Biden orders ban on certain US tech investments in China
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order that will prohibit some new U.S. investment in China in sensitive technologies...
Diamonds larger than 100 carats
LONDON -- Gem Diamonds Ltd. has discovered two huge diamonds, each bigger than 100 carats, at its Lesotho mine in southern Africa. It unearthed...
New Zealand probes what may be 1st community COVID-19 case in months
WELLINGTON — New Zealand health officials said on Sunday they were investigating what they said was probably the country’s first community coronavirus case, in months in a woman who recently returned from overseas.
Japan’s economy shrinks more than expected as US tariff hit looms
TOKYO - Japan's economy shrank for the first time in a year and at a faster pace than expected, data for the March quarter showed on...
US homebuilding, manufacturing surge; tariffs cast pall over recovery
WASHINGTON - US single-family homebuilding rebounded sharply in February amid a thaw in winter weather while production at factories surged, but rising prices for...
Incheon airport briefly shuts down runways because of North Korea trash balloons
SEOUL - Takeoffs and landings at South Korea's Incheon international airport were disrupted on Wednesday for about three hours before dawn because of balloons launched by North Korea...
U.S. weighs more troops to eastern Europe beyond 8,500 on alert
By Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon said on Monday it is in active discussions with Eastern European allies about possible U.S. troop deployments to NATO's eastern...
China central bank holds medium-term rate but adds liquidity
SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE - China's central bank left the medium-term policy rate unchanged on Monday, defying market expectations for a cut as a weaker currency limited the scope...
Birx says COVID death toll in US would have been mitigated with earlier action
WASHINGTON — Dr. Deborah Birx, who coordinated the White House coronavirus task force under President Donald J. Trump, believes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) death toll in the United States would have been substantially lower if the government had responded more effectively.
Apple’s plan to offer AI search options on Safari a blow to Google dominance
Apple's plans to add AI-powered search options to its Safari browser are a big blow to Google, whose lucrative advertising business relies significantly on...
Japan’s population declines while foreign residents rise to record
TOKYO — The number of Japanese people has decreased at the fastest pace ever while the number of foreign residents has risen to a...
Gaza mediators search for ‘final formula’ for Israel, Hamas ceasefire
DOHA/GAZA — US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators prepared a diplomatic push to bridge differences between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire plan for Gaza...