North America

CHICAGO (AP) — Voters in Chicago will choose a new mayor on Tuesday as two candidates with contrasting views on issues including crime, taxes, schools and investment in policing compete to lead the heavily Democratic city, the country’s third-largest.

BALTIMORE (AP) — A one-time chief of staff for former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan died Monday after being shot when FBI agents confronted him in a manhunt launched when he failed to show up for trial on corruption charges, his lawyer said.

Attorney Joseph Murtha said the FBI confirmed Roy McGrath’s death to him. He added that it was not immediately clear if McGrath’s wound was self-inflicted or came during an exchange of gunfire with agents.

William Brennan, an attorney for McGrath’s wife, Laura Bruner, also confirmed the death and said she was “absolutely distraught.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Republican lawmakers took the first steps Monday to expel three Democratic members from the GOP-dominant House for their role in a recent gun control protest at the state Capitol.

The extraordinarily rare move resulted in a chaotic and fiery confrontation between lawmakers and supporters opposing the move and has further fractured an already deep political division inside the Tennessee Legislature.

NEW YORK (AP) — An extraordinary moment in U.S. history will unfold in a Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday: Former President Donald Trump, who faces multiple election-related investigations, will surrender and be arraigned on criminal charges stemming from 2016 hush money payments.

The booking and appearance before Judge Juan Merchan should be relatively brief — though hardly routine — as Trump is fingerprinted, learns the charges against him and pleads, as expected, not guilty. Merchan has ruled that TV cameras won’t be allowed in the courtroom.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. will send Ukraine about $500 million in ammunition and equipment and will spend more than $2 billion to buy an array of munitions, radar and other weapons in the future, U.S. officials said, as the Ukrainian troops prepare for a spring offensive against Russian forces.

The ammunition rounds, along with grenade launchers and vehicles, will be taken from military stockpiles so they can be in the war zone quickly, the officials said.

UNITED NATIONS, Apr 03 (APP):Landmines still lay hidden in nearly 70 countries that continue to kill or maim innocent people, despite the destruction of millions of booby traps globally by UN personnel over the past two decades, the world body said Monday.

Marked annually on April 4, the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, draws awareness to why landmines are one of the most insidious and indiscriminate weapons of war.

UNITED NATIONS, April 3. /TASS/:  Russia is threatening no one with nuclear weapons and allegations otherwise are part of Western propaganda, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said on Monday.

"On the nuclear war, I sleep well, because I know that, at least us, we're not asking for the nuclear war. We're not threatening with nuclear war. All this narrative that Russia is threatening the world with the nukes is a part of propaganda as well," he stressed.

WASHINGTON, April 3. /TASS/:  The US work insistently to achieve the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich who works in WSJ’s Moscow office and continue to deny all charges against him, US National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said Monday.

WASHINGTON, April 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 26 people have been killed after a series of tornadoes tore through towns and cities in the United States’ South and Midwest.

Homes were destroyed and thousands left without power after storms caused devastation across several states.

According to Washington Post, more than 60 tornado reports have been recorded.

States including Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Alabama and Mississippi have all had fatalities as a result of the weather.

SAN SALVADOR, April 3 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — The explosion of a fireworks factory left at least four dead and a dozen injured, the National Civil Police (PNC) of El Salvador reported.    

The incident occurred in the “Jardines del Jordan” neighborhood, El Ranchador, Santa Ana, on Saturday night, according to a Civil Protection information.