US

US may ban laptops in cabins on some flights

US authorities have told Reuters they were planning the ban in response to an unspecified terrorism threat.

The new rule was expected to be announced as early as today by the Department of Homeland Security, the officials said, adding that it had been under consideration since the US government learned of a threat several weeks ago.

The source said the rule would cover a dozen foreign airlines flying from about a dozen countries, including some from the Middle East, and would include airlines based in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

US dismisses China proposal on N Korea military halt

The US state department said it was not "a viable deal" while the UN ambassador said North Korea was not "rational".

China's suggestion came after North Korea launched four ballistic missiles,breaking international sanctions.

Meanwhile the US has begun deploying a missile defence shield in South Korea.

It is also conducting its annual large-scale drills with the South Korean military, which routinely infuriate North Korea.

US 'may split families that cross border'

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly told CNN the move would be an attempt at stopping families from making the perilous journey from Central America.

Tens of thousands of parents and children, many who are fleeing violence in Honduras and El Salvador, have been detained coming across the border.

It can take years for their fate to be decided by the courts.

Media reports on Friday suggested the new policy would mean parents being kept in custody while they go through the legal or deportation process.

Russian, Syrian planes hit US-backed fighters

Russia's Defense Ministry denied the claim, state-sponsored Sputnik News said.

Mexico warns US over border wall funding

Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said the government could place tariffs on selected goods from US states reliant on exports to Mexico.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump vowed to start building the wall "soon, way ahead of schedule".

The US government says it will start accepting design proposals next month.

The US Customs and Border Protection Agency says it will ask companies to submit proposals "for the design and build of several prototype wall structures" on or around 6 March.

New Trump travel ban delayed until next week, White House says

President Trump had said the executive order would be announced this week, but White House officials have now told reporters it is being delayed.

The original order banned refugees and immigrants from seven mostly Muslim countries from entering the US.

The order sparked mass protests and confusion at airports, and US courts have temporarily blocked the ban.

China grants Trump a trademark he's been seeking for a decade

Trump fought unsuccessfully in Chinese courts for years to try to gain control of the trademark, but his fortunes changed suddenly last year during the latter stages of his campaign for the White House.

China's trademark review board announced in September it had invalidated a rival claim for the Trump trademark, clearing the way for Trump to move in. In November, soon after the election, it awarded the trademark to the Trump Organization. The trademark was officially registered this week after a three-month notice period for objections expired.

U.S. calls Venezuela's vice president an international drug trafficker

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said Tareck El Aissami has played a "significant role in international narcotics trafficking," a news release said.

"OFAC's action today is the culmination of a multi-year investigation under the Kingpin Act to target significant narcotics traffickers in Venezuela and demonstrates that power and influence do not protect those who engage in these illicit activities," said John Smith, acting director of OFAC.

Mexico warns citizens in US after woman deported

In a statement, the foreign ministry said the case of Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos illustrated "the new reality".

The mother-of-two was detained on Wednesday when she went for a routine check-in with immigration officials.

President Donald Trump has promised to crack down on illegal immigrants with criminal records.

Garcia de Rayos, 36, had pleaded guilty in 2009 to using forged documents to get a job and was issued with a deportation order in 2013.

US planning additional sanctions on Iran

The additional sanctions are in response to Iran's ballistic missile test Sunday. They are similar to actions taken by former President Barack Obama after Iran's previous ballistic missile tests.

In a letter to Trump Thursday, a bipartisan group of senators said "Iranian leaders must feel sufficient pressure to cease deeply destabilizing activities, from sponsoring terrorist groups to continued testing of ballistic missiles."

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