World News

Latest USA News

Pressure mounts on Trump to deliver for Iowa ahead of elections

Other farmers, meanwhile, are upset that the White House has not yet followed through on a promise to reform rules that would boost demand for corn-based ethanol, one of the state's biggest businesses. “I still support him, but not as much,” Bachman said between bites of pork chops and baked beans at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines last week. “I am afraid we are close to seeing a repeat of the 1980s, where farmers across Iowa lost their land because they ran out of money and couldn’t get loans.” November's congressional elections represent the first nationwide response to Trump's aggressive trade policies, particularly in the Farm Belt, which runs roughly from Indiana to Kansas and the Dakotas, which favored Trump heavily two years ago. Fri, 17 Aug 2018 01:10:10 -0400

Colorado man held on suspicion of killing wife, two children

A Colorado man, who earlier this week pleaded for the safe return of his pregnant wife and their two young daughters after they went missing, has been arrested on suspicion of killing them, police said on Thursday. The body of a woman, believed to be the spouse of Christopher Watts, 33, of Frederick, Colorado, was discovered on a property owned by Anadarko Petroleum Corp, police said. The search for the bodies of the couple's two daughters, Celeste, 3, and Bella, 4, turned up human remains that were believed to belong to the two children, Frederick police said on Twitter on Thursday. Thu, 16 Aug 2018 22:56:13 -0400

Body found at New Mexico compound identified as missing boy

A child's body found at a New Mexico compound has been identified as Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj, a missing 3-year-old boy whose father is one of five adults charged with child abuse at the remote settlement, the Taos County Sheriff said on Thursday. The finding came two days after a Taos County judge received death threats and Islamophobic abuse for granting bail to the five defendants, who are all black and Muslim. Authorities unearthed the boy's body at the compound on Aug. 6, three days after they raided the ramshackle home near Amalia, New Mexico, where they found 11 children in "filthy conditions" with no food or clean water. Thu, 16 Aug 2018 22:41:54 -0400

George Washington gold coin sells for $1.7 million

An 18th century gold coin featuring the likeness of first U.S. President George Washington sold for $1.7 million at auction on Thursday, with the net proceeds going to charity, the auction house said. The 1792 Washington President gold eagle coin was never circulated as money but is instead thought to have been presented to Washington when post-Revolutionary War plans were being drawn up for the first U.S. Mint, according to Heritage Auctions. Currency researchers believe that the Washington President coin, which has his profile on the front and an eagle on the back, was given to him as part of a sales promotion in a bid to obtain a contract to strike U.S coinage, and that Washington carried it as a personal memento. Thu, 16 Aug 2018 22:19:21 -0400

Do not call us Mormons or LDS Church, leaders of faith ask

An online guide accompanying a pronouncement from the church president also asked people to stop referring to followers of the religion as Mormons and not to use the name "LDS" as a shorthand way of describing the faith. "The Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He has revealed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," church President Russell Nelson said in a statement. Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have long proclaimed their faith as Christian and fought any association with polygamy, which was practiced by early members of the church before they abandoned it more than 100 years ago. Thu, 16 Aug 2018 22:04:50 -0400

U.S. attorney general issues order to speed up immigrant deportations

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday sought to speed up the deportation of illegal immigrants, telling immigration judges they should only postpone cases in removal proceedings "for good cause shown." Sessions, in an interim order that was criticized by some lawyers, said the "good-cause" standard "limits the discretion of immigration judges and prohibits them from granting continuances for any reason or no reason at all." Unlike the federal judiciary system, U.S. immigration courts fall under the Department of Justice and the attorney general can intervene. Sessions, a Republican former U.S. Senator appointed by President Donald Trump, has been unusually active in this practice compared to his predecessors. Thu, 16 Aug 2018 21:58:43 -0400

U.S. judge blocks programs letting 'Grand Theft Auto' players 'cheat'

A federal judge on Thursday awarded Take-Two Interactive Software Inc , the maker of the "Grand Theft Auto" series, a preliminary injunction to stop a Georgia man from selling programs that it said helps players cheat at the best-selling video game. Take-Two had accused David Zipperer of selling computer programs called Menyoo and Absolute that let users of the "Grand Theft Auto V" multiplayer feature Grand Theft Auto Online cheat by altering the game for their own benefit, or "griefing" other players by altering their game play without permission. U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton in Manhattan said Take-Two was likely to show that Zipperer infringed its "Grand Theft Auto V" copyright, and that his programs would cause irreparable harm to its sales and reputation by discouraging users from buying its video games. Thu, 16 Aug 2018 21:20:25 -0400

Texas, refineries urged to plan storm shutdowns to cut pollution

Texas environment regulators should coordinate shutdowns of oil refineries and other petrochemical plants during major storms to avoid big releases of air pollution like during last year's Hurricane Harvey, a report said on Thursday. A year ago Harvey dumped more than 60 inches (1.5 meters) of rain on southeastern Texas, halting refineries that produce a quarter of U.S. fuel and damaging infrastructure. Texas industry, including refineries and petrochemical plants, released an extra 8.3 million pounds (3.8 million kg) of air pollutants including cancer-causing benzene, during Harvey, said the report by the Washington-based Environmental Integrity Project. Thu, 16 Aug 2018 20:30:07 -0400

U.S. judge blocks programs letting 'Grand Theft Auto' players 'cheat'

Take-Two had accused David Zipperer of selling computer programs called Menyoo and Absolute that let users of the "Grand Theft Auto V" multiplayer feature Grand Theft Auto Online cheat by altering the game for their own benefit, or "griefing" other players by altering their game play without permission. U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton in Manhattan said Take-Two was likely to show that Zipperer infringed its "Grand Theft Auto V" copyright, and that his programs would cause irreparable harm to its sales and reputation by discouraging users from buying its video games. Stanton also said an injunction would serve the public interest by encouraging Take-Two to invest more in video games and was appropriate because of the "high risk" that Zipperer, who claimed to be unemployed, could not afford damages. Thu, 16 Aug 2018 19:41:39 -0400

Pentagon says China military 'likely training for strikes' on U.S. targets

The assessment, which comes at a time of heightened U.S.-China tensions over trade, was contained in an annual report that highlighted China's efforts to increase its global influence, with defense spending that the Pentagon estimates exceeded $190 billion in 2017. "Over the last three years, the PLA has rapidly expanded its overwater bomber operating areas, gaining experience in critical maritime regions and likely training for strikes against U.S. and allied targets," the report said, using an acronym for China's People's Liberation Army. The report comes as China and the United States plan to hold trade talks, offering hope they might resolve an escalating tariff conflict that threatens to degenerate into an all-out trade war. Thu, 16 Aug 2018 19:00:04 -0400