USA

WASHINGTON, May 26 (Xinhua) -- To politicize the origin tracing of COVID-19, a matter of science, will not only make it hard to find the origin of the virus, but also give free rein to the "political virus" and seriously hamper international cooperation on the pandemic, said the Chinese Embassy in the United States on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans are ready to deploy the filibuster to block a commission on the Jan. 6 insurrection, shattering hopes for a bipartisan probe of the deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol and reviving pressure on Democrats to do away with the procedural tactic that critics say has lost its purpose.

NEW YORK (AP) — Exxon Mobil’s shareholders have voted to replace at least two of the company’s 12 board members with directors who are seen as better suited to fight climate change, bolster Exxon’s finances and guide it through a transition to cleaner energy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are poised to block legislation that would create a commission on the Jan. 6 insurrection, despite both a bipartisan effort to salvage the bill and a last-minute push by the mother of a Capitol Police officer who collapsed and died after the siege.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered U.S. intelligence officials to “redouble” their efforts to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, including any possibility the trail might lead to a Chinese laboratory.

After months of minimizing that possibility as a fringe theory, the Biden administration is joining worldwide pressure for China to be more open about the outbreak, aiming to head off GOP complaints the president has not been tough enough as well as to use the opportunity to press China on alleged obstruction.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — An employee opened fire Wednesday at a California rail yard, killing eight people before taking his own life as law enforcement rushed in, authorities said, marking the latest attack in a year that has seen a sharp increase in mass killings as the nation emerges from coronavirus restrictions.

UNITED NATIONS, May 26 (APP): Pakistan has called for reinforcing the concept of protection of civilians and accountability in all situations of armed conflict, including in Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir, saying there should be no impunity for violators of international law.

UNITED NATIONS, May 25 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for a transformation of extractive industries to support sustainable development and a transition to a green economy.

"We have all heard talk of the resource curse. Our shared responsibility is to ensure that the benefits of mineral resources reach all people in society, not just elites, while safeguarding the natural environment today and for future generations," Guterres told a virtual global roundtable on transforming extractive industries for sustainable development.

Washington, May 26 (AP-PTI) Senate Republicans revived negotiations over President Joe Biden's sweeping investment plan, preparing a USD 1 trillion infrastructure proposal that would be funded with COVID-19 relief money as a counteroffer to the White House ahead of a Memorial Day deadline toward a bipartisan deal.

The Republicans said Tuesday they would disclose details of the new offer by Thursday, sounding upbeat after both sides had panned other offers.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — In March of 2020, Estela Lazo appeared before Immigration Judge Lee O’Connor with her two children, her muscles tensed and a lump in her throat. Would they receive asylum?

O’Connor’s answer: No – he wasn’t even ready to consider the question.