USA

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two months after House Democrats approved a $3 trillion COVID-19 aid package, Senate Republicans are poised to unveil their $1 trillion counteroffer, straining to keep spending in check as the virus outbreak spreads and societal fallout deepens.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is expected to roll out the GOP bill as soon as next week, said Wednesday that he conferred with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as the White House’s point man on the talks prepares to negotiate with Democrats.

(AP) --- Unidentified hackers broke into the Twitter accounts of technology moguls, politicians, celebrities and major companies Wednesday in an apparent Bitcoin scam.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — After hours of emotional public testimony and a middle-of-the-night vote by Berkeley leaders, the progressive California city is moving forward with a novel proposal to replace police with unarmed civilians during traffic stops in a bid to curtail racial profiling.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Infighting over the White House’s handling of the coronovirus pandemic is spilling further into public view, with trade adviser Peter Navarro panning Dr. Anthony Fauci as President Donald Trump stands watch.

Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, called the criticism “nonsense” and “a bit bizarre.”

MIAMI (AP) — California, Arizona, Texas and Florida together reported about 36,000 new coronavirus cases Wednesday as restrictions aimed at combating the spread of the pandemic took hold in the United States and around the world in an unsettling sign reminiscent of the dark days of April.

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 15 (APP): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for “concrete, bold and implementable solutions” to turn the tide on the many challenges the world is facing, including the coronavirus pandemic.

“Our world is in turmoil,” he said at the start of the ministerial segment of the High-level Political Forum (HLPF), the UN’s central body for follow-up of the 2030 Agenda for the anti-poverty Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in September 2015, while acknowledging that the planet was not on track to deliver those goals.

WASHINGTON, July 15 (NNN-XINHUA) — US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged all Americans to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus, particularly when used universally within a community setting. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their communities,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a statement.

Washington, Jul 15 (PTI) Indian-origin American politician Sara Gideon has won the Democratic primary for the US Senate seat from the state of Maine and will face incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in the November elections.

Gideon, 48, is currently the Speaker of the Maine State Assembly. She had long been the favourite to challenge Collins, the sole remaining New England Republican in Congress.

Washington, Jul 15 (PTI) In a surprise U-turn, the Trump administration has dropped its controversial plan to deport hundreds and thousands of international students, including Indians, if their universities switch to online-only classes in this fall semester due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On July 6, the US immigration authority announced that foreign students will have to leave the country or risk deportation if their universities switch to online-only classes during the September to December semester.

WASHINGTON, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The United States has withdrawn its troops from five bases in Afghanistan and maintains its force level in the country at mid-8,000s, fulfilling its obligation under the U.S.-Taliban deal signed in late February, the U.S. Department of Defense said Tuesday.

"U.S. forces in Afghanistan remain in the mid-8,000s and five bases formerly occupied by U.S. forces have been transferred to our Afghan partners," Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement.