USA

House Vote on Ending US Government Shutdown

Congress looked set Wednesday to end the longest government shutdown in US history, 43 days that paralyzed Washington and left hundreds of thousands of workers unpaid while Donald Trump's Republicans and Democrats played a high-stakes blame game. The House of Representatives was expected to rubber-stamp a contentious Senate-passed funding ...

'We're Already Living in Science Fiction': The Neurotech Revolution

From translating thoughts into words to allowing paralyzed people to walk, the field of neuro technology has been quietly surging ahead, raising hopes of medical breakthroughs -- and profound ethical concerns. Some observers even think that neuro tech could end up being as revolutionary as the far more hyped rise of artificial intelligence ...

House Vote Likely Wednesday on Ending US Government Shutdown

The effort to end the longest-ever US government shutdown heads Wednesday toward a final vote, as President Donald Trump declared victory in the political face-off and rival Democrats tore themselves apart over the deal. The House of Representatives appeared likely to vote Wednesday on a spending bill to solve the six-week standoff, after eight ...

Arrival of US Aircraft Carrier Fuels Venezuelan Fears of Attack

A US aircraft carrier strike group arrived in Latin America Tuesday, escalating a military buildup Venezuela has warned could trigger a full-blown conflict, as it announced its own "massive" deployment. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, entered an area under control of the US Naval Forces Southern Command, which ...

Tehran Fights for Its Political Survival in Iraq

Officially, the elections are hailed as a step forward for a country still scarred by two decades of war and instability. In reality, the vote unfolds under the persistent shadow of Iran, determined to preserve a political system it has largely shaped since Saddam Hussein’s fall in 2003. Outgoing Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani owes his ...

Iraqis Vote in General Election at a Crucial Regional Moment

Iraqis began voting for a new parliament on Tuesday at a pivotal time for the country and the wider region, in an election that both Iran and the United States will be closely watching. Iraq, which has long been a fertile land for proxy wars, has only recently regained a sense of stability, as it tries to move past decades of war since the US-led ...

'Western Tech Dominance Fading' at Lisbon's Web Summit

Global tech leaders will pack Lisbon's annual Web Summit from Tuesday to talk Artificial Intelligence, robots, and startups -- all under the shadow of tensions over cutting-edge tech and the natural resources needed to build it. Over four days, the "Davos for geeks" is set to welcome over 70,000 visitors including 2,500 startups and ...

What Next After Iraq's General Election?

Iraqis head to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new parliament for a four-year term in a vote that will be closely watched in Washington and Tehran. Here is a look at what could come next and what the regional impact could be.  What happens after the vote?  Iraq's Supreme Court must first ratify the election results. Two weeks later, the ...

US to Remove Warnings from Menopause Hormone Therapy

The United States will remove strong safety warnings on many hormone therapies used to alleviate menopausal symptoms, saying the risks have been exaggerated, authorities announced Monday. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) replaces estrogen that the female body stops producing during menopause with the aim of alleviating symptoms including hot ...

End to US Government Shutdown in Sight as Stopgap Bill Advances to House

The longest-ever US government shutdown moved forward Monday toward an eventual resolution, after several Democratic senators broke ranks to join Republicans in a 60-40 vote passing a compromise deal -- sparking intra-party backlash. Since October 1, the first day of the shutdown, more than a million federal workers have been unpaid, while ...

US Envoy Kushner and Netanyahu Discuss Phase Two of Gaza Truce

US mediator Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks Monday on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, as Washington intensified its efforts to ensure the fragile truce endures. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, said Israel would enforce the ceasefire in Gaza as well as one in Lebanon with an "iron ...

Gaza's Health Ministry says 15 Palestinian Bodies Received Under Truce Exchange Deal

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said it had received on Monday the bodies of 15 Palestinian prisoners under the US-brokered ceasefire exchange deal. "The ministry of health announces the receipt of 15 bodies of martyrs released today by the Israeli occupation through the Red Cross, bringing the total number of bodies received to 315" under ...