Tag: US

Nine dead in crash of two US Army helicopters

by W.G. Dunlop Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Two US Army helicopters crashed during a nighttime training mission in Kentucky, killing all nine soldiers on board, a general said Thursday. The crash — which involved variants of the Black Hawk designed for medical evacuation — was the deadliest such incident in more than eight years. The aircraft were flying in formation with pilots using night vision goggles during a routine training exercise, and […]

Trump indicted, first US president to face criminal charges

by Nicolas REVISE Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A New York grand jury on Thursday indicted Donald Trump over hush money payments made to a porn star, making him the first ever serving or former US president to face criminal charges. The historic indictment of the 76-year-old Republican — who denies all wrongdoing in connection with the payments made ahead of the 2016 election that sent him to the White House — […]

Taiwan president in US for visit that has China threatening reprisal

by Nicolas Revise with Amber Wang in Taipei Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York Wednesday for a visit that has triggered threats of reprisal by China if she meets with House speaker Kevin McCarthy — and US warnings for Beijing not to overreact. Tsai is stopping over in the United States en route to Central America, where she will meet with the leaders of Guatemala […]

US approves sale of anti-overdose drug Narcan without prescription

  Washington, United States | AFP | Wednesday 3/29/2023 The US drug regulator announced Wednesday that Narcan, the treatment which reverses overdoses, can be distributed without prescription, a move that comes as the country battles an acute opioid addiction crisis. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) said that four milligram nasal spray doses of naloxone hydrochloride, the generic name for Narcan, can be sold over the counter almost anywhere, from pharmacies to supermarkets to gas stations. […]

Biden calls Putin’s nuclear deployment talk ‘dangerous’

    Washington, United States | AFP | US President Joe Biden on Tuesday blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stated plan to deploy nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, branding it “dangerous” talk. “This is dangerous kind of talk and it’s worrisome,” Biden told reporters at the White House. The Kremlin leader announced on Saturday that he was ordering the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, run by fellow authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko as […]

Nashville school shooter hid seven firearms in house

  Nashville, United States | AFP | Wednesday 3/29/2023 by Susannah WALDEN The 28-year-old who shot dead six people at an elementary school in Nashville was able to buy and conceal multiple weapons in the family home despite evidence of mental health issues, police said Tuesday. Two nine-year-old girls, a nine-year-old boy, two teachers and a school custodian died in the Monday attack, which recharged the bitter debate over gun rights in the United States. […]

China vows to ‘fight back’ if Taiwan leader meets US speaker

by Amber WANG Agence France-Presse TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — China vowed on Wednesday to “fight back” should Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen meet the US House speaker during a trip to the United States. Tsai left on Wednesday for the United States, from where she will head to Guatemala and Belize to shore up ties with diplomatic allies before heading to California, where US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had said he would meet her. China claims […]

Taiwan president heads to US, Central America to shore up ties

by Amber WANG Agence France-Presse TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen left for the United States on Wednesday, a stop on her way to firm up ties with Guatemala and Belize after China snapped up another of the self-ruled island’s few diplomatic allies last week. “External pressure will not hinder our determination to go global,” Tsai told reporters at the airport before departing. “We are calm and confident. We will not succumb and […]

Biden kicks off campaign touting US economy

DURHAM, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden launched a new drive Tuesday to promote a major theme of his expected reelection campaign, touting what he said was a resurgence of US manufacturing — and warning Republicans could tank the economy. “I’ve been determined to make things in this country again, to build American manufacturing capacity,” Biden said at Wolfspeed, a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Durham, North Carolina, that recently announced a $5 billion expansion. […]

US, Japan reach deal on critical EV battery minerals

by Beiyi SEOW Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States and Japan have reached an agreement on trade in minerals that are key to electric vehicle batteries, US trade officials said late Monday, a move to reinforce supply chains in a sector dominated by China. Rare earth elements and minerals such as lithium are becoming increasingly important in clean energy technologies, but the United States is set to face gaps in such […]

Shooter kills 6 at Nashville school in targeted attack

    Washington, United States | AFP | Monday 3/28/2023 by Susannah WALDEN A heavily-armed former student killed three young children and three staff in what appeared to be a carefully planned attack at a private elementary school in Nashville on Monday, before being shot dead by police. Chief of Police John Drake named the suspect as Audrey Hale — a 28-year-old female, who the officer later said identified as transgender. Hale had maps of […]

Tornado survivors in US pick through debris, grateful to be alive

  Rolling Fork, United States | AFP | by Inès BEL AIBA A brick house reduced to rubble, its floors strewn with personal effects like a pink backpack and a bottle of shampoo, somehow standing upright. That’s just one of many scenes of the utter devastation left by a tornado that ripped through the southern US state of Mississippi Friday night. And shell-shocked residents of the shattered town of Rolling Fork are now grappling with […]