North America

WASHINGTON, February 25. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he had decided to postpone increasing customs tariffs on Chinese products due to productive American-Chinese negotiations to resolve bilateral trade disputes, he wrote on his Twitter page.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo said Sunday in an interview that the United States would impose more sanctions against Venezuela.

"There'll be a meeting of the Lima Group on Monday, where further action will be contemplated. There are more sanctions to be had," Pompeo said in the interview with CNN.

Vice President Mike Pence would travel to Colombia on Feb. 25 to attend a Lima Group meeting on behalf of President Donald Trump, the White House said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States have achieved substantial progress on specific issues following their latest round of high-level economic and trade talks in Washington, the Chinese delegation said Sunday.

During the Feb. 21-24 talks, the seventh round since February last year, Chinese and U.S. negotiators further implemented the important consensus reached by the presidents of the two countries during their December meeting in Argentina, and focused their talks on the text of an agreement.

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Saturday after visiting the U.S.-Mexico border that the government needs a broader, more effective approach to border control. He suggested the Pentagon might contribute with its expertise in surveillance and monitoring.

“How do we get out of treating the symptoms and get at the root of the issue,” Shanahan said in an interview while flying back to Washington.

23 Feb 2019; DW: An unvaccinated French child who went on holiday with his parents to Costa Rica is suspected of reintroducing measles to the Central American country.

The 5-year-old boy and his parents entered the country on February 18, Costa Rica's Health Ministry said. 

Authorities have quarantined the boy in a hospital and are searching for people he may have come into contact with since his arrival. 

Washington, Feb 23 (PTI) President Donald Trump has nominated his envoy to Canada Kelly Knight Craft as the next US Ambassador to the UN to succeed Indian-American Nikki Haley.

In October, Haley announced that she was leaving the post by the end of the year.

The 46-year-old former South Carolina governor has served nearly two years in the post. She was the first Indian-American ever appointed to a Cabinet position in any US presidential administration.

If confirmed by the Senate, Craft, 56, would replace Haley.

TASS, February 23. US President Donald Trump has received the Golden Raspberry award for worst actor and worst screen combo. The award ceremony was transmitted on YouTube on Saturday.

The US leader received the in-jest Worst Actor Award for his "roles" in the documentaries "Death of a Nation" and "Fahrenheit 11/9". He also received the award for Worst Screen Combo for the duo with his "self-perpetuating pettiness", the organizers said.

GENEVA; 23 Feb 2019; AA: The UN human rights arm Friday raised concerns about the recent executions of 15 people in Egypt earlier this month.

Egyptian authorities should take all necessary measures to ensure the process and investigate allegations of torture, said Rupert Colville, the spokesman for the UN Human Rights Office "We urge the Egyptian authorities to halt all executions," he said.

Nine people were executed Feb. 20, linked to the killing of Egypt’s General Prosecutor Hisham Barakat.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats controlling the House have teed up a vote next week to block President Donald Trump from using a national emergency declaration to fund a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, accelerating a showdown in Congress that could divide Republicans and lead to Trump’s first veto.

The Democrats introduced a resolution Friday to block Trump’s declaration, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House would vote on the measure Tuesday. It is sure to pass, and the GOP-run Senate may adopt it as well. Trump quickly promised a veto.

23 Feb 2019; AFP: Virgin Galactic's spacecraft reached an altitude of more than 55 miles (88.5 kilometers) on Friday, carrying for the first time a passenger in addition to its two pilots.

SpaceShipTwo, built by British billionaire Richard Branson to carry tourists into space, launched from California's Mojave desert and flew to an altitude of 55.87 miles (89.9 kms), the company said.