
Christopher Harper-Mercer was withdrawn and quiet as he grew up in southern California, spending most of his time indoors at his mother’s apartment and deflecting neighbors when they asked him how he was doing, or why he always wore the same outfit of combat boots and green Army pants. But there was one subject that got him to open up: guns.

A visibly frustrated President Barack Obama said on Thursday that thoughts and prayers are no longer enough as Americans respond to another deadly school shooting, and he challenged voters wanting to deal with the problem to vote for elected officials who will do something.

President Barack Obama met his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro on Tuesday at the United Nations and renewed calls for an end to the US trade embargo against Havana.

Argentina and the US are on collision course following president Cristina Fernandez complaint of lack of cooperation from Washington, in helping locate a former Argentine spy, head of special operations, who apparently is hiding 'or being protected' in the US, and has been summoned by prosecutors in Buenos Aires.

Blasting hard-line conservatives as “false prophets,” US House Speaker John Boehner on Sunday said Congress will avoid a government shutdown this week and he will push through as much unfinished legislation as possible before leaving at the end of October.

By Gwynne Dyer - Jeremy “Jez” Corbyn and Bernie Sanders are very much alike - and so are their ambitions. Corbyn wants to lead Britain's Labour Party into the next election and become prime minister; Sanders wants to win the Democratic Party nomination and become the next President of the United States. And then each man plans to turn his country sharply to the left.

The United States is willing to work with Iran and Russia to try to end the Syrian conflict, US President Barack Obama on Monday but insisted there could not be a return to the status quo under Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Pope Francis left Philadelphia and is headed back to Rome on Sunday night, bringing his historic trip to the U.S. and Cuba to a close. The pope's airport farewell included appearances from Vice President Joe Biden, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, as well as a performance by a high school band.

Francis was greeted by tens of thousands of people as he drove through New York City’s Central Park on Friday, a processional that marked his biggest public event in the city. An ear-piercing roar rose from the crowd as his open-sided pope-mobile made its way slowly through the park.

Vatican spokesman says that after a whirlwind day in New York City, Pope Francis is clearly tired and has some aches and pains, since he's been missing out on his physiotherapy while on the road.