United States

US qualify for Rugby League World Cup

Danny Howard, who plays for Sydney club Wentworthville in the NSW Cup, scored three of his side's eight tries in Jacksonville.

It confirmed the Hawks' place at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand following their success at the 2013 World Cup in which they were surprise quarter-finalists before going down 62-0 to the Kangaroos.

Howard and brother Stephen were born in Los Angeles before their family moved back to Canberra when they were young.

US congratulates Solomons Police Force at graduation

He also donated equipment valued at about $200,000 to Solomon Islands for use in unexploded ordnance (UXO) recovery. 

Ambassador North praised the RSIPF and U.S. military divers for their teamwork in this important endeavour: “The United States values its longstanding relationship with the Solomon Islands and appreciates the efforts of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force in rehabilitating the contaminated areas.” 

Unexploded ordnance remaining from World War 11 still impacts Solomon Islands.

US put territory climate measures at high priority

The Office of Insular Affairs is accepting applications for 2016 technical assistance which will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis until funds are exhausted.

Assistant Secretary Esther Kia'aina says the island communities continue to face extreme climate events, including typhoons and hurricanes, storm surges, high winds and king tides.

Ms Kia'aina says the areas are also feeling the effects of slow, progressive climate-induced stresses, such as sea level rise, ocean acidification, coral bleaching and saline intrusion into water systems.

US book drive collects for Samoa

Launched in July, the book drive aimed to get 1,000 youth and children's books for Upolu and Savai'i Islands but donations now number nearly ten times that figure.

In addition to individual donations, Pittsburgh-based charity Brother's Brother will be supplying a 20-foot shipping container of text books and children's literature to arrive in Apia in mid-November.

About 9,000 books are expected to leave Pittsburgh later this week.

Europe, US split over form of Syria talks

The Europeans invoke the success of the Iran nuclear talks in arguing for a similar format — with key additions.

Iran negotiated with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany to reach their July 14 agreement. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Wednesday called for a similar arrangement "enlarged with regional partners."

The Americans, in contrast, want a tighter group, without the Europeans.

Prince William's anti-illegal wildlife trade campaign backed by Obama

But when Prince William did, he urged them both to add their political muscle and influence to the ongoing fight against illegal wildlife trade.

And both world leaders must have felt William's passion for the cause as President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping have issued a joint statement on their countries' aims to combat wildlife trafficking.

American Samoa Governor says US must protest fishing zone

Lolo Moliga has asked the US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker to reject the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council's resolution to allow longliners access.

If the council's resolution is approved it would temporarily allow vessels of 15 metres or longer to fish within 20 kilometres of the territory's shores.

At the moment the area up to 80 kilometres offshore is reserved for alia fishing.

DC crowds cheer pope; he calls for climate action

President Barack Obama, in turn, hailed the pontiff as a moral force who is "shaking us out of our complacency" with reminders to care for the poor and the planet.

The White House mustered all the pageantry it had to offer as the pope arrived Wednesday before adoring crowds of thousands and a nation that seemingly cannot get enough of the humble pontiff who is rejuvenating American Catholicism while giving heartburn to some of its conservatives.

Trump says not 'morally obligated' to defend Obama

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has said he was not morally obligated to defend US President Barack Obama after he let pass unchallenged a questioner's assertion that the US leader is a Muslim.

In a rapid-fire series of tweets on Saturday, the billionaire real estate mogul responded to a barrage of criticism of his handling of the incident, which came from Democrats and one fellow Republican candidate, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

Kerry: Russian fighter jets in Syria raise serious questions

U.S. officials say Russia moved a small number of fighter jets to a base in Syria on Friday, hours after U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter talked with Russia Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in the first military contacts between the two countries in some time.

"Clearly, the presence of aircraft with air-to-air combat capacity ... raises serious questions," Kerry said, responding to a question after meeting with British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond.