USA

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that showing restraint on Iran is "a good thing" after a new round of sanctions on Tehran were rolled out following the attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities.

Trump told reporters at the White House ahead of his meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison that ordering military strikes against Iran could be "the easiest thing I could do," while adding that "the thing that does show strength would be showing a little bit of restraint."

"I think restraint is a good thing," he added.

WASHINGTON (AP) — There are many unanswered questions about a whistleblower’s complaint that reportedly says President Donald Trump’s made an inappropriate, even alarming “promise” involving Ukraine. For starters, it’s not publicly known who the whistleblower is or what he or she is specifically alleging.

Washington, Sep 21 (PTI) US President Donald Trump has said he does not feel the need to strike a trade agreement with China before the next year's presidential elections, emphasizing that he is looking for a complete and not a "partial deal" with Beijing.

The world's two largest economies have been locked in a bruising trade war since Trump in March last year imposed tariff hikes of up to 25 per cent on USD 250 billion of Chinese goods.

In response, China, the world's second largest economy after the US, imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on USD 110 billion of American goods.

WASHINGTON, Sept 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Chinese agricultural delegation cancelled a planned visits to farms in Montana and Nebraska that had been scheduled for the coming days, officials said.

Word of the cancelled visits, which were set to occur ahead of high-level trade negotiations expected next month, sent stocks tumbling.

A spokesman for the US Trade Representative’s Office said the mid-level trade talks with Chinese officials underway in Washington were continuing as planned into Friday afternoon.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 21 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Every year in September, all 193 members of the United Nations meet at the General Assembly at the organisation’s headquarters in New York.

The General Assembly is one of the six main organs of the UN, where several international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations, such as development, peace and security, international law are discussed.

This year’s assembly which starts on Sept 17, has climate change, universal health coverage and the politics of sustainable development, on the agenda.

DALLAS (AP) — Two Muslim men from Texas say American Airlines profiled them and canceled their flight after crew members said they “didn’t feel comfortable” flying with the pair.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — When Barack Obama marched into the 2007 Iowa steak fry flanked by 1,000 supporters, skeptical Iowans were put on notice that he could win the caucus. A dozen years later, a new generation of Democratic White House hopefuls are looking to pull off a repeat performance to turbocharge their campaigns.

Saturday’s steak fry is part parade, part organizing show of force — and quintessentially Iowa. It began as a fundraiser for Tom Harkin’s first congressional bid, where the 53 attendees could buy a steak and a foil-wrapped baked potato for $2.

UNITED STATES (AP) —  Wall Street closed out a volatile week with losses Friday as investors worried that upcoming trade talks aimed at resolving the costly trade war between Washington and Beijing could be in trouble.

The selling, which erased modest early gains for the market, snapped a three-week win streak for the S&P 500. The benchmark index is still up 2.2% for September.

NEW YORK (AP) — The United States on Friday signed an agreement that paves the way for the U.S. to send many asylum-seekers to one of the world’s most violent countries, El Salvador.

But both countries must first take necessary legal actions and implement major border security and asylum procedures before it would go into effect, according to a draft copy of the agreement obtained by The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and an intelligence official’s whistleblower complaint (all times local):

6:50 p.m.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is decrying reports that President Donald Trump urged the president of Ukraine to look into his son’s business dealings there.

Biden says in a statement that if the reports are true, “Then there is truly no bottom to President Trump’s willingness to abuse his power and abase our country.”