Page 24 - Usa

Judge grants Trump's 'special master' request for materials seized by FBI

A federal judge has granted former US President Donald Trump's request to appoint a "special master" to review materials that FBI agents seized from his Mar-a-Lago residence last month.

University students among 2 dead, 5 injured in Norfolk, Virginia shooting

Two people were killed and five others were injured in a shooting in Norfolk, Virginia, police said Sunday. Officers responded to a report of gunfire around midnight. When they arrived, they found four women and three men with gunshot wounds, police said. Zabre Miller, 25, and Angela McKnight, 19, later died at a hospital, police said. Several Norfolk State University students were victims of the shooting at an off-campus location, the university said on its Facebook page. Initial indications are that our students were innocent bystanders of a shooting at an evening house party, the university wrote in the post. NSU also said police secured the campus, and there was no present danger. Detectives were continuing to investigate Sunday, police said.

Tropical storm Danielle strengthens; soon to emerge as a hurricane in US

Tropical Storm Danielle picked up strength in the and was forecast to become the first hurricane of an unusually quiet storm season later on Friday. The storm is not currently a threat to any land. The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 65 mph (100 kph). Additional strengthening is forecast, the US National Hurricane Centre said. The storm is centred about 925 miles (1,485 kilometres) west of the Azores and is moving east near 2 mph (4 kph). The hurricane centre said the storm is expected to meander in the Atlantic over the next few days. The tropical storm comes amid what had been a calm hurricane season. It is the first time since 1941 that the Atlantic has gone from July 3 to the end of August with no named storm, Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach had told The Associated Press earlier.

Trump, allies threaten democracy, says Joe Biden at Independence Hall

President Joe Biden warned that equality and democracy are under assault in the US as he sounded an alarm about his predecessor, Donald Trump, and MAGA Republican adherents, labelling them an extremist threat to the nation and its future. Aiming to reframe the November elections as part of a battle for the nation's soul the work of my presidency," Biden used his Thursday night prime-time speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to argue that Trump and Make America Great Again allies are a challenge to nation's system of government, its standing abroad and its citizens' way of life. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic," Biden declared. He said they are determined to take this country backward' they promote authoritarian leaders and they fan the flames of political violence. The explicit effort by Biden to marginalise Trump and his adherents marks a sharp turn for the president, who preached his desire to

US to halt entry on humanitarian parole for Afghans; set focus on new model

The United States will discontinue the use of a humanitarian parole to admit at-risk Afghans and will instead focus on resettling certain Afghan evacuees who qualify for immigration programs

US requests UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine for Sept 7: French envoy

The United States has requested a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine to be held in the afternoon on September 7, the French Ambassador to the United Nations Nicolas de Riviere said

China could use US oil to support Ukraine's invasion, say GOP lawmakers

A group of GOP lawmakers has expressed concerns that US oil to Unipec America, a company operated by the Chinese Communist Party, could be used by China to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine. To ensure the Biden administration is properly managing the sale of critical assets, the lawmakers are once again calling on Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm to provide an immediate briefing and all documents and communications related to the SPR sale. "We are continuing oversight of the US Department of Energy's depletion of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). According to DOE, the Biden administration recently sold almost a million barrels of SPR oil to Unipec America, a subsidiary of Sinopec, a company owned by the Chinese Communist Party," said House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer and Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Ranking Member Nancy Mace. "In addition to concerns with Hunter Biden, the President's son, ..

US slams China on human rights violations against minorities in Xinjiang

The White House has slammed China for its continued violation of human rights against minority communities. White House Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre during her daily news conference on Thursday welcomed the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on Xinjiang that was released the previous night. The report said China's discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in the western region of Xinjiang may constitute crimes against humanity. "The report deepens our grave concern regarding the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity that China is perpetrating. Our position on the atrocities in Xinjiang has been clearly demonstrated with our words and in our actions," Jean-Pierre said. The Biden administration has taken concrete measures and the President has rallied allies and partners, including the G7, to ensure all global supply chains are free from the use of forced labour including from Xinjiang, she said. "We will continue to work closely

Biden underscores US commitment to never let Iran acquire nuclear weapon

US President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and underscored the commitment of the United States to never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon

15-year-old held for shooting 2 classmates outside school in Washington

A 15-year-old teenager was apprehended for allegedly shooting and injuring two fellow students in Washington, according to DC police

US Army grounds entire fleet of Chinook helicopters over engine fire risk

The US Army has grounded its entire fleet of Chinook helicopters, a battlefield workhorse since the 1960s, over the risk of engine fires, a media report said Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal, which broke the story, said such an extreme step was taken out of abundance of caution. India has about 15 CH-47 Chinook helicopters. Over the past few years, they have emerged as one of the major military tools for airlift operations in places like Ladakh and Siachen glaciers to assist Indian forces deployed in these regions. India received the first batch of Chinook helicopters in February 2019. Boeing completed the delivery of 15 Chinook helicopters to the Indian Air Force in 2020. Officials told the Wall Street Journal the US Army was aware of a small number of engine fires in the helicopters, and the incidents didn't result in any injuries or deaths. "One of the officials said the fires occurred in recent days, the Journal said. "The U.S. Army Materiel Command grounded the fleet of hundr

Texas reports first death due to monkeypox in US; so far 15 dead worldwide

Authorities in Texas have confirmed the first death of a person diagnosed with monkeypox in the United States

Long Covid syndrome in children less common than in adults, US study finds

The risk of long COVID in children appears to be lower than what has been reported in adults, according to a study conducted in the US. Some people who have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus can experience long-term effects from their infection which can last for months. The study, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, found that many of the symptoms children experience post-COVID-19 are similar to those seen in adults, but there are some features more unique to kids, such as hair loss, skin rashes and diarrhea. The risk for post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), or long COVID appears to be higher in children younger than five years of age, those with medical complexity and those admitted to the intensive care unit, the researchers said. "There has been a critical need to understand the impact of COVID-19 in children both in the short as well as long-term, said Suchitra Rao, infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital Colorado, US. "This is one of

US first lady Jill Biden tests negative for Covid-19 after rebound

First lady Jill Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Monday and will return to Washington on Tuesday, nearly a week after she came downwith a rebound case of the coronavirus. Her communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, announced the negative test in a statement Monday night. Jill Biden had been isolating at her family's house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, since testing positive on Aug. 24, and at the time, her spokesperson said she was not experiencing any symptoms. She first tested positive for the virus on Aug. 15, when she and President Joe Biden were vacationing in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. The president, who had his own back-to-back cases of COVID-19, was identified as a close contact of his wife and the White House said he was undergoing more frequent testing for the virus as a precaution. While Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines called for Biden to wear a face covering in close proximity to others indoors, he was seen without a mask hugging and .

US reports over 17,000 monkeypox cases; New York, California top list

The US has confirmed over 17,000 monkeypox cases, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Biden to ask Congress for approval of $1.1 bn arms sale to Taiwan: Reports

The Biden administration plans to ask Congress to approve a USD 1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan that includes hundreds of missiles for fighter jets and anti-ship systems

US likely to authorise updated Covid booster shots for new Omicron variants

The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve new ovid-19 booster shots for newer Omicron strains this week, making them accessible to people in the country

24 foreign firms show interest in petroleum business in Sri Lanka: Minister

Twenty-four companies from India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the US, China, Russia, the UK, Malaysia, Norway, and the Philippines are interested in the petroleum business in Sri Lanka

Detroit police search for gunman in fatal 'random' shootings that injured 4

Four people were shot, three fatally, by a man who appeared to be firing at people randomly over a roughly 2 1/2-hour period Sunday morning in Detroit, police said. Police arrested the unidentified suspect Sunday evening after and hourslong manhunt with help from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Detroit Police Chief James White said tips led officers to the suspect, but did not release further information. Thank you to the hard working men and women of the DPD that put themselves in harm's way each day. Also, a big thank you to our law enforcement partners, the department said on its Facebook page Sunday night. White said police traced all four shootings to one firearm and believe there is one shooter. He said investigators don't believe there was any connection between the victims, noting one person was walking a dog and another waiting for a bus when they were shot. He said police discovered a woman in her 40s

4 killed, 2 injured after shooter sets building on fire in Houston

At least four people were killed and two people were injured on Sunday morning (local time) after a man set fire to a building and then shot at people fleeing in Houston