North America

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint to stop escalation of global tensions.

Warning that "geopolitical tensions are at their highest level this century," the UN chief told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York that he is "in constant contact" with leading officials around the world and his message is simple and clear: "stop escalation, exercise maximum restraint, re-start dialogue and renew international cooperation."

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. tariffs continued to be "almost entirely" borne by U.S. firms and consumers, a new study suggested, while noting that the "redirection" of trade in response to the administration's 2018 tariffs has accelerated.

Additional U.S. tariffs on foreign products have been completely passed on to U.S. companies and consumers "in most sectors," said the report released on Monday by the National Bureau of Economic Research, echoing the findings of many previous studies.

USA (AP) --- Rising tensions between Washington and Tehran are testing whether Joe Biden can capitalize on his decades of foreign policy experience as he seeks to challenge a president he derides as “dangerous” and “erratic.”

GUANICA, Puerto Rico (AP) — A 5.8 magnitude quake hit Puerto Rico before dawn Monday, unleashing small landslides, causing power outages and collapsing some homes, as well as a famed tourist attraction. It was one of the strongest quakes yet in a series that have hit the U.S. territory over the past week.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

WASHINGTON (AP) — For a few tense hours Monday, the United States appeared to have announced that American troops were pulling out of Baghdad after nearly 17 years.

Turns out, it was just an “honest mistake.”

“Here’s the bottom line, this was a mistake,” Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said as he tried to unravel a knot of miscommunication that came at a time of already soaring tensions with the Middle East.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has told Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he will not run for an open Senate seat from Kansas this fall, two people close to McConnell said Monday. Pompeo’s decision complicates Republicans’ chances of holding what should be a guaranteed seat in the deep red state as they battle to retain their slim Senate majority in November’s elections.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX launched 60 more mini internet satellites late Monday, this time testing a dark coating to appease stargazers.

It’s a “first step” compromise between SpaceX and astronomers fearful of having dark skies spoiled by hundreds and, eventually, thousands of bright satellites circling overhead.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s confrontation with Iran is posing a gut check for Congress, brazenly testing whether the House and Senate will exert their own authority over U.S. military strategy or cede more war powers to the White House.

As tensions rise at home and abroad, Speaker Nancy Pelosi will hold House votes this week to limit Trump’s ability to engage Iran militarily after the surprise U.S. airstrike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani. A Senate vote is expected to soon follow.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former White House national security adviser John Bolton said he is “prepared to testify” if he is subpoenaed by the Senate in its impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, a surprise statement that bolstered Democrats in their push for new witnesses.

Bolton, who left the White House in September, said Monday that he has weighed the issues of executive privilege and after “careful consideration and study” decided that he would comply with any Senate subpoena.

“If the Senate issues a subpoena for my testimony, I am prepared to testify,” he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The killing of a top Iranian general has ratcheted up the anxiety of families of Americans held in Iran, one month after the release of a New Jersey student had given them hope.

The Trump administration has made a priority of bringing home hostages held abroad, but the prospect of a resolution for the handful of captives in Iran seems to have dimmed with the two nations edging dangerously close to conflict and warning of retaliatory strikes and continued agitation.