USA

WASHINGTON, February 22. /TASS/: The United States shirks meaningful discussions of information security issues with Russia, but at the same time accuses Moscow of cyber-attacks against Georgia, thus resorting to tabloid journalism methods, the Russian embassy in Washington said on its Facebook page on Friday.

(Reuters) - Twitter Inc on Friday said it had started suspending and restricting dozens of accounts posting content promoting U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg.

“We took enforcement action on about 70 accounts, which includes a combination of permanent suspensions and account challenges to verify ownership,” a Twitter spokeswoman said in a statement to Reuters.

The action was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

The Bloomberg campaign did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

WASHINGTON/LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg said on Friday that his company has identified three women bound by non-disclosure agreements regarding his past conduct and that they would be released from their accords if they choose.

In a statement, Bloomberg, who runs media conglomerate Bloomberg LP, said the agreements concern “comments they said I had made,” and that the women should contact his company for a release.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will raise the issue of religious freedom in India during his meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week, a senior administration official said, a sensitive subject for the Indian government.

Modi’s government has faced large scale-protests at home and criticism abroad for enacting a citizenship law that is seen as discriminating against Muslims and has deepened concerns his administration in undermining India’s secular traditions.

(Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) has found debris in the fuel tanks of dozens of undelivered 737 MAX jets amid ongoing inspections as the Chicago-based planemaker struggles to restore the trust of airlines and the wider public in the grounded fleet.

Boeing found debris in the fuel tanks of about 35 aircraft, a company spokesman confirmed on Friday. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters that more than 50% of the undelivered 737 MAX jets inspected thus far have had debris found in them.

Several more planes are still awaiting inspection.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Despite the impact of the novel coronavirus, China's economy holds promising prospects of long-term growth, former U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce Frank Lavin has said.

"Whatever the initial logic was that might have propelled you to go to the China market six months ago still holds today," said Lavin, also CEO of digital solutions company Export Now, in an interview with U.S. media CNBC on Thursday.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York that the "man-made humanitarian nightmare" for the Syrian people must stop immediately.

"This man-made humanitarian nightmare for the long-suffering Syrian people must stop. It must stop now," the UN chief said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Wall Street expects the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, should that influence the Fed’s decisions?

Two Fed officials diverged on that issue in remarks Friday at a monetary policy conference in New York. The disagreement occurred just as the scenario is playing out in real life: Investors increasingly expect the Fed to cut its key short-term rate this year to help cushion whatever economic damage China’s viral outbreak ends up causing.

Still, other Fed officials have said in recent days that they see no need for rate cuts anytime soon.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said Friday he was briefed by U.S. officials “about a month ago” that Russia has been trying to help his campaign as part of Moscow’s efforts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.

“It was not clear what role they were going to play,” Sanders said during a campaign stop in California. “We were told that Russia, maybe other countries, are going to get involved in this campaign.”

The Vermont senator continued: “Here’s the message to Russia: Stay out of American elections.”

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A man accused of fatally stabbing two people who prosecutors say tried to stop his racist tirade against two young black women on a Portland, Oregon, commuter train was convicted of murder Friday after an emotional trial that featured testimony from both women and the sole survivor of the attack nearly three years ago.