NEW YORK (AFP) — Wall Street stocks were mixed early Monday as US markets sought to recover from last week’s rout amid worries over trade wars and slowing US growth. About 15 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.2 percent at 24,331.19. The broad-based S&P 500 slipped 0.1 percent to 2,630.96, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.5 percent to 7,002.90. Major US indices had fallen the most last week […]
North America
Huawei exec to seek Canada bail on health grounds
By Deborah JONES / with Michel COMTE in Ottawa Agence France-Presse CANADA (AFP) — A top executive of Chinese telecom giant Huawei will seek release from Canadian detention Monday on health grounds, as Beijing escalates its protests over her arrest on a US warrant. Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, faces US fraud charges related to alleged sanctions-breaking dealings with Iran, and has been awaiting a Canadian court’s bail decision. She was detained in Vancouver […]
‘I can’t breathe’ were Khashoggi’s final words, report says
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Jamal Khashoggi’s final words were “I can’t breathe,” CNN said Sunday, citing a source who has read the transcript of an audio tape of the final moments before the journalist’s murder. The source told the US network the transcript made clear the killing was premeditated, and suggests several phone calls were made to give briefings on the progress. CNN said Turkish officials believe those calls were made to top officials […]
China summons US ambassador over Huawei arrest
by Laurent THOMET / Laurent Thomet, with Delphine Touitou in Washington Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — China summoned the US ambassador on Sunday to protest the arrest of a top executive from telecom giant Huawei in Canada, as Washington’s top trade negotiator rejected suggestions that the case could affect talks aimed at settling a trade war. The arrest of Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou has infuriated Beijing, which demanded Washington drop its […]
White House knew in advance about Huawei arrest
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House said Thursday it knew in advance that Canada planned to arrest an executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei on the same day as a summit between Washington and Beijing. National security advisor John Bolton said he did not know if President Donald Trump was also aware of the operation to detain Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou on a US request as she was changing planes in […]
Politics played no role in Huawei exec’s arrest: Trudeau
OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that politics played no part in the arrest of a top executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei, who was detained on a US extradition request. “I can assure everyone that we are a country (with) an independent judiciary,” Trudeau told a tech conference in Montreal. “And they took this decision without any political involvement or interference.” The prime minister declined to comment further on […]
OPEC meets as Trump calls for oil taps to be kept on
by Joseph SOTINEL and Simon MORGAN Agence France Presse VIENNA, Austria (AFP) — OPEC members and other oil-producing countries gather in Vienna on Thursday to discuss cutting output to prop up prices, as US President Donald Trump urged them to keep the faucets open. Oil ministers from 20 or so countries busily criss-crossed the Austrian capital on Wednesday for preparatory negotiations ahead of the two-day meet at the headquarters of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting […]
Two US Marine planes crash while refueling off Japan: official
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Two US Marine Corps aircraft crashed during a refueling operation off the coast of Japan, a US defense official told AFP on Wednesday. The planes involved were an F-18 fighter and a C-130 tanker, the official said. In a statement, the Marine Corps said the planes had taken off from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. Search and rescue operations were underway following a “mishap.” They “were conducting regularly scheduled training […]
First woman elected mayor of Mexico City takes office
by Yussel GONZALEZ Agence France Presse MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — The first woman elected mayor of Mexico City was sworn in Wednesday for a six-year term leading one of the world’s largest cities, in a country with a deep tradition of machismo. Claudia Sheinbaum, a 56-year-old scientist and environmentalist, rode to victory in the July elections on the same anti-establishment wave that brought her ally and mentor to power, Mexico’s new President Andres Manuel […]
Canada desperately looking to fill 430,000 vacant jobs
MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — A business group warned on Tuesday that a labor shortage in Canada is deepening, with more than 430,000 jobs at small and medium-sized firms remaining unfilled for at least four months. The job vacancy rate has risen to 3.3 percent, from 2.9 percent a year ago, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) said in a report. This is “above the records set before the 2008 financial crisis, and businesses are […]
Washington sets aside divisions for Bush funeral
by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A divided Washington led by the nation’s five living presidents put on a show of unity Wednesday at the poignant state funeral of George H.W. Bush, as America bade farewell to its 41st president. Donald and Melania Trump shared a front row pew in the National Cathedral with past presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and their wives as an honor guard brought […]
Panama awards $1.4 bn bridge project to Chinese group
PANAMA CITY, Panama (AFP) — The government of Panama awarded Tuesday a Chinese consortium a $1.4 billion contract to build a bridge over the Panama Canal, a day after a visit by President Xi Jinping. That tour was part of China’s efforts to extend its political and economic influence in Latin America. “Panama is moving ahead in its relations with China and without a doubt this project that begins its construction today is part of […]
