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…
European shares hits a weekly decline as tariff worries persist
European shares slid on Friday as fresh U.S. data amplified worries about higher inflation, ending a week where new tariff announcements from U.S. President Donald Trump kept investors away from risky assets. The pan-European STOXX 600 index ended 0.7% lower…
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…
Brazil’s top court tosses out probe into Bolsonaro’s vaccine records
BRASILIA – Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Friday tossed out a probe into whether former President Jair Bolsonaro forged vaccine records, a court decision seen by Reuters showed. Moraes’ ruling came after Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet earlier…
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…
US says it is ‘not surprised’ that China would be upset at Panama ports deal
WASHINGTON – The U.S. State Department said on Friday it was “not surprised” that China would be upset by Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison’s (0001.HK) deal to sell its two port operations near the Panama Canal to a BlackRock-led group,…
Somalia offers US exclusive control of air bases, ports
NAIROBI – Somalia is prepared to offer the United States exclusive control of strategic air bases and ports, its president said in a letter to President Donald Trump seen by Reuters on Friday. In the March 16 letter, authenticated by…
Factbox-Hot or not? How recent high-profile US IPOs have performed
The U.S. IPO market stands at a critical juncture, with CoreWeave’s debut set to be a key test of whether companies move forward with listings or retreat amid market volatility. Hopes for a blockbuster rebound in 2025 have dimmed, as…
US judge blocks Trump administration from fast-tracking deportations
BOSTON -A federal judge on Friday blocked U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration from deporting migrants to countries with which they had no relationship without giving them a chance to raise claims that they would face persecution or torture if sent…