North America

OTTAWA, June 15 (Reuters) - At least 15 people were killed in the Canadian prairie province of Manitoba on Thursday after a semi-trailer truck hit a small bus that was carrying a group of mainly elderly people, police said.

The crash is one of the most lethal road accidents in recent Canadian history.

The crash occurred at the junction of two major roads near the town of Carberry in southwestern Manitoba, 170 km (105 miles) west of Winnipeg. The bus passengers had been on their way to a casino in Carberry, CBC News reported, citing a casino spokesperson.

HOUSTON, June 15 (Xinhua) -- From U.S. south central state of Texas to southeastern Florida, about 35 million people are bracing for a widespread heat wave which is expected to last for days, the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) forecast on Thursday.

The heat wave in parts of Texas, Louisiana and Florida is likely to break records and raise the risk of wildfires and heat-related illnesses, the weather service warned.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The United States men’s soccer team’s match against Mexico was cut short Thursday night by the referee after repeated homophobic chants could be heard from fans.

Four players were ejected in the game, which the U.S. won 3-0 for a spot Sunday in the CONCACAF Nations League final against Canada.

Christian Pulisic scored two goals and Ricardo Pepi scored one in a strong showing, but this game will be remembered much more for the ugliness.

TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s Supreme Court upheld Friday an immigration agreement between the United States and Canada that says asylum seekers must apply in the first country they arrive in.

The 2002 Safe Third Country Agreement between the U.S. and Canada says migrants who go to an official Canadian crossing are returned to the U.S. and told to apply there.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nusrat Chowdhury, a civil rights lawyer, has been confirmed by the Senate as the first Muslim female federal judge in U.S. history.

She will assume her lifetime appointment in Brooklyn federal court in New York after a 50-49 vote on Thursday along party lines.

The confirmation drew praise from the American Civil Liberties Union, where she is the legal director of the ACLU of Illinois. Prior to that post, she served from 2008 to 2020 at the national ACLU office, including seven years as deputy director of the ACLU Racial Justice Program.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden opened his 2020 presidential run at a Pittsburgh union hall, declaring, “I’m a union man. Period.” As he gears up for reelection, the president’s first political rally is being held at a union gathering on the other side of Pennsylvania, punctuating just how much Biden is counting on labor support to carry him to a second term — especially in a critical battleground state.

(AP) --- As Donald Trump became the first former president to face federal charges, he and his supporters went through a familiar routine of mounting a victimhood defense in the face of unprecedented allegations of wrongdoing. But this time, the stakes are higher.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Justice Department accused Minneapolis police Friday of engaging in a pattern of violating constitutional rights and discriminating against Black and Native American people following an investigation prompted by the killing of George Floyd.

The sweeping two-year civil rights investigation concluded that systemic problems in the Minneapolis Police Department “made what happened to George Floyd possible.”

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 15 (APP): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Thursday called on countries to phase out coal and other fossil fuels to avert climate “catastrophe”, saying the world’s response to deal with the impending disaster was “inadequate”.

“We are hurtling towards disaster, eyes wide open”, he said. “It’s time to wake up and step up.”

UNITED NATIONS, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the international community to condemn hate speech, racism and acts of extremism.

The Security Council says that hate speech, racism, xenophobia, intolerance, gender discrimination and extremism can lead to conflict. Resolution 2686 was adopted to address the issue, calling on member states to publicly denounce such acts.