US Fed lowers key interest rate as 'insurance' against economic risks

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The US Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate for the third straight time on Wednesday but is likely to hold off before providing more stimulus as it gauges economic risks.Though President Donald Trump's trade war with China and Brexit concerns have created uncertainties that have crimped business investment and undermined manufacturing, the American economy has remained "resilient," and monetary policy is now "in a good place," Fed Chairman

World NewsOct. 31, 2019

Crisis-wracked Chile pulls out as APEC, climate meet host

SANTIAGO (AFP) -- Chile pulled out of hosting two major international summits on Wednesday as it struggled to restore order after more than ten days of civil unrest that have left at least 20 dead.President Sebastian Pinera said "common sense" dictated the decision to withdraw from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and the Cop 25 climate change conference.US President Donald Trump had said he was planning to meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to lock down a "phase

WorldOct. 31, 2019

WhatsApp sues Israeli firm NSO over cyberespionage

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) -- WhatsApp on Tuesday sued Israeli technology firm NSO Group, accusing it of using the Facebook-owned messaging service to conduct cyberespionage on journalists, human rights activists and others.The suit filed in a California federal court contended that NSO Group tried to infect approximately 1,400 "target devices" with malicious software to steal valuable information from those using the messaging app.WhatsApp head Will Cathcart said the lawsuit was filed after

World NewsOct. 30, 2019

[Graphic News] Norway tops rankings for women’s quality of life

　Norway and Switzerland are the best countries for women and Yemen and Afghanistan the worst, according to research.　While women’s quality of life has improved in some 60 countries, it has deteriorated in Yemen and other war-torn nations, research organizations Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security and Peace Research Institute Oslo concluded. 　The researchers looked at 167 countries since 2017, when the first Women, Peace and Security Index was compiled, wei

World NewsOct. 29, 2019

Joshua Wong disqualified from local HK elections

HONG KONG (AP) -- Hong Kong authorities have disqualified pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong from upcoming local council elections. Wong on Tuesday sent a copy of a letter notifying him of the disqualification to media. The government issued a statement saying that the nomination of a candidate, whom it did not identify, had been ruled invalid.  Wong became known as the young face of Hong Kong's 2014 "Umbrella Movement" protest movement. He has been less prominent in the current p

World NewsOct. 29, 2019

IS chief Baghdadi buried at sea by US military

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- US officials said Monday that the body of Islamic State group chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was buried at sea as fresh details surfaced about the US special forces operation that led to his death over the weekend.Syrian Kurds claimed to be a key source of the intelligence that led Americans to Baghdadi after years of tracking the brutal jihadist leader behind a five-year reign of terror across much of Iraq and Syria.And an unnamed US military dog became a unlikely hero of the ra

World NewsOct. 29, 2019

Envoy for North Korea expected to get No. 2 State Dept. job

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The US special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, is expected to be nominated as early as this week to be second-in-command at the State Department, officials said Monday.Two Trump administration officials and a congressional aide familiar with the selection process said the White House is expected to nominate Biegun to be the next deputy secretary of state in the coming days. The officials were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonym

World NewsOct. 29, 2019

EU envoys agree three-month Brexit delay

European Union members agreed Monday to postpone Brexit for up to three months, stepping in with their decision less than 90 hours before Britain was due to crash out with no divorce deal.The next deadline for departure will be January 31 next year -- although the other 27 capitals would allow an earlier date if London ratifies a withdrawal agreement before then."The EU27 has agreed that it will accept the UK's request for a Brexit flextension until 31 January 2020," the president of t

World NewsOct. 28, 2019

[Graphic News] Rich Chinese outnumber wealthy Americans for first time

　The number of rich Chinese has surpassed the count of wealthy Americans for the first time as both countries keep churning out millionaires, a study by Credit Suisse showed. 　The Swiss bank’s annual wealth survey found 100 million Chinese ranked in the global top 10 percent as of the middle of this year versus 99 million in the United States. 　The ranks of the world’s millionaires have risen by 1.1 million to an estimated 46.8 million, collectively owning $158.3 trillion in net asse

World BusinessOct. 28, 2019

Peronist Fernandez wins Argentine presidential election

BUENOS AIRES (AFP) -- Peronist candidate Alberto Fernandez won Argentina's presidential election in the first round on Sunday, official results showed, bringing to an end the crisis-plagued rule of market-friendly incumbent Mauricio Macri. Fernandez, a 60-year-old law professor, had 47.36 percent of the votes -- crossing the threshold for outright victory -- after 75 percent of the votes had been counted, with center-right incumbent Mauricio Macri trailing at 41.22 percent. To win outright, Fern

World NewsOct. 28, 2019

Luxury giant LVMH makes bid for jewellers Tiffany: source

NEW YORK (AFP) -- LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton, Dior and the champagne brands Veuve Clicquot and Moet, has made a bid for American jeweller Tiffany, known for its engagement rings and diamonds.The French luxury giant made an offer for the US company at the start of the month, a source told AFP late on Saturday.Tiffany, whose flagship New York store is next to Trump Tower on 5th avenue, has not yet responded to the offer, which comes as the luxury industry is jittery about the possible effects

World BusinessOct. 28, 2019

The tip, the raid, the reveal: The takedown of al-Baghdadi

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The helicopters flew low and fast into the night, ferrying US special forces to a compound where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was hiding in Syria. Half a world away, President Donald Trump watched the raid in real time via a video link as troops blasted into the hideout and sent the most-wanted militant running the last steps of his life.The daring raid was the culmination of years of steady intelligence-gathering work -- and 48 hours of hurry-up planning onc

World NewsOct. 28, 2019

Trump says Islamic State leader dead after US raid in Syria

The shadowy leader of the Islamic State group who presided over its global jihad and became arguably the world's most wanted man, is dead after being targeted by a U.S. military raid in Syria, President Donald Trump said Sunday."Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead," Trump announced at the White House, saying the U.S. had "brought the world's number one terrorist leader to justice." As U.S. forces bore down on him, Trump said al-Baghdadi fled into a tunnel with three of his children

World NewsOct. 27, 2019

US official: IS leader believed dead in US military assault

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the shadowy leader of the Islamic State group who presided over its global jihad and became arguably the world's most wanted man, is believed dead after being targeted by a US military raid in Syria.A US official told The Associated Press late Saturday that al-Baghdadi was targeted in Syria's Idlib province. The official said confirmation that the IS chief was killed in an explosion is pending. No other details were available. The official was not authori

World NewsOct. 27, 2019

Bishops urge Pope to open priesthood to married men in Amazon

VATICAN CITY (AFP) -- Catholic bishops gathered at a special Vatican assembly called on Pope Francis Saturday to open the priesthood to married men in the Amazon, as well as giving women a greater role to play and making damaging the environment a sin.The bishops issued a list of recommendations at the close of a three-week "synod" on the Pan-Amazonian region which highlighted challenges such as the destruction of the rainforest, the exploitation of indigenous peoples and a scarcity in

WorldOct. 27, 2019

4th suspect arrested as UK truck deaths case probe deepens

LONDON (AP) — A fourth person was arrested in connection with the deaths of 39 people found in the back of a container truck in southeastern England, British police said Friday as the investigation into one of the country’s worst human smuggling cases geared up.Police said a 48-year-old man from Northern Ireland was arrested Friday at England’s Stansted Airport on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people. The arrest came after police arrested a man and a woman

World NewsOct. 26, 2019

Over a million protesters demand Chile president's resignation

SANTIAGO (AFP) -- More than one million people took to the streets in Chile Friday for the largest protests in a week of deadly demonstrations demanding economic reforms and the resignation of President Sebastian Pinera.The leader told the thronging masses that he had "heard the message" in a post on Twitter, characterizing the protests in a positive light and as a means towards change. Demonstrators carrying indigenous and national flags sang popular resistance songs from the 1973-90

World NewsOct. 26, 2019

Death toll rises to 8 as heavy rains hit typhoon-battered eastern Japan

TOKYO (Reuters) - The death toll from torrential rains that caused flooding and mudslides in eastern Japan rose to eight on Saturday, with a further four missing, public broadcaster NHK reported, just two weeks after the region was hit hard by a powerful typhoon.Landslides ripped through waterlogged areas in Chiba and Fukushima prefectures, in eastern and northeastern Japan, which were inundated by their third rainstorms in six weeks. In some places, a month’s worth of rain unleashed by a

World NewsOct. 26, 2019

Apple launches iPhone 11 series in S. Korea

American tech giant Apple's latest iPhone 11 series officially hit the shelves in South Korea on Friday, targeting consumers looking for premium phones available in 4G models. Apple released its iPhone, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max in South Korea about one month after their launch in other markets, including the United States, China and Japan.The new iPhones have faster processors, improved camera quality and better battery life -- features that are available only in 4G models. iPhone 11

World NewsOct. 25, 2019

China embassy staff heading to UK site where 39 found dead in truck

BEIJING -- Chinese embassy staff are heading to Essex in Britain to verify reports that 39 people found dead in a truck were its nationals, the foreign ministry said Thursday.The victims were discovered in a container on the back of a truck in Grays, east of London, on Wednesday, shortly after arriving by ferry from Belgium. The local Essex Police force, which is working with immigration officials, said their initial priority was to try to identify the 39 victims.The truck was moved Wednesday to

World NewsOct. 24, 2019