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Military police enforce driving ban on snow-stricken roads in US's Buffalo

State and military police were sent Tuesday to keep people off Buffalo's snow-choked roads, and officials kept counting fatalities three days after western New York's deadliest storm in at least two generations. Amid some signs of progress suburban roads and most major highways in the area reopened County Executive Mark Poloncarz warned that police would be stationed at entrances to Buffalo and at major intersections to enforce a ban on driving within New York's second-most populous city. Too many people are ignoring the ban, Poloncarz, a Democrat, said at a news conference. Officials said more than 30 people had died in the region, including seven storm-related deaths that Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown's office announced Tuesday. The toll surpasses that of the historic Blizzard of 1977, blamed for killing as many as 29 people in a region known for harsh winter weather. The National Weather Service predicted that as much as 2 inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) more snow could fall Tuesda

Thousands stranded at airports as airlines cancel flights amid storm in US

Disruptions likely to continue throughout the week; cancelled flights are making weary home-bound travellers sleep on floors

Ukrainian Prez Zelensky hopes for quick implementation of US agreements

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has voiced his hope for a quick implementation of agreements with the US reached during his visit to Washington last week.

Oil rises in thin trade on concerns over winter storm impact across US

Brent crude was up 73 cents, or 0.9%, at $84.65 a barrel by 0122 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $80.41 a barrel, up 85 cents, or 1.1%

US govt declares power emergency in Texas amid Arctic winter blast

The US Energy Department has declared a power emergency in the country's second-largest state Texas amid an Arctic winter blast that was feared to cause a shortage of electricity in the state

18 dead as strong winter storm brings rain, snow, cold waves across US

A frigid winter storm killed at least 18 people as it swept across the country, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses and leaving millions of people on edge about the possibility of Christmas Eve blackouts. The storm unleashed its full fury on Buffalo, New York, with hurricane-force winds causing whiteout conditions. Emergency response efforts were paralysed and the city's international airport was shut down. Across the U.S., officials have attributed deaths to exposure, car crashes, a falling tree limb and other effects of the storm. At least three people died in the Buffalo area, including two who suffered medical emergencies in their homes and couldn't be saved because emergency crews were unable to reach them amid historic blizzard conditions. Deep snow, single-digit temperatures and day-old power outages sent Buffalo residents scrambling Saturday to get out of their houses to anywhere that had heat. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the Buffalo Niaga

Ban on TikTok's use on US govt devices likely to trigger more prohibitions

There could be more Congressional prohibitions against TikTok after a new ban on the use of Chinese social media app on US government devices with lawmakers keen on more action

Thousands in US's Texas off power amid freezing temp due to Arctic blast

Thousands of people were without power as the Arctic blast rushed into the south-central US state of Texas, bringing freezing temperatures expected to last through Christmas

North Korea fires ballistic missile days after US-South Korea joint drills

South Korea says North Korea has fired a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch was made on Friday but gave no further details like what type of weapon North Korea fired and how far it flew. The launch was three days after the US flew nuclear-capable bombers and advanced stealth jets near the Korean Peninsula for joint training with South Korean warplanes. North Korea typically views such military exercises by the US and South Korea as an invasion rehearsal.

Migrants near US border wait for asylum ruling amid falling temperatures

Hairdresser Grisel Garcs survived a harrowing, four-month journey from her native Venezuela through tropical jungles, migrant detention centres in southern Mexico and then jolting railcar rides north toward the U.S. border. Now on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande across from El Paso, Texas, she's anxiously awaiting a pending U.S. Supreme Court decision on asylum restrictions expected to affect her and thousands of other migrants at crossings along some 3,100 kilometers of border from Texas to California. And she's doing so while living outside as winter temperatures plunge over much of the U.S. and across the border. She told of fleeing economic hardship only to find more hardship, such as now having to shiver through temperatures colder than any she's ever experienced. Riding the train was bad. Here the situation is even worse. You just turn yourself over to God's mercy, said Garcs, who left a school-aged daughter behind, hoping to reach the U.S. with her husband. Their savings

House Jan 6 panel urges Congress to weigh barring Donald Trump from office

In its final report issued, the committee called for assessing whether anyone, possibly including Trump, who took an oath of public office and later stoked the insurrection should be disqualified

US House Jan 6 panel recommends steps to safeguard electoral integrity

In its final report issued Thursday, the committee called for closing loopholes and boosting security for the congressional count of presidential electors, while also strengthening the Capitol Police

House Jan 6 comittee releases report blasting Trump for Capitol assault

The House Jan. 6 committee's final report asserts that Donald Trump criminally engaged in a multi-part conspiracy to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol, concluding an extraordinary 18-month investigation into the former president and the violent insurrection two years ago. The 814-page report released Thursday comes after the panel interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses, held 10 hearings and obtained millions of pages of documents. The witnesses ranging from many of Trump's closest aides to law enforcement to some of the rioters themselves detailed Trump's actions in the weeks ahead of the insurrection and how his wide-ranging pressure campaign to overturn his defeat directly influenced those who brutally pushed past the police and smashed through the windows and doors of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The central cause of January 6th was one man, former President Donald Trump, who many

US ready to help China with vaccines to control Covid: State Secy Blinken

"We want to see China get this outbreak under control," Blinken told a press conference

Ukraine welcomes president Zelenskyy back from US; Putin dismisses trip

Ukrainians welcomed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy back from a wartime visit to the United States, hailing his trip as successful while Russian officials said on Thursday that the visit only fuelled the conflict. The US has announced a new USD 1.8 billion military aid package, including supplies of the Patriot air defense systems, the most powerful such weapons to be delivered to Ukraine yet. They say they may send Patriot there, fine, we will crack the Patriot too, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters, adding that the deliveries will only extend the fighting. Those who do it do so in vain, it only drags out the conflict. Ukranians saw their president's trip as a rousing success. It's an historical visit, the first one since the war began, said Illia Shvachko, a 32-year-old computer specialist in Kyiv. Getting weapons helps. Putin reaffirmed that Russia is ready for talks with Ukraine on ending the conflict. One way or another, all armed conflicts end with talks, Putin

Kerala sounds alert, asks districts to step up surveillance on Covid-19

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that a general alert has been issued in the state due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in some countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and US

Zelenskyy tells US Congress he proposed 10-point peace formula to Biden

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the US Congress that he proposed a 10-point peace formula during his meeting with President Joe Biden, which he hoped would result in joint security guarantees for decades ahead. Zelenskyy, 44, met President Biden in the Oval Office and jointly addressed a press conference at the White House on Wednesday. He was given the rare distinction of addressing a joint session of the US Congress on a day packed with back-to-back meetings. We need peace. Ukraine has already offered proposals, which I just discussed with President Biden, our peace formula, ten points which should and must be implemented for our joint security guarantees for decades ahead. And the summit, which can be held, Zelenskyy said in his historic address to the joint session of the Congress. He said that any such discussions would also depend on Russia's willingness to negotiate and the participation of the international legal order, even as he slammed Russian President ...

New Omicron subvariants account for nearly 70% of new Covid-19 cases in US

New Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 have accounted for about 70 per cent of new Covid-19 cases in the US as the country's overall caseload has surpassed 100 million

US condemns Taliban's restrictions on women's education in Afghanistan

The United States has condemned the recent decision of the Taliban with regard to imposing restrictions on education of women in Afghanistan. The United States condemns the Taliban's indefensible decision to prevent Afghan women from receiving a university-level education, White House NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said on Tuesday. This deplorable decision is the latest effort by Taliban leadership to impose additional restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan and prevent them from exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms, he said. As a result of this unacceptable stance to hold back half of the population of Afghanistan, the Taliban will be further alienated from the international community and denied the legitimacy they desire, Watson said. The United States is in touch with our partners and allies on this issue. We will continue to take steps to advance our shared efforts to support Afghan women and girls and provide robust humanitarian support to the people

Chinese aggression another reason to boost ties with India: US lawmakers

The latest Chinese aggression against India is yet another reminder of strong India-US ties, top American lawmakers have said. China's most recent aggression in Arunachal Pradesh is yet another reminder of why a strong security partnership with India is crucial to the national security of the United States and our allies, India Caucus Co-Chairs said in a statement. This event marks yet another threat of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the Indian territory, including China's premeditated aggression on the Line of Actual Control in 2020 which saw the death of approximately 20 Indian troops, the co-chairs said. As co-chairs of the India Caucus, we have worked for years to deepen the US-India bilateral relationship. The India Caucus built on this progress by including the Khanna-Sherman-Schweikert amendment in the House-passed FY23 NDAA, highlighting the immediate and serious regional border threats that India faces from China, said the statement. The co-chairs applauded the ..