Tag: US

18.7 Million Viewers Watch 2023 Oscar Awards

  Oscars television ratings increased for the second year in a row, as 18.7 million viewers tuned in to watch hit sci-fi “Everything Everywhere All At Once” dominate a well-reviewed ceremony, the ABC network said Monday. With Jimmy Kimmel back as host, and a number of bona fide blockbusters among the nominated films including “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water,” organizers had hoped that the 95th Academy Awards would draw audiences back. […]

‘Double whammy’ of extreme weather grips both US coasts

  by Peter HUTCHISON Heavy rain and snow wreaked havoc across the northeastern United States Tuesday, disrupting flights and causing power outages, as extreme weather gripped both American coasts. The “double whammy,” as the National Weather Service (NWS) called it, is the latest in an unusual series of weather fronts to have rocked the country simultaneously. It is hard to establish a direct link between these winter storms, but scientists say human-caused climate change, brought […]

Russian jet causes American drone to crash over Black Sea: US

by Daphne Benoit with W.G. Dunlop in Washington Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — A Russian fighter jet on Tuesday dumped fuel on an American drone over the Black Sea and then collided with it, causing the drone to crash, the US military said, slamming the maneuver as “reckless”. US European Command said two Russian Su-27 fighters intercepted the unmanned MQ-9 Reaper over international waters and one clipped its propeller. “Several times before the collision, […]

Meta axes another 10,000 jobs in new round of cuts

by Alex PIGMAN Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Facebook owner Meta announced a fresh wave of job cuts on Tuesday, part of what CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the company’s “year of efficiency” as the US tech sector continues to downsize. In an email to employees, Zuckerberg said Meta would shed 10,000 jobs over the next few months, targeting middle management, and that 5,000 other roles would remain unfilled. The cuts follow a cull […]

Philippines, US to hold largest ever joint war games: officials

The Philippines and the United States will hold their largest ever joint military exercises next month, Philippine and US officials said Tuesday, as the longtime allies seek to counter China’s growing regional influence. A total of 17,680 soldiers will take part in the annual drills, which for the first time will include live-fire exercises in the disputed South China Sea and a simulated defence of a tiny Philippine island nearly 300 kilometres (190 miles) south […]

Australia to buy US nuclear subs in ambitious new pact

  San Diego, United States | AFP | by Jim Watson with Sebastian Smith in Washington Australia has unveiled plans to buy up to five US nuclear-powered submarines, then build a new model with US and British technology under an ambitious plan to bulk up Western muscle across the Asia-Pacific in the face of a rising China. The announcement came Monday at an event at a San Diego, California, naval base where President Joe Biden […]

SVB collapse causes headaches for US Fed before rate decision

by Daniel AVIS The dramatic implosion of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) last week could bring the Federal Reserve’s current cycle of interest rate hikes to an end far sooner than many analysts expected. Traders and analysts who had previously predicted that the Fed would increase the pace of hikes to tackle inflation have now dialed back their expectations, with some saying the US central bank will hold its benchmark rate next week due to the […]

‘Almost ballet’: Keanu Reeves brings ‘John Wick’ to Paris

by Francois BECKER Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Keanu Reeves is back with the fourth chapter of his megahit gun-frenzy franchise “John Wick” next week. He sees its expertly coordinated action scenes as “almost ballet”. “It was always a dream of mine to act in Paris, and to be back was amazing,” the jovial 58-year-old film star told AFP on a recent trip to the French capital. The last time he worked here, more […]

Australia to buy US nuclear subs in ambitious new pact

by Jim Watson with Sebastian Smith in Washington Agence France-Presse SAN DIEGO, United States (AFP) — Australia announced Monday it will buy as many as five US nuclear-powered submarines, then build a new model with US and British technology under an ambitious plan to bulk up Western muscle across the Asia-Pacific in the face of a rising China. The announcement came at an event at a San Diego, California, naval base where President Joe Biden […]

China lifts sweeping visa curbs on foreigners

by Daniel STUBLEN Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — China will once again start issuing a range of visas to foreigners as of Wednesday, the country’s embassy in Washington said, a major easing of travel restrictions in force since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The move marks the latest step towards reopening China to the outside world, as Beijing gradually breaks with the strict zero-Covid strategy that defined its pandemic response until a […]

EU chief wants ‘level playing field’ with China

STRASBOURG, France (AFP) — The head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said Monday she wants to avoid economic dependence on Beijing, but not fully “decouple” the EU’s economy from China. Explaining the stance she took last week when she visited US President Joe Biden, Brussels’ top official said the European Union was merely seeking a level playing field. The pair’s joint statement was a small step in resolving differences over trans-Atlantic trade, […]

Four days that shook the US banking system

by Thomas URBAIN The US banking system has been gripped in recent days by a series of convulsions that has seen the collapse of three banks and authorities undertaking extraordinary measures to reassure depositors. It all began Wednesday night with a liquidation announcement from the small regional Silvergate Bank, a favorite among the cryptocurrency crowd. The California business was swept up in several crypto mishaps, particularly the implosion of exchange platform FTX, before facing a […]