North America

27 Jan 2019; AFP: The US Federal Reserve will hold its fire this week, leaving interest rates untouched and letting markets calm down after a tumultuous end to 2018.

Coming off Wall Street's worst December since the Great Depression and amid mounting fears about the global economy, Fed policymakers are now unanimously hammering a single message: they will be "patient" before pulling the trigger again.

28 Jan 2019; DW: The US has lifted sanctions on aluminum giant Rusal and two other firms linked to billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who had ties to former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort. The move came despite objections from Congress.

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least twelve people were killed and two others injured in a clash between two groups of armed civilians in southern Mexican state of Guerrero, said government officials on Sunday.

The gun fight occurred at around 3:00 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Sunday on the road leading to the community of Paraiso de Tepila in the municipality of Chilapa in Guerrero state, said Roberto Alvarez, spokesperson of the state security authorities.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- More than 6 in 10 U.S. citizens believe their country is heading in the wrong direction, while nearly 7 in 10 gave negative opinions on the state of the country, a poll found Sunday.

The poll, released by NBC News/Wall Street Journal, showed that 63 percent of respondents said the United States is heading off on the wrong track, while 28 percent say the opposite.

Records showed that the percentage of people who believe the country in the right direction is the lowest since July 2016.

Washington/New Delhi, Jan 27; PTI: A small group of Sikh separatists held a protest in front of the Indian Embassy in Washington during which they tried to burn the tricolour on the Republic Day, a move slammed by the local Sikh community and termed as a "flop show" by Indian government sources.

The demonstration by Sikh For Justice (SFJ) outside the Indian Embassy in Washington were completely outnumbered by flag waving, enthusiastic and patriotic Indians, official sources said in New Delhi.

Washington, Jan 28 (PTI) Democratic presidential aspirant Tulsi Gabbard has alleged that she had become a victim of "religious bigotry" and some media outlets were targeting her and accusing her supporters, who have Hindu names, of being Hindu nationalists.

In the hard-hitting piece, Gabbard pointed out to the accusation against her of being a Hindu nationalist. "Tomorrow will it be Muslim or Jewish Americans? Japanese, Hispanic or African Americans?" she asked.

NEW YORK (AP) — The researchers who reported that Israeli software was used to spy on Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s inner circle before his gruesome death are being targeted in turn by international undercover operatives, The Associated Press has found.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — More than 25,000 Mexican workers at dozens of factories south of Brownsville, Texas, went on strike Friday after owners of the plants that assemble for export refused union demands for a 20 percent pay hike and an annual bonus.

The Union of Maquiladora Industry Industrial Workers of Matamoros, the SJOIIM, said that by late Saturday nine companies had agreed to meet the salary and bonus demands.

Union leader Juan Villafuerte thanked union members who had stood outside in the rain and cold, noting “we hope to soon conclude this labor action.”

27 Jan 2019; DW: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has fired Canada's envoy to China. Ambassador John McCallum had said it would be "great" if the US dropped its extradition request for a top Huawei executive arrested in Vancouver.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has fired Canada's ambassador to China following comments the envoy made to media about the case of a Huawei executive detained in Canada on a US arrest warrant.

THE UNITED NATIONS, January 26. /TASS/. Russia firmly condemns attempts to push Venezuela into an abyss of a deadly civil war, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said at a UN Security Council emergency meeting on Venezuela on Saturday.

"We vehemently condemn those who are pushing Venezuelan society into an abyss of a deadly strife," he said. "The United States is depicting a picture of confrontation between ‘Maduro’s regime’ and the Venezuelans.