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WASHINGTON - The U.S. Congress faces a tight deadline to avoid a government shutdown as lawmakers begin returning to Washington next week, complicated by bitter conflicts between Republicans and Democrats over the next package of coronavirus aid. The Republican-led Senate is due back on Tuesday, while the Democratic-led House of Representatives plans to hold votes on bills starting the following week. With congressional elections on Nov. 3, both chambers have very few days left to finish work as lawmakers plan to campaign in their home states for much of October. The federal fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, so they will have to scurry to reach a deal on legislation funding government programs and averting a partial shutdown that could be especially damaging to lawmakers facing re-election in November. On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany expressed optimism that agreement will be reached in a timely way. Congress is widely expected to pass a temporary measure mainly f

- The gap in unemployment rates between Blacks and whites in the United States widened for a fourth straight month in August, and the spread between the races is now the largest in nearly six years. The jobless rate for Blacks dropped by 1.6 percentage points to 13% in August from 14.6% in July, while the rate for whites dropped at a faster rate of 1.9 percentage points to 7.3% from 9.2% a month earlier. The overall U.S. unemployment rate fell more than expected last month to 8.4% from 10.2% in July. The 5.7 percentage point gap was the widest since December 2014. One year earlier, in August 2019, the spread had been a record-low 2 percentage points. It was 2.5 points in April, when the U.S. economy shed a record 20.8 million jobs as a result of business shutdowns imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19. The racial gap in U.S. jobless rates has come under closer scrutiny in the months since the pandemic struck as minorities and women suffered an outsized share of job losses, exacerb

WASHINGTON - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Friday that the Trump administration would not “cut corners” in making a vaccine for the coronavirus available, although it wants to move as fast as possible to deliver something that is safe and effective. “We’re not going to cut corners in the development of a vaccine, but at the same time through Operation Warp Speed, the president has made it clear that we want a safe and effective vaccine available for the American people absolutely as soon as is possible to have,” Pence told Fox Business Network. Operation Warp Speed is the name for the administration’s vaccine development effort.

LONDON - Virgin Atlantic announced 1,150 more job cuts on Friday due to the coronavirus crisis, saying its 1.2 billion pound ($1.6 billion) rescue deal alone was not enough to secure its future. The airline, which had already announced around 3,500 job losses, completed the rescue deal with major shareholders and creditors on Friday after various court approvals. Chief Executive Shai Weiss said that while the deal was a major step forward towards survival, more action was needed. “After the sacrifices so many of our people have made, further reducing the number of people we employ is heart-breaking but essential for survival,” he said. Airlines across the world have been slashing jobs and seeking funds after the COVID-19 pandemic grounded most flights earlier this year and demand has been slow to recover amid continue restrictions in many countries. With the latest cuts, Virgin Atlantic, which is 51% owned by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and 49% by the U.S.’s Delta Air Lines In

- Amazon.com Inc is planning to create 10,000 more jobs in the next few years in Bellevue, Washington, the e-commerce giant said on Friday. The company has been setting up new offices across U.S. cities on the back of a meteoric rise in its business, thanks to a surge in online orders during coronavirus-induced lockdowns. Amazon had earlier said it would create 15,000 jobs in Bellevue, located 10 miles from its Seattle headquarters. In April and May, Amazon hired for 175,000 jobs ranging from warehouse staff to delivery drivers to keep up with the demand.

WASHINGTON - America’s largest police union on Friday endorsed President Donald Trump’s effort to win re-election, a potential boost to the leader’s message that he is the candidate of “law and order.” The Fraternal Order of Police, which has more than 355,000 members around the country, “is proud to endorse a candidate who calls for law and order across our nation,” union president Patrick Yoes said in a statement.

LONDON - Britain said it was sending an extra 1.5 million pounds ($1.98 million) to help support media and human rights organizations in Belarus, citing a need for independent media and to counter disinformation. “This additional funding will help to support independent media and those defending human rights in Belarus, at a time when objective and honest reporting is most vital,” a foreign office statement said. The additional cash would support projects over two years, and represents a doubling of existing aid to the sector, the statement said.