Taliban release detained US citizen Faye Hall
An American citizen detained in Afghanistan last month by the Taliban administration has been released, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said on Saturday. “American citizen Faye Hall, just released by the Taliban, is now in the…
Denmark’s prime minister to visit Greenland on April 2-4 amid U.S. interest
COPENHAGEN – Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will visit Greenland on April 2-4 for talks with the semi-autonomous territory’s new government, she said on Saturday, amid U.S. interest in taking control of the Arctic island. “I look forward to continuing…
Brazil meatpacker JBS to spend $100 million to build 2 factories in Vietnam
Brazilian meatpacker JBS announced on Saturday that it will invest US$100 million to build two factories in Vietnam, aiming to expand its presence in Southeast Asia and strengthen its position in the global market. According to a statement from the…
No sign Trump will honor US auto tariff protections won by Canada, Mexico in 2018
Canada and Mexico won protections against potential new U.S. auto tariffs in 2018 as part of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade, but there is no evidence that President Donald Trump will honor those commitments as he imposes 25% duties on…
Hamas agrees to Gaza ceasefire proposal, the group’s chief says
CAIRO -Hamas has agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal it received two days ago from mediators Egypt and Qatar, the Palestinian militant group’s chief said on Saturday. “Two days ago, we received a proposal from the mediators in Egypt and…
Zelenskiy says Ukraine expects strong response to Russian drone attacks
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine expected a strong response from Western countries to the nearly daily Russian drone attacks on its territory. “Our partners must understand that these Russian strikes target not only our people, but also…
Trump’s order on museums sparks debate among Americans on patriotism and history
Ernest, a lifelong Washington D.C. resident, stood on the National Mall on Friday with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture’s distinctive shape inspired by African motifs in the background. The vendor, who declined to give his…
Trump meets Finland president, discusses buying icebreakers
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he met with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and discussed strengthening the bilateral partnership, including by purchasing icebreakers for the United States. “President Stubb and I look forward to strengthening the partnership between…
Drone attack kills one in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, officials say
Russian drones struck several targets in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, late on Saturday, killing one person and injuring at least nine, local officials said. Oleh Syniehubov, governor of Kharkiv region, said one person died in the mass attack and…
In disaster-stricken Myanmar, a desperate bid to rescue survivors with bare hands
BANGKOK – In the hours after a massive earthquake flattened buildings in Myanmar’s Mandalay on Friday, survivors scrambled through the debris using their bare hands in desperate attempts to save those still trapped. Without heavy machinery to assist them and…
At least 4 killed in severe storms along Texas-Mexico border
At least four people were killed in severe storms in the near Texas’ border with Mexico amid heavy rain and flooding, officials said on Friday. Hidalgo, Willacy and Cameron counties in Texas faced among the heaviest storms, which lasted for…
US judge halts deportation of Turkish student at Tufts
BOSTON -A federal judge in Massachusetts on Friday temporarily barred the deportation of a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, who voiced support for Palestinians in Israel’s war in Gaza and was detained by U.S. immigration officials this week. Rumeysa…
US civil rights probe of Los Angeles gun permits draws criticism
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Justice Department’s launch of a civil rights probe into whether Los Angeles is taking too long to issue permits to carry a concealed handgun drew criticism on Friday from advocates who called it a sharp departure…
Australia’s Albanese starts election campaign touting healthcare credentials
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese touted his Labor party’s credentials on affordable healthcare on Saturday, the first full day of campaigning for a general election expected to have cost of living as a central issue. Albanese on Friday called the…
Radio Free Asia says it will fully shut down by end of April without court intervention
WASHINGTON – Radio Free Asia said on Friday it would shut down by the end of April if the courts did not prevent the Trump administration from cutting its funding. The agency, which is in a legal battle with the…
WHO proposing to cut jobs and slash budget by a fifth, memo shows
GENEVA -The World Health Organization (WHO) is proposing to reduce staff numbers and the scale of its work as it slashes its budget by just over one fifth due to the impact of U.S. funding cuts, according to an internal…
Columbia University’s head steps down after concessions made in feud with Trump over funds
WASHINGTON -Columbia University’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, has stepped down – a departure that comes one week after it agreed to significant changes amid a heated battle with the Trump administration over its federal funding. The government this month canceled…
FCC opening probe into diversity practices at Disney and ABC
WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES -The head of the Federal Communications Commission on Friday said he is opening an investigation into the diversity practices of Walt Disney and its ABC unit, saying they may violate U.S. equal employment opportunity regulations. FCC Chair Brendan…
Dominion Energy slashes CEO’s cash payout on long-term goals
Dominion Energy CEO Robert Blue missed out on taking home more than $4 million in cash after the utility’s shareholder return and operating profit during 2022-2024 failed to meet performance targets. Blue received $438,240, just 9% of the potential target…
US natgas prices climb 3% on record LNG flows, lower daily output
U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 3% to a one-week high on Friday on record flows to liquefied natural gas export plants and a decline in daily output. On its first day as the front month, gas futures for May…