North America

WASHINGTON (AP) — The budget agreement that congressional leaders and President Donald Trump forged late Monday lifted a big potential drag on the U.S. economy for this year and next.

Under the agreement, the economy was spared from a series of deep spending cuts that were set to take effect under a far-reaching budget law enacted in 2011. Monday’s agreement nullified those cuts and increased spending by $320 billion over two years.

CINCINNATI (AP) — An Ohio hospital paid the estate of astronaut Neil Armstrong $6 million in a confidential agreement to settle allegations that post-surgical complications led to Armstrong’s 2012 death, according to court documents and a report in the New York Times.

The 2014 settlement went to 10 family members, including Armstrong’s two sons, sister, brother and six grandchildren, according to documents filed with the Hamilton County Probate Court in Cincinnati which were publicly available on Tuesday. Armstrong’s widow, Carol, did not receive any money in the settlement.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice opened a sweeping antitrust investigation of major technology companies and whether their online platforms have hurt competition, suppressed innovation or otherwise harmed consumers.

It said the probe will take into account “widespread concerns” about social media, search engines and online retail services. Its antitrust division is seeking information from the public, including those in the tech industry.

HOUSTON (AP) — A U.S.-born 18-year-old was released from immigration custody Tuesday after wrongfully being detained for more than three weeks.

Francisco Erwin Galicia left a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Pearsall, Texas, on Tuesday. His lawyer, Claudia Galan, confirmed he had been released, less than a day after The Dallas Morning News’ reporting about his case drew national attention.

ICE did not immediately comment. Nor did U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the Border Patrol, the agency that first detained Galicia.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are pretty sure America didn’t read the Mueller report. On Wednesday, they’re hoping the nation will be glued to the TV version.

Former Trump-Russia special counsel Robert Mueller’s appearance before two House committees promises to be the TV event of the year in the U.S. House, where lawmakers will question him for roughly five hours about the book-length report he released in April.

WASHINGTON, July 23 (APP): A prominent Kashmiri leader has welcomed US President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate the 71-year-old Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, saying such a move would bring peace and stability in South Asia.

NEW YORK, July 23. /TASS/: Countries from around the world will participate in a coalition that will patrol the Strait of Hormuz to ensure freedom of navigation in the region, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo told WFTV-9 on Monday.

Washington, Jul 23 (PTI) Pakistan's powerful spy agency ISI provided information to the CIA which helped the US track down and kill al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Monday in a significant revelation as Islamabad had so far denied having any knowledge of the terror chief until he was shot dead in 2011.

Khan, who is visiting Washington on his maiden official trip, revealed this during an interview with Fox News when he was asked whether his country would release jailed Pakistani surgeon Shakeel Afridi who helped the CIA track down Osama.

Washington, Jul 23 (PTI) Buoyed by US President Donald Trump's offer of mediation on Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that the contentious issue between the two South Asian neighbours can never be resolved bilaterally.

Khan's statement came hours after Trump offered to be the "mediator" between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue as the two leaders met at the White House where they discussed a host of issues, including the Afghan peace process.

WASHINGTON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that his country has had "positive correspondence" with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) recently.

"There was a little correspondence recently ... very positive correspondence with North Korea (the DPRK)," Trump told reporters at the White House ahead of his meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.