North America

WASHINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday accused China of increased "provocations" against rival claimants to territory in the South China Sea and other states operating there.

"There is a clear and upward trend of PRC provocations against South China Sea claimants and other states lawfully operating in the region,” Jung Pak, deputy assistant secretary for East Asia at the State Department, told a U.S. think tank event, referring to the People's Republic of China.

LOS ANGELES, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Public health experts have warned the United States is running out of time to contain the monkeypox outbreak as nearly 3,000 confirmed monkeypox cases have been reported in the country.

The state of New York had the most cases, with 900, followed by California with 356 and Florida with 247, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Given the testing bottlenecks in the United States, monkeypox cases are likely being undercounted, health experts said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal investigators say a mistake by the captain of an American Airlines flight caused the plane’s wing to clip the ground during takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2019.

The National National Transportation Safety Board said the captain applied too much rudder power to offset a crosswind, causing the plane to veer to the left and nearly leave the runway.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The Port of Savannah saw record-breaking cargo volumes this past fiscal year amid a surge in imports and West Coast backlogs that prompted shippers to reroute goods to the East Coast.

The Georgia Ports Authority said Tuesday that docks in Savannah handled nearly 5.8 million container units of imports and exports in the fiscal year that ended June 30. That’s an increase of 8% from a year ago, when the port exceeded 5 million container units for the first time.

“The growth is stunning,” said Griff Lynch, the authority’s executive director.

ATLANTA (AP) — A judge in Atlanta has rejected an appeal by a group of voters and affirmed the Georgia secretary of state’s decision that U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is eligible to run for reelection.

The five voters from Greene’s district sought to have her removed from the ballot, saying that she played a significant role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol that disrupted Congress’ certification of Biden’s presidential victory. That was a violation of a rarely invoked provision in the 14th Amendment against insurrection or rebellion, they argued.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Pope Francis is presiding over his first big Mass in Canada on Tuesday to honor grandparents, a day after he apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in severing generations of Indigenous family ties by participating in Canada’s “disastrous” residential school system.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The temperatures in Portland, Oregon, could top 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius) on Tuesday, making it likely the hottest day of a week-long heat wave for the Pacific Northwest region that rarely sees such scorching weather.

Forecasters issued an excessive heat warning for parts of Oregon and Washington state. Temperatures could hit the 90s (32 C) in Seattle and 110 F (43.3 Celsius) in eastern parts of Oregon and Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump will return to Washington on Tuesday for the first time since leaving office, delivering a speech on crime before an allied think tank that has been crafting an agenda for a possible second term.

Trump will address the America First Policy Institute’s two-day America First Agenda Summit as some advisers urge him to spend more time talking about his vision for the future and less time relitigating the 2020 election as he prepares to announce an expected 2024 White House campaign.

25 July 2022; MEMO: In a Monday phone call, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed last week's deal to reopen Ukrainian ports for grain exports, says Anadolu Agency.

The call came after Turkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal on Friday to reopen three Ukrainian ports – Odesa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny – for grain exports stuck for months due to the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its sixth month.

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 25 (APP): More than 236,000 people die each year from drowning – among the leading causes of death for those aged one to 24 years, and the third leading cause of injury deaths worldwide overall, the World Health Organization (WHO), a Geneva-based UN agency, said on Monday, urging everyone to “do one thing” to save lives, including by organizing water safety events.

The appeal on the World Drowning Prevention Day outlines actions that individuals, groups and governments can take, and highlights initiatives already underway in some countries.