US & Canada

US President Joe Biden, under pressure from U.S. civil rights leaders, said on Tuesday it is a “national imperative” to pass sweeping voting rights legislation that has stalled in Congress amid Republican opposition. Numerous Republican-controlled states have approved laws that either restrict voting or change election rules following Republican former …

The US State Department said that Washington will not impose a deadline on a seventh round of talks with Tehran to revive the nuclear deal, and only Iran can determine when the talks will resume. State Department spokesman Ned Price said Washington would not impose a deadline on these talks, …

The United States has seen a nearly 50-percent spike in Covid-19 infections this week compared to last week. The US averaged 19,455 new Covid-19 cases per day over the last seven days, a 47.5-percent increase from the previous week. The latest figures appeared in a new Covid map released by the Johns …

The unprecedented wildfires are raging in the western region of the US hit by a massive heatwave that has led to record temperatures in recent days, forcing communities to evacuate. According to Press TV, firefighters have been struggling to battle the blazes under extremely difficult conditions. Two firefighters died in …

Indigenous people in Canada have discovered 160 more “undocumented and unmarked” graves in British Columbia’s Southern Gulf Islands. “We are inviting you to join us in our work to raise awareness of the Kuper Island Industrial School, and Confirmation of the 160+ undocumented and unmarked graves in our grounds and …

US President Joe Biden does not yet have enough support from fellow Democrats to secure $400 billion in spending for at-home care for the elderly and disabled that the economy desperately needs, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Monday. Raimondo, who is paying for round-the-clock care for her own 90-year-old …

A crane attached to a high-rise under construction in Kelowna, British Columbia, collapsed on Monday causing multiple fatalities, police said. Several workers were near the crane when it collapsed, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Adam MacIntosh told reporters in Kelowna, according to a video of the news conference. JUST IN: …

The shooting reportedly happened around 3:15 am local time just outside of El Paso city limits, which are a popular desert spot for off-roading, campfire parties, and underage drinking. The reasons for the incident are not yet known. A 21-year-old male individual was killed and five others were injured in …

China’s military said on Monday it “drove away” a U.S. warship that illegally entered Chinese waters near the Paracel Islands on Monday, the anniversary of an international court ruling that Beijing has no claim over the South China Sea. The USS Benfold entered the waters of the Paracels without the …

217 people now accounted for, 31 others ‘potentially unaccounted for’ at the collapse in Surfside Four more victims were pulled out from the rubble of a building that collapsed in the US state of Florida on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 90, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. Of …

Wildfires are raging in the west of the United States as the region is hit by a heatwave that has brought record temperatures to several areas. Communities have been told to evacuate as firefighters struggle to battle the blazes in the extreme conditions. Two firefighters in Arizona died when their aircraft …

China and Russia have vigorously denounced new sanctions imposed by the United States against dozens of their companies and entities. The US on Friday announced sanctions against 23 Chinese companies and other entities “for their involvement in, or risk of becoming involved in, activities contrary to interests of United States.” …

The number of people confirmed to have been killed in the collapse of a Miami-area condominium tower last month reached 86, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said on Saturday. No survivors have been pulled alive from the ruins since the first few hours after the tower partially caved in …

Russia Forest fires have broken out in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region near Kazakhstan and in north-eastern Siberia. The Ministry of Emergency Situations said it has deployed aircraft and a helicopter to fight the fires, as well as 240 personnel to Chelyabinsk where two large villages have been evacuated. Wildfires are also …

Saudi Arabia is funding a digital news platform where the regime will hire some US-based media professionals to exert political pressure on the White House and the US Congress. The new lobbying project, which has not been officially announced, is backed by a subsidiary of the Saudi Technology Development and …

The death toll from the collapse of an apartment building in Florida has risen to 79, after 14 bodies were recovered from the rubble, authorities said Friday. “It is a staggering and heartbreaking number that affects all of us very, very deeply,” said Miami-Dade county mayor Danielle Levine Cava. Champlain …

The Biden administration has added 14 Chinese companies along with 20 other entities – including some from Iran and Russia – to its economist blacklist over purported “human rights violations.” The US Commerce Department claimed on Friday that the companies had been “implicated in human rights violations and abuses in …

U.S. President Joe Biden increased pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to move against ransomware groups operating in Russia, warning the United States is prepared to respond if cyber hacks are not stopped. The two leaders held an hour-long phone call on Friday, their first since they discussed …

A 6.0 quake followed by more than 60 aftershocks — including a 5.2 shaker — struck Thursday afternoon in California, close to the Nevada border but was felt in the Bay Area. The first quake hit at 3:49 p.m., registering a magnitude 6.0 in Coleville (Mono County), followed by a …

Pfizer and BioNTech say that a third COVID-19 booster dose given about six months after the second shot improves vaccine efficacy against new coronavirus variants and that this is backed by initial data from their study on booster shots. While the COVID-19 vaccine remains 95% effective in preventing serious cases, …