USA

SHANGHAI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States government has imposed restrictions on exports to China’s biggest silicon chip maker after concluding there is an “unacceptable risk” that equipment supplied to it could be used for military purposes.

Suppliers of certain equipment to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) will now have to apply for individual export licenses, according to a letter from the Commerce Department dated Friday and seen by Reuters.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Friday told the ongoing United Nations virtual summit that only a collaborative and science-based global partnership can help the world face the difficult months and years ahead.

"Only a collaborative, democratic, science-based and coordinated global partnership will help us face the difficult months and years ahead," Oli told the General Debate of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly via a pre-recorded speech.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Friday told the ongoing general debate of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly that response to the COVID-19 pandemic must not result in increased mistrust and isolationism as overcoming the crisis requires close cooperation and pooling of resources.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elizabeth Neumann wrestled with the decision for weeks. She worried about the backlash, the impact it would have on her career, potential threats to her family.

But the former Department of Homeland Security official, who had resigned in April, reached a breaking point after President Donald Trump deployed Homeland Security agents to Portland, exacerbating tensions there. She decided it was worth the risk to speak out against Trump, whom she had come to view as a threat to the country.

26 Sep 2020; MEMO: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved an agreement signed with Sudan’s transitional government that will see Sudan obtaining $1.5 billion annually, and its debts estimated at $60 billion dropped.

New York, Sep 25 (AP/PTI) Google's parent company has reached a 310 million settlement in a shareholder lawsuit over its treatment of allegations of executives' sexual misconduct.

Alphabet Inc said Friday that it will prohibit severance packages for anyone fired for misconduct or is the subject of a sexual misconduct investigation. A special team will investigate any allegations against executives and report to the board's audit committee.

Washington, Sep 26 (PTI) The Trump Administration is seeking to restrict the stay of journalists from China in the US to just 90 days with the provision of another extension for a similar duration, according to a federal notification.

The proposal of the Department of Homeland Security is part of the fixed time limit on visas of students, researchers and foreign journalists in the US.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California has begun to see concerning upticks in coronavirus data after a sustained period of decline, the state’s top health official said Friday, urging people to renew efforts to prevent spread.

The increases include the rate of cases per capita, hospital emergency department visits for COVID-19 and new hospitalizations for confirmed or suspected cases, California Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Mark Ghaly said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Breonna Taylor’s family demanded Friday that Kentucky authorities release all body camera footage, police files and the transcripts of the grand jury proceedings that led to no charges being brought against police officers who killed the Black woman during a raid at her apartment.

The decision disappointed and angered those who have been calling for justice for Taylor for six months, and protesters vowed to stay in the streets until all the officers involved are fired or someone is charged with her killing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — If you’re on Medicare, don’t run to the mailbox looking for a $200 prescription drug card courtesy of President Donald Trump.

Government officials said Friday that key details of Trump’s election-year giveaway still have to be fleshed out, including the exact timing and how Medicare’s cost would be covered — a sum that could approach $7 billion.