USA

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High and other schools across the U.S. bowed their heads in a moment of silence and took part in volunteer projects Thursday to mark the anniversary of the shooting rampage that claimed 17 lives. But for many Parkland students, the tragedy was still so raw they couldn’t bring themselves to set foot in the building.

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s company is scrapping plans for two new hotel chains announced two years ago, casting blame in part on a hostile political environment.

The Trump Organization said Thursday that it will no longer try to open hotels under its Scion and American Idea brands catering to budget and mid-priced travelers, a departure from its focus on luxury hotels. The announcement comes as the company has posted losses at a few of its golf properties and brand experts say it has lost some of its appeal.

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon abruptly dropped plans Thursday for a big new headquarters in New York that would have brought 25,000 jobs to the city, reversing course after politicians and activists objected to the nearly $3 billion in incentives promised to what is already one of the world’s richest, most powerful companies.

“We are disappointed to have reached this conclusion — we love New York,” the online giant from Seattle said in a blog post announcing its withdrawal.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite President Donald Trump’s tough talk on trade, his administration has granted hundreds of companies permission to import millions of tons of steel made in China, Japan and other countries without paying the hefty tariff he put in place to protect U.S. manufacturers and jobs, according to an Associated Press analysis.

15 Feb 2019; AFP: NASA is accelerating plans to return Americans to the Moon, and this time, the US space agency says it will be there to stay.

Jim Bridenstine, NASA's administrator, told reporters Thursday that the agency plans to speed up plans backed by President Donald Trump to return to the moon, using private companies.

15 Feb 2019; AFP: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the United States had "productive" talks with China over their trade dispute after negotiations in Beijing ended Friday with no sign that any concrete progress had been made.

Top officials from the world's two biggest economies had held two days of talks, hoping to at least create sufficient goodwill to stave off an escalation of their tariff war.

15 Feb 2019; DW: The top diplomats from the US and the EU have met a day after Washington slammed Europe over its stance on Iran. The criticism highlights current strains in trans-Atlantic ties.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with top EU diplomat Federica Mogherini on Friday amid tensions caused by a scathing attack by the Trump administration on its European allies over their approach to Iran.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Attorney General (AG) Bob Ferguson of the U.S. state of Washington Thursday threatened to take legal action against a federal government's declaration of a national emergency to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ferguson said he will take steps to block the intended action announced by President Donald Trump earlier in the day to declare a national emergency to obtain funds for his long-promised border wall.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed William Barr, President Donald Trump's nominee, to become the next attorney general.

The vote was 54-45, which fell largely along party lines with most Republicans backing and most Democrats opposing. Republicans have a 53-47 majority over Democrats in the Senate.

Rand Paul was the only Republican senator who voted against Barr in the voting, while three Democratic senators broke with their party and supported him.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday condemned the "heinous and cowardly terrorist attack" in Iran's southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province that killed 27 and wounded 13 others.

In a statement, the members of the council expressed their sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Iranian government and wished a speedy and full recovery to the injured.