North Korea Warns US Will Pay ‘Due Price’ for Pushing UN Sanctions

North Korea warned on Monday the United States would pay a “due price” for spearheading a U.N. Security Council resolution against its latest nuclear test, as Washington presses for a vote on a draft resolution imposing more sanctions on Pyongyang. South Korean officials have said after the North’s sixth nuclear test on September 3, which …

North Korea Celebrates Nuclear Scientists at Celebration Bash

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hosted a massive celebration to congratulate his nuclear scientists and technicians who steered the country’s sixth and largest nuclear test a week ago, its official news agency said on Sunday. South Korea had been bracing for another long-range missile launch in time for the 69th anniversary of North Korea’s …

Houston Fire Chief Warns of Risks From Sewer Bacteria, Alligators

Houston residents attempting to return to flooded homes after Hurricane Harvey should wear breathing masks against bacteria from the city’s sewers and watch for alligators and snakes, the city fire chief said on Saturday. More than 450,000 people in Texas’ Gulf Coast are either without water or still need to boil their water, a spokeswoman …

Hundreds Protest DACA Decision Outside Trump Hotel

Hundreds of people rallied Saturday outside the Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York City to protest the Trump administration’s decision to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation. The protesters on Saturday waved signs that read “No one is illegal” and “Immigrants welcome” and chanted “Deport Donald Trump” and “No hate, no …

Rising Ethnic Tensions in CAR Fuel Fears of Spike in Violence

The head of United Nations peacekeeping says rising ethnic tensions in Central African Republic are likely to spur greater conflict between the Muslim and Christian communities unless action is taken to defuse the situation. U.N. Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix says ethnic hate speech is running in parallel with an increase in violence in …

The Ashgabat Bootleggers

It’s dry county in Ashgabat these days after authorities banned the sale of alcohol in the run-up to the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games that Turkmenistan (AIMAG) is hosting later this month. …

US Says ‘Very Concerned’ About Alleged Abuses in Myanmar’s Rakhine State

The U.S. State Department says it is “very concerned about sustained allegations of abuses” in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state and “very focused” on restoring humanitarian assistance to that area. Patrick Murphy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Southeast Asia, told reporters by phone Friday that the United States is urging all parties to take steps …

Pope Francis Calls for Reconciliation in Colombia

Pope Francis called Friday for reconciliation in Colombia and said any efforts to permanently end the country’s more than 50-year civil conflict would “fail” without concessions. During a large open air Mass in Villavicencio, the pope said, “Every effort at peace without a sincere commitment to reconciliation is destined to fail.” He also said, “Reconciliation …

With Hurricane Looming, US Immigration Officials Cancel Planned Raids

U.S. immigration officials say the government is canceling nationwide immigration enforcement actions in the face of one devastating hurricane in Texas and a storm expected to pummel Florida over the weekend. NBC reported Thursday night about planned enforcement actions across the United States targeting 8,400 undocumented immigrants in a series of September raids described as …

5 Ex-US Presidents Team Up to Raise Money for Hurricane Victims 

They may differ on policy, but agree on one thing — hurricane victims need help. The five living former U.S. presidents — Democrats Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and Republicans George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush — have launched what they call the “One America Appeal.” It is a joint effort to …

Irma Looms as Mythical ‘Big One’ Florida Has Long Feared

They call it the Big One — a mythic, massive hurricane that would obliterate the densely populated southeast coast. And it has long been the stuff of Florida’s nightmares. Irma, it appears, could be it. The storm has triggered near-panic in a region of more than 6 million people that includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale and …

GAO Report: A Third of US Pacific Fleet Not Ready for Operations

A U.S. government watchdog said Thursday that more than a third of U.S. Navy ships based out of Japan had expired warfare training certifications, as lawmakers raised concerns about readiness after a series of collisions involving the Navy this year. The U.S. Navy recently removed Seventh Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin after a predawn …