Officials say all 10 people aboard a jet escaped injury after the aircraft aborted takeoff at a small Northern California airport, went off the runway and burst into flames.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the twin-engine Cessna Citation slid off the end of the runway at Oroville Municipal Airport shortly before noon Wednesday. It went into dry grass and caught fire.  Gregor said it's not clear why the pilot aborted takeoff.
Gregor says the plane was flying from Oroville to Portland International Airport in Oregon. Oroville's fire chief says it was a personally chartered jet and its corporate passengers had stayed overnight in Oroville.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.

Jet catches fire in Northern California; 10 aboard unhurt

PTI Automatic

Spacewalking astronauts added another parking spot to the International Space Station on Wednesday.
NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Andrew Morgan successfully installed a docking port delivered by SpaceX last month. It will be used by SpaceX and Boeing once they start launching astronauts to the orbiting lab late this year or early next year.
The two had to wrestle with old, stiff cables in order to get power and data flowing to the port. They also attached reflectors for navigation.
"Really well done ... You gave us a brand new docking port for our next-generation spacecraft," Mission Control radioed as the 6 -hour spacewalk ended.
This is the station's second docking port for commercial crew capsules. The first was attached three years ago. The newest port was a replacement for one that was destroyed during a SpaceX launch accident in 2015.
Ever since its space shuttles retired in 2011, NASA has been limited to Russian rockets for getting astronauts to the space station. While US ...

Spacewalking astronauts add parking spot to space station

Escalating an international spat, President Donald Trump said Wednesday he scrapped his trip to Denmark because the prime minister made a "nasty" statement when she rejected his idea to buy Greenland as an absurdity.
"You don't talk to the United States that way, at least under me," Trump told reporters in Washington.
"I thought it was not a nice statement, the way she blew me off."
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the whole thing "an absurd discussion" and said she was "disappointed and surprised" that Trump had cancelled his visit.
Trump said Frederiksen's comment labelling his idea as absurd "was nasty.
I thought it was an inappropriate statement. All she had to say was say, 'No, we wouldn't be interested.'"
Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of the US ally, and Frederiksen said the US remains one of Denmark's close allies.
The political brouhaha over the world's largest island comes from its strategic location in the Arctic.
Global warming is making Greenland ..

Greenland fallout: Trump scolds Denmark over rejection

A Chinese woman accused of trespassing at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club and lying to Secret Service agents is frustrating the federal judge hearing her case as she ignores his questions and leaves him bewildered with her answers.
The woman, 33-year-old Yujing Zhang, is acting as her own attorney and faces up to six years in prison if convicted at her trial set to start in two weeks.
But for the second straight pretrial hearing, US District Judge Roy Altman accused Zhang on Tuesday of feigning ignorance and pleaded with her to work with her public defenders, whom she fired in May without explanation.
He also ruled she will be tried by a jury after she refused to respond to a prosecution suggestion that Altman decide whether she is guilty.
"I know full well that you understand what I am saying to you both in English and in Mandarin," Altman told her, alluding to the translator who whispered to her throughout the 20-minute hearing.
"I know full well you are trying to play ...

Chinese woman accused of Mar-a-Lago trespass angers judge

The Pentagon is pulling the plug on a billion-dollar, technically troubled project to build a better weapon to destroy incoming missiles.
The move is aimed in part at considering new approaches to missile defence at a time of rapid technological change.
The announced reason for cancelling the Boeing contract, effective Thursday, was that the project's design problems were so significant as to be either insurmountable or too costly to correct.
Beyond those immediate concerns, the Pentagon is considering whether it needs to start over with designing a defence against intercontinental-range ballistic missiles, such as those North Korea aspires to build, as well as newly emerging types of missiles.
One indication of that broader concern is the Pentagon's statement that it will now invite industry competition to develop a "new, next-generation interceptor"  potentially a weapon that could take on hypersonic missiles being developed by China and Russia.
The Pentagon currently has 44 missile 

Pentagon cancels billion-dollar missile defense project

Iraqi paramilitary forces backed by Iran said Wednesday they hold the United States ultimately responsible for a series of attacks targeting their bases in the country, pledging to defend themselves against any future attack.
The rare statement issued by the state-sanctioned militias known collectively as the Popular Mobilisation Forces, or PMF, said the group has accurate information that shows the US brought in four Israeli drones this year to work as part of the US fleet in Iraq and target militia positions in Iraq.
"We announce that the United States is ultimately responsible for what happened and we will hold it responsible for what will happen as of today.
We have no choice but to defend ourselves and our bases with the weapons at our disposal," said the statement, which was signed by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of the PMF.
The statement came as an Iraqi government report obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday said a massive explosion at a munitions depot run ..

Iran-backed forces blame US for attacks on bases in Iraq

Four college students were wounded when a gunman opened fire into a crowd of 200 people outside a library near Clark Atlanta University and then escaped in the chaos, authorities said.
All four injured women were in stable condition after the gunfire, which happened shortly after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. None of their injuries were life-threatening, Atlanta police said.
The shooter had not yet been apprehended Wednesday morning.
The four students were shot outside a library that serves Clark Atlanta and other nearby historically black colleges.
The block party was celebrating the end of orientation for new students.
On Wednesday, the first day of classes, there was a heavy security presence on campus and in front of the library. A couple of Atlanta police officers stood on a corner across the street.
On Tuesday night, an argument broke out between two parties and someone opened fire, investigators said.
Video aired by WXIA-TV shows dozens of students running frantically after the gunshots .

4 students shot at block party near Clark Atlanta University

A drone strike caused a massive explosion last week at a munitions depot run by an Iranian-backed militia near Iraq's capital, Baghdad, according to an Iraqi government report obtained Wednesday.
The document shows that a government investigation concluded a drone had set off the blast.
The finding deepens the question of who is behind a string of at least three mysterious explosions that have hit militia bases in Iraq over the past month.
Speculation among media and officials has ranged among a number of possible perpetrators, including Israel, Islamic State militants, the United States or rival Iraqi factions.
The Associated Press on Wednesday obtained the report outlining the conclusions of a fact-finding committee ordered by the government to investigate the August 12 explosion at the al-Saqr military base.
It said the blast was caused by a drone strike that sparked a huge fire and ruled out earlier suggestions that it was caused by an electrical short circuit or faulty storage of 

Iraq probe: Drone strike caused explosion at Baghdad base

The Department of Homeland Security is moving to end a long-standing federal court agreement that limits how long immigrant children can be kept in detention.
That's according to two DHS officials who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss regulations not made public.
They could come as early as this week.
The move is almost certain to spark a new court fight over the government's ability to hold families until their cases are decided.
The so-called Flores agreement requires the government to keep children in the least restrictive setting possible and to release them generally after 20 days in detention.
Because of those restrictions, migrant families coming into the country have been released into the US while their asylum requests wind their way through the courts.

Trump administration plans to end limits on child detention

President Donald Trump has insisted that the US already has "very, very strong background checks" for gun purchases in the latest sign that he is backing away from throwing his political support behind changes to the system that are opposed by the powerful gun lobby.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump also noted "a lot of the people that put me where I am are strong believers in the Second Amendment," and suggested he worries about blurring the contrast between Republicans and Democrats on the issue.
"We have to be very careful about that," he said.  A gradual rhetorical softening by Trump has taken place in the more than two weeks since gunmen opened fire in El Paso, Texas, then in Dayton, Ohio, leaving more than 30 people dead.
Trump said in the tragedies' wake that he was eager to implement "very meaningful background checks" and told reporters there was "tremendous support" for action.
"We don't want people that are mentally ill, people that are sick  we ...

Trump insists US already has 'strong' gun background checks

Gen David Berger, the new US Marines commandant, acknowledged Wednesday that he is concerned about deteriorating relations between Japan and South Korea, both key regional allies, but expressed hopes politicians would work out a resolution.
Berger stressed that Japan and Korea have common interests despite their differences, such as the threat posed by China and pursuing stability in Asia.
"I'm optimistic it will get worked out," said Berger, during his first trip to Japan after being appointed to his post.
Besides meetings with Japanese government and military officials, his visit also includes going to the southern islands of Okinawa, where most of the US forces here are based. He heads to South Korea later this week.
Bilateral relations worsened after Tokyo removed South Korea's preferential trade status in early July. South Korea has decided to do the same to Japan, with the new rules taking effect in September.
Seoul sees Japan's move as retaliation for South Korean court rulings 

US Marines chief acknowledges worries on Japan-Korean ties

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has told the UN Security Council that greater cooperation and "fresh thinking to solve old problems" are needed in the Middle East  but he also condemned Iran and its proxies for continuing "to foment terror and unrest" in the region.
America's top diplomat said "time is running short" to keep a UN arms embargo on Iran and a travel ban on the head of the country's elite Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, warning that ending such sanctions will "create new turmoil" by the country's "terror regime." The embargo and ban expire in October 2020.
"Failing to confront the Iranian regime's malign activities will only grow the regime's multi-continental body count spanning the last 40 years," he warned.
Pompeo was one of more than 30 speakers at a Security Council meeting about the complex challenges confronting the Middle East. He faced sharp criticism from Russia and Iran, and milder criticism over Trump administration policies from several Western allies.
Pompeo .

Pompeo urges fresh thinking on Mideast, warns Iran

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson begins his high-stakes European tour on Wednesday by travelling to Germany for meetings with Chancellor Angela Merkel as he seeks to persuade the European Union to reopen talks on Brexit.
The meeting comes as positions on Britain's divorce from the EU have hardened on both sides of the English Channel, hurtling Britain toward a no-deal exit that would damage both economies.
The EU refuses to renegotiate the deal it hammered out with Johnson's predecessor. But his office says "there's no prospect of a deal" unless the EU scraps controversial language designed to prevent the return of border checks on the Irish border but could leave Britain tied to the bloc indefinitely.
"I think it's a bit paradoxical that the EU side is talking about us putting up all the barriers. We've made it clear 1,000 times we don't want to see any checks on the Northern Irish frontier at all," Johnson told ITV. "By contrast, it is the EU who currently claim that the single .

Merkel hosts UK PM Johnson in Berlin as Brexit drama grows

A judge on Tuesday acquitted a Mississippi lawmaker of a domestic violence charge in which he was accused of punching his wife in the face because she didn't undress quickly enough when he wanted to have sex.
George County Justice Court Judge Mike Bullock found state Rep. Doug McLeod not guilty of a misdemeanor domestic violence charge during a one-day bench trial after McLeod's wife testified on her husband's behalf.
The Sun Herald reports Michele McLeod testified that her husband drank less than two tumblers full of wine, mixing them with prescription-strength painkiller on May 18. Michele McLeod said Doug McLeod was "in a state of delirium" when one of his limbs, "probably his arm," hit her face.
Michele McLeod had refused to cooperate with or testify for the prosecution.
Before announcing his verdict, Bullock said that he could understand after hearing the wife's testimony how Doug McLeod could have struck her accidentally.
Michele McLeod's testimony contrasted with body camera ...

Judge acquits Mississippi lawmaker accused of punching wife

Thailand's government on Wednesday announced a plan to set up a center to combat unverified news on social media platforms, rejecting concerns that it might be used to suppress free speech.
The planned center's goal would be to fight all kinds of fake news, with a focus on misinformation about disasters and financial matters, Minister of Digital Economy and Society Buddhipongse Punnakanta said.
"Fake news is embedded within every aspect of our society, so it's very hard to specifically pinpoint anything right now besides the obvious problems, disasters and financial news, but as we progress  slowly but effectively  we'll try to cover every aspect possible," Buddhipongse said at a news conference.
He said the center would also teach media literacy and launch a website that would act as a digital verifier of news that people suspected of being fake.
"People can submit any news they're suspicious of being unauthenticated, or that could incite fear and confusion to the public, to the ...

Thailand to set up center to combat 'fake news'

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed they shot down a US drone over the country's north, as a leading rights group said Wednesday the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis killed at least 47 Yemeni fishermen in bombing attacks on fishing boats last year.
Yahia Sarie, a military spokesman for the Iran-backed Houthis, said in a statement their air defenses downed a U.S. MQ-9 drone on Tuesday over the northern city of Dhamar. He said the drone was hit by a missile.
The US military's Central Command said it was aware of claims that an American MQ-9 Reaper drone had been shot down over Yemen, but declined to elaborate.
In June, the U.S. said an MQ-9 Reaper was shot down by the Houthis. It said Iran helped the Yemeni rebels bring down the drone.
The conflict in Yemen began with the 2014 takeover of Sanaa by the Houthis, who drove out the internationally recognized government. In March 2015, the coalition launched its air campaign to prevent the rebels from overrunning the south.
Also on ...

Rebels claim downing US drone over Yemen

China said on Wednesday that it will levy sanctions against US companies linked to a planned USD 8 billion sale of advanced F-16V fighter jets to Taiwan in a move that has further strained Sino-American relations.
The US should "immediately back away" from the arms sale proposal, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily briefing.
Geng said China urges the US to "stop arms sales to and military interactions with Taiwan" or otherwise "bear all the consequences arising from it."
"China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its own interests, including imposing sanctions on US companies involved in this arms sale to Taiwan," Geng said. He did not elaborate on any specific measures.
The Trump administration informed Congress last week that it plans to sell the warplanes despite repeated warnings from China. Earlier this week, the US State Department approved the sale.
Beijing fiercely opposes all arms sales to Taiwan, which it regards as a renegade province, ..

China says it will sanction US firms in Taiwan warplane sale

The foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea met in Beijing on Wednesday as they seek to encourage progress on North Korean denuclearization.
The trilateral discussion took place amid tense relations between Japan and South Korea over export controls.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China will work with the two countries to maintain multilateralism and free trade and commit to the region's stability.
He met with Japan's Taro Kono and South Korea's Kang Kyung-wha.
Ties between Japan and South Korea have been strained since Japan tightened export controls on key materials for South Korea's semiconductor industry and decided to downgrade the nation's trade status.
Seoul accuses Tokyo of weaponizing trade to retaliate for political rows over wartime history.
China and South Korea only recently began healing ties after Beijing exacted painful economic retaliation on South Korea over Seoul's decision to host a powerful U.S. missile defense system.
Wang met separately with ...

Chinese foreign minister meets Japanese, Korean counterparts

President Donald Trump acknowledged Tuesday his aggressive China trade policies may mean economic pain for Americans but insisted they're needed for more important long-term benefits.
He contended he does not fear a recession but is nonetheless considering new tax cuts to promote growth.
Asked if his trade war with China could tip the country into recession, Trump brushed off the idea as "irrelevant" and said it was imperative to "take China on." "It's about time, whether it's good for our country or bad for our country short term," he said.
Paraphrasing a reporter's question, Trump said, "Your statement about, 'Oh, will we fall into a recession for two months?' OK? The fact is somebody had to take China on." The president indicated that he had no choice but to impose the tariffs that have been a drag on U.S. manufacturers, financial markets and, by some measures, American consumers.
Trump was clear that he didn't think the nation is at risk of a recession and that a boom was possible 

US-TRUMP-LD CHINA

Iran's president sent a bill to parliament Wednesday that would cut four zeroes from the value of the Islamic Republic's sanctions-battered currency, the rial, as tensions remain high between Tehran and Washington.
By sending the bill to lawmakers, President Hassan Rouhani's government shows it is serious about an idea discussed for some time in Iran, where people discuss monetary transactions in both rials and informally but more commonly in tomans. A toman is worth 10 rials.
If passed by parliament and approved by lawmakers, Iran's Central Bank would in effect devalue the rial and rename it as toman.
The bank would have two years to create the new toman currency, returning a currency name that has not been officially used since the 1930s.
Authorities have given no estimate for the cost of creating the new currency.
Iran's rial has been battered by increasing U.S. sanctions on the country since President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers ..

Iran moves to strike 4 zeroes from its battered currency

German authorities say they have found 46 guns in the possession of three men suspected in the killing of a regional official from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party.
A spokesman for Germany's interior ministry on Wednesday confirmed a report in daily Tagesspiegel, adding the investigation of the weapons is still ongoing.
Walter Luebcke, who led the Kassel regional administration in central Germany, was shot dead at his home on June 2.
A 45-year-old German man with a string of convictions for violent anti-migrant crimes, Stephan Ernst, was later arrested as the alleged killer. He first admitted to carrying out the killing but later retracted his confession.
Authorities are also investigating two other men, who are accused of accessory to murder for allegedly helping Ernst get the murder weapon.
Luebcke was known for supporting the welcoming policy toward refugees that Merkel adopted during an immigration influx in 2015.

AP

AP

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