North America

WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US military officials warn Mali’s interim government against brokering any deal to use mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group to help with security and counterterrorism.

For weeks, US and French officials have publicly tried to dissuade Malian leaders from moving forward with a reported deal that would pay Wagner $10.8 million a month for 1,000 mercenaries to train Mali’s military and provide security for senior officials.

Now, the Pentagon says such a deal could cost Mali in multiple ways.

OTTAWA, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Canada will place unvaccinated federal employees on unpaid leave and require COVID-19 shots for air, train and ship passengers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday as he unveiled one of the world's strictest vaccine mandate policies.

Federal employees will be required to declare their full vaccination status through an online portal by Oct. 29. Workers and travelers age 12 and older on trains, planes and marine transport operating domestically - which are federally regulated - must show they have been inoculated by Oct. 30.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- In exercising the right of reply at the General Debate of the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, a Chinese envoy on Monday rejected false U.S. accusations against China's human rights situation and called for solidarity and cooperation.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell in morning trading Wednesday as Wall Street undergoes a bout of volatility, driven in part by big swings in technology companies.

The S&P 500 fell 0.5% as of 10:30 a.m. Eastern after falling 1% earlier. The benchmark index has alternated between gains and losses of more than 1% the previous four days.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 210 points, or 0.6%, to 34,104 and the Nasdaq fell 0.2%.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The right of individuals to decline the coronavirus vaccine and the right of businesses to require it as a condition of employment are at the center of debate over proposed House Republican legislation limiting employers’ ability to mandate COVID-19 vaccination.

06 Oct 2021; MEMO: US President Joe Biden's administration prefers diplomatic rather than military efforts to revive the Iranian nuclear deal, news agencies reported.

During a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Eyal Hulata, United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said: "This administration believes diplomacy is the best path to achieve that goal, while also noting that the president has made clear that if diplomacy fails, the United States is prepared to turn to other options."

WASHINGTON (AP) — While accusing the giant social network of pursuing profits over safety, a former Facebook data scientist told Congress Tuesday she believes stricter government oversight could alleviate the dangers the company poses, from harming children to inciting political violence to fueling misinformation.

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A ship’s anchor may have hooked, dragged and torn an underwater pipeline that spilled tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil into the ocean off Southern California, according to federal investigators who also found the pipeline owner didn’t quickly shut down operations after a safety system alerted to a possible spill.

Questions remained about the timeline of the weekend spill, which fouled beaches and a protected marshland, potentially closing them for weeks along with commercial and recreational fishing in a major hit to the local economy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats’ push for a 10-year, $3.5 trillion package of social and environmental initiatives has reached a turning point, with the president repeatedly conceding that the measure will be considerably smaller and pivotal lawmakers flashing potential signs of flexibility.

BASSETERRE, Oct 5 (NNN-TELESUR) — British Airways has resumed its commercial flights from London’s Gatwick Airport to Basseterre Robert L. Bradshaw Airport after the government of Saint Kitts and Nevis reopened its country’s borders to tourists.

“Tourism is a major driver of our economic growth since it has a unique potential to create jobs and livelihoods. It also plays a role in preserving our natural and cultural heritage and promoting the responsible and sustainable use of the natural environment,” Saint Kitts and Nevis’ Tourism Minister Lindsay Grant recalled.