North America

Washington, Nov 10 (PTI) Demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) are the two major headwinds that held back India's economic growth last year, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has said, asserting that the current seven per cent growth rate is not enough to meet the country's needs.

Addressing an audience at the University of California in Berkley on Friday, Rajan said for four years -- 2012 to 2016 -- India was growing at a faster pace before it was hit by two major headwinds.

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Northern California's raging wildfire, dubbed Camp Fire, has climbed to nine, Butte County Sheriff Korey Honea said at a press conference Friday night.

A spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said the fire had destroyed more than 6,700 structures, including 6,453 homes and over 250 commercial buildings.

This is the most destructive wildfire in the Golden State's history.

THOUSAND OAKS, California: Ian David Long who killed 12 people at a country music bar has been identified as an ex-Marine and Afghanistan war veteran.

A former machine gunner, Long opened fire with a handgun at the Borderline Bar & Grill during college night and killed several people including sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Even as the United States and China butt heads over trade, their top diplomats and defense chiefs were meeting in Washington on Friday, looking to tamp down tensions on other issues that have put a chill on relations between the two world powers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s not firing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, for now.

The Cabinet secretary faces a number of ethics probes, including one involving dealings between a foundation that Zinke created and the chairman of energy services company Halliburton.

Asked Friday by reporters if he would fire Zinke, Trump said, “no.” Trump added, though, “I’m going to look into any complaints.”

PARADISE, Calif. (AP) — A wildfire that moved so fast firefighters didn’t even try to stop it killed five people, authorities said Friday as the blaze quadrupled in size after leveling much of a Northern California town of nearly 30,000 people.

Only a day after it began, the fire near the town of Paradise had grown to nearly 110 square miles (285 square kilometers), and investigators found five people dead in vehicles that were torched by the flames.

THE UNITED NATIONS, November 7. /TASS/. Russia has requested to hold closed UN Security Council consultations on sanctions against North Korea on November 8, official spokesman for the Russian Permanent Mission to the UN Fyodor Strzhizhovsky told TASS on Wednesday.

"Russia requested consultations on the topic of sanctions against North Korea during tomorrow's general consultations at UN SC. The talks will be held behind closed doors," Strzhizhovsky said.

Russia and China repeatedly supported the gradual easing of UN sanctions against North Korea.

8 Nov 2018; DW: A gunman walked into a country-western bar in Thousand Oaks, California, and killed 12 people including a sheriff's deputy. The gunman was found dead at the scene.

Thirteen people are dead, including a sheriff's deputy, and 10 more wounded after a shooting Wednesday night in a bar in southern California. The gunman used a handgun and smoke bombs at a country dance bar on "college night" and sending hundreds of panicking people toward the exits with some breaking windows to escape, authorities and witnesses said.

7 Nov 2018; AFP: US Attorney General Jeff Sessions was fired by Donald Trump Wednesday after enduring more than a year of bitter criticism from the president over his decision to step aside from the Russia investigation that has dogged the White House.

Sessions became the first casualty of a cabinet shakeup that had been expected from Trump following the midterm elections on Tuesday.

"At your request, I am submitting my resignation," Sessions said in the first line of a letter released by the Department of Justice.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Latinos serving in Congress will rise to at least 41 in the new year, and that figure most likely will increase when two undecided races are called.

Thirty-three out of 44 Latino Democratic candidates won election in Tuesday’s contests, while six out of 15 Latino Republican candidates claimed victory.