Today: September 23, 2024
Today: September 23, 2024

World

World

Stock market today: Asia shares mixed after Fed holds rates steady and hints of hikes ahead

Asian shares were trading mixed Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve held interest rates steady. Data from China showed consumer and factory activity weakened in May and record-breaking unemployment among young people in cities rose as an economic rebound following the end of anti-virus controls slowed. Consumers, uneasy about possible job losses, have returned to shops and restaurants less quickly than expected. In Japan, machinery orders for April, released Thursday, showed the first growth in three months. Trade figures for May showed a deficit for 22 months in a row, as import costs rose with the rising

June 15, 2023
Stock market today: Asia shares mixed after Fed holds rates steady and hints of hikes ahead
World

NATO debates ways to boost ties with Ukraine as war against Russian invasion drags on

NATO defense ministers gathered Thursday to discuss future relations with Ukraine as Russia’s war on the country thwarts its hopes of joining the world’s biggest security alliance soon. The ministers were also due to take part in a separate meeting at NATO headquarters of the U.S.-led Ukraine Contact Group — the forum Ukraine’s supporters routinely join to try to drum up weapons and ammunition to help Kyiv fight the Russian invasion. The NATO meeting comes just under a month before U.S. President Joe Biden and his counterparts gather for a summit in Lithuania in a symbolic show

June 15, 2023
NATO debates ways to boost ties with Ukraine as war against Russian invasion drags on
World

New Zealand's economy dips into recession as higher interest rates bite

New Zealand’s economy has dipped into recession as higher interest rates take their toll, new figures released Thursday show. Gross domestic product fell by 0.1% in the March quarter, following a revised 0.7% fall in the previous quarter, Statistics New Zealand said. That fulfils the nation’s definition of a recession, which is at least two consecutive quarters of negative growth. The slowdown comes after New Zealand’s central bank raised its benchmark interest rate 12 straight times to 5.5% as it tries to tame inflation. The rate is at its highest level since 2008, making it

June 15, 2023
New Zealand's economy dips into recession as higher interest rates bite
World

Report finds Boris Johnson deliberately misled Parliament over 'partygate' during COVID lockdown

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson deliberately misled Parliament about the lockdown-flouting parties that undermined his credibility and contributed to his downfall, a committee of lawmakers said Thursday after a year-long investigation. A scathing report from the House of Commons Privileges Committee found that Johnson’s actions and his response to the committee were such a flagrant violation of the rules that they warranted a 90-day suspension from Parliament. While a condemning indictment of the former prime minister’s conduct, the recommendation is largely symbolic because Johnson angrily quit as a lawmaker Friday after the committee informed him of

June 15, 2023
Report finds Boris Johnson deliberately misled Parliament over 'partygate' during COVID lockdown
World

The Fed has paused. How long will Europe's central bank keep raising rates in a shaky economy?

The U.S. Federal Reserve may have hit “pause” on interest rate hikes, but the European Central Bank still has its finger on “fast forward” as inflation plagues consumers with higher costs for everything from groceries to utility bills and summer vacations. Analysts say an increase of a quarter-percentage point is a foregone conclusion when the ECB’s governing council meets Thursday, a day after the Fed took at least a temporary breather after 10 straight hikes. The Fed made no change in its key rate Wednesday as it waits to see the impact of sharply higher rates

June 15, 2023
The Fed has paused. How long will Europe's central bank keep raising rates in a shaky economy?
World

2 men who helped run popular pirating website Megaupload sentenced to prison in New Zealand

Two men who helped run the once wildly popular pirating website Megaupload were each sentenced by a New Zealand court on Thursday to more than two years in prison. The sentencing of Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk ended an 11-year legal battle by the men to avoid extradition to the United States on more serious charges that included racketeering. The men last year struck a deal with prosecutors from New Zealand and the U.S. in which they pleaded guilty to being part of a criminal group and causing artists to lose money by

June 15, 2023
2 men who helped run popular pirating website Megaupload sentenced to prison in New Zealand
World

Jesuits expel prominent priest Rupnik after allegations of abuse against adult women

Pope Francis’ Jesuit religious order said Thursday it has expelled a prominent Slovenian priest from the congregation following allegations of sexual, spiritual and psychological abuses against adult women. A statement from the Jesuits, obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday, said the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik was dismissed from the Jesuit order by decree on June 9 “due to stubborn refusal to observe the vow of obedience.” Rupnik is one of the most celebrated religious artists in the Catholic Church, whose mosaics decorate churches and basilicas around the world, including at the Vatican. Late last year, the

June 15, 2023
Jesuits expel prominent priest Rupnik after allegations of abuse against adult women
World

Pope visits children's cancer ward in sign he may soon be discharged from hospital

The Vatican on Thursday released the first images of Pope Francis since his June 7 abdominal surgery, showing him in his wheelchair visiting the children’s cancer ward in a sign he is getting ready to be discharged soon from the hospital. Francis appeared in good health in the images, in which he is seen in the corridor of the pediatric oncology ward of Rome’s Gemelli hospital, meeting with children, their parents and medical staff. In one photo, he is shown elsewhere speaking with a couple in a private room, the man in a wheelchair. The Vatican said

June 15, 2023
Pope visits children's cancer ward in sign he may soon be discharged from hospital
World

UN atomic watchdog chief visits Ukraine nuclear plant threatened by war with Russia

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog visited Europe’s largest atomic power plant Thursday in southern Ukraine, where a recent dam burst and the start of a counteroffensive in the war by Kyiv’s forces have heightened safety risks. The visit was announced by Ukraine’s national nuclear energy company, Energoatom, in a Telegram post. Rafael Mariano Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agency chief, met Tuesday in Kyiv with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss concerns about the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The IAEA has repeatedly expressed alarm about the facility, which is one of the

June 15, 2023
UN atomic watchdog chief visits Ukraine nuclear plant threatened by war with Russia
World

South Korea says North Korea has launched ballistic missile toward sea

North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile off its east coast on Thursday, hours after South Korean and U.S. troops ended a fifth round of large-scale live-fire drills near the Koreas’ heavily fortified border. The North Korean launch is its first since it failed in an attempt to put its first spy satellite into orbit in late May. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch occurred Thursday evening but gave no further details. Japan’s Defense Ministry also said it detected a possible ballistic missile fired by North Korea. The launch came after North Korea’s

June 15, 2023
South Korea says North Korea has launched ballistic missile toward sea
World

NATO sees no change in Russia's nuclear posture despite Belarus leader's claims

NATO sees no sign that Russia has changed its nuclear posture, the head of the military alliance said Thursday, after President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that Belarus has already received some tactical nuclear weapons from Moscow. In an interview on state television on Tuesday, Lukashenko brashly warned that he wouldn’t hesitate to order their use if Belarus faced an act of aggression. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the weapons will be deployed to Belarus next month and will remain under Moscow’s exclusive control. “We are, of course, closely monitoring what Russia is doing. So far, we haven’t

June 15, 2023
NATO sees no change in Russia's nuclear posture despite Belarus leader's claims
World

Two-time Oscar winner Glenda Jackson, who mixed acting with politics, dies at 87

Glenda Jackson, a two-time Academy Award-winning performer who had a second career in politics as a British lawmaker before an acclaimed late-life return to stage and screen, has died at 87. Jackson’s agent Lionel Larner said she died Thursday at her home in London after a short illness. He said she had recently completed filming “‘The Great Escaper,” in which co-starred with Michael Caine. Born in 1936 in Birkhenhead, northwest England, Jackson trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She became one of the biggest British stars of the 1960s and 70s, and won

June 15, 2023
Two-time Oscar winner Glenda Jackson, who mixed acting with politics, dies at 87
World

Donor nations scramble to find billions of dollars of funding for Syrian aid

Donor nations from across the globe were scrambling Thursday to find billions of dollars to extend their aid commitment to millions of Syrians who have been battered by hunger, poverty, civil war and a massive earthquake. Amid pressing needs across the globe from Ukraine to Sudan, the annual donor conference hosted by the European Union in Brussels has even more political overtones as Syrian President Bashar Assad is slowly carving his way back from being an international pariah to the regional mainstream. Finding hard cash, though, remains key. “My appeal is simple: Help us help the Syrian

June 15, 2023
Donor nations scramble to find billions of dollars of funding for Syrian aid
World

Spain sets out migration, industry as priorities for EU presidency

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Thursday he believes the European Union will finalize a controversial pact on migration while his country holds the bloc’s rotating presidency. Sánchez set out his nation’s key priorities for the presidency at a speech in Madrid, and said he believed outstanding issues on shared responsibility for migration across the EU would be resolved by the end of Spain’s six-month term that starts on July 1. Spain has a particular conundrum to face during its EU presidency as a snap general election will be held on July 23, which polls show could

June 15, 2023
Spain sets out migration, industry as priorities for EU presidency
World

American arrested for pushing 2 US tourists into ravine at German castle, leaving one woman dead

An American man has been arrested in the death of a U.S. tourist and an assault on another near Neuschwanstein castle in southern Germany after he allegedly pushed the two women down a steep slope, authorities said Thursday. The incident near the popular tourist attraction happened on Wednesday afternoon near the Marienbruecke, a bridge over a gorge close to the castle that offers a famous view of Neuschwanstein. The 30-year-old man met the two female tourists, ages 21 and 22, on a hiking path and lured them onto a trail that leads to a viewpoint, police said

June 15, 2023
American arrested for pushing 2 US tourists into ravine at German castle, leaving one woman dead
World

Retail sales rose 0.3% in May despite pressure from higher inflation and interest rates

Americans increased their spending at retailers last month despite pressure from still-high inflation and rising borrowing costs. Thursday’s report from the Commerce Department showed that retail sales rose 0.3% from April to May, boosted by stronger sales of auto and parts dealers. Economists had been expecting a decline in sales for the month. Last month’s increase pointed to a still-resilient economy, though retail sales have been bumpy this year after surging nearly 3% in January. Sales tumbled in February and March before recovering in April. The retail sales report offers only a partial look at consumer

June 15, 2023
Retail sales rose 0.3% in May despite pressure from higher inflation and interest rates
World

Number of Americans filing for jobless claims is elevated for second straight week

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits remained elevated last week, a possible sign that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes over the past year may taking hold in what’s proved to be a resilient job market. U.S. applications for jobless claims were 262,000 for the week ending June 10, the Labor Department reported Thursday, more than analysts were expecting. This week’s number mirrors last week’s, which was revised up by 1,000. The claims numbers for the past two weeks are the highest since October of 2021. The four-week moving average of claims, which flattens some of the week-to-week

June 15, 2023
Number of Americans filing for jobless claims is elevated for second straight week
World

Twitter worst among major social media platforms when it comes to LGBTQ safety, GLAAD says

All major social media platforms do poorly at protecting LGBTQ+ users from hate speech and harassment — especially those who are transgender, non-binary or gender non-conforming, the advocacy group GLAAD said Thursday. But Twitter is the worst. In its annual Social Media Safety Index, GLAAD gave Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter low or failing scores, saying the platforms don’t do enough to keep their users safe. That said, most improved from a year ago. Twitter, which was acquired by Tesla CEO Elon Musk last October, was the only exception. GLAAD’s scorecard called it “the most

June 15, 2023
Twitter worst among major social media platforms when it comes to LGBTQ safety, GLAAD says
World

Chinese spies breached hundreds of public, private networks, security firm says

Suspected state-backed Chinese hackers used a security hole in a popular email security appliance to break into the networks of hundreds of public and private sector organizations globally, nearly a third of them government agencies including foreign ministries, the cybersecurity firm Mandiant said Thursday. “This is the broadest cyber espionage campaign known to be conducted by a China-nexus threat actor since the mass exploitation of Microsoft Exchange in early 2021,” Charles Carmakal, Mandiant’s chief technical officer, said in a emailed statement. That hack compromised tens of thousands of computers globally. In a blog post Thursday, Google-owned Mandiant expressed “high confidence”

June 15, 2023
Chinese spies breached hundreds of public, private networks, security firm says
World

Closings arguments set in trial of gunman in Pittsburgh synagogue massacre

Closings arguments were set to get underway Thursday in the federal trial of a truck driver who killed 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the nation’s deadliest attack on Jews. Robert Bowers is charged with 63 criminal counts, including hate crimes resulting in death and obstruction of the free exercise of religion resulting in death. Some of the charges carry a potential death sentence. Bowers’ attorneys did not call any witnesses or present any evidence after conceding at the trial’s outset that he attacked and killed worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27,

June 15, 2023
Closings arguments set in trial of gunman in Pittsburgh synagogue massacre
World

5 key takeaways from 'partygate' report that found Boris Johnson deliberately misled UK Parliament

A U.K. parliamentary committee on Thursday issued a damning report concluding that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson deliberately misled lawmakers over what he knew about multiple lockdown-flouting parties at his office and government buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers voted in April 2022 for the seven-member panel to investigate Johnson’s conduct over “partygate,” a series of boozy gatherings attended by Johnson and his staff that broke rules and eventually contributed to his downfall. Here are the key points of the report: WHAT WAS THE COMMITTEE TASKED TO DO? The seven lawmakers — including four from Johnson’s Conservatives

June 15, 2023
5 key takeaways from 'partygate' report that found Boris Johnson deliberately misled UK Parliament
World

UN requires delegates at climate talks to reveal affiliation in effort to curb lobbying by Big Oil

The United Nations will require delegates attending its annual climate summit to disclose their affiliation in an effort to clamp down on undue influence by fossil fuel companies and others, officials said Thursday. Climate campaigners have long complained that the so-called Conferences of the Parties, or COPs, are undermined by lobbyists for oil and gas firms attending under the guise of country delegates. Participants will also be asked to provide optional information on their relationship with the government agency or organization that’s nominated them and those declining to do so will be flagged accordingly. Civil society groups

June 15, 2023
UN requires delegates at climate talks to reveal affiliation in effort to curb lobbying by Big Oil
World

Support mounts for Stoltenberg to stay on in NATO's top job

Support mounted on Thursday for NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to have his mandate at the head of the world’s biggest security organization extended yet again as Denmark’s prime minister ruled herself out of the running. Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, has been NATO’s top civilian official since 2014. His term was due to expire last year but was extended to keep a steady hand at the helm after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts are due to choose a successor when they meet for a summit

June 15, 2023
Support mounts for Stoltenberg to stay on in NATO's top job
World

Live updates | UCLA's Morales jumps to early lead at US Open

Follow along for live updates on the opening round of the 123rd U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. ___ Omar Morales, who attends college just up the way at UCLA, has grabbed an early share of the lead in the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. The 20-year-old sophomore went around the front nine in 3-under 32. The Bruins have access to LACC about twice a month, and Morales, who went through local qualifying to make the 156-man field, estimates he’s played it about two dozen times in his two years at UCLA. He

June 15, 2023
Live updates | UCLA's Morales jumps to early lead at US Open
World

Nathan Carman dies awaiting trial for his mother's death in 2016 fishing trip off New England

The man charged with killing his mother at sea during a 2016 fishing trip off the coast of New England in what prosecutors say was a scheme to inherit millions of dollars has died, federal authorities said Thursday. Nathan Carman, 29, of Vernon, Vermont, was scheduled to face trial in October. He had pleaded not guilty last year to fraud and first-degree murder in the death of his mother, Linda Carman of Middletown, Connecticut. The eight-count indictment also says Carman shot and killed his wealthy grandfather John Chakalos at his home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013

June 15, 2023
Nathan Carman dies awaiting trial for his mother's death in 2016 fishing trip off New England

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