his release reveled a brief victory over an often-repressive state apparatus.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s two-day state visit to North Korea couldn’t have come at a better time for both countries, analysts say. For Pyongyang, it could help pave the way back to negotiations with the United States. For Beijing, they say, it provides Xi Jinping with a way to highlight China’s influence on the North Korean nuclear issue.

Ahead of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to New Delhi next week, the Indian foreign ministry said that the “overall direction of the relationship with the U.S. remains very positive.”