(UTV|COLOMBO) – The US federal government’s move to resume executions after a 16-year hiatus has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups and leading Democrats. Several candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination called for the death penalty to be abolished. On Thursday Attorney General William Barr said five inmates would be executed. They had been convicted of…
(UTV|COLOMBO) – US rapper Meek Mill has been granted a new trial on drugs and weapons charges that date back to his teenage years after a long legal battle. Three judges in Pennsylvania ruled there were credibility issues with his original trial in 2008. The rapper, who was jailed in 2017 for a minor probation violation,…
(UTV|COLOMBO) – Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling on the FBI and Federal Trade Commission to investigate the popular smartphone application FaceApp, citing privacy concerns and fears the data could be shared with the Russian government. FaceApp, which was released in 2017, went viral this week with celebrities and other public personalities all around the…
(UTV|COLOMBO) – President Donald Trump has said the US Navy destroyed an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz. He said the USS Boxer amphibious assault ship “took defensive action” on Thursday after the drone came within about 1,000 yards (914m) of the vessel. Iran said it had no information about losing a drone. In June,…
(UTV|COLOMBO) – The US House of Representatives has voted to condemn President Donald Trump after a series of attacks aimed at four congresswomen. The symbolic resolution denounced Mr Trump’s “racist comments that have legitimised fear and hatred of New Americans and people of colour”. Mr Trump had been accused of racism and xenophobia for telling the…
(UTV|COLOMBO) – Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right president of Brazil, has invited his son to become ambassador to the US. Eduardo Bolsonaro, 35, who is currently serving as a congressman and advises his father on foreign affairs, told reporters he would accept the post if it were offered. The position of ambassador has been vacant since April….
(UTV|COLOMBO) – The US has accused Iran of a “crude and transparent attempt to extort payments from the international community” by violating the 2015 nuclear deal. The US ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency said there was no credible reason for Iran to breach two key commitments on uranium enrichment. Iran has said the steps…
(UTV|COLOMBO) – US President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into France’s planned tax on tech giants – a move that could result in retaliatory tariffs. “The United States is very concerned that the digital services tax… unfairly targets American companies,” the US trade representative said. The French parliament is expected to approve the new tax…
(UTV|COLOMBO) – Sir Kim Darroch has resigned as UK ambassador to the US, as a row over leaked emails critical of President Trump’s administration escalates. Theresa May said Sir Kim’s departure was “a matter of deep regret” after the ambassador said it was “impossible” for him to continue. Tory leadership candidate Boris Johnson has faced strong…
(UTv|COLOMBO) – North Korea has accused the US of being “hell-bent on hostile acts”, despite a recent agreement between the two countries to resume nuclear talks. Pyongyang’s delegation to the United Nations said on Wednesday that the US was “obsessed with sanctions”. It also accused Washington of attempting to “undermine the peaceful atmosphere” on the Korean…
