Venezuela’s Maduro urges UN to back release of migrants
CARACAS – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro this week spoke to the United Nations’ Secretary General Antonio Guterres and High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk to urge UN support for the release of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants deported by the…
Heartthrob actor Richard Chamberlain, star of ‘Thorn Birds’, dies aged 90
NEW YORK – Richard Chamberlain, the Emmy-nominated actor and 1960s heartthrob who rocketed to fame in the TV medical drama “Dr. Kildare” and starred in the mini-series “Shogun” and “The Thorn Birds” has died at the age of 90, publicist…
Israeli actions in Gaza bear hallmarks of atrocities, UN agency says
GENEVA -Israeli actions in Gaza, including strikes on populated areas in which civilians have been killed, bear the hallmarks of atrocities, the agency that coordinates U.N. humanitarian aid said on Friday. “There is a callous disregard for human life and…
German unemployment rises amid economic slowdown
BERLIN -The number of people out of work in Germany rose in March at the fastest rate since October of 2024, data showed on Friday, as an economic malaise puts pressure on the job market even against a backdrop of…
Australia’s Dutton focuses on suburban votes, was strict on borders before Trump
SYDNEY – Peter Dutton, who seeks to become Australia’s prime minister in a May 3 national election, is known as a plain-speaking conservative who has attracted suburban voters with tough crime and border protection policies over two decades in parliament….
Berlin on measures against U.S. tech giants: ‘Nothing is off the table’
BERLIN – A German government spokesperson said on Friday that “nothing is off the table” with regards to punitive measures in response to the threat of U.S. tariffs. Asked whether countermeasures could target U.S. tech companies, the spokesperson said “at…
Take Five: T is for tariffs
The coming week will be dominated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans for reciprocal tariffs, while the latest U.S. jobs data, an Australian central bank meeting and a key euro zone inflation report means there’s plenty for markets to consider….
Trump tells NBC he ‘couldn’t care less’ if car makers hike prices due to tariffs
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he did not warn car industry executives against raising prices as tariffs on foreign-made autos come into force, telling NBC News he “couldn’t care less” if they do. The White House…
US to revoke authorizations to foreign partners of Venezuela’s PDVSA, sources say
HOUSTON – The U.S. government has notified foreign partners of Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA of the imminent cancellation of authorizations that allow them to export Venezuelan oil and byproducts, sources close to the decision by President Donald Trump’s administration…
Myanmar faces humanitarian crisis after quake, IFRC says
GENEVA -Myanmar faces a humanitarian crisis following the 7.7-magnitude quake that has killed more than 1,600 people, and the country’s aid needs are increasing by the hour, Red Cross officials said on Sunday. Friday’s quake, one of the strongest to…
Trump says “there will be bombing” if Iran does not make nuclear deal
WASHINGTON -U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened Iran with bombings and secondary tariffs if Tehran did not come to an agreement with Washington over its nuclear program. In a telephone interview with NBC News, Trump said U.S. and Iranian…
Israeli PM Netanyahu vows to pressure Hamas after ceasefire proposal
JERUSALEM/CAIRO – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Sunday to step up pressure on Hamas in Gaza while continuing negotiations to secure the release of hostages and working to implement U.S. President Donald Trump’s “voluntary emigration” plan. He said…
Martinique’s water woes drive anger at French rule
FORT-DE-FRANCE – In Martinique, a French territory in the Caribbean, tourists flock to crystalline waterfalls nestling in the tropical rainforests. But the water that comes out of Christelle Marie-Sainte’s tap at home runs yellow. “I don’t drink the tap water,”…
Markets in Q1: Everything’s been Trumped!
LONDON – Most investors knew things could turn turbulent this year given U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to power in the world’s biggest economy and financial market, but few predicted the kind of a rodeo ride it has been so…
Trump threatens secondary tariffs on Russian oil if unable to make deal on Ukraine
WEST PALM BEACH -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he will impose secondary tariffs of 25% to 50% on all Russian oil if he feels Moscow is blocking his efforts to end the war in Ukraine, and they could…
EU ready to respond to U.S. on trade tariffs, says Germany’s Scholz
BERLIN- Europe wants to cooperate with the United States, but the EU is ready to respond as one if Washington leaves it no choice by imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday. Speaking at…
German startup’s space rocket explodes seconds after takeoff from Norway
OSLO -A test rocket aimed at kickstarting satellite launches from Europe fell to the ground and exploded 40 seconds after takeoff from a Norwegian space port on Sunday, in what German startup Isar Aerospace had described as an initial test….
India and US making progress towards trade deal, officials say
NEW DELHI -Indian and U.S. officials discussed trade issues including the reduction of tariffs and easing of non-tariff barriers, making progress towards a bilateral trade agreement during several days of talks in New Delhi, they said on Saturday. The negotiations,…
Sudan’s army takes major market as it extends control over capital
CAIRO – The Sudanese army said on Saturday it had taken control of a major market in Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman, which had previously been used by their Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rivals to launch attacks during a devastating…
Federal funding cuts ripple through the heart of Trump country
RAINELLE, W.V. -The phone rang over the whine of Trey Yates’ butter churn. The person calling was polite, but the message was devastating: Mountaineer Food Bank was ending Yates’ butter contract, due to the federal government’s funding cuts. The next…
Poste agrees broad terms to buy most of Vivendi’s Telecom Italia stake, sources say
MILAN – Poste Italiane has agreed broad terms with Vivendi to buy the bulk of the French group’s stake in Telecom Italia and become its main investor, three sources close to the matter said on Saturday. State-controlled Poste, whose businesses…
ING met Italy’s Popolare di Sondrio amid European expansion plan, source says
LONDON – ING Groep met with Italy’s Banca Popolare di Sondrio in recent weeks as it seeks to grow in Europe through takeovers, a person with knowledge of the matter said. The early stage discussions were not advanced and may…
Taliban release detained US citizen Faye Hall
An American citizen detained in Afghanistan last month by the Taliban administration has been released, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said on Saturday. “American citizen Faye Hall, just released by the Taliban, is now in the…
Denmark’s prime minister to visit Greenland on April 2-4 amid U.S. interest
COPENHAGEN – Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will visit Greenland on April 2-4 for talks with the semi-autonomous territory’s new government, she said on Saturday, amid U.S. interest in taking control of the Arctic island. “I look forward to continuing…
Brazil meatpacker JBS to spend $100 million to build 2 factories in Vietnam
Brazilian meatpacker JBS announced on Saturday that it will invest US$100 million to build two factories in Vietnam, aiming to expand its presence in Southeast Asia and strengthen its position in the global market. According to a statement from the…
No sign Trump will honor US auto tariff protections won by Canada, Mexico in 2018
Canada and Mexico won protections against potential new U.S. auto tariffs in 2018 as part of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade, but there is no evidence that President Donald Trump will honor those commitments as he imposes 25% duties on…
Hamas agrees to Gaza ceasefire proposal, the group’s chief says
CAIRO -Hamas has agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal it received two days ago from mediators Egypt and Qatar, the Palestinian militant group’s chief said on Saturday. “Two days ago, we received a proposal from the mediators in Egypt and…
Zelenskiy says Ukraine expects strong response to Russian drone attacks
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine expected a strong response from Western countries to the nearly daily Russian drone attacks on its territory. “Our partners must understand that these Russian strikes target not only our people, but also…
Trump’s order on museums sparks debate among Americans on patriotism and history
Ernest, a lifelong Washington D.C. resident, stood on the National Mall on Friday with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture’s distinctive shape inspired by African motifs in the background. The vendor, who declined to give his…
Trump meets Finland president, discusses buying icebreakers
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he met with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and discussed strengthening the bilateral partnership, including by purchasing icebreakers for the United States. “President Stubb and I look forward to strengthening the partnership between…