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Taiwan parliament approves extra defence spending but less than government wanted

Taiwan's opposition-controlled parliament on Friday approved $25 billion in extra defence spending, around two-thirds of the amount the government had asked for to bolster the armed forces in the face of a rapidly modernising Chinese military.Taiwan President Lai Ching-te had wanted a T$1.25 trillion ($39.81 billion) supplementary defence package approved, including money for U.S. arms but also for domestically made equipment such as drones to increase deterrence against China, which views the island as its own territory. But the opposition, which has the most seats in parliament, passed its

South Korea parliament drops constitutional amendment vote tied to martial law

SoftBank cuts target for OpenAI margin loan, Bloomberg News reports

Trump on Tour

Shuttle diplomacy reaches a peak in the week to come as U.S. President Donald Trump heads to China and his finance chief visits Japan. Oil heavyweight Saudi Aramco reports results against a brittle backdrop, while data from big economies could sharpen the contours of the Middle East conflict's economic impact. Here's all you need to know about the coming week in financial markets by Gregor Stuart Hunter in Singapore, Yoruk Bahceli and Karin Strohecker in London, and Lewis Krauskopf in New York. 1/ TRUMP GOES TO BEIJING The U.S. President visits Beijing on May 14-15, his first China visit in

Water levels on river Rhine in Germany rising after rain but vessels still part loaded

Stung by West Africa rejections, France courts rest of continent at Kenya summit

Business|Economy|Technology|US

Mercedes-Benz to recall about 144,000 US vehicles over display issues, NHTSA says

Mercedes-Benz is recalling 144,049 vehicles in the U.S. over instrument panel display issues, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Friday.The recall includes certain 2024-2026 AMG GT, C-Class, E-Class, SL, CLE, and GLC vehicles.The infotainment control unit, which is responsible for navigation and multimedia features, may reset while the vehicle is in motion and cause the instrument panel display to go blank, the regulator said.Dealers will update the infotainment control unit software at no cost, NHTSA added. (Reporting by Preetika Parashuraman in Bengaluru; Editi

EU wants to move fast on Moldova accession talks, Kallas says

World food prices extend rise in April for a third month, FAO says

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Partial results show losses for Starmer’s Labour and wins for Reform UK in local elections

Partial results Friday from local elections in England showed big losses for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s governing Labour Party and gains for the hard-right party Reform U.K. The votes are being widely seen as an unofficial referendum on Starmer, whose popularity has plummeted since he was elected less than two years ago as voters grew impatient for economic growth and dramatic change after 14 years of Conservative government. Starmer said he took responsibility for the “very tough” results but would not resign. “The voters have sent a messa

Political|US|World

US military strikes sites in Iran as countries exchange fire

US forces targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for launching a series of “unprovoked” missile, drone and small boat attacks against American warships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command said on Thursday.“U.S. forces intercepted unprovoked Iranian attacks and responded with self-defense strikes as US Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman, May 7,” CENTCOM said in a news release.The Iranian facilities targeted by US forces included “missile and drone launch sites, command and control locations; and intelligence, sur

US to start revoking passports of parents who owe child support, AP reports

White House calls Mark Hamill 'sick' after actor posts Trump gravesite image

Election|Finance|Political|US|World

Tennessee Republicans pass new map erasing majority-Black US House district

Tennessee Republicans on Thursday approved a new congressional map dismantling a majority-Black U.S. House district centered on Memphis, as several other Southern states seek to leverage last week's U.S. Supreme Court decision that severely weakened the landmark Voting Rights Act.The move, greeted by loud protests at the state capitol, is likely to flip the Democratic-held seat in November's midterm elections, when Republicans' razor-thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives will be at stake.The new map splits Shelby County, the home of Memphis, a majority-Black city that played a cr

Crime|US|World

Ex-deputy found guilty of reckless homicide in shooting of Black man entering grandmother's home

A former sheriff's deputy was found guilty of reckless homicide at trial Thursday for shooting a Black man who was bringing sandwiches to his grandmother's house. The killing of Casey Goodson Jr. by Jason Meade in December 2020 had provoked outrage in Ohio. Trial jurors said they couldn't agree on the more serious charge of murder, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial on that count. Meade, who is white, said his shooting of Goodson — five times in the back and once in the side — was justified because he saw the 23-year-old holding a gun and

Appeals court appears poised to reject Hegseth’s bid to punish Mark Kelly over ‘illegal orders’ video

What everyone is missing about Mamdani’s plan to tax Ken Griffin’s $238 million penthouse

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Economy|Political|World

Trump says ceasefire still holds after fighting between the US and Iran flares

U.S. and Iranian forces clashed in the Gulf, and the UAE came under renewed attack, endangering a month-old ceasefire and shaking hopes for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.The flare-up in fighting came as Washington awaited a response from Tehran to its proposal to end the conflict, which began with joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes across Iran on February 28. President Donald Trump said on Thursday three U.S. Navy destroyers were attacked as they moved through the strait, a conduit for around a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas flows that Iran has all but closed since the co

Crime|MidEast|Political|World

US navy came under missile fire after US attack on Iranian oil tanker, Iran state media says

U.S. military naval units operating in the area of the Strait of Hormuz came under Iranian missile fire following an attack by the U.S. military on an Iranian oil tanker, Iranian state media, citing an unnamed military official, said on Thursday.U.S. military vessels were forced to retreat after sustaining damage from Iranian missile strikes, it added. It was unclear when the incident happened.Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim reported that three U.S. destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz were targeted in an attack by the Iranian navy. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a reques

Trump’s attempt to impose new 10% tariffs gets struck down by a panel of judges

Oil prices gain on renewed US-Iran hostilities

Health|Political|World

Louisiana presses US Supreme Court to halt abortion pill mail delivery

Louisiana urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to prevent abortion pills from being prescribed through telemedicine and distributed by mail, as the Republican-led state presses its case to overturn a 2023 federal rule that made access to the medication easier. Republican Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill's office in a filing asked the justices to deny emergency requests by two manufacturers of the abortion pill to lift a lower court's decision that narrowed access to it by blocking the regulation nationwide while the state's legal challenge continues. The regulation concerning the

Business|Economy|Political|World

US trade court rules Trump tariffs illegal, but issues narrow block

A U.S. trade court dealt another blow to President Donald Trump's tariff strategy, ruling that his latest 10% temporary global duties are unjustified under a 1970s trade law, but blocked the levies only for two private importers and the State of Washington.The U.S. Court of International Trade's 2-1 decision leaves the temporary tariffs in place for all other importers while any appeal by the Trump administration plays out. They are expected to expire in July.The court ruled that Trump's imposition of the tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 was misguided. One of the judges said

Both engines shut off and cockpit struggle came before 2022 China plane crash, NTSB data suggests

Man who sprayed vinegar at Rep. Ilhan Omar during town hall pleads guilty to assault

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How a mother of Elon Musk’s children became a key witness in his lawsuit against OpenAI

‘I am trying to stay alive.’ Jobs at mom-and-pop shops are disappearing

Market rebound: Why some stocks are looking past the Iran war

Business|Economy|World

Fed officials are growing anxious about the Iran war

Business|Economy|Political|World

US military says it intercepted Iranian attacks on 3 Navy ships in Strait of Hormuz

The U_S_ military says that it intercepted Iranian attacks on three U_S_ Navy ships as they transited the Strait of Hormuz and “targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U_S_ forces.”

Political|US|World

US military strikes sites in Iran as countries exchange fire

Crime|MidEast|Political|World

Man who firebombed a demonstration in Colorado, killing 1, is sentenced to life in prison

Americas|Europe|Political|Travel|World

Vatican and State Department stress solid ties after Rubio's fence-mending visit over Trump attacks

The Vatican says the “need to work tirelessly in favor of peace” was discussed in talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Business|Economy|Environment|Technology

The Pentagon is delaying wind power development — even on private land

Election

Tennessee Republicans advance redistricting map after overnight impasse over new congressional districts

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From LA to Scottsdale: The Founder Behind AdDynamix Is Building the Bridge Between AI and Business Tools

An LA digital advertising veteran of 28 years has moved to Scottsdale and is building what he calls the missing piece between business software and the AI assistants people now use every day. SCOTTSDALE, AZ. When Benoit Pecqueur talks about his latest company, he sounds less like a founder pitching a product and more like an operator who got tired of watching the same problem repeat itself. “Most small business owners are watching the AI revolution from the sidelines,” he says. “Not because they don’t want it. Because their tools don’t talk to ChatGPT or Claude. Their accountant still pulls