USA

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- A federal agency released a preliminary report Thursday on the derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this month.

The report issued by the National Transportation Security Board (NTSB) said the Norfolk Southern train passed three hot bearing detectors (HBD) on its trip before the derailment on the night of Feb. 3.

The function of the HBD is to detect overheated bearings and provide audible real-time warnings to train crews.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fresh from a meeting with China’s top diplomat and a U.N. Security Council session on Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Central and South Asia next week for international talks that will put him in the same room as his Chinese and Russian counterparts.

The State Department announced late Thursday that Blinken would travel to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan before going to India for a meeting of the Group of 20 foreign ministers from the world’s largest industrialized and developing countries, including China and Russia.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — It’s early yet, but next year’s presidential race may feature something the political world hasn’t seen in the last 50 years: no Texans.

The Texas-size hole in the field will be on stark display Friday at a closed Republican donor event outside the state capital, Austin, featuring the likes of former Vice President Mike Pence, who is expected to mount a campaign, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who announced her bid last week.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — When Miya Iwataki and other Japanese Americans fought in the 1980s for the U.S. government to apologize to the families it imprisoned during World War II, Black politicians and civil rights leaders were integral to the movement.

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) — The crew operating a freight train that dera0iled in East Palestine, Ohio, didn’t get much warning before dozens of cars went off the tracks, and there is no indication that crew members did anything wrong, federal investigators said Thursday as they released a preliminary report into the fiery wreck that prompted a toxic chemical release and an evacuation.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A coast-to-coast storm that paralyzed roads and blacked out nearly 1 million homes and businesses was set to pound California on Friday, sparking warnings about floods and blizzards.

The National Weather Service warned of a “cold and dangerous winter storm” through Saturday. As much as 5 feet (1.5 meters) of snow could fall in some mountains near Los Angeles, which could create whiteout conditions as winds gust to 75 mph (120 kph) and an increased risk of avalanches, forecasters said.

23 Feb 2023; MEMO: One of the daughters of Malcolm X (Malik El-Shabazz), Dr Ilyasah Shabazz is planning to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the FBI, CIA, New York City Police Department (NYPD) and other agencies over his assassination.

24 Feb 2023; MEMO: Shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine started, reports emerged of Afghan special forces – who were fleeing the Taliban – fighting as guns for hire on the Ukrainian side in the battle for Mariupol.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Police in Orange County, Florida, took into custody Wednesday night a suspect in a series of shootings that left three people dead.

The victims are a woman in her 20s, a 9-year-old girl and a news company employee, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

The suspect, identified as 19-year-old Keith Melvin Moses, is said to have a lengthy criminal history.

The girl's mother and a second crew member from the news company are reportedly in critical condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday that an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine is "a clear and present danger."

"Over the past year, not only have we seen suffering and devastation grow, it is also becoming more evident just how much worse it could all still become. The possible consequences of a spiraling conflict are a clear and present danger," he told a resumed emergency special session of the UN General Assembly.