Berkshire raises stakes in five Japanese trading houses to near 10%
TOKYO -Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway raised its holdings in five Japanese trading houses, regulatory filings showed on Monday, in the U.S. conglomerate’s latest investments in Japan’s top commodity firms that began nearly five years ago. Berkshire’s stake in Mitsui &…
Hedge funds regain appetite for US stocks, feel full of Europe, Asia
NEW YORK-Global hedge funds started to add back U.S. equities to portfolios last week following a massive selloff in Wall Street’s major indexes, an early indication of optimism about the country. Goldman Sachs said in a separate note that after…
US releases $57 million in financing to help reopen Michigan reactor
WASHINGTON -The U.S. Department of Energy said on Monday it has disbursed $57 million of an up to $1.52 billion loan guarantee for Holtec’s Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan, which the company hopes will be the first U.S. commercial reactor…
Large area of US under tornado watch, at least 34 people dead
Portions of West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania were under a new tornado watch issued on Sunday by the National Weather Service, as the death toll from storms rose to at least 34 people in six states since Friday. The storms…
US stocks rally as investors weigh economic data, Trump policies
NEW YORK -U.S. stocks gained for a second straight session on Monday as investors sought bargains after the Nasdaq and S&P 500’s four-week tumble and assessed the latest economic data to gauge the impact of the Trump administration’s policies. Retail…
US expels South Africa’s ambassador, calling him ‘race-baiting’ Trump hater
WASHINGTON/JOHANNESBURG-The U.S. has is expelling South Africa’s ambassador, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, calling the envoy a “race-baiting politician” who hates President Donald Trump. Ties have slumped since Trump cut U.S. financial aid to South Africa, citing disapproval of…
UK’s Starmer says ‘coalition of willing’ expanding preparations for post-truce Ukraine
LONDON -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday that Western allies other than the U.S. were stepping up preparations to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, with defence chiefs set to firm up “robust plans”…
Tornadoes strike US South, killing 10 people amid rising risk
ATLANTA-At least 10 people were killed in Missouri as a series of tornadoes hit the U.S. Midwest and Southeast overnight, raking a path of destruction that was still being assessed early on Saturday, police said. Twenty-six tornadoes were reported but…
Trump poised to launch new round of layoffs despite setbacks in court
WASHINGTON-President Donald Trump’s administration gave no sign on Friday of diverting from its plan for a second wave of mass firings and budget cuts across the U.S. government after two federal court rulings ordered the reinstatement of thousands of workers….
Trump administration probes 45 universities on race policies
WASHINGTON- The U.S. Department of Education on Friday said its office for civil rights is investigating 45 universities, citing complaints that the schools engaged with a program that set eligibility based on race. Since Donald Trump returned to the presidency…
Trump targets law firm Paul Weiss in order restricting government access
WASHINGTON-U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday suspending security clearances for lawyers and other employees at New York law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, and restricting their access to federal buildings and officials. “Today, President…
Trump administration weighs travel ban on dozens of countries
WASHINGTON-The Trump administration is considering issuing sweeping travel restrictions for the citizens of dozens of countries as part of a new ban, according to sources familiar with the matter and an internal memo seen by Reuters. The memo lists a…
US Senate government spending bill advances toward passage
WASHINGTON- The U.S. Senate on Friday looked set to advance a bill that would prevent a partial government shutdown, after a sufficient number of minority Democrats joined with the majority Republicans in support. Voting continued.
Wall St ends sharply higher as selloff prompts dip-buying rally
NEW YORK -U.S. stocks rebounded on Friday as investors hunted for bargains at the end of a tumultuous week in which U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war fueled recession fears and doused risk appetite. A broad rally boosted all…
US FDA’s top lawyer Hilary Perkins resigns two days into role
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s chief counsel, Hilary Perkins, has resigned, the federal agency said in a post on social media platform X on Thursday, just two days after her appointment was announced. In a post on LinkedIn, Perkins…
US court allows Trump to enforce ban on DEI programs, for now
A U.S. appeals court on Friday said the Trump administration could temporarily implement a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs at federal agencies and businesses with government contracts, which had been blocked by a judge. The Richmond, Virginia-based 4th…
US consumer sentiment plunges on tariff fears, inflation expectations jump
WASHINGTON -U.S. consumer sentiment plunged to a nearly 2-1/2-year low in March and inflation expectations soared amid worries that President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which have ignited a trade war, would boost prices and undercut the economy. The deterioration in…
South Korea asks US for tariff exemption, trade ministry says
SEOUL – South Korea’s trade minister has asked his U.S. counterpart to exempt the country from reciprocal tariffs if they go into effect in April, the trade ministry said on Saturday.During his visit to Washington this week, Trade Minister Cheong…
Putin says he will let Ukraine troops in Kursk live if they surrender
WASHINGTON/MOSCOW -U.S. President Donald Trump urged Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on Friday to spare Ukrainian troops that Russia is pushing out of its Kursk region, an appeal Putin said he would honor if they surrendered. Trump posted on social media…
US Senate passes bill to avert shutdown, House Democrats turn on Schumer
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate on Friday passed a stopgap spending bill, averting a partial government shutdown, after Democrats backed down in a standoff driven by anger over President Donald Trump’s campaign to slash the federal workforce. After days of…