USA

Obama Says 'Torch Has Been Passed' to Harris at DNC

Barack Obama told fellow Democrats in Chicago on Tuesday that "the torch has been passed" to Kamala Harris and that the United States was ready for her to become president. Former President Obama, who was greeted with rapturous applause and cheers at the packed arena hosting the party's nominating convention, said Vice President Harris would ...

World's Oldest Person Dies at Age 117

The world's oldest living person, Spain's Maria Branyas Morera, who was born in the United States and lived through two world wars, has died at the age of 117, her family said on Tuesday. "Maria Branyas has left us. She died as she wished: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain," her family wrote on her account on social network X. "We will ...

Obama to Hail Harris as Future of Party in Upcoming Speech

Barack Obama will hail Kamala Harris as the future of the Democratic Party on Tuesday as she is formally crowned its presidential nominee after a roller-coaster ride in US campaign politics. Former President Obama, still hugely popular and an influential figure in the party, will tell delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago ...

Japanese PM Kishida to Not Seek Re-Election

Japan's unpopular Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to quit after announcing on Wednesday he will not seek re-election as party chief. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed almost uninterrupted since 1945, is due to hold a leadership contest next month, with the winner to become prime minister. "In this (party) presidential ...

China Launches Patrols in Contested Waters as US Hold Drills

China carried out a combat patrol to test "strike capabilities" near a flashpoint reef in the South China Sea on Wednesday, as the United States and its allies held joint military drills in the same waters. Tensions in the disputed waterway have spiked following a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels that ...

Tim Walz: Teacher, Soldier, Governor and VP Candidate

From his teen start in the United States military to teaching in China and on a Native American reservation before entering politics, Democratic vice presidential pick Tim Walz packs a full resume – and exudes folksy appeal. A second-term Minnesota governor and now Kamala Harris's running mate, Walz brings a rural Midwestern perspective to her ...

US Military Completes Withdrawal from Niger

The United States military has withdrawn its forces from its final base in Niger, the Pentagon said on Monday, more than a year after military coup leaders in the African country told them to leave. The "withdrawal of US forces and assets from Air Base 201 in Agadez is complete," the Pentagon said in a joint statement with Niger's Defense ...

Trump Dodges 'Inappropriate' Debate With Kamala Harris

Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump refused to agree to a debate with Democrat presumptive-nominee Kamala Harris on Thursday, saying that it would be "inappropriate" until she is officially nominated. The country's first female vice president has enjoyed a groundswell of support from labor groups, ethnic minorities and her own party ...

Wildfires Rage in Canada and US, Destroy Popular Tourist Town

An "out of control" wildfire has devoured up to half of the main town in western Canada's popular Jasper National Park, authorities said on Thursday, with 400 foreign firefighters called in to help battle the blaze. While the fire has so far caused no casualties, as many as 25,000 residents and tourists were evacuated from the area before the ...

US Arrests Top Sinaloa Cartel Bosses in Dramatic Sting Operation

The US arrested two top bosses of Mexico's notorious Sinaloa drug cartel on Friday in a reportedly dramatic sting operation. US agents arrested two top leaders of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel in Texas on Thursday, the justice department said, striking a major blow to one of the most powerful and violent criminal organizations in the ...

Boeing to Plead Guilty of Fraud After 737 Max Crashes

Boeing will plead guilty to fraud as part of a deal with the US Department of Justice over two fatal 737 MAX crashes, according to a court filing Wednesday. The agreement comes after prosecutors concluded Boeing flouted an earlier settlement addressing the disasters, in which a total of 346 people were killed in Ethiopia and Indonesia more than ...

Is Yemen on the Brink of Renewed Civil War?

Yemen may be at risk of collapsing back into civil war as the increasingly empowered Houthi regime, hardening western policy and an intensifying economic war pushes the war-ravaged country towards the brink. “This is the tensest period I've seen since the truce, we may even have war next week”, says Mohammed al-Basha, analyst at the US-based ...