Court gives go-ahead to Trump’s plan to halt union bargaining for many federal workers
A federal appeals court lifted an order on Friday that blocked U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration from stripping hundreds of thousands of federal employees of the ability to unionize and collectively bargain over working conditions. A 2-1 panel of the…
Severe storms kill at least 25 in Kentucky and Missouri
An unstable spring weather system spawned tornadoes overnight in the U.S. Midwest and Ohio River Valley, killing at least 25 people in Kentucky and Missouri and causing widespread damage to homes and property, state and local officials said on Saturday….
Bomb explodes near California reproductive health clinic, killing one, mayor says
A bomb exploded near a reproductive health facility in Palm Springs, California, resulting in the death of one person, Mayor Ron DeHarte told Reuters on Saturday. ABC News, citing law enforcement sources and the facility, said at least five people…
Trump to speak to Russian, Ukrainian leaders on Monday after talks in Turkey
ISTANBUL -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would speak to the presidents of Russia and Ukraine on Monday following talks between the two sides at which a Ukrainian official said Moscow’s negotiators voiced new demands before a ceasefire…
Bono debuts AppleTV+ documentary at Cannes, criticizes US aid cuts
CANNES, France -For Bono, the U2 frontman used to performing at sold-out arenas, being without his bandmates on a sparsely decorated stage for his one-man show, now subject of the new AppleTV+ documentary “Bono: Stories of Surrender,” feels unfamiliar. “You…
Israel blasts UN aid chief over call to prevent Gaza genocide
UNITED NATIONS – Israel on Friday blasted the United Nations aid chief for asking the U.N. Security Council if it would act to “prevent genocide” in the Gaza Strip, where experts say famine looms after Israel blocked aid deliveries to…
Trump pushes US Federal Reserve for rate cuts, criticizes Powell
WASHINGTON -President Donald Trump on Saturday said in a social media post the U.S. Federal Reserve should cut rates “sooner, rather than later.” Trump also criticized the head of the central bank, Jerome Powell. “THE CONSENSUS OF ALMOST EVERYBODY IS…
US appeals court rejects Trump bid to swiftly deport migrants to third countries
BOSTON -The Trump administration lost a bid on Friday to lift a judge’s order barring it from swiftly deporting migrants to countries other than their own including Libya and El Salvador without first hearing their concerns about their safety. The…
Tornado kills 5 in St Louis, damages 5,000 properties
A tornado ripped through St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday, killing at least five people and damaging 5,000 properties as it tore off roofs, knocked down power lines and swept through a major thoroughfare during rush-hour traffic, officials said. “Our city…
Moody’s cuts America’s pristine credit rating, citing rising debt
Moody’s downgraded the U.S. sovereign credit rating on Friday due to concerns about the nation’s growing, $36 trillion debt pile, in a move that could complicate President Donald Trump’s efforts to cut taxes and send ripples through global markets. Moody’s…
Container ship owners swamped as US-China trade detente revives demand
LOS ANGELES/HONG KONG – Container ship bookings for China-to-U.S. cargo have surged since the countries declared a 90-day truce on punitive tit-for-tat tariffs last weekend, operators said, spawning traffic jams at Chinese ports and factories that could take weeks to…
Trump administration, reversing Biden, allows ‘forced reset triggers’ for guns
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration agreed on Friday to permit the sale and possession of devices that let gun enthusiasts convert semiautomatic rifles into weapons that can shoot as fast as machine guns. The agreement came in a settlement announced…
Gaza ceasefire talks resume as Israeli assault kills hundreds in 72 hours
JERUSALEM/CAIRO -Israel and Hamas resumed ceasefire talks on Saturday in Qatar, both sides said, even as Israeli forces ramped up a bombing campaign that has killed hundreds of people over 72 hours, and mobilised for a massive new ground assault….
Mexican indicted in US in first after cartel designated as terrorist group
MEXICO CITY – A 39-year-old woman is the first Mexican national to be indicted in the United States on charges of providing material support to a cartel designated as a foreign terrorist organization, the U.S. Department of Justice said on…
Israeli military kills Palestinian it says is suspected of attack on pregnant woman
JERUSALEM -The Israeli military said on Saturday that it killed a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank among a group suspected of being involved in an attack that killed a pregnant Israeli settler as she travelled to hospital to give…
Trump administration is concerned by deal to put Alibaba’s AI on iPhones, NYT reports
The White House and congressional officials have been scrutinizing Apple’s plan to strike a deal with Alibaba to make the Chinese company’s AI available on iPhones in China, The New York Times reported on Saturday. U.S. authorities were concerned that…
Japan mulls subsidies for Tesla’s EV charging stations in tariff talks, TBS says
TOKYO -Japan is considering a plan to offer subsidies for building charging stations for Tesla electric vehicles in tariff talks with the United States, broadcaster TBS reported on Saturday. The government currently provides subsidies for installing charging stations for EVs…
US Federal Reserve aims to trim staff by 10% in coming years
WASHINGTON- The Federal Reserve plans to shrink its workforce by about 10% over the coming years, bringing the U.S. central bank in line with President Donald Trump’s broader efforts to streamline the federal government, according to a memo that Fed…
U.S. recession no longer likely after trade truce, says Barclays
LONDON -Barclays no longer expects the U.S. economy to slip into a recession later this year and has revised up its growth forecasts, given signs of a de-escalation in U.S.-China trade tensions, the bank said in a note released late…
Russia and Ukraine to hold first direct peace talks in over 3 years
ISTANBUL – Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will meet in Istanbul on Friday for their first peace talks in more than three years as both sides come under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World…
UAE and US agree on path for Abu Dhabi to buy most advanced AI chips, Trump says
DUBAI -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday the United Arab Emirates and the United States have agreed to create a path for the Gulf country to buy some of the most advanced artificial intelligence semiconductors from U.S. companies. The…
Analysis-US stock market gains may slow after torrid rebound from tariff swoon
NEW YORK -Market momentum following the U.S.-China trade truce has put stocks back in sight of record highs but wariness about the economic fallout from remaining tariffs and higher equity valuations could slow gains in the near term. The S&P…
US court to weigh Trump’s powers to fire Democrats from federal agencies
President Donald Trump’s ability to reshape federal agencies that were meant to be independent from the White House will be tested on Friday as a U.S. appeals court considers whether he can remove Democratic members from two federal labor boards….
Trump says we need to help starving Palestinians in Gaza
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday backed aid for the Palestinians, saying people in Gaza are starving and adding that he expected “a lot of good things” in the next month. Asked whether he supported Israeli plans to…
US import prices unexpectedly rise in April
WASHINGTON -U.S. import prices unexpectedly rose in April as a surge in the cost of capital goods offset cheaper energy products. Import prices gained 0.1% last month after dropping 0.4% in March, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said…
Iran, Europeans hold nuclear talks, agree to more, diplomats say
Diplomats from Iran and the three European parties remaining in a moribund 2015 nuclear deal met in Istanbul on Friday, Iranian and British officials said, their first round of talks since the U.S. began nuclear talks with Tehran in April….
Deadly Israeli strikes pound Gaza, Trump says ‘people are starving’
CAIRO/JERUSALEM – Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed more than 250 people since Thursday morning, local health authorities said on Friday, one of the deadliest phases of bombardment since a truce collapsed in March, with a new ground offensive expected…
Texas reports lowest increase in measles cases since February outbreak
The Texas health department said measles cases in the state increased by one over the last three days, the lowest addition since the outbreak began in February, taking the total to 718 as of Friday. The latest case was reported…
Trump says Iran needs to move quickly on nuclear proposal
President Donald Trump on Friday said Iran had a U.S. proposal about its nuclear program and knows it needs to move quickly to resolve a decades-long dispute, but Tehran denied receiving one yet. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in a…
Trump tells Walmart to ‘eat the tariffs’ instead of raising prices
WASHINGTON -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Walmart (WMT.N) should “eat the tariffs” instead of blaming duties imposed on imported goods for the retailer’s increase prices. His comments were in response to the world’s largest retailer saying this…