North America

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump claimed Friday that Japan’s prime minister had nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize for opening a dialogue with North Korea.

Trump also complained about President Barack Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize and doubted he would be similarly honored.

AURORA, Ill. (AP) — A 15-year employee being fired from a suburban Chicago manufacturing company started shooting Friday, killing five co-workers and wounding five police officers before he was killed by police, authorities said.

Aurora, Illinois, Police Chief Kristen Ziman said 45-year-old Gary Martin “was being terminated” before he started shooting at the Henry Pratt Co. — which makes valves for industrial purposes — in the city about 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Chicago.

WASHINGTON, February 15. /TASS/. A legislation dubbed the INF Treaty Compliance Act that would prevent Washington from spending taxpayer money on weapons that violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty has been introduced to the US Congress. The legislation was developed by Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.

MOSCOW, February 16. /TASS/ At least five people were killed in a shooting in Aurora, Illinois, NBC reported on Friday.

Earlier reports said one person was killed and four policemen were injured in the shooting.

A gunman opened fire at the Henry Pratt Company just before 1:30pm local time. The gunman was engaged in gunfire with the police and killed.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday deplored the humanitarian situation in Gaza and praised the UN agency for Palestinian refugees "critical work" last year.

In his remarks to a meeting on the rights of the Palestinian people, Guterres said that approximately two million Palestinians remain mired in increasing poverty and unemployment, with limited access to adequate health, education, water and electricity.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump signed on Friday a national emergency to expand the U.S.-Mexico border wall and push for his signature campaign promise.

The move gave the president power to bypass Congress to get access to money, but it sparked a new round of legal and partisan battles almost immediately.

"I'm going to be signing a national emergency," Trump said at the Rose Garden in White House on Friday morning. "It's a great thing to do because we have an invasion of drugs, invasion of gangs, invasion of people."

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The attorney for a white police officer charged with fatally shooting an armed black man in Tennessee is calling for legal discovery documents to be sealed from members of the public.

Meanwhile, a police union has launched a digital ad campaign seeking to defend the Nashville officer, Andrew Delke, and bolster his image in public. The officer shot 25-year-old Daniel Hambrick from behind during a foot chase last July and is charged with first-degree murder.

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High and other schools across the U.S. bowed their heads in a moment of silence and took part in volunteer projects Thursday to mark the anniversary of the shooting rampage that claimed 17 lives. But for many Parkland students, the tragedy was still so raw they couldn’t bring themselves to set foot in the building.

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s company is scrapping plans for two new hotel chains announced two years ago, casting blame in part on a hostile political environment.

The Trump Organization said Thursday that it will no longer try to open hotels under its Scion and American Idea brands catering to budget and mid-priced travelers, a departure from its focus on luxury hotels. The announcement comes as the company has posted losses at a few of its golf properties and brand experts say it has lost some of its appeal.

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon abruptly dropped plans Thursday for a big new headquarters in New York that would have brought 25,000 jobs to the city, reversing course after politicians and activists objected to the nearly $3 billion in incentives promised to what is already one of the world’s richest, most powerful companies.

“We are disappointed to have reached this conclusion — we love New York,” the online giant from Seattle said in a blog post announcing its withdrawal.