USA

WASHINGTON/DAMASCUS, June 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US has imposed tough new economic sanctions aimed at deterring foreign business activity with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

The measures in the Caesar Act seek to compel the government to “halt its murderous attacks” on civilians and accept a peaceful political transition.

For the first time, Assad’s wife Asma has been targeted personally.

But there are fears that the sanctions will make the plight of ordinary Syrians even more desperate.

UNITED NATIONS, June 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The UN General Assembly elected on Wednesday four new members of the Security Council for 2021 and 2022, with Canada losing out again and the battle for the African seat going to a second round.

India, Mexico, Norway and Ireland were chosen as non-permanent members, while Djibouti and Kenya — both of which failed to receive the two-thirds vote majority required to win — will go to a second round of voting on Thursday.

DARBY, Pa. (AP) — Joe Biden unleashed a stinging critique Wednesday of President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus, calling on Trump to “wake up” to the havoc caused by the pandemic and do more to prevent further harm.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The pilot of the helicopter that crashed in thick fog, killing Kobe Bryant and seven other passengers, reported the aircraft was ascending when it actually was heading for the ground, federal investigators said in documents released Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump “pleaded” with China’s Xi Jinping during a 2019 summit to help his reelection prospects, according to a scathing new book by former Trump adviser John Bolton that accuses the president of being driven by political calculations when making national security decisions.

The White House worked furiously to block the book, asking a federal court for an emergency temporary restraining order Wednesday against its release.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged China to reveal all it knows about the coronavirus outbreak in a meeting with a top Chinese official in Hawaii on Wednesday as new revelations about President Donald Trump and China rocked Washington.

Pompeo and his deputy Stephen Biegun held closed-door talks with the Chinese Communist Party’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, according to a senior State Department official on the base.

ATLANTA (AP) — Prosecutors brought murder charges Wednesday against the white Atlanta police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks in the back, saying that Brooks was not a deadly threat and that the officer kicked the wounded black man and offered no medical treatment for over two minutes as he lay dying on the ground.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump “pleaded” with China’s Xi Jinping during a 2019 summit to help his reelection prospects, according to a scathing new book by former Trump adviser John Bolton that accuses the president of being driven by political calculations when making national security decisions.

The White House worked furiously to block the book, asking a federal court for an emergency temporary restraining order Wednesday against its release.

Washington, Jun 16 (AP/PTI) President Donald Trump says he met with several families who have lost loved ones in deadly encounters with police officers.

Trump says of the families that your loved ones will not have died in vain.

He also says I can never imagine your pain or the depth of your anguish, but I can promise to fight for justice for all of our people.

PARIS, June 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 8 million cases of novel coronavirus have been confirmed worldwide, with more than half in the United States and Europe, according to official sources.

At least 8,000,202 infections including 435,176 deaths, mostly in Europe, have been registered since the pandemic first emerged in China late last year.

Europe has 2,417,902 cases with 188,085 deaths. The USA has 2,110,182 cases and 116,081 deaths.