Hundreds of thousands of eastern Canadians face power outages due to ice storm
TORONTO -Over 300,000 Canadians faced power outages in parts of Ontario on Sunday as an ice storm pummeled the region over the weekend, according to electricity provider Hydro One. Environment Canada issued winter storm warnings for freezing rain in Ottawa,…
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…
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….
What to know about Australia’s upcoming election
SYDNEY – Australia will hold a general election on May 3, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Friday. Opinion polls indicate it will be a neck-and-neck race between Albanese’s ruling centre-left Labor party and the conservative Liberal-National coalition led by…
Trump Organization eyes multi-billion-dollar projects in Vietnam amid tariff risks
HANOI – The Trump Organization and its partner in Vietnam are working on multiple investments worth billions of dollars in golf courses, hotels and real estate projects in the Southeast Asian country, a spokesman for the consortium told Reuters. The…
Australia pours billions into missile procurement amidst global shortages
Australia -The Ukraine war and increased European defence spending are likely to slow Australia’s plans to develop its own missile components’ capability as it pushes ahead with a multibillion-dollar effort to acquire long-range strike missiles. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged…
China, France to hold high-level strategic and economic dialogues this year
BEIJING -China and France will hold three high-level dialogues on strategic, economic, financial and cultural issues this year, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after meeting with his French counterpart in Beijing on Thursday. In a meeting Wang described as “constructive”…
University of Michigan shuts DEI office, citing Trump orders and funding warning
WASHINGTON – The University of Michigan – long seen as a bastion of diversity, equity and inclusion programs – said on Thursday it was closing its DEI office, citing executive orders from President Donald Trump and a warning from the…
Rubio voices US concerns to Turkey after arrest of Istanbul mayor
MIAMI – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday he expressed concern to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan over protests and detentions in Turkey following the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul. Sunday’s arrest of President…
Nippon, U.S. Steel offer increased investment to Trump officials to close deal, Semafor reports
Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel are in active talks about a deal that would preserve their $14 billion merger and secure billions more in investments from the Japanese steelmaker into Rust Belt facilities, Semafor reported on Thursday. In recent meetings…
Fed’s Collins says it is clear tariffs will drive inflation up near term
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins said on Thursday that Trump administration tariffs will drive up U.S. inflation but it is unclear how persistent that upward pressure will be. “It looks inevitable that tariffs are going to increase…
RBA to hold rates steady in April, but cut again in May
BENGALURU – The Reserve Bank of Australia will keep its cash rate unchanged on Tuesday as it waits for concrete signs of easing inflation, according to a Reuters poll of economists, who mostly still expect two rate cuts this year…
South Korea exports to rise for second month on chip boost; tariff risks loom: Reuters poll
SEOUL – South Korea’s exports likely rose in March for a second straight month on a growth in chip sales, a Reuters poll found on Friday, but economists warned of weakening momentum due to U.S. tariffs. Outbound shipments from Asia’s…
Core inflation in Japan’s capital accelerates, stays above BOJ target
TOKYO -Core consumer inflation in Japan’s capital stayed above the central bank’s target and accelerated in March on steady gains in food costs, data showed on Friday, keeping alive market expectations of a near-term interest rate hike. Service-sector inflation also…
BOJ board at loggerheads over inflation, US tariff risks, March summary shows
TOKYO -Bank of Japan policymakers were at loggerheads this month over how soon they should raise interest rates again as some focused on domestic inflationary pressure and others on uncertainty over U.S. tariff policy, a summary of opinions at its…
Musk says a great wrong is being done to Tesla staff, customers -Fox News
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Wednesday that a great wrong was being done to Tesla employees and customers when asked on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier” about incidents at dealerships that include arson attacks. Tesla has…
Israel conducts first strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs since truce
BEIRUT/JERUSALEM -Israel on Friday carried out its first major airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs in months, retaliating for an earlier rocket launch from Lebanon in the most serious test of a shaky ceasefire deal agreed in November. The strike targeted…
Moldova broadens probe into pro-Russian group after detention of ethnic minority leader
CHISINAU -Moldova broadened an investigation into the financing of a banned pro-Russian political grouping in the country, two days after the detention of the leader of a pro-Moscow ethnic minority. The detention at Chisinau airport of Eugenia Gutul, the leader…
Rubio says US may have revoked more than 300 visas
GEORGETOWN -U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday the State Department may have revoked more than 300 visas and warned that the Trump administration was looking every day for “these lunatics” after Washington this week detained and revoked…
Trump auto tariffs take aim at a pillar of Asian economies – and national pride
For Japan and South Korea, tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump represent a blow to domestic car industries that are both economic pillars and sources of national pride. Shares in companies such as Japan’s Toyota and Honda and South Korea’s…