USA

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder in the death of George Floy d is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday for allegedly violating the civil rights of a teenager in a separate case that involved a restraint similar to the one used on Floyd.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Influential government advisers will debate Friday if there’s enough proof that a booster dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective — the first step toward deciding which Americans need one and when.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the United States is forming a new Indo-Pacific security alliance with Britain and Australia that will allow for greater sharing of defense capabilities — including helping equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. It’s a move that could deepen a growing chasm in U.S.-China relations.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Hours after California Gov. Gavin Newsom beat back a recall election that could have cost him his job, his fellow Democrats in the state Legislature said Wednesday that they will push for changes to make it more difficult to challenge a sitting governor.

That could include increasing the number of signatures needed to force a recall election, raising the standard to require wrongdoing on the part of the officeholder and changing the process that could permit someone with a small percentage of votes to replace the state’s top elected official.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX’s first private flight streaked into orbit Wednesday night with two contest winners, a health care worker and their rich sponsor, the most ambitious leap yet in space tourism.

It was the first time a spacecraft circled Earth with an all-amateur crew and no professional astronauts.

“Punch it, SpaceX!” the flight’s billionaire leader, Jared Isaacman, urged moments before liftoff.

WASHINGTON, Sep 15 (APP): The heritage of Pakistan with its rich culture and cuisine turned out to be a delight for the people in Washington DC, at an event organized by the embassy.

The event, aimed at promoting Pakistan’s tourism and cultural diversity, was held in connection with celebrating the country’s 75th anniversary.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Asad Majeed Khan in his remarks on the occasion said Pakistan was blessed with a majestic landscape that offered immense tourism opportunities.

Washington, Sep 15 (AP-PTI) As tens of thousands of Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban arrive in the US, a handful of former Trump administration officials are working to turn Republicans against them.

The former officials are writing position papers, appearing on conservative television outlets and meeting privately with GOP lawmakers all in an effort to turn the collapse of Afghanistan into another opportunity to push a hard-line immigration agenda.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Americans for Free Trade, a coalition of more than 150 industry associations that are united in the fight against tariffs, on Tuesday urged the Biden administration to end the "misguided trade war" initiated by the previous administration as tariffs continue to hurt American businesses across the country.

Many American businesses are still "struggling to bear the costs of tariffs" on more than 350 billion U.S. dollars in Chinese goods imposed by the previous administration, Americans for Free Trade spokesperson Jonathan Gold said in a statement.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The top UN envoy for Sudan on Tuesday called for more international support to help maintain stability in the Darfur region, as well as more resources for his UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) to better carry out its mandate.

NEW YORK, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. federal government's latest COVID-19 vaccination mandates have won support in a recent poll and the country's top pediatrician has called for medical agencies to accelerate approval of vaccines for children, as the pandemic's Delta variant keeps on victimizing unvaccinated Americans.

SUPPORT FOR VACCINE PLAN