7 motorcyclist killed by pickup truck

At least 13 people, 10 of them Mexican nationals, were killed on Tuesday when a tractor-trailer slammed into a Ford Expedition crammed with 25 adults and children in the dusty farming community of Holtville near the U.S.-Mexico border, officials said. Handmade wooden crosses stretched in a line across a patch of dry grass and dirt next to the highway, and a seat covered in what appeared to be blood lay near the SUV, as the desolate highway remained closed Tuesday afternoon. The white tractor trailer cab with yellow trim was still smashed into the wrecked side of the maroon SUV. The entire driver’s side of the smaller vehicle was caved in, and the passenger side was flung wide open. “Unfortunately, consular staff have confirmed the death of 10 Mexicans so far,” Roberto Velasco, the foreign ministry’s director for North America, said in a tweet in Spanish. Mexicans were also among the injured in the crash, he said. It was not immediately clear how fast the vehicles were going, … [Read more...] about Thirteen die in collision of truck, crowded SUV near U.S.-Mexico border

An Uzbek immigrant accused of plowing a truck down a New York City bike path, killing eight people, told investigators he had been inspired by watching Islamic State videos and began planning the attack a year ago, according to a criminal complaint filed against him on Wednesday. Sayfullo Saipov, 29, who was hospitalized after he was shot by a police officer and arrested, confessed to authorities that he made a trial run with a rental truck on October 22 to practice turning the vehicle and "stated that he felt good about what he had done" after the attack, the complaint said. The 10-page charging document said Saipov waived his rights to remain silent and avoid self-incrimination in agreeing to speak to investigators without an attorney present from his bed at Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan. In the course of that interview, the complaint said, Saipov told investigators he chose Halloween for the attack because he believed more people would be on the streets and said he had … [Read more...] about Uzbek man charged in New York attack said he ‘felt good’ about what he did

LUBBOCK, Texas -- A historic winter storm has killed at least 21 people, left millions of Texans without power and spun killer tornadoes into the U.S. Southeast on Tuesday. The brutal cold has engulfed vast swaths of the United States, shuttering COVID-19 inoculation centers and hindering vaccine supplies. It is not expected to relent until the weekend. Officials in Texas drew criticism as the state energy grid repeatedly failed, forcing rolling blackouts. Freezing weather stilled giant wind turbines that dot the West Texas landscape, making it impossible for energy companies to meet escalating demand. University student Corbin Antu found a way to snowboard in the flat West Texas plains town of Lubbock. He clung to a tow rope as friends in a pickup truck pulled him up and down silent white streets. “This is my first time snowboarding out in Lubbock. Trust me, it’s not disappointing,” Antu said. “There is so much powder out on the ground it feels like it’s Colorado almost.” … [Read more...] about Texas deep freeze leaves millions without power, 21 dead

America must not let Islamic State jihadists return to or enter the U.S. after they are beaten overseas, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, hours after a deadly New York attack . "We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!" Trump tweeted. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called the attack an "act of terror" but authorities have not definitively linked the suspect who was detained afterward to IS. Eight people were killed and numerous others wounded when the suspect rammed a pickup truck into pedestrians in Lower Manhattan and collided with a school bus, officials said. Trump earlier decried the attack as an act of madness. "In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person," Trump tweeted. "Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!" IS has been dealt a string of defeats across Iraq and Syria in recent months, with authorities worried that fleeing foreign … [Read more...] about ‘We must not allow ISIS to return’ to US: Trump

The Hanoitimes - A 50% reduction in the registration fee for domestically-produced cars is seen as discriminatory treatment against imported ones. Vietnam's Ministry of Finance (MoF) has advised the government to not consider extending the 50% reduction in the registration fee for domestically-produced cars beyond its current validity which expires this year-end. Cars production at Huyndai Thanh Cong. Photo: Hoang Giang. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in May agreed to slash the registration fee, which accounts for up to 12% of the car price, helping customers save thousands of dollars and boosting sales of domestic cars. The MoF estimated state budget revenue would be reduced by VND3.7 trillion (US$160.2 million) as a result of the move. According to the MoF, a cut in the registration fee for domestic cars is seen as a short-term solution to support local cars manufacturers and assemblers who are severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, … [Read more...] about Vietnam Fin Min rules out extending supporting program for domestic cars