USA

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Judiciary Committee abruptly postponed a historic vote late Thursday on articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, shutting down a 14-hour session that dragged with partisanship but had been expected to end with the formal charges being sent to the full House for a vote next week.

12 Dec 2019; MEMO: The United States on Wednesday imposed new sanctions on Iran’s biggest airline and its shipping network, accusing them of transporting lethal aid and weapons of mass destruction proliferation, Reuters reports.

The new sanctions come just days after a weekend prisoner swap between the historic foes, a rare act of cooperation since tensions escalated after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord.

12 Dec 2019; MEMO: US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to prohibit federal funding for colleges and universities that allow anti-Semitism, but the move drew some criticism for potentially limiting free speech.

The order would extend protections against discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Act to people subjected to anti-Semitism on college campuses.

United Nations, Dec 12 (AFP/PTI) The United States on Wednesday warned North Korea of consequences if it makes good on threats of a spectacular weapons test in the New Year, while offering flexibility if it stays in talks.

Frustrated by the lack of sanctions relief after three summits with President Donald Trump, North Korea has vowed an ominous "Christmas gift" if the US does not come up with concessions by the end of the year.

12 December 2019; AFP: Hours after sharing a podium at 196-nations climate talks with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, the head of Greenpeace International found herself locked out of the building Wednesday along with hundreds of other observers ejected from the talks.

Jennifer Morgan, who has been attending the troubled UN negotiations for 25 years, said the expulsion was without precedent.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Americans for Free Trade, a coalition of more than 150 associations united against tariffs, on Wednesday urged U.S. President Donald Trump to reach a "phase one" deal with China.

"We urge you to reach a Phase One deal with China and take the necessary steps to resolve the ongoing trade dispute," the coalition wrote in a letter to Trump and strongly encouraged the administration to suspend implementation of the so-called "Tranche 4B tariffs" on Chinese goods scheduled for Dec. 15 if a "phase one" deal is not finalized before then.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday approved a bill to impose sanctions on Turkey because of its military operations in Syria and the purchase of Russia air defense system.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the bill "Promoting American National Security and Preventing the Resurgence of ISIS Act" in a vote of 18 to 4, sending the bill to the full Senate.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday left interest rates unchanged after cutting rates at each of the last three meetings, as officials assessed the effect of rate cuts on the U.S. economy.

The Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed's policy-making committee, decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 1.5 percent to 1.75 percent after concluding a two-day policy meeting, in line with market expectations.

NEW YORK (AP) — A day after Fox News’ Tucker Carlson aired a segment describing her congressional district as “filled with garbage,” U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the network on Wednesday for airing “unmitigated racism” with no accountability.

She tweeted Wednesday that describing immigrants as dirty is a “lazy, tired, racist trope.”

The liberal New York Democrat’s popularity has made her a frequent target of Fox News Channel’s opinion hosts. Carlson, in particular, has targeted Ocasio-Cortez for supporting a “Green New Deal” of environmental legislation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday hit Iran with new sanctions that target several transportation firms as it continues its “maximum pressure campaign” against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.