Judge blocks Trump ban on Harvard’s international students
BOSTON -A federal judge said on Thursday she would extend an order blocking President Donald Trump’s administration from immediately revoking Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students, a victory for the Ivy League school that is entangled in multiple battles…
Without Musk, DOGE likely to fizzle out, says ex-staffer
Without billionaire Elon Musk in the Trump administration, his cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency project is likely to sputter out, a former DOGE staffer said in his first interview since leaving the team. Tesla CEO Musk announced on Wednesday evening…
Kim Jong Un leads meeting on strengthening military, inspects artillery drill
SEOUL -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un led a party meeting on strengthening the military on Wednesday and inspected an artillery drill on Thursday, state media KCNA said on Friday. In an expanded meeting of the 8th Central Military Commission…
At UN, US says Russia’s Putin should take Ukraine ceasefire deal
UNITED NATIONS -The United States told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that its proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine was “Russia’s best possible outcome” and President Vladimir Putin should take the deal. The United States wants Russia to…
US appeals court reinstates Trump tariffs, sowing market confusion
NEW YORK -A U.S. appeals court reinstated President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Thursday, leaving Wall Street with no clear direction a day after most of the tariffs were blocked by a trade court, a move that had given markets…
Japan April jobless rate unchanged at 2.5%
TOKYO -Japan’s jobless rate in April was unchanged at 2.5% from last month, government data showed on Friday. Economists’ median forecast was for 2.5%. The jobs-to-applicants ratio in April was also unchanged from the previous month at 1.26. The median…
Mexican authorities seize more than 3 million liters of stolen fuel
MEXICO CITY-Mexican authorities said they seized more than 3 million liters (792,516 gallons) of illegally stored fuel at a property in the country’s southeast state of Tabasco, the latest in a string of major fuel-related seizures across the country. WHY…
America’s next top general in Europe will also lead NATO forces, officials say
WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS -President Donald Trump will maintain the traditional role of a U.S. general at the helm of NATO, at least for now, three U.S. officials, a Western official and a NATO source said, even as Washington pushes European allies to…
Ukraine keeps Russia guessing over participation in June 2 peace talks
KYIV/MOSCOW -Ukraine on Friday resisted pressure from Moscow and Washington to commit itself to attending another round of peace talks with Russia on June 2, saying it first needed to see the proposals Russian negotiators plan to bring. U.S. President…
US axes 24 clean energy projects, including at Exxon’s Baytown
WASHINGTON -The U.S. has axed awards to 24 green energy projects issued during President Joe Biden’s administration that totaled more than $3.7 billion, including one at an Exxon refinery complex in Texas, the Energy Department said on Friday. The administration…
US Supreme Court lets Trump revoke ‘parole’ status for migrants
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday let President Donald Trump’s administration revoke the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan, Cuban, Haitian and Nicaraguan migrants living in the United States, bolstering the Republican president’s drive to step up…
Taylor Swift says she has gained control of her music catalog
LOS ANGELES – Pop superstar Taylor Swift said on Friday she had purchased the master recordings of her first six albums, giving her control of all of her music after a dispute with her former record label. Swift’s masters had…
UN may cut staff by 20%, internal memo says
WASHINGTON -The United Nations Secretariat is preparing to cut its $3.7 billion budget by 20% and slash about 6,900 jobs, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters. The directive, which asks staff to detail cuts by June 13, comes…
US FAA extends program allowing Boeing to conduct agency tasks like inspections
WASHINGTON -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday said it would extend by three years a program that allows Boeing to perform some tasks on the agency’s behalf like inspections, saying the planemaker had made improvements. In May 2022, the…
US will not tolerate Chinese ‘exploitation’ of universities, theft of research, says State Dept
WASHINGTON -The United States will not tolerate “exploitation” of American universities by the Chinese Communist Party or theft of U.S. research and intellectual property, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Thursday. In a briefing at the State Department, Bruce…
US stocks cling to gains, dollar down after court ruling to block Trump tariffs
NEW YORK/SINGAPORE -Wall Street held gains on Thursday, coming off their highs for the day, as investors digested a U.S. federal court blocked President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs from going into effect. The dollar, however, turned lower against its…
Vanguard expands “Investor Choice” proxy voting program
Top mutual fund manager Vanguard Group on Thursday said it would roughly triple to 10 million the number of investors eligible to direct proxy votes in their funds, continuing an effort that would reduce the firm’s direct impact on shareholder…
In riposte to Vance, Germany’s Merz says Europe stands for freedom
BERLIN -German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday said Europe was prepared to fight if necessary for its core values of freedom and democracy, in an explicit riposte to the Trump administration’s repeated criticisms of the European Union. Speaking at a…
Netanyahu says Israel accepts Witkoff’s new Gaza truce proposal, media report
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told families of hostages held in Gaza that Israel has accepted a new ceasefire proposal presented by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Israeli media reported on Thursday. Palestinian militant group Hamas…
Nike’s longtime design and innovation chief John Hoke to retire
Nike’s chief innovation officer, John Hoke, is retiring, the world’s largest sportswear company said on Thursday. Hoke, who joined Nike in 1992, has served as the company’s chief design officer before being named chief innovation officer in 2023. Earlier this…
Trump’s tariff tally: $34 billion and counting, global companies say
SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK/BENGALURU -President Donald Trump’s trade war has cost companies more than $34 billion in lost sales and higher costs, according to a Reuters analysis of corporate disclosures, a toll that is expected to rise as ongoing uncertainty over…
US court blocks Trump’s tariffs, says president exceeded his authority
NEW YORK -A U.S. trade court on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump’s tariffs from going into effect in a sweeping ruling that the president overstepped his authority by imposing across-the-board duties on imports from nations that sell more to the…
Second woman tells jury Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sexually abused her
NEW YORK -A second woman testified on Thursday that Sean “Diddy” Combs sexually assaulted her as part of what federal prosecutors allege was a sex trafficking and racketeering scheme masterminded by the hip-hop mogul. The woman, testifying under the pseudonym…
Afghans in Kentucky fear for future after Trump strips deportation protections
BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky -Afghan asylum-seeker Wazir Khan Zadran and his family arrived in Kentucky nearly four years ago as the U.S. military withdrew from his country. Now, he worries about the future of his children, especially his girls, if they…
Chevron to cut nearly 800 jobs in Texas
HOUSTON -Chevron will lay off nearly 800 employees in Texas, according to a notice on Wednesday to the Texas Workforce Commission, part of the U.S. oil producer’s plan to cut up to 20% of its global workforce by the end…
White House adviser says three trade deals nearly done
WASHINGTON -White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Thursday three trade deals were nearly done and he expected more despite a trade court ruling that blocked most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. “There are many, many deals coming. And…
Gaza aid system under pressure as thousands seek food
CAIRO -After a slow and chaotic start to the new U.S.-backed aid system in Gaza, thousands of Palestinians have been arriving at distribution points, seeking desperately needed food despite scenes of disorder and fears of violence. The two hubs run…
Hailey Bieber sells makeup brand Rhode to Elf Beauty in $1 billion deal
Model Hailey Bieber’s makeup and skincare brand, Rhode, is being snapped up by Elf Beauty for about $1 billion, giving the budget cosmetic retailer access to a celebrity-endorsed product line that has become hugely popular among Gen Z and millennials….
Trump says Harvard should have a 15% cap on foreign students
WASHINGTON -President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Harvard University should have a 15% cap on the number of foreign students it admits and that the Ivy League school needs to show the administration their current list of students from…
States sue over Trump cuts to research funding, STEM diversity efforts
A group of U.S. states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to block the administration of President Donald Trump from making massive cuts to federal funding for scientific research and projects focused on increasing diversity in science, technology, engineering, and…