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China April new loans unexpectedly shrink as weak demand weighs

China’s new yuan loans contracted in April for the first time in nine months, sharply undershooting forecasts as seasonal factors and weak household credit demand dragged on lending in the world's second-largest economy.The surprisingly weak data comes after China's first-quarter economic growth beat expectations, buoyed largely by resilient exports, and casts more doubt on the health of its domestic demand as the Iran war drags on.Loans shrank by 10 billion yuan ($1.47 billion) in April, far below analysts’ expectations and down sharply from 2.99 trillion yuan in March, according to Reut

JPMorgan's bet on early-stage companies pays off in leading global tech investment banking

Iran urges BRICS to condemn US, Israel for war, exposing bloc divisions

Business|Economy|World

White House has few tools for gas-price relief as Iran war drags on

Trump administration officials are scrambling to contain the economic and political fallout of the war with Iran, three people familiar with the White House's discussions told Reuters, as hopes for a quick resolution fade. U.S. President Donald Trump this week backed suspending the federal gas tax, a step that would knock 18 cents a gallon off motor fuel prices currently averaging more than $4.50 a gallon nationwide. Once viewed by some White House aides as unnecessary, the idea is gaining urgency as officials run low on options to show they are tackling rising costs, said the people, who spo

Vance is set to speak in Maine about fraud investigations ahead of primary election

US Senate committee to weigh crypto bill in milestone for digital assets

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Philippine senator wanted by the International Criminal Court flees from Senate

A Philippine senator wanted by the International Criminal Court for an alleged crime against humanity has fled from the Senate, where he sought refuge to evade arrest, officials said Thursday. Sen. Ronald dela Rosa ’s exit from the heavily guarded Senate came after volleys of gunshots were fired Wednesday night by the building's security personnel during an argument with a government agent, sparking chaos that apparently helped the senator to slip out. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a late-night TV statement to ask the public to remain calm. A police investi

Jeffries' job grows more difficult in race for House and speaker's gavel

European shares gain on tech optimism; Mideast developments in focus

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A Maryland attorney took in his daughter’s family. His son-in-law then fatally shot him, prosecutors say

Mark Thomas Ryan arrived at his in-laws’ Phoenix, Maryland, home with a loaded handgun tucked in his pocket.Hours earlier, local law enforcement had issued a temporary restraining order against him, after his wife alleged Ryan had struck and threatened her the night before, according to court records.Now, on the home’s enclosed patio, Ryan confronted his father-in-law, a well-respected Maryland attorney named Robert MacMeekin, who had taken in his daughter and grandchildren.Ryan pulled out the gun and pointed it at MacMeekin, leading to a fierce struggle for the weapon, according to chargi

Election|US

Denise Powell wins Democratic primary in Nebraska’s ‘blue dot’ 2nd District

Denise Powell won the Democratic primary in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District on Wednesday in a contest focused on the state’s “blue dot” status in presidential elections. The Omaha-area district, where Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon is retiring, is one of Democrats' biggest targets this midterm season. It’s also a national focus every four years in presidential contests because Nebraska is one of just two states that splits its electoral votes. The 2nd District has gone to Democratic presidential candidates three out of five times since 2008 — a “blue dot”

Giuliani returns to his show after viral pneumonia hospitalization

Taxpayer-funded sexual harassment settlements involving lawmakers exceeded $550,000, newly released documents show

Business|Crime|Political|US

Lutnick downplayed contact with Epstein in House Oversight interview, transcript shows

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick downplayed three in-person encounters he said he had with Jeffrey Epstein over the years, telling the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door interview last week that his interactions with the convicted late sex offender were “virtually nonexistent,” according to a transcript released Thursday.The comments came during a voluntary interview Lutnick gave to congressional investigators last week following revelations that his contact with Epstein extended years beyond what he initially claimed in public.In his lifetime, Lutnick testified that he interacted

He fought Trump’s tariffs through the Supreme Court all the way to a refund

Winning a landmark Supreme Court case against President Donald Trump’s most sweeping tariffs was one thing. Actually getting his illegally collected tariff money back from the government, though, was practically inconceivable to Victor Schwartz, owner of wine importer VOS Selections and the lead plaintiff in that case.On Wednesday, it finally happened: Schwartz received a deposit from the government for $110,000, about 95% of the money he believes he’s owed.“This is where the rubber meets the road. This is our win in real terms,” Schwartz told CNN.Schwartz’s business is one of 330,00

Florida attorney general issues investigative subpoena to the NFL over the Rooney Rule

Justice Department considers settling Trump’s $10 billion IRS leak lawsuit

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China's Xi warns Trump that differences over Taiwan could lead to conflict

China’s Xi Jinping warned President Donald Trump on Thursday that the two countries could clash over Taiwan if the issue was not handled properly, an unusually harsh admonition that stood in contrast to the American leader’s praise for his counterpart. The exchange at a highly anticipated summit in Beijing underscored just how far apart Trump and Xi remain on thorny issues, including the war in Iran, trade disputes and Washington's relations with Taiwan, which is self-ruled but which China claims as part of its territory. It also suggested that Trump’s three

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Shakira, Madonna and BTS to headline 2026 World Cup Final halftime show

Shakira, Madonna and K-pop superstars BTS will headline the first-ever World Cup final halftime show, FIFA announced in an Instagram post on Thursday.The World Cup Final is set for July 19 at New Jersey’s Metlife Stadium and is expected to draw millions of viewers worldwide on top of its attendees.World Cup 2026 kicks off June 11 in Mexico City with matches to be played in multiple locations across the US, Canada and Mexico.The final halftime, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, will be produced by the non-profit Global Citizen and benefit the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, FIFA said.

Judge orders US government to return Colombian woman deported to DR Congo

AI rally powers on, Trump-Xi summit takes centre stage

Oil prices broadly stable as Trump-Xi meeting yields talk of cooperation and stability

Oil prices were broadly stable on Thursday after a Chinese readout from a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed cooperation and stability.Both leaders agreed in a meeting that the Strait of Hormuz must be open for the free flow of energy, according to a White House readout.Easing from an earlier high of $107.13 a barrel, Brent crude oil futures were up 30 cents, or 0.3%, at $105.93 at 1005 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures lost 15 cents, or 0.2%, to $100.87. Both contracts fell on Wednesday as investors worried about possible U.S. inter

Business|Economy|Technology|World

Honda posts first annual loss on $9 billion EV writedown, scraps EV sales goals

Honda Motor posted its first annual loss in nearly 70 years as a listed company on Thursday, hit by more than $9 billion in costs to restructure its electric-vehicle business, and the firm scrapped its long-term EV sales target.Revealing its worst financial report since Honda listed on the stock market in 1957 underscores how risky an aggressive bet on EVs can be for a legacy automaker when it slams into weaker-than-expected demand.Toshihiro Mibe, CEO of Japan's second-largest automaker, on Thursday said Honda is scrapping its goal of having EVs make up a fifth of its new car sales in 2030 as

China renews, then halts licenses for hundreds of US beef exporters amid Trump-Xi summit

Cuba’s energy crisis to worsen as donated Russian oil runs out, minister warns

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Crime|Political

GOP Rep. Mike Lawler blasts ‘disgusting’ antisemitic and homophobic comments from Sen. Rand Paul’s son

Crime|Economy|US|World

Taxpayer-funded sexual harassment settlements involving lawmakers exceeded $550,000, newly released documents show

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Pomp and pageantry: for Chinese officials preparing for a Trump visit, every second counts

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Former Philippine ‘drug war’ police chief runs away from government agents to avoid international arrest warrant

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Locked in a stalemate with Iran, Trump heads to China

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Gregor Stuart Hunter With the conflict in the Middle East still mired in a stalemate, Donald Trump is on his way to Beijing to see if

Asia|Political|World

Ahead of Trump-Xi summit, China warns on US arms sales to Taiwan

China reiterated its strong opposition to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan on Wednesday, calling on Washington to honour its commitments ahead of U.S.

Business|Economy|Technology|World

Nvidia CEO joins Trump for China trip, spurring hopes for H200 deal

US freezes Medicare enrollments for new home healthcare and hospice providers

The Trump administration will block new home healthcare and hospice providers from enrolling in Medicare for at least the next six months, according

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Trump arrives in Beijing for talks with China's Xi on Iran war, trade and US arms sales to Taiwan

The welcoming ceremony for U_S_ President Donald Trump as he arrived in Beijing for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping has included a military honor guard, a military band and hundreds of Chinese youths waving flags and chanting, “Warm welcome!”

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From 'The Hills' villain to LA mayoral contender: Spencer Pratt’s viral video-fueled campaign

“The Hills” reality television show villain Spencer Pratt is running for mayor of Los Angeles, positioning himself as a savior and promising to tackle the city's disorder and dysfunction

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From LA to Scottsdale: The Founder Behind AdDynamix Is Building the Bridge Between AI and Business Tools

An LA digital advertising veteran of 28 years has moved to Scottsdale and is building what he calls the missing piece between business software and the AI assistants people now use every day. SCOTTSDALE, AZ. When Benoit Pecqueur talks about his latest company, he sounds less like a founder pitching a product and more like an operator who got tired of watching the same problem repeat itself. “Most small business owners are watching the AI revolution from the sidelines,” he says. “Not because they don’t want it. Because their tools don’t talk to ChatGPT or Claude. Their accountant still pulls