North America

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina judges on Monday blocked the state’s congressional map from being used in the 2020 elections, ruling that voters had a strong likelihood of winning a lawsuit that argued Republicans unlawfully manipulated district lines for partisan gain.

The panel of three Superior Court judges issued a preliminary injunction preventing elections under the district lines, starting with the March 3 primary.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Crews fought Tuesday to drown, slash and smother wildfires that have incinerated dozens of homes in Northern and Southern California before returning windstorms can blow them back into furious life.

In California’s wine country, firefighters worked to reinforce fire lines in western Sonoma County while rushing to shore up the eastern side that could be the new focus as winds switched direction.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pivoting from the dramatic killing of the Islamic State’s leader, the Pentagon is increasing U.S. efforts to protect Syria’s oil fields from the extremist group as well as from Syria itself and the country’s Russian allies. It’s a new high-stakes mission even as American troops are withdrawn from other parts of the country.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Army colonel at the National Security Council says he raised concerns twice over the Trump administration’s effort to have Ukraine investigate Democrats.

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman is set to appear Tuesday before House investigators in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump’s actions.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 28 (APP): Pakistan’s commitment to the “just” struggle of the Kashmiri people for their U.N.-recognized right of self-determination is “unflinching and steadfast”, Pakistani Consul General in New York Ayesha Ali told a gathering of Kashmiri and Pakistani community members on Sunday.

WASHINGTON, October 28. /TASS/: Iraqi President Barham Salih did not rule out that Baghdad could "recalibrate" its relations with other countries, including Russia and Iran.

"Allies of the United States are worried about the dependability of the United States," the Axios news website quotes him as saying in an interview published on Sunday.

28 October 2019; AFP: Unemployment and sluggish economic growth are fuelling social tension and popular protests in several Arab countries, the International Monetary Fund said Monday.

The unrest is in turn contributing to slower growth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, alongside global trade tensions, oil price volatility and a disorderly Brexit process, the IMF said in a report on the regional economic outlook.

28 Oct 2019; MEMO: US President Donald Trump’s suggestion on Sunday that Exxon Mobil or another US oil company operate Syrian oil fields drew rebukes from legal and energy experts, Reuters reports.

“What I intend to do, perhaps, is make a deal with an ExxonMobil or one of our great companies to go in there and do it properly … and spread out the wealth,” Trump said during a news conference about the US special forces operation that led to the death of Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- A study showed that the U.S. government's rollback of its climate change and energy policy would lower the country's air quality by increasing emissions of health-damaging ozone.

The study published in the latest edition of journal One Earth found that with the combination of loosened regulations and a warming climate, 22 more U.S. counties would fail to meet the current ozone safety standard in 2050.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Despite falling behind in fundraising, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday expressed confidence in his presidential campaign.

"I know I'm the frontrunner," the Democratic presidential contender said in an interview with CBS News. "We're on a course to do extremely well. I'm not worried about being able to fund this campaign."

Biden raised 15.2 million U.S. dollars in the third quarter of this year, his campaign announced earlier this month.