USA

HOUSTON (AP) — Severe storms sweeping across southern portions of the U.S. and up into the Midwest were blamed Saturday in the deaths of at least 11 people, including two first responders, as high winds, tornadoes and unrelenting rain battered large swaths of the country.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a defining week for President Donald Trump on the world stage, national security adviser Robert O’Brien was a constant presence at the president’s side as the U.S. edged to the brink of war with Iran and back again.

The contrasts with O’Brien’s predecessor along the way — in secret consultations at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, in the Oval Office and in basement deliberations in the White House Situation Room — could not have been more stark.

11 Jan 2019; MEMO: The United States wants a thorough and independent investigation into the crash of a Ukrainian passenger plane in Iran that killed 176 people, the State Department’s top diplomat for the Middle East said on Friday, Reuters reports.

“It is my understanding that we will certainly ask for an independent investigation into this, whether this is through our European partners, the Canadians being on the ground,” David Schenker told a news briefing in the United Arab Emirates.

WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Negotiations for the second phase of a pending US-China trade deal will begin promptly but the outcome may wait until after this year’s elections, President Donald Trump said.

Trump’s remarks come days before Beijing’s trade envoy is due in Washington to sign a “phase one” agreement, marking a pause in the two sides’ nearly two-year trade war.

The US leader also openly cast doubt on whether American farmers would be able to supply China with the massive increases in agricultural exports expected to be part of the deal.

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Killings, rapes and other barbaric violence committed by an ethnic armed group in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo against a rival group may amount to crimes against humanity and possibly even genocide, the United Nations said.

The attacks in Ituri province have mostly targeted Hema herders, who have long been in conflict with Lendu farmers over grazing rights and political representation.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing Co has released hundreds of internal messages that contained harshly critical comments about the development of the 737 MAX, including one that said the plane was “designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys”.

The messages, disclosed on Thursday, show attempts to duck regulatory scrutiny with employees disparaging the plane, the company, the Federal Aviation Administration and foreign aviation regulators.

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Hau Do Suan said Friday that the world needs a stronger UN more than ever.

"At this critical time, the world needs a stronger UN more than ever to harmonize our collective efforts to strengthening multilateralism and maintenance of international peace and security," the Myanmar UN ambassador told a Security Council open debate on upholding the UN Charter.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- A 5.2-magnitude earthquake hit Puerto Rico on Friday afternoon, as the Caribbean island is recovering from temblors that occurred earlier this week.

The earthquake happened at 5:26 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (2226 GMT), with its epicenter around 4 km south of Indios on the island's southern coast, according to the U.S. Geological Service (USGS).

There are no immediate reports of damages or casualties as local media said aftershocks continue to be felt across most of the island.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government said Friday that it has imposed fresh sanctions on Iran, days after Iran's missile attacks targeting U.S. forces in Iraq.

The latest move included sanctions on metal manufacturing and other sectors of the Iranian economy, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin told reporters at a White House press briefing, noting that the sanctions are both primary and secondary.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg chased California votes on Friday in dueling events, looking to sway Democrats in the state that delivers the largest haul of delegates in the presidential contest.

Appearing at a short-term housing complex for the homeless, Buttigieg promised a new era of help for people living on the streets, while Biden sought to upstage the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor with a formal endorsement from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti attended by firefighters. The endorsement was initially announced Thursday.