USA

WASHINGTON, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Nearly two-thirds of the lower 48 U.S. states face an elevated risk for flooding through May, with the potential for major or moderate flooding in 25 states, according to an outlook released Thursday by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The majority of the country is favored to experience above-average precipitation this spring, increasing the flood risk, said the outlook.

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday left interest rates unchanged after concluding a two-day policy meeting, in a move that met market expectations and reflected the central bank's patient approach regarding monetary policy changes.

In support of the goals of fostering maximum employment and price stability, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent, the central bank said in a statement.

Washington, Mar 21 (PTI) The United States will continue to impose additional import tariff on Chinese products till the time a trade deal is reached with the country, President Donald Trump has said.

"We're not talking about removing them. We're talking about leaving them for a substantial period of time, because we have to make sure that if we do the deal with China that China lives by the deal," Trump told reporters on the south lawns of the White House Wednesday.

Washington, Mar 21 (PTI) Donald Trump has prioritised peace efforts in Afghanistan and his special envoy has initiated direct talks with the Taliban, but the US President will not accept a "bad deal" on efforts to end America's longest war, the White House has said.

According to a senior Trump administration official, America has "contingency" plans, which might involve "military options" if the peace talks fail to yield desired results.

19 Mar 2019; AFP: President Donald Trump heaped praise Tuesday on right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro -- and received plenty back -- in announcing a special relationship that he said could even see the Latin American country join NATO.

At a joint news conference on the sun-soaked Rose Garden lawn, Trump and the man dubbed "Trump of the Tropics" let the mutual compliments flow.

20 Mar 2019; DW: The investigation claims at least 14 civilians were killed as a result of airstrikes targeting al-Shabab insurgents. US-led airstrikes in Somalia have tripled under the Trump administration and look set to increase.

A damning new report by Amnesty International accuses US military forces of killing at least 14 civilians and injuring eight others in Somalia over the past two years.

19 Mar 2019; DW: A US jury concluded on Tuesday that the Roundup weed killer was a "substantial factor" in causing cancer in a 70-year-old California man.

The ruling is a blow to Bayer, whose subsidiary Monsanto makes the herbicide. The trial could pave the way for more cases linking glyphosate in Roundup to the development of cancer.

Details of the case:

WASHINGTON, March 19 (Xinhua) -- A spacecraft's close-up observation of the near-Earth asteroid Bennu showed particle plumes erupting from its more rugged surface, which may alter the spacecraft's flight and sample collection plans in the coming year, U.S. scientists said at a teleconference on Monday.

WASHINGTON, March 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has chosen, Stephen Dickson, a former Air Force pilot and executive for Delta Air Lines, to be the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the White House announced on Tuesday.

Trump is planning to nominate Dickson, who oversaw flight operations at Delta, to be the FAA administrator for a term of five years and to be the chairman of the Air Traffic Services Committee under the Department of Transportation.

WASHINGTON, March 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday indicated that he may support Brazil to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as the two nations expected to further their economic cooperation.

Trump said at the White House while meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro that "we're going to look at that very, very strongly in terms of whether it's NATO or it's something having to do with alliance."