News: World

VJ Day: Japan marks 75 years since end of WWII

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-15 02:26:35Z

Japan's surrender on 15 August 1945, also known as VJ Day, marked the end of World War Two.

75 years later, can Asia shake off shackles of the past?

• World
• 2020-08-15 01:32:03Z

Northeast Asia doesn't so much repeat history as drag it along like an anchor. The bombs stopped falling 75 years ago, but it is entirely possible - crucial even, some argue - to view the region's world-beating economies, its massive cultural and political reach and its bitter trade, territory and history disputes through a single prism: World War II and Japan's aggression in the Pacific. Japan in 2020 is unrecognizable to the fascist military machine that once rolled across Asia.

Huawei lawyers say U.S. evidence 'unreliable' in Meng extradition case

• World
• 2020-08-15 00:51:40Z

Meng, 48, was arrested in December 2018 on a warrant from the United States which alleges that she misled the bank HSBC about Huawei's business dealings in Iran. Meng's lawyers submitted testimony from expert witnesses including John Bellinger, a former White House lawyer, as well as a Huawei Technologies Co Ltd presentation outlining its relationship with businesses operating in Iran, to back Huawei's argument that the United States left out key facts about communication with HSBC about Huawei's operations in Iran when requesting Meng's extradition from Canada.

Huawei lawyers say U.S. evidence 'unreliable' in Meng extradition case

• World
• 2020-08-15 00:39:13Z

Evidence used by the United States to justify the extradition of Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou is "unreliable and defective" and should not be considered by a Canadian court, Meng's lawyers argued in documents released to the media on Friday. Meng, 48, was arrested

UN Security Council rejects Iran arms embargo extension: US

• World
• 2020-08-14 23:56:51Z

The United Nations Security Council has rejected a US resolution to extend an Iranian arms embargo, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday, in a move with repercussions for the Iran nuclear deal.

US sees embarrassing UN defeat over Iran arms embargo proposal

• World
• 2020-08-14 23:21:20Z

Just one country joins US in vote, highlighting Washington's isolation as it seeks more drastic action against IranThe US has suffered a humiliating defeat at the United Nations as its proposal to extend an arms embargo on Iran won support from only the Dominican Republic at the security council vote.The US resolution was never likely to be passed in the face of Russian and Chinese opposition. It was proposed as a ploy by the Trump administration to open the way to more drastic action against Iran.But the scale of the defeat on Friday underlined US isolation on the world stage ahead of a major diplomatic confrontation that threatens to consume the security council and further sap its...

How a BBC show helped shape Africa

• World
• 2020-08-14 23:14:29Z

The BBC Focus on Africa programme has played a dramatic role in covering the continent over the last 60 years.

AP PHOTOS: Clowns suffer, adapt in Peru due to the pandemic

• World
• 2020-08-14 23:06:30Z

Circuses in Peru are built around clowns, providing work for more than 500 of the characters. The coronavirus has kept millions of Peruvians locked down at home, dealing a hard blow to the hundred or so small circuses in the country. In an empty lot in Lima, Santos Chiroque keeps the yellow tent, logs and ropes that he used until March to set up the circus that fed him and his family.

EXPLAINER-What is the U.S. threat to trigger 'snapback' of U.N. sanctions on Iran?

• World
• 2020-08-14 22:36:34Z

The United States on Friday failed in its attempt to extend a U.N. arms embargo on Iran, and Washington could now act on a threat to trigger a return of all U.N. sanctions on Tehran. WHY IS THE ARMS EMBARGO ON IRAN EXPIRING? The United Nations Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Iran in 2007

U.N. Security Council rejects U.S. bid to extend Iran arms embargo -Pompeo

• World
• 2020-08-14 22:01:38Z

The United Nations Security Council on Friday rejected a U.S. bid to extend an arms embargo on Iran, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. The Security Council "rejected a reasonable resolution to extend the 13-year old arms embargo on Iran and paved the way for the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism to buy and sell conventional weapons without specific UN restrictions in place for the first time in over a decade," he said.

Israel hits Gaza militant sites after incendiary balloons

• World
• 2020-08-14 21:35:36Z

Israeli aircraft and tanks hit several militant sites in the Gaza Strip late Friday, responding to explosive-laden incendiary balloons launched across the frontier into Israeli territory. Palestinian medics said a woman and a 3-year-old girl were slightly injured by shrapnel during airstrikes in the

New Jeffrey Epstein Victims, Including 11-Year-Old Girl, Come Forward in Lawsuit

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-14 21:30:01Z

A Florida woman who alleges Jeffrey Epstein sexually assaulted her when she was 11-years-old is among nine accusers who have filed a new lawsuit against the millionaire pedophile's estate.The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Court, alleges Epstein sexually abused them from as early as 1978-far earlier than Epstein's previously known instances of abuse-and continued until 2004. Five of the women in the lawsuit claim they were underage when they were abused, including a Tennessee woman who says she was 13 when the financier raped her multiple times. The other four women in the lawsuit were over 18. They were part of a "massive sex trafficking network" run by Epstein for him and...

Coronavirus: South Africa crime rate plummets during lockdown

• World
• 2020-08-14 21:28:59Z

A top minister hails a "crime holiday" as figures show offences fell by 40% between April and June.

UN launches $565 million appeal for Beirut victims

• World
• 2020-08-14 21:19:50Z

The United Nations launched a $565 million appeal Friday to help Lebanese people affected by the explosion at Beirut's port with immediate humanitarian assistance and initial recovery efforts. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the money wll enable the U.N.'s humanitarian partners "to help people in need by targeting food security, health, shelter and protection, as well as water and sanitation hygiene support." U.N. humanitarian officials said some of the $300 million pledged at a donor conference Sunday co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and the United Nations may be committed to the $565 million appeal, but the amount won't be known for some time because the pledges...

8 Years After Proving Racism Affected His Trial, North Carolina Inmate Taken Off Death Row

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-14 21:09:09Z

Marcus Robinson, who proved in 2012 that racism had affected his sentence, was re-sentenced to life on Friday by the state Supreme Court

US allows killing sea lions eating at-risk Northwest salmon

• World
• 2020-08-14 21:05:16Z

U.S. authorities on Friday gave wildlife managers in Washington, Oregon and Idaho permission to start killing hundreds of sea lions in the Columbia River basin in hopes of helping struggling salmon and steelhead trout. "These are places where the fish are really vulnerable," said Shaun Clements, senior policy analyst for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The new permit allows the states and several Native American tribes to kill 540 California sea lions and 176 Steller sea lions over the next five years along a 180-mile (290-kilometer) stretch of the Columbia, from Portland to the McNary Dam upriver, as well as in several tributaries.

Non-Invasive Ventilation Masks and Circuits (Anesthesia and Respiratory Devices) - Global Market Analysis and Forecast Model (COVID-19 market impact)

• World
• 2020-08-14 21:03:00Z

Summary Non-Invasive Ventilation Masks and Circuits (Anesthesia and Respiratory Devices) - Global Market Analysis and Forecast Model (COVID-19 market impact) is built to visualize quantitative market trends within Anesthesia and Respiratory Devices therapeutic area.New York, Aug. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE

Census Bureau adds emails, phone calls to door-knocking

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-14 20:26:48Z

If you haven't filled out the 2020 census form yet, you may be getting an email, call or questionnaire in the mail asking you to answer the questions. The U.S. Census Bureau said Friday it was sending out emails to homes in neighborhoods where the response rate was less than 50%. The Census Bureau said it expects to send out 20 million emails, as the agency enters the homestretch of the once-a-decade head count of every U.S. resident.

Report: Post Office warns 46 states about mail voting delays

• World
• 2020-08-14 20:24:15Z

The U.S. Postal Service has sent letters to 46 states and the District of Columbia, warning it cannot guarantee all ballots cast by mail for the November election will arrive in time to be counted, The Washington Post reported Friday. The Postal Service is bracing for an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a former supply-chain CEO and a major donor to President Donald Trump and other Republicans, has pushed cost-cutting measures to eliminate overtime pay and hold mail until the next day if postal distribution centers are running late.

Trump dodges question on QAnon conspiracy theory

• World
• 2020-08-14 20:00:21Z

President Donald Trump on Friday twice ignored a question about whether he supports QAnon, a convoluted, right-wing, pro-Trump conspiracy theory. A reporter asked the president about the theory at a White House briefing Friday after Trump tweeted his congratulations to a QAnon-supporting candidate. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who won her House primary runoff in Georgia this week, has called the theory "something worth listening to and paying attention to" and called its source, known as Q, a "patriot."

43 felony charges, new task forces: Here's what Chicago is doing to combat potential looting

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-14 19:48:13Z

Dozens of people have been charged in connection with widespread looting in downtown Chicago earlier this week, the county prosecutor said.

Study hints, can't prove, survivor plasma fights COVID-19

• World
• 2020-08-14 19:38:09Z

Mayo Clinic researchers reported a strong hint that blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors helps other patients recover, but it's not proof and some experts worry if, amid clamor for the treatment, they'll ever get a clear answer. More than 64,000 patients in the U.S. have been given convalescent plasma, a century-old approach to fend off flu and measles before vaccines. There were fewer deaths among people given plasma within three days of diagnosis, and also among those given plasma containing the highest levels of virus-fighting antibodies, Joyner and colleagues reported.

UN voting on indefinite extension of arms embargo on Iran

• World
• 2020-08-14 19:30:50Z

The U.N. Security Council was finishing voting Friday on a U.S.-sponsored resolution to indefinitely extend the arms embargo on Iran, with veto-wielding Russia and China strongly opposed to it and likely abstentions from America's European allies. The United States called for the vote on Thursday evening and the results will be announced on Friday evening. The Trump administration has repeatedly said it will not allow the arms embargo provision in the Security Council resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers to expire on Oct. 18 as it is set to do.

At Sturgis, Trump supporters look to turn bikers into voters

• World
• 2020-08-14 19:30:36Z

It's a Friday night at a crowded biker bar in South Dakota when Chris Cox, founder of Bikers for Trump, takes the stage. While many have come to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for some combination of riding and partying, Cox's focus is on something else: voting. As the Trump campaign struggles to gain momentum less than 90 days from the election, Bikers for Trump has taken advantage of recent motorcycle rallies to make direct appeals to register to vote.

Brussels expects Brexit negotiations 'shadowboxing', as both sides struggle to make concessions

• World
• 2020-08-14 19:16:06Z

European Union sources expect next week's Brexit talks to be a round of "shadow boxing", after the UK and Brussels made concessions in the previous set of negotiations. About 50 British officials are expected to travel to Belgium on Tuesday, despite the country being put on the UK's coronavirus red list. "Both sides have moved closer together but we see this round as laying the foundations for future breakthroughs," an EU source close to the negotiations said. "Imagine two fencers sizing each other out or two fighters shadow-boxing before the real engagement begins." The negotiations come after a break following five solid weeks of intensified negotiations, which finally brought...

The US said federal agents have seized millions of dollars in bitcoin from terrorist groups al-Qaeda and Hamas

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-14 18:38:50Z

Officials said it's the US government's "largest-ever" seizure of cryptocurrency accounts controlled by terrorist organizations.

Cleric extradited from Jamaica to NYC on terrorism charges

• World
• 2020-08-14 18:15:35Z

A radical Islamic cleric already behind bars in Jamaica has been brought to New York City to face allegations he plotted to recruit followers and fighters for the Islamic State group, prosecutors said Friday. Abdullah al-Faisal was to appear in state court in Manhattan to face multiple charges of supporting

9th Circuit ends California ban on high-capacity magazines

• World
• 2020-08-14 17:21:26Z

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday threw out California's ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines, saying the law violates the U.S. Constitution's protection of the right to bear firearms. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra's office said it is reviewing the decision and he "remains committed to using every tool possible to defend California's gun safety laws and keep our communities safe."

The UAE-Israel deal is Trump's first real foreign policy success, experts say

• World
• 2020-08-14 17:02:00Z

A shared interest in countering Iran has fueled an alignment between Israel and the Gulf Arab states, a convergence that seemed impossible not long ago.

After months of haggling, Lockheed moves on German air defense bid

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-14 16:55:03Z

Lockheed Martin and MBDA Deutschland have submitted another bid for Germany's next-generation air defense system, following negotiations throughout the summer that some observers said nearly tanked the project.

Nigerian police rescue Kano man locked up in his parents' garage

• World
• 2020-08-14 16:52:41Z

The emaciated aged 30 had been left for at least three years without proper care, police say.

Masks are on superintendents' back-to-school shopping lists. Some leaders wonder if there will be enough.

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-14 16:48:45Z

Rising COVID-19 cases are putting the first day of school in limbo. Some leaders worry about having enough masks and cleaning supplies.

Pompeo urges unity on Iran ahead of UN arms embargo vote

• World
• 2020-08-14 16:22:46Z

The secretary of state said it was "nuts" to allow Iran to buy and sell weapons at will.

In Test, Army Defense System Destroys Cruise Missiles While Under Jam Attack

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-14 16:11:45Z

This was a much different outcome than the first limited user test of IBCS, which suffered multiple software challenges.

Ex-FBI lawyer to plead guilty in Trump-Russia probe review

• World
• 2020-08-14 15:41:44Z

A former FBI lawyer plans to plead guilty to making a false statement in the first criminal case arising from U.S. Attorney John Durham's investigation into the probe of ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign, his lawyer said Friday. Kevin Clinesmith is expected to plead guilty to one count of making a false statement related to the altering of a government email about a former Trump campaign adviser who was a target of FBI surveillance, attorney Justin Shur told The Associated Press. The case against Clinesmith is likely to be cheered by President Donald Trump and his supporters as they look to the Durham investigation to lift Trump's wobbly reelection prospects and to expose...

US confirms seizure of Iranian fuel on Venezuela-bound ships

• World
• 2020-08-14 15:40:27Z

The US Justice Department on Friday confirmed it had seized the fuel cargo aboard four tankers sent by Iran to crisis-wracked Venezuela, tying the shipments to Tehran's Revolutionary Guards and stepping up the pressure on its foe.

Watchdog: Homeland Security officials were wrongly appointed

• World
• 2020-08-14 15:39:32Z

The two most senior officials in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security were improperly appointed to the posts under federal law by the Trump administration, a nonpartisan congressional watchdog said Friday. The Government Accountability Office says acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf and his acting deputy

Volunteers rescue pets, search for lost ones in Beirut blast

• World
• 2020-08-14 15:34:35Z

When the massive explosion tore through Beirut last week, it did not only kill and injure thousands of people and destroy a large part of the city - it also left scores of animals trapped or lost in the rubble of the Lebanese capital. Animals Lebanon, a Beirut-based group, said it sprang into action within hours of the blast. The Aug. 4 explosion in the Beirut Port, when thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate ignited, sent a shock wave through several neighborhoods of the city, destroying thousands of apartments and blanketing the streets with glass and debris.

Yale University 'discriminated against white and Asian students', says Department of Justice

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-14 15:07:02Z

Yale University illegally discriminated against white and Asian American students, the US Justice Department said after its investigation found race to be the "determinative factor in hundreds of admissions decisions each year." The findings are the result of a two-year investigation in response to a complaint by Asian American groups concerning Yale's conduct. The Justice Department said it had concluded that the Ivy League university gave too much weight to race in reviewing applications, in violation of federal civil rights law. Eric Dreiband, the assistant attorney general for the civil rights division, claimed that Yale grants "substantial, and often determinative" preferences to...

India urges China to hurry disengagement of troops in Ladakh

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-14 14:49:09Z

India urged China on Friday to expedite the complete disengagement of troops from border areas in eastern Ladakh, where thousands of soldiers from the two countries have remained in a tense standoff since May. External Affairs Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said some progress has been made following

Minneappolis police officer fired over racist Christmas tree decorations is reinstated

• World/Europe
• 2020-08-14 14:47:51Z

A Minneapolis police officer who was fired for decorating a Christmas tree in a precinct building with racist items in 2018 is back on the force after an arbitrator overturned the disciplinary decision. Community activists are outraged and calling for arbitration reform. Reg Chapman reports for CBS Minneapolis station WCCO.

José Filomeno dos Santos: Son of Angola's ex-leader jailed for five years

• World
• 2020-08-14 14:44:22Z

José Filomeno dos Santos was accused of stealing $500m from Angola's Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Trump and his allies got a win. Palestinians had their isolation writ large.

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-14 14:24:00Z

"May you never be sold out by your 'friends,'" veteran Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi tweeted in reaction to the announcement of the agreement.

You Need These High-Design Lawn Games to Maximize Summer Fun

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-14 14:00:00Z

California wildfires burn amid high risk of brutal blazes

• World
• 2020-08-14 13:56:24Z

Dry vegetation fueled three wildfires near Los Angeles amid warnings Friday that the risk of new blazes erupting was high as temperatures spike and humidity levels drop during a statewide heat wave. A huge forest fire that prompted evacuations north of Los Angeles was just 12% contained and after threatening more than 5,400 homes, it had charred 17 square miles (44.5 square kilometers) of brush and trees. California's heat wave was expected to last through the weekend, bringing triple-digit temperatures and extreme fire danger to many parts of the state.

Conversations with American Legends: Ambassador Andrew Young Discusses the U.S.' Standing on the World Stage

• World
• 2020-08-14 13:00:00Z

Free Virtual EventNew York City, Aug. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- August 21st @ 2 pm ET Register @ https://bit.ly/2PNKcka CommPRO is honored to be working with The Museum of Public Relations and LEVICK on this new series entitled Conversations with America's Legends, kicking off with Ambassador

Oregon State Police Withdraws from Portland Courthouse after D.A. Announces He Won't Prosecute Most Rioters

• World/Latin America
• 2020-08-14 12:50:02Z

Oregon state police are backing out of an agreement to protect the Portland federal courthouse from rioters, after the Multnomah County district attorney announced he will not prosecute most rioters who are arrested.Portland has seen riots almost every night since the May death of George Floyd, an African American man killed during his arrest by Minneapolis police officers. Rioters initially targeted the federal courthouse in the city, but after federal and state law enforcement came to an agreement to jointly protect the courthouse, rioters moved on to attack city police.Multnomah County D.A. Mike Schmidt announced on Tuesday that his office would not prosecute most rioters who have been...

Palestinians warn Israel-UAE deal imperils Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque

• World
• 2020-08-14 12:29:16Z

Angry Palestinians in Jerusalem accused the United Arab Emirates of collaborating with Israel and endangering Al-Aqsa mosque - Islam's third-holiest site - as they gathered for Friday prayers the day after the Gulf state's deal with Israel. Under an agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald

Renewable biogas from cow manure injected into grid in UK first

• World
• 2020-08-14 12:19:29Z

Renewable biogas made from cow manure has been injected into the National Grid in a UK first which will create enough energy to power ten homes for a year. The Murrow Anaerobic Digestion Plant in Cambridgeshire mixed the manure with straw and left it in an oxygen-free environment to produce methane, which has been sold to the grid so people can use it to cook meals and heat their homes. Biogas is being increasingly looked at by energy companies as it offers far better carbon emissions savings than natural methane gas. It could also be a boon for farmers, who could sell their manure to energy companies in order for it to be turned into renewable gas. The post-brexit agriculture bill also...

Pompeo to meet head of UN nuclear watchdog as council votes

• World
• 2020-08-14 11:25:53Z

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Austria, where he will see the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog as members of the U.N. Security Council vote on a long-shot American bid to extend an arms embargo on Iran. The vote in New York will likely set the stage for a showdown between world powers over whether international sanctions eased under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal can or should be reimposed on Washington's demand. Pompeo's meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi on Friday in Vienna is expected to be finished well before results from the Security Council vote are known.