North America

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A crew of veteran U.S. astronauts and aviators are training in Houston for a manned mission to the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s new Starliner spacecraft, which could also be used to take tourists into space on future missions.

The Boeing Starliner mission was originally scheduled for this month, but that has been delayed to at least the end of the year or into 2020 due to technical issues and amid a shakeup in the top echelons of the space agency.

Washington, Aug 22 (PTI) The US is seeking a balancing act in South Asia after India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divided it into two Union Territories, according to a congressional report which said President Donald Trump's offer to "mediate" on the issue may have contributed to the timing of New Delhi's moves.

According to the latest Congressional Research Service (CRS) report which runs into over 15 pages the longstanding US position on Kashmir is that

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Two U.S. astronauts completed the fifth spacewalk of this year out of the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, installing a "parking lot" for future commercial crew spacecraft.

Nick Hague and Andrew Morgan wrapped up their spacewalk at 2:59 p.m American Eastern Time, lasting about six hours and 32 minutes, according to the U.S. space agency NASA.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that his administration is seriously considering an executive order to end birthright citizenship.

"We're looking at that very seriously," Trump told reporters when leaving the White House for the U.S. state of Kentucky.

"Birthright citizenship, where you have a baby on our land - walk over the border, have a baby, congratulations, the baby's now a U.S. citizen," said the president. "It's, frankly, ridiculous."

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Latest on Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and his 2020 presidential bid (all times local):

7 p.m.

Two people close to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee have told The Associated Press that he intends to seek a third term as governor.

The news comes after Inslee announced the end of his Democratic presidential campaign on MSNBC on Wednesday night.

OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — All 10 people aboard a small jet escaped injury Wednesday after the aircraft aborted its takeoff at a small Northern California airport, went off the runway and burst into flames, officials said.

The pilot of the twin-engine Cessna Citation jet aborted its takeoff at Oroville Municipal Airport for unknown reasons shortly before noon, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.

The plane was carrying two pilots and eight passengers, and “all were accounted for, no injuries,” said Joe Deal, Oroville’s fire and police chief.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s branding of American Jews who vote for Democrats as “disloyal” to their religion and Israel prompted alarms of anti-Semitism. But his ultimate aim appears to be dividing Democrats, peeling off Jewish support and shoring up his white evangelical Christian base.

Digging in Wednesday despite widespread criticism, Trump repeated his controversial assertion about Jews who support the Democratic Party.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is moving to end an agreement limiting how long migrant children can be kept in detention, the president’s latest effort to curb immigration at the Mexican border.

A court fight is almost certain to follow, challenging the attempt to hold migrant families until asylum cases are decided.

A current settlement overseen by the federal courts now requires the government to keep children in the least restrictive setting and to release them as quickly as possible, generally after 20 days in detention.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Investigators believe a gunshot that wounded a deputy outside a Los Angeles County sheriff’s station on Wednesday was fired from a nearby building complex that provides housing to people with mental health issues, authorities said.

Deputy Angel Reinosa, 21, was hit while heading to his car in the employee parking lot of the Lancaster station shortly before 3 p.m., Capt. Todd Weber said.

“He is doing great, thankfully,” Weber said. “The wound was minor and he’s been treated and he’s doing well, in high spirits.” No surgery was needed, he added.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal budget deficit is expected to balloon to more than $1 trillion in the next fiscal year under the first projections taking into account the big budget deal that President Donald Trump and Congress reached this summer, the Congressional Budget Office reported Wednesday.

The return of $1 trillion annual deficits comes despite Trump’s vow when running for office that he would not just balance the budget but pay down the entire national debt.