Washington - Donald Trump's new communications chief has deleted tweets in which he shared views contrary to the US president's own, saying they were a distraction.

San Diego - Ben Affleck dismissed speculation that he is being dropped as Batman during a Warner Bros. presentation Saturday that introduced the "Justice League" and announced a sequel to summer smash hit "Wonder Woman.

New York - The UN Security Council will hold closed-door talks on Monday about deadly Israeli-Palestinian unrest over new security measures at a highly sensitive Jerusalem holy site, diplomats said.

A next-generation gene-editing system has cured a genetic blood disorder in living mice using intravenous infusion treatment.

Norfolk - President Donald Trump on Saturday presided over the commissioning of the US Navy's newest next-generation aircraft carrier -- a trip that offered a brief escape from the swirling political drama in Washington.

Boston - Cookery and baking shows are proving to be reality television hits and this has triggered a rise in sales of cookery books and home baking. Technology has chased this trend, leading to an innovative app that scans photographs for recipes.

Washington - Embattled US Attorney General Jeff Sessions discussed campaign-related issues with the Russian ambassador to Washington during the presidential race -- something Sessions has insisted he did not do, The Washington Post reported late Friday.

Chicago - A US police chief resigned Friday amid an uproar over the death of an unarmed Australian woman who had called to report a possible sexual assault and was shot by a responding officer.

Chicago - The police chief in Minneapolis resigned Friday amid an uproar over the death of an Australian woman who had called to report a possible sexual assault and was shot by a responding officer.

Oil prices were looking up at the start of 2017, with crude hitting a high of $58 a barrel in January after dropping to $27 in 2016. But oil prices have started to flounder again, and the big oil companies are preparing to do some more belt-tightening.

New York City - What is heralded as an Intelligent Asthma Management Kit has been developed to aid in the management and treatment of the chronic (lifetime) illness.

Unusual research suggests there may be a biological basis to certain forms of schizophrenia. Here researchers injected cells from schizophrenia patients into mice to observe the results.

Identifying the neuroimaging-based patterns which may offer clues for schizophrenia is complex. This task could be made easier thanks to developments with artificial intelligence.

Washington - Pentagon chief Jim Mattis said Friday that he believes Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is still alive, following various claims he was dead."I think Baghdadi's alive...

Washington - White House press secretary Sean Spicer abruptly resigned Friday in protest at a major shake-up of Donald Trump's scandal-tainted administration, as pressure mounted from a broadening investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia.

Washington - The crew of a Navy destroyer that collided with a Philippine-flagged cargo ship will "certainly" be held accountable for the crash that killed seven American sailors, a US defense official said Friday.

Washington - A key member of Trump’s legal team said he resigned his post Friday, a shake-up as Trump drew fire for apparent efforts to influence a former FBI director's probe into collusion with Russia.

Washington - The United States confirmed Friday that it plans to ban its nationals from traveling to North Korea, in the wake of the death of an American student who was imprisoned by Pyongyang during a tourist visit.

Chicago - The police chief in Minneapolis, speaking out for the first time Thursday, strongly criticized the actions of one of the city's officers who fatally shot an unarmed Australian woman.

Washington - US President Donald Trump on Thursday named veteran diplomat John Bass as his choice to become the new US ambassador in Afghanistan, ending his current posting in Ankara.