News about United States

California to recognize transgender pupil preferences Transgender students in California public schools will be able to choose which bathrooms to use and which sex-segregated sports to play.

13 August 2013

Facebook to buy firm specializing in voice translation Facebook has agreed to acquire Mobile Technologies, a firm specializing in voice translation software, the two companies said Monday, without providing financial details of the transaction.

13 August 2013

Kerry stresses US commitment to peace in Colombia Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that the United States is committed to peace in Colombia, as he began a visit expected to touch on recent US spying revelations.

13 August 2013

US plans lower sentences for drug users The United States announced plans Monday to reduce its use of mandatory sentences for drug offenses in order to tackle a cycle of poverty and incarceration in overcrowded jails.

13 August 2013

Sci-fi thriller 'Elysium' tops US box-office Science-fiction thriller "Elysium" took top spot in the North American box-office this weekend, beating out competition from raunchy Jennifer Aniston comedy "We're The Millers".

12 August 2013

Duel over Apple's punishment for e-book price-fixing US antitrust attorneys defended their push to restrict Apple in the e-books market as hearings opened Friday on how to punish the the tech giant found guilty of price-fixing.

11 August 2013

Smithsonian adds Irving Penn images to collection The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington said Friday it's ramping up its photography collection with the acquisition of 100 images from the late Irving Penn.

11 August 2013

Russia, US want Syria talks 'as soon as possible': Lavrov Moscow and Washington are in agreement about the need to stage a fresh round of Syria peace talks "as soon as possible".

11 August 2013

California wildfire injures 6, doubles in size More than 1,600 Californian firefighters are battling a blaze east of Los Angeles that has injured six people and forced hundreds to flee their homes.

10 August 2013

Some Samsung imports banned in US patent case The US International Trade Commission on Friday blocked imports of some older model Samsung mobile devices following complaints by Apple that the South Korean company had violated its patents.

10 August 2013

Latino candidate for NY mayor hopes to stir 'sleeping giant' If Adolfo Carrion's math is correct, all he needs to become the next mayor of New York is for half the city's Hispanic voters to turn out on election day.

10 August 2013

Light cast on NY subway's dead shark mystery Beachgoers came forward Thursday with a plausible explanation for why a dead shark turned up in a New York subway train two days before.

09 August 2013

Obama: Greece needs policies focused on growth and jobs US President Barack Obama called Thursday for more growth-oriented policies in Greece, saying the austerity has not been adequate to revive the country's battered economy.

09 August 2013

Brazil to raise alleged US spying during Kerry visit next week Allegations of US electronic spying in Brazil will be raised when US Secretary of State John Kerry visits the country next week.

09 August 2013

US pulls staff from Lahore consulate over 'threats' The United States on Thursday evacuated all non-emergency staff from its consulate in Lahore, Pakistan, citing "specific threats" amid a worldwide alert over Al-Qaeda intercepts.

09 August 2013

US man held after 'Facebook murder' of wife A US man was being quizzed by police on Thursday after gunning down his wife and posting a gruesome picture of her dead body on Facebook.

09 August 2013

Kazakhs charged with impeding Boston bombing probe A federal grand jury in Boston indicted two college students from Kazakhstan on Thursday for allegedly impeding investigators pursuing the Boston Marathon bombers.

09 August 2013

Syria on menu as Ban, Russia FM hold working dinner UN chief Ban Ki-moon emphasized the need to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict when he met Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday.

09 August 2013

Perseid meteoroids to produce great balls of fire Stargazers will be treated to a spectacular fireball show early next week when Earth hits a belt of comet debris known as the Perseids.

09 August 2013

Obama, Erdogan discuss Syria and Egypt US President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone Wednesday to discuss developments in Syria and Egypt.

09 August 2013

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