Page 100 - United States

'Happy tears': Sunisa Lee's gold sparks joy at home in Minnesota

There were cheers and screams and happy tears for one of their own, and unending delight for what many saw as an Only in America story. Sunisa Lee captured the women's all-around gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday, a triumph that wowed all of Minnesota but carried special resonance in the state's close-knit Hmong American community, one of the largest in the United States. I can't find the words to express how happy we are, how important that was to me and my family and to the whole Hmong community throughout the world, John Lee, father of one of the brightest lights now in Tokyo, told The Associated Press. We never expected gold, but she came through. She did it. That she did, and dozens of her family and friends gathered early in the morning at a suburban St. Paul event center to watch the gymnastics broadcast from Tokyo. Sunisa Lee got an opening when reigning Olympic champion Simone Biles withdrew from the all-around competition to focus on her mental health. There

US urges UN Security Council to press Myanmar to return to democracy

A senior US diplomat urged the UN Security Council on Thursday to press Myanmar's military to stop violence and restore democracy

Covid-19 pandemic: Big Tech makes jabs mandatory, Twitter closes offices

Twitter started allowing employees back to its campuses in San Francisco and New York

US economy returns to pre-pandemic size, grows 1.6% in Q2: Report

On an annualised basis, second-quarter growth was 6.5 per cent

Congressman slams CDC for new mask mandate, says it's based on India's data

A top Republican leader has slammed the ruling Democratic party and the Center for Disease Prevention and Control for reimposing a mask mandate for vaccinated people in certain circumstances

Tokyo 2020: US rowers looks to extend Olympic dynasty in women's eight

For more than a decade and across three Olympics, there was no greater force in women's rowing than the American eight boat. Three consecutive Olympic gold medals. Eleven years undefeated at major international meets. But all dynasties eventually end. Once upon a time, East Germany dominated the event. Then it was the Romanians cruising the waters before the Americans took over. And while the U.S. crew that lines up in Friday's Tokyo Olympics final still ranks among the medal favorites, its swagger and reputation as unbeatable were wobbled and broken since its Olympic title in 2016, as other countries started winning. Romania won the world championship in 2017, a particularly galling defeat as the Americans didn't even medal. New Zealand stormed to the title in 2019. "Yes, we were dominant for many years, but everyone forgets that each year is largely a new squad, and with that comes unknowns," said Meghan Musnicki, who won gold with the U.S. eight boat in 2012 and 2016 and is one

US, Russia hold 'substantive and professional' arms talks, amid tensions

The US and Russia held "substantive and professional" talks on arms control and other strategic issues, the State Department said in a statement.

US lawmakers pilot bill to end plan allowing foreign students to stay back

A group of US lawmakers has reintroduced a legislation in the House of Representatives to eliminate a programme which allows foreign students to stay in the country for work

US extends expiration dates on J&J coronavirus vaccine to 6 months

Federal health regulators on Wednesday again extended the expiration dates on Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, providing health workers with six more weeks to use millions of doses of the shot. The Food and Drug Administration said in a letter to J&J that the shots remain safe and effective for at least six months when properly stored and refrigerated. It's the second time the FDA has extended the shelf life on the vaccines since June, when the agency said they could be used for up to 4 1/2 months. When first authorized in February, the FDA said the vaccines could be stored for three months at normal refrigeration levels. Health authorities in many states had recently warned that they could be forced to throw out thousands of doses of the one-shot vaccine without an extension. The change gives health providers more time to use remaining shots sitting at pharmacies, hospitals and clinics. After plateauing earlier this summer, vaccination rates have begun climbing again as .

US 'really messed it up in Afghanistan', says Pakistan PM Imran Khan

"I think the US has really messed it up in Afghanistan," Khan said during an interview

United States goods trade deficit widens; inventories increase

The report was published ahead of Thursday's advance second-quarter gross domestic product data.

US bounces back from Tokyo Olympic-opening loss, routs Iran 120-66

The US basketball team got back to winning and winning easily

Tokyo Olympics: Simone Biles withdraws from women's all-around final

Simone Biles, the defending champion in all-around event of women's artistic gymnastics, has withdrawn from the Tokyo Olympic Games competition to be held on Thursday "to focus on her mental health".

US lawmakers press corporate sponsors to boycott Beijing Winter Olympics

A group of US lawmakers on Tuesday (local time) urged corporate sponsors to back out of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, over human rights violations in China's Xinjiang province.US Congressmen invited the representatives from domestic firms who sponsor the Olympics to a hearing to address how they could leverage their influence to insist on concrete human rights improvements in China.Senator Jeff Merkley, chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), in his opening remarks said the hearing was not meant to attack or embarrass individual companies but rather to explore how key Olympic movement stakeholders, corporate stakeholders, could use their influence to ensure the Olympics live up to its values."Holding the 2022 Winter Olympics in China and allowing its authoritarian government to reap the rewards in its prestige and propaganda of hosting this globally-beloved event does not uphold the Olympic spirit," he said.Representative James McGovern said, "unless things ...

Katie Ledecky easily wins 1500 freestyle in Tokyo, her first gold of games

US star Katie Ledecky has finally collected her first gold medal of the Tokyo Games. Ledecky has won the 1,500-meter freestyle, which made its Olympic debut for women this year. That helped the American star make up for what has so far been the worst showing of her Olympic career. About an hour after finishing fifth in the 200-meter freestyle, Ledecky held off teammate Erica Sullivan to win the metric mile in 15 minutes, 37.34 seconds. Sullivan claimed the silver in 15:41.41, while Germany's Sarah Kohler grabbed the bronze in 15:42.91.

In first visit to intel agency, Joe Biden warns of cyber conflict

President Joe Biden used his first visit with rank-and-file members of the US intelligence community to make a promise that he will never politicise their work

Oil rises on US fuel drawdowns despite surging coronavirus cases

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 43 cents, or 0.6%, to $72.08 a barrel at 0119 GMT, reversing Tuesday's 0.4% decline.

Olympics: ROC breaks US dominance, wins team gold in artistic gymnastics

The Russian Olympic Committee(ROC) team comprises of Angelina Melnikova, Vladislava Urazova, Lilia Akhaimova, and 2021 European all-round champion Viktoria Listunova

The Taliban: what could its return to power mean for Afghanistan?

To understand the group that is poised to return to power in Afghanistan, and what we might expect from its rule, we need a much more nuanced picture.

Is Covid-19 coming back in 2021? Countries face a distressing reality check

Vaccination disparity is creating an economic wedge as richer countries recover more quickly than less-wealthy ones.