site.news_by_theme United States
Insiders focus of US military chief's Afghan trip
The top US military officer Martin Dempsey flew Sunday to Afghanistan to hold talks with senior commanders amid a spate of attacks by Afghan soldiers on their NATO counterparts.
20 August 2012
Nyad braves night of jellyfish on Cuba-Florida swim
US endurance swimmer Diana Nyad pressed on Sunday in her bid to swim from Cuba to Florida after a night of being swarmed and stung by jellyfish as she paddling through choppy seas.
20 August 2012
Arizona governor limits immigrant benefits
On the day undocumented migrants lined up across the US to apply for deportation deferrals, Arizona's governor ordered state agencies to deny them driver's licenses and other benefits.
20 August 2012
'Expendables 2' guns to top of N. America box office
All-star action romp "The Expendables 2" opened on top at the North American box office this week, pushing another sequel, "The Bourne Legacy," off the summit.
20 August 2012
US army judge declines Fort Hood shooter's guilty plea
A US soldier accused of killing 13 people at a Texas army base on Wednesday tried to plead guilty, but the judge refused to accept it and the trial was unexpectedly adjourned until next week.
20 August 2012
Limbless Frenchman swims between US, Russian islands
Quadruple amputee Philippe Croizon swam between islands in the icy Bering Strait Friday to cross from America to Asia in the final part of a quest to link all continents.
19 August 2012
New spider family found in US caves
A team of amateur cave explorers and arachnologists has found a new family of spiders in caves and old-growth redwood forests in Oregon and California.
19 August 2012
US men prefer beer, women love wine
US men like to drink beer, though wine is the beverage of choice for women and older adults, a poll showed Friday.
19 August 2012
Australia 'preparing' for Assange extradition to US
Australia confirmed Saturday that its diplomatic post in Washington had been preparing for Julian Assange's possible extradition to the US but played it down as "contingency planning".
19 August 2012
Arrests, breasts, chainsaws: Punk world backs Pussy Riot
A topless Ukrainian feminist felled a cross with a chainsaw, balaclava-clad New Yorkers braved arrest to picket an Orthodox church and Bulgarian punks re-decorated a war memorial.
18 August 2012
US Christian lobby blames law center over shooting
A US Christian conservative lobbying group on Thursday accused a civil rights organization of provoking the man who allegedly shot a security guard in its Washington headquarters.
18 August 2012
Mars rover takes 'cool' detour: NASA
The US space agency NASA's Mars rover Curiosity will make a wide detour to explore a geographical hot spot on Mars because "it looks cool".
18 August 2012
Well-wishers donate $4.4 mn to US cinema shooting victims
Well-wishers from the US and around the world have donated $4.4 million to a fund for the victims of a mass shooting at a US movie theater.
18 August 2012
'Hunger Games' dethrone Potter at Amazon.com
Amazon.com on Friday announced that "The Hunger Games" trilogy has replaced the "Harry Potter" saga as the online retail giant's best-selling series of books.
18 August 2012
Manchester United shares fall below IPO price
Shares in legendary football club Manchester United closed below their IPO price for the first time Thursday, as apparent price support efforts gave out after five days of trade.
18 August 2012
New Yorkers against super-size soda ban
An overwhelming majority of New Yorkers oppose Mayor Michael Bloomberg's unprecedented proposal for banning super-sized sweet drinks and his support for breastfeeding.
18 August 2012
Americans back guns, even after shootings: poll
An overwhelming majority of Americans, particularly whites, are adamant about the constitutional right to bear arms, a poll showed this week amid a rash of shootings across the US.
17 August 2012
US Army reports spike in suicides
Suicides among US Army soldiers more than doubled in July compared to June, the Pentagon said Thursday, the latest evidence of a worrisome trend that has vexed military leaders.
17 August 2012
Standard Chartered fined $340m over Iran deals
Standard Chartered on Tuesday settled allegations that it helped Iranian clients dodge US sanctions, announcing a fine of $340 million from a New York banking watchdog.
17 August 2012
Young Elvis tribute artists keep the flame burning
Elvis Presley was long dead when he entered the life of Victor Trevino for ever.
17 August 2012