Today: September 24, 2024
Today: September 24, 2024

World

World

Turkish central bank faces key test on economic turnaround after Erdogan's reelection

The Turkish central bank faces a key test Thursday on turning to more conventional economic policies to counter sky-high inflation after newly reelected President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave mixed signals about an approach that many blame for worsening a cost-of-living crisis. It is the bank’s closely watched first interest rate-setting meeting since the longtime leader named internationally respected officials to head the bank and the finance ministry. While a sharp rate hike is expected, it’s not clear if it will be enough to ease market concerns. The appointments were seen as a sign that Turkey would

June 22, 2023
Turkish central bank faces key test on economic turnaround after Erdogan's reelection
World

Israel demolishes alleged Palestinian attacker's home in volatile occupied West Bank

Israeli troops on Thursday demolished the home of a Palestinian who is suspected of killing an Israeli soldier last year, in the latest military operation in the increasingly volatile occupied West Bank, which has been gripped by surging violence. The demolition came during a week of rising tensions and unrelenting violence in the West Bank and just hours after Israel carried out a rare airstrike that killed three Palestinian militants near the city of Jenin and Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages in retaliation for the killing of four Israelis a day earlier. A daylong Israeli military raid

June 22, 2023
Israel demolishes alleged Palestinian attacker's home in volatile occupied West Bank
World

EU summons Kosovo and Serbia leaders for emergency talks amid fears of a return to open conflict

The European Union has summoned the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo for emergency talks on Thursday to try to bring an end to a series of violent clashes near their border that is fueling fears of a return to open conflict. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that he would hold “urgent meetings” with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels. It was unclear whether the two would meet face-to-face, or only hold separate talks with Borrell. “We need immediate de-escalation and new elections in the north with participation of Kosovo

June 22, 2023
EU summons Kosovo and Serbia leaders for emergency talks amid fears of a return to open conflict
World

Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after Fed chair inflation comments

Asian shares were trading mixed Thursday following a retreat on Wall Street after the Federal Reserve chair made comments that indicated inflation still isn’t under control. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.9% to finish at 33,264.88. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 1.6% to 7,195.50. South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.4% to 2,593.70. Trading was closed in Hong Kong and Shanghai for Dragon Boat Festival, a national holiday. Shares fell in India. The Chinese markets being closed provided a break from jitters about possible renewed tensions in the U.S.-China relationship after President Joe Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping

June 22, 2023
Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after Fed chair inflation comments
World

After Paris blast crumples building in Left Bank, rescue workers searching for 1 person

French rescue workers searched Thursday for a person feared missing after a powerful blast brought down a building on Paris’ Left Bank, injuring more than 30 people, four of them critically. Investigators were working to determine the cause of Wednesday’s explosion. A possible gas leak was one of the potential causes under investigation. The blast near the historic Val de Grace military hospital in Paris’ 5th district crumpled the facade of a building that held a private academy of design and arts. Some of the four critically injured people suffered severe burns, said Health Minister François Braun.

June 22, 2023
After Paris blast crumples building in Left Bank, rescue workers searching for 1 person
World

US journalist Evan Gershkovich appears in Moscow court to appeal extended detention

Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter detained on espionage charges in Russia, appeared in court Thursday to appeal his extended detention. U.S. citizen Gershkovich, 31, was arrested in late March while on a reporting trip. A Moscow court agreed last month to keep him in custody until Aug. 30. Defense lawyers challenged the decision, and the Moscow City Court was considering the appeal on Thursday. Gershkovich, wearing a black T-shirt and light blue jeans, looked tense and paced around inside a glass defendant’s cage while waiting for the hearing to begin. Within minutes, other journalists in

June 22, 2023
US journalist Evan Gershkovich appears in Moscow court to appeal extended detention
World

German leader defends deal to stop migrants at EU borders, says old system was 'dysfunctional'

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday defended a deal to stop migrants from entering the European Union until their chances of getting asylum have been reviewed, arguing that the bloc’s existing arrangement is “completely dysfunctional.” Speaking to lawmakers in Berlin, he said the compromise reached earlier this month by the EU’s 27 member states after years of negotiations was a “historic agreement.” Human rights groups have criticized the deal, saying migrants, including families with children, will be held in camps while authorities check whether they are likely to be granted refugee protection inside the EU. The details

June 22, 2023
German leader defends deal to stop migrants at EU borders, says old system was 'dysfunctional'
World

Russia-backed officials say explosion damages bridge linking Ukraine's mainland to Crimea

An explosion damaged a bridge that is one of the few links between Crimea and Ukraine’s mainland, Russia-backed officials said Thursday, as the early stages of a Ukrainian counteroffensive unfold. Russian forces in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, use the Chongar bridge to reach southern Ukraine’s Kherson province. Russia and Ukraine control different sides of the province, which is a focus of fighting and attacks as Ukrainian troops try to reclaim Russian-occupied territory. Ukrainian authorities have said that for the country’s nearly 16-month war to end, Moscow must withdraw its forces from Crimea as well

June 22, 2023
Russia-backed officials say explosion damages bridge linking Ukraine's mainland to Crimea
World

Pakistan's premier meets with the head of IMF in Paris, hoping to unlock $6B deal to avoid default

Pakistan’s premier Shahbaz Sharif met Thursday with the head of the International Monetary Fund on the sidelines of a global financing meeting in Paris, hoping to unlock a $6 billion bailout and gain the release of a critical tranche of $1.1 billion in loans which has been on hold since November. The meeting between Sharif and IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact comes a week before the $6 billion bailout package originally signed between the IMF and the country’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2019 expires. Sharif replaced

June 22, 2023
Pakistan's premier meets with the head of IMF in Paris, hoping to unlock $6B deal to avoid default
World

Germany warns China over Taiwan, voices human rights concerns days after talks with Chinese premier

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned Beijing on Thursday against using force to change the status quo with Taiwan and expressed concern about the human rights situation in China, days after holding bilateral talks with the new Chinese premier. Scholz told German lawmakers that Berlin wants constructive relations with China because the country plays a key role in solving global problems such as food security, climate change and poverty. “At the same time we clearly urged China to stick to international rules,” he said of a recent declaration by the Group of Seven major economies. “No country is

June 22, 2023
Germany warns China over Taiwan, voices human rights concerns days after talks with Chinese premier
World

UAE leader welcomes Iranian foreign minister in latest softening of Persian Gulf tensions

The president of the United Arab Emirates met with Iran’s visiting foreign minister on Thursday in the latest sign of improving relations between Arab Gulf countries and the Islamic Republic. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have long harbored suspicions about Iran because of its nuclear program and support for militant groups across the region, and have cultivated close defense ties with the U.S. But in recent months they have charted a more independent path, reaching out to U.S. adversaries as Washington increasingly focuses on Russia and China. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed

June 22, 2023
UAE leader welcomes Iranian foreign minister in latest softening of Persian Gulf tensions
World

Russia's highest court quashes Navalny's lawsuit over depriving him of pen and paper in prison

Russia’s Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a lawsuit by imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny contesting prison regulations that allow prison officials to deprive him of stationery and pens. Navalny is serving a nine-year sentence for fraud and contempt of court in a maximum security penal colony in Melekhovo 250 kilometers (150 miles) east of Moscow. This week, another trial against the Kremlin’s archfoe began right there in the penal colony on charges of extremism. If convicted, Navalny will remain behind bars for at least two more decades. In the lawsuit considered by the Supreme Court on Thursday,

June 22, 2023
Russia's highest court quashes Navalny's lawsuit over depriving him of pen and paper in prison
World

Tropical Storm Bret barrels toward eastern Caribbean at near-hurricane strength

A hurricane watch was issued for St. Lucia as Tropical Storm Bret barreled toward the eastern Caribbean Thursday at near-hurricane strength. The storm was located about 200 miles (320 kilometers) east of Barbados on Thursday morning and was moving west at 15 mph (24 kph). It had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph), just below the 74 mph (119 kph) winds of a Category 1 hurricane. Airports, businesses, schools and offices were closing in St. Lucia and Dominica as forecasters warned of torrential downpours, landslides and flooding. “Protect your lives, property and

June 22, 2023
Tropical Storm Bret barrels toward eastern Caribbean at near-hurricane strength
World

Foes of Myanmar's military regime applaud new US sanctions, but want action to block gas revenues

Opponents of Myanmar’s military government applauded fresh financial sanctions imposed by the United States on the Southeast Asian nation but called Thursday for further measures to pressure its ruling generals to restore peace and democracy. The U.S. Treasury Department announced Wednesday it was imposing the sanctions on Myanmar’s Defense Ministry and two state-owned banks, the Myanma Foreign Trade Bank and the Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank. The move freezes any assets of the sanctioned entities that are in the United States or controlled by a U.S. person. It also prohibits all transactions by U.S. persons or carried

June 22, 2023
Foes of Myanmar's military regime applaud new US sanctions, but want action to block gas revenues
World

Response to fiery Ohio derailment frustrated by poor communication and incomplete information

Firefighters who responded to February’s fiery train derailment in Ohio struggled to immediately identify the hazardous chemicals the train was hauling due to a lack of communication from the railroad, officials said Thursday. During a public hearing in East Palestine — where thousands of residents had to evacuate their homes because of the derailment — National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jennifer Homendy asked why Norfolk Southern was able to provide details of the freight to one of its contractors within 10 minutes of the Feb. 3 derailment, but that it took an hour to get that

June 22, 2023
Response to fiery Ohio derailment frustrated by poor communication and incomplete information
World

Bolsonaro’s political future hangs in the balance as Brazilian court case begins

Brazil’s top electoral court on Thursday began hearing a case that could torpedo the political future of former President Jair Bolsonaro by rendering him ineligible for public office for eight years. Judges are evaluating a case filed by Brazil’s Democratic Labor Party, which claims the far-right leader abused his power by using government communication channels to promote his campaign and cast unfounded doubts on the country’s electronic voting system. While Bolsonaro often railed against the voting system, the suit’s focus is a meeting last year on July 18 that Bolsonaro convened at the presidential palace with

June 22, 2023
Bolsonaro’s political future hangs in the balance as Brazilian court case begins
World

Weekly US applications for unemployment aid remain elevated

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits remained elevated last week, a possible sign that the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes are beginning to cool a surprisingly resilient labor market. U.S. applications for jobless claims were 264,000 for the week ending June 17, the same as the previous week’s revised number, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s slightly more than analysts were expecting. The claims numbers for the past two weeks are the highest since October of 2021. The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths out some of the week-to-week volatility, rose by 8,500 to 255,750. That’s the highest

June 22, 2023
Weekly US applications for unemployment aid remain elevated
World

German rail union threatens open-ended strikes over pay dispute

A German rail workers’ union said Thursday that it will ask its members to vote on all-out strike action after long-running salary talks with the main national railway operator broke down. The EVG union has already staged hours-long or one-day “warning strikes,” a common tactic in German wage negotiations. But it’s now threatening to move to longer walkouts as its negotiations with state-owned Deutsche Bahn have reached an impasse. Union leader Martin Burkert said authorization for open-ended strikes will require three quarters of all votes cast in the ballot that will take four to five weeks to

June 22, 2023
German rail union threatens open-ended strikes over pay dispute
World

Google backs creation of cybersecurity clinics with $20 million donation

Free medical clinics and legal aid clinics, where college students and their instructors help their communities while also learning more about their professions, are now commonplace. Google hopes to add cybersecurity clinics to that list. Google CEO Sundar Pichai pledged $20 million in donations on Thursday to support and expand the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics to introduce thousands of students to potential careers in cybersecurity, while also helping defend small government offices, rural hospitals and nonprofits from hacking. Pichai said the new initiative addresses both the rising number of cyberattacks — up 38% globally in 2022 –

June 22, 2023
Google backs creation of cybersecurity clinics with $20 million donation
World

Home sales inch up in May amid record-low inventory and biggest annual drop in prices since 2011

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes edged higher in May and the national median sale price posted its biggest annual drop in more than a decade, even as the supply of available properties sank to an all-time low. Existing home sales rose 0.2% last month from April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.3 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. That’s slightly above what economists were expecting, according to FactSet. Sales sank 20.4% compared with May last year. That marks 10 consecutive months of annual sales declines of 20% or more. The national

June 22, 2023
Home sales inch up in May amid record-low inventory and biggest annual drop in prices since 2011
World

UConn's Dan Hurley cashes in on national title with a new 6-year, $32.1M contract

UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley has cashed in on the Huskies national championship, agreeing to a new six-year, $32.1 million contract, the school announced Thursday. The deal, which runs through 2029, will pay Hurley an average of $5.35 million per season and includes incentives that could push his compensation higher, the school said. The school originally said the deal was worth $31.5 million, but said later that it had miscalculated the value. The contract replaces a package signed in 2018 when Hurley was hired that paid him about $3 million per season. “I am thrilled

June 22, 2023
UConn's Dan Hurley cashes in on national title with a new 6-year, $32.1M contract
World

Spirit Aerosystems, major airlines supplier, suspends plant operations after labor contract rejected

Spirit Aerosystems, a major supplier to the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers, is suspending operations at a critical Kansas plant after union workers there rejected a proposed four-year contract and authorized a strike. Approximately 6,000 members of the IAM District 70, Local 839 voted to reject Spirit Aerosystems’ best and last offer after 13 years without a fully negotiated agreement, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a prepared statement. Shares of Boeing Co. and Airbus slid about 2%, and shares of Spirit Aerosystems Holdings Inc. tumbled 10% at the opening bell. The tentative deal that was rejected

June 22, 2023
Spirit Aerosystems, major airlines supplier, suspends plant operations after labor contract rejected
World

Widow of slain Haitian president files lawsuit against suspects seeking trial and damages

Attorneys for the widow of slain Haitian President Jovenel Moïse filed a lawsuit Thursday in Florida against those accused in his assassination, which is still under investigation. The lawsuit, which was first shared with The Associated Press, seeks unspecified damages for Moïse’s family and a trial by jury in a push to hold the defendants responsible for the president’s death. “Whatever assets are out there, we will make sure these people will pay,” attorney Paul Turner told the AP. The lawsuit was filed nearly two years after the July 7, 2021 assassination of Moïse,

June 22, 2023
Widow of slain Haitian president files lawsuit against suspects seeking trial and damages
World

Kenya's new tax package angers some backers of president who once vowed to reduce cost of living

Kenyans are preparing for tough times after lawmakers approved tax increases that are even unpopular with supporters of the president who once vowed to reduce the cost of living. The doubling of the tax on petroleum products, from 8% to 16%, is expected to have a ripple effect on East Africa’s economic hub, with the prices of goods and services expected to increase. The administration of President William Ruto, who was elected last year, has only made things harder, one supporter said. “He said he was going to make life easier for us hustlers. We are

June 22, 2023
Kenya's new tax package angers some backers of president who once vowed to reduce cost of living
World

NBA draft day arrives, and for Wembanyama a big man will realize his big dreams

The day Victor Wembanyama has dreamed of for years has arrived. The 19-year-old from France figures he was about 12 when he began thinking about being an NBA player and then being selected No. 1 in the draft, which seems certain to happen Thursday night in Brooklyn. The San Antonio Spurs have that pick and the opportunity to add a player who is being considered a can’t-miss prospect, perhaps the likes that hasn’t been seen since LeBron James in 2003. Wembanyama has thrown out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium and said he hoped to visit

June 22, 2023
NBA draft day arrives, and for Wembanyama a big man will realize his big dreams

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