Times Union

Officials and workers in the textile industry of the small African nation of Lesotho are holding their breath as a key deadline for U.S.-imposed tariffs approaches. The country came into the spotlight when it appeared at the top of President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariff list in April. Textile manufacturing is Lesotho's biggest private industry. Although Lesotho's initial tariff rate of 50% has dropped as Trump holds trade talks with various nations, for much of Lesotho the damage is already done. Читать дальше...

Texas Republicans have proposed a new congressional map that creates five additional GOP-leaning districts as they brace for a challenging midterm election in 2026. This move aims to bolster their chances of maintaining control in the U.S. House. The redrawn map comes during a special legislative session called by Republican Governor Greg Abbott. President Donald Trump has urged Texas Republicans to reshape districts in the party’s favor. Some Democratic state lawmakers have talked of walking out... Читать дальше...

One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded hit Russia’s Far East, flooding a fishing port with waves from a tsunami, cutting power to a few areas and sending some panicked residents to flee buildings but causing only a few injuries. Regional authorities say they were well prepared for the 8.8-magnitude quake and subsequent waves. A state of emergency was declared but there was no major damage. The 1,200-kilometer (750-mile)-long peninsula nine time zones east of Moscow faces the Pacific Ocean... Читать дальше...

One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded has hit off Russia’s sparsely populated Far East. It sent tsunami waves into Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast. Several people were injured, but none gravely, and no major damage has been reported so far. Authorities warned the risk from the 8.8 magnitude quake could last for hours, and millions of people potentially in the path of the waves were initially told to move away from the shore or seek high ground. The worst appeared to have passed for many areas... Читать дальше...

Officials say two kids and an adult died when a huge explosion tore through a Nebraska biofuels plant. Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg said at a news conference Wednesday, “Right now this has moved to a recovery effort.” Firefighters have battled smoke and flames smoldering in the wreckage for nearly a day. Spellerberg said the two children were waiting for the employee to get off work so they could go to a doctor’s appointment. He wasn’t sure of their exact ages but said both were under age 12. The blast happened at around noon Tuesday. Читать дальше...

A tsunami has hit coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s large northern island of Hokkaido after a powerful, 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia early Wednesday. Warnings are also in place for Alaska, Hawaii and other coasts south toward New Zealand. The Japan Meteorological Agency says a tsunami as high as 40 centimeters has been detected in 16 locations as the waves moved south along the Pacific coast. Officials urged caution, saying bigger waves could come later. Читать дальше...

The Australian government has announced YouTube will be required to ensure account holders are at least 16 years old starting in December. The decision reverses an earlier exemption for the video-sharing service. Communications Minister Anika Wells on Wednesday released rules defining “age-restricted social media platforms.” Platforms like Facebook and TikTok also will need to comply or face fines. Wells defended the move, citing research that many Australian children report harm on YouTube. Children... Читать дальше...

Shares in Asia are mixed after the U.S. and China ended their latest round of trade talks without a deal. U.S, futures edged higher while oil prices slipped. On Tuesday, U.S. stock indexes edged back from their record levels as a busy week for Wall Street gained momentum. The S&P 500 fell 0.3%, ending six straight days of records. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.5% and the Nasdaq composite sliced 0.4% off its own record. Treasury yields sank as the Federal Reserve began a two-day meeting on interest rates. Читать дальше...

NEW YORK (AP) — A shooting at a midtown Manhattan office building on Monday left multiple people dead, including an off-duty New York City police officer, officials said.

The gunman in the deadly shooting at a New York City office tower had a background in casino surveillance and once held a private security guard license. Authorities say 27-year-old Shane Tamura drove from Las Vegas to New York to carry out the attack on Monday. They say he was targeting the NFL headquarters but took the wrong elevator. Tamura killed four people then took his own life. He left a note blaming the NFL for brain injuries linked to contact sports. He claimed to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Читать дальше...

Pope Leo XIV has surprised tens of thousands of young Catholics by showing up unexpectedly at a Holy Year welcome ceremony. Leo emerged in St. Peter’s Square in his popemobile on Tuesday at the end of an evening Mass that kicked off the Jubilee of Youth. The event is a weeklong celebration for young Catholics. The estimated 120,000 young pilgrims who had packed the square erupted in shocked cheers and chants. Leo beamed for 20 minutes. He waved and clearly seemed to enjoy the outpouring of enthusiasm... Читать дальше...