Tag: US

US aircraft carrier arrives in S. Korea for joint drills

SEOUL, June 22, 2024 (AFP) – A US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea on Saturday for a joint military drills aimed to better counter North Korean threats, Seoul’s navy said. The announcement came a day after South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador to Seoul to protest a defence deal signed by President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang this week, which included a pledge to come to each other’s aid […]

Actor Donald Sutherland dead at age 88

LOS ANGELES, June 21, 2024 (AFP) – Donald Sutherland, the enigmatic actor whose lengthy career encompassed films including “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Hunger Games,” has died, his son said Thursday. He was 88. “With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away,” actor Kiefer Sutherland wrote on X. The elder Sutherland had a distinctive look — and piercing eyes — that brought a depth and mystery to the […]

Filipino sailor killed in Huthi attack on cargo ship: White House

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2024 (AFP) – A Filipino sailor was killed when Yemen’s Huthi rebels attacked a bulk cargo carrier last week, the White House said Monday, condemning their actions as terrorism. The Iran-backed Huthis have launched dozens of drone and missile strikes in the vital shipping zones of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November, describing them as retaliation for the Israel-Hamas war. But National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said […]

Philippines says navy officer severely injured in China Coast Guard ‘ramming’

MANILA, June 18, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines said Tuesday one of its navy personnel was severely injured after the China Coast Guard rammed a Philippine vessel near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. “A Philippine Navy personnel sustained severe injury after the CCG’s (China Coast Guard’s) intentional high-speed ramming during the rotation and resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) on June 17,” a military statement said. The shoal, which hosts […]

Biden to ease immigration pathway for spouses of US citizens

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2024 (AFP) – President Joe Biden on Tuesday will unveil new rules easing the process for undocumented spouses of US citizens to obtain permanent residency status, the White House said. The Biden administration has been trying to walk a thin line on immigration, a critical issue for many Americans ahead of November’s presidential election. The Democrat is seeking to be tougher on illegal migrants, while also contrasting himself with the harsher policies […]

At least 9 wounded in Michigan water park shooting: police

DETROIT, June 16, 2024 (AFP) – A shooter opened fire at a water park in the US state of Michigan on Saturday, wounding nine or more people including at least one child, police said. The local sheriff’s office said it potentially had the suspect contained near the scene of the shooting in Rochester Hills, a suburb of Detroit. “It appears like the individual pulled up, exited a vehicle, approached the splash pad, opened fire. Reloaded, […]

Canadian Navy ship join US, Russian subs in Cuba

HAVANA, June 15, 2024 (AFP) – A Canadian Navy patrol ship docked Friday in Cuba, which is also hosting two nuclear-powered submarines — one American and one Russian. The HMCS Margaret Brooke docked in Havana on its way back from “a successful deployment in the Caribbean basin,” the Royal Canadian Navy said on Facebook. It “will conduct a port visit to Havana from June 14 to 17, 2024, in recognition of the long-standing bilateral relationship […]

US Supreme Court strikes down ban on gun ‘bump stocks’

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2024 (AFP) – The US Supreme Court ruled on Friday that a ban introduced by ex-president Donald Trump’s administration on “bump stocks” — which allow semi-automatic rifles to fire like a machine gun — is unconstitutional. The case stems from the worst mass shooting in US history, in October 2017, when a man fired on a crowd attending an outdoor music concert in Las Vegas, killing 58 people and wounding around 500. […]

Biden’s son convicted on all charges in gun case

By Ryan Collerd with Chris Lefkow in Washington WILMINGTON, United States, June 11, 2024 (AFP) – A jury found Hunter Biden guilty on Tuesday of federal gun charges in a historic first criminal prosecution of the child of a sitting US president. The 54-year-old son of President Joe Biden was convicted on all three of the felony counts stemming from his 2018 purchase of a handgun while addicted to crack cocaine. The verdict comes as […]

Virgin Galactic completes final spaceflight before two-year pause

  WASHINGTON, June 8, 2024 (AFP) – Virgin Galactic on Saturday successfully completed its last spaceflight before heading into a two-year pause on commercial operations to upgrade its fleet, as the space tourism company seeks to finally turn a profit. “Galactic07 is back on terra firma, now as astronauts!” the company said on X, formerly Twitter, referring to a team of two pilots and two passengers. “Our pilots, crew and spaceship have landed safely at […]

Apollo 8 astronaut dies in small plane crash at age 90

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2024 (AFP) – William Anders, the former US astronaut who took the historic “Earthrise” photo from space over 55 years ago, died in a plane crash on Friday at the age of 90, his family said. Anders had been piloting a small plane which crashed off the coast of Washington state on Friday morning, his son told US media. Anders was alone in the plane. His body was later recovered by a […]

Extreme early-summer heatwave peaks in western US

LOS ANGELES, June 6, 2024 (AFP) – An extreme early-summer heatwave was expected to peak Thursday across much of the western United States, where millions were scrambling to cope with the sudden sharp rise in temperatures. Las Vegas was baking in 111 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius) heat, while in the Death Valley desert the mercury was expected to shoot past 120F, due to an oppressive high-pressure weather system smothering the region. “Widespread high and […]