US President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced that his nation will hand over two ships to the Philippine Navy to boost its maritime security capabilities, in a bid to show the US and its allies won’t be cowed by Beijing in disputed waters in the South China Sea. Source: SCMP
Maine’s largest city will no longer celebrate Columbus Day as a municipal holiday. The Portland City Council voted unanimously Monday to designate the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The vote came after nearly an hour of public comment. Source pressherald
The UN Security Council on Sept. 21 warned that a referendum on independence by Iraq’s Kurdistan region was potentially destabilizing, adding its weight to international opposition to the vote. Source: Daily News
Donald Trump ordered new sanctions on Thursday that open the door wider to blacklisting people and entities doing business with N. Korea, including its shipping and trade networks, further tightening the screws on its nuclear and missile program. Source: France 24
