North America

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge on Monday said U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham must testify before a special grand jury in Atlanta that is investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies broke any laws while trying to overturn his narrow 2020 general election loss in the state.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — They hail from their states’ most prominent Republican families. They have been among the GOP’s sharpest critics of former President Donald Trump. And after the Jan. 6 insurrection, they supported his impeachment.

But for all their similarities, the political fortunes of U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming are poised to diverge on Tuesday when they’re each on the ballot in closely watched primary elections.

Washington, Aug 15 (PTI) The US and India are indispensable partners, President Joe Biden has said and recalled Mahatma Gandhi's "enduring message of truth and non-violence" to honour 75 years of India's democratic journey.

This year, the US and India also celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Biden said, underling that the two democracies will continue to stand together to defend the rules-based order, advance a free and open Indo-Pacific and address the challenges that the world is facing.

NEW YORK, Aug 14 (APP): Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day was celebrated with fervour and enthusiasm in New York on Sunday, with the hoisting of the national flag at the Pakistan House by Consul General Ayesha Ali, as the national anthem was played.

The joint ceremony, held by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN and the Consulate General, started with recitation from the Holy Quran.

It was attended by officers and staff of the Pakistan Mission and the Consulate General.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 14 (APP): The world community must step up efforts to urge the Taliban, who are ruling Afghanistan, to adhere to basic human rights principles, a group of rights have said .

The future is immensely bleak for Afghans if more is not done by the international community to ensure the Taliban changes its modus operandi and complies with its human rights obligations, they said in a joint statement issued in Geneva.

WASHINGTON, August 14. /TASS/: An unidentified man fired several shots in the air near the US Congress building in Washington and committed suicide in the small hours on Sunday, the local police said.

According to the police, the incident occurred shortly after 04:00 am local time. A car rammed a fence at a crossroads near the Congress building and caught fire. The driver went out of the car and made several shots in the air. After that, he committed suicide.

WASHINGTON, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hadi Matar, the suspect in the attack on author Salman Rushdie at an event in New York state, has been charged with attempted murder and is being held without bond, the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s office said.

Matar, a 24-year-old man from Fairview, New Jersey, was arraigned late on Friday on charges of attempted murder in the second degree and assault in the second degree, the county’s district attorney, Jason Schmidt, said in a statement.

WASHINGTON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday congratulated India on 75 years of independence and said the United States and India were "indispensable partners" that would continue to work together to address global challenges in the years ahead.

India will mark its 75th year of independence on Monday, celebrating the end of British colonial rule in 1947.

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A serious chemical leak accident forced the evacuation of more than 100 homes in Perris, 122 kilometers east of Los Angeles downtown Friday morning and prompted the closure of the 215 Freeway in both directions.

Local NBC 4 news channel reported that Cal Fire Riverside County received a call about the chemical leak around 7:40 p.m. Thursday local time, when someone discovered a large plume of smoke coming from a rail car along the railway running parallel to the freeway in the town with over 77,000 residents.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A private prison company has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit over a Tennessee inmate’s killing that got national attention after a judge ordered the plaintiff’s attorney to stop tweeting about it.

Tennessee-based CoreCivic and attorney Daniel Horwitz, who represents the family of the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center inmate who died, noted the settlement Tuesday in a federal court filing in Nashville.