North America

Houston, May 8 (PTI) An Indian engineer was among nine people killed when a gunman opened fire at a crowded mall in Dallas in the US state of Texas, authorities said on Monday.

Aishwarya Thatikonda, of McKinney, was shopping with a friend when they were shot by gunman Mauricio Garcia at the Allen Premium Outlets in Dallas, the New York Post newspaper reported.

UNITED NATIONS, May 07 (APP): Pakistani peacekeepers serving MONUSCO, the United Nations stabilization mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in coordination with other UN agencies, are providing relief to the flood-affected people in the country’s Kalehe territory, according to a report received in New York.

Landslides, triggered by flash floods in the region, have caused significant human losses and infrastructure damages, creating an acute situation for the people.

WASHINGTON, May 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday issued a stark warning that a failure by Congress to act on the debt ceiling could trigger a "constitutional crisis" that also would call into question the federal government's creditworthiness.

Yellen sounded the alarm over possible financial market consequences if the debt ceiling is not raised by early June, when she has said the federal government could run short of cash to pay its bills.

WASHINGTON, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Three consecutive shootings happened on Friday and Saturday in the United States have killed at least 11 people and injured dozens.

In a shooting at a Texas outlet mall on Saturday afternoon, at least nine people were killed and seven others injured.

The shooter, who authorities believe was acting alone, was dead at the scene, according to the Collin County Sheriff's Office.

LIBERTY, Ky. (AP) — As Kentucky’s GOP primary campaign sprints toward the finish line, some Republicans are looking ahead to the November election with an eye toward who best can reclaim the governorship — a job that the state’s dominant party has struggled to hold despite its strong showing in other races.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — LaJoia Broughton, a 41-year-old small-business owner, considers herself a fan of President Joe Biden.

He’s provided opportunities for Black-owned business while bringing integrity to the White House, she said. Her decision for 2024 is not in doubt.

“Biden has proven himself in the last few years, and I’ll be voting for him in the next election,” said Broughton, who owns a lobbying and public affairs firm in Columbia, South Carolina’s capital city.

ALLEN, Texas (AP) — Hundreds of terrified shoppers fled in panic after a gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and opened fire at a Dallas-area outlet mall, killing eight and wounding seven before being killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said.

The shooting in Allen, Texas, on Saturday was the latest eruption of what has been an unprecedented pace of mass killings in the U.S. Barely a week before, authorities say, a man fatally shot five people in Cleveland, Texas, after a neighbor asked him to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept.

Tehran, IRNA - A senior Russian diplomat has criticized US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan for making what he described as confusing and puzzling comments about Iran.

Addressing the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Sullivan said on Thursday that the US would take all necessary actions, including “recognizing Israel’s freedom of action,” to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Contradicting himself, Sullivan, however, said Washington seeks a “diplomatic solution” with Iran.

TORONTO, May 6 (Reuters) - Alberta on Saturday declared a provincial state of emergency after tens of thousands of Albertans have been forced to evacuate their homes as "unprecedented" wildfires rage on in Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith, head of the ruling United Conservative Party (UCP) said at a press conference.

By Saturday at 5 p.m. Mountain Time (7 p.m. ET), more than 24,000 Albertans had been evacuated from their homes, with 110 active wildfires across the province, and 36 out of control.

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - A group of 43 Republicans in the U.S. Senate said they oppose voting on a bill that only raises the U.S. debt ceiling without tackling other priorities, in a letter to Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, showing they could block such a plan by Democrats.

Citing an economy "in free fall," the Republicans, led by Senator Mike Lee and including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, said "substantive spending and budget reforms" need to be "a starting point" for negotiations.