Washington (AFP) – US retail sales shot up in June amid the ongoing surge in prices, according to new data Friday that spelled more bad news for the Federal Reserve as it struggles to rein in rampant inflation. The data showed that after pausing in May…
US renews space flights with Russia in rare cooperation
Washington (AFP) – The United States and Russia said Friday they would renew flights together to the International Space Station, preserving one of the last areas of cooperation amid Western attempts to isolate Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine. “To …
Saudi opens airspace to ‘all carriers’ in gesture to Israel
Riyadh (AFP) – Saudi Arabia announced Friday it was lifting restrictions on “all carriers” using its airspace, an apparent gesture of openness towards Israel hours before US President Joe Biden’s arrival. The US leader welcomed the “historic” decision,…
Russian strikes kill 23 as Zelensky accuses Moscow of terrorism
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Russian missiles struck Vinnytsia in central Ukraine Thursday, killing at least 23 people including three children, in what President Volodymyr Zelensky called “an open act of terrorism”. The midday attack on the city hundreds of…
Bank of America fined $225 mn for ‘botching’ US Covid-19 aid payments
New York (AFP) – Two US agencies fined Bank of America a total of $225 million on charges it wrongfully froze unemployment and other public benefit programs at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau imposed a $100…
Fed official signals willingness to hike interest rates full percentage point
Washington (AFP) – US Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller signaled Thursday he may support a full percentage point interest rate hike this month — the biggest increase in more than 30 years and a further indication of the central bank’s determ…
Texas sues over federal rules requiring life-saving abortions
Washington (AFP) – Texas sued the Biden administration on Thursday over its claim that federal law preempts state law when it comes to performing life-saving abortions. The lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is the latest salvo in the l…
US vows to use all means to stop Iran nuclear bomb in new Israel pact
Jerusalem (AFP) – The US and Israel signed a new security pact Thursday reinforcing their common front against Iran, as President Joe Biden vowed to use “all” American power to stop Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The declaration was inked by Is…
New York stresses monkeypox vaccine ‘urgency’ as cases rise
New York (AFP) – New York City has stressed to the US government the “urgency” with which it needs monkeypox vaccines amid a rise in cases, its mayor said Wednesday. America’s biggest metropolis has recorded 336 infections but that is unlikely to refle…
Russia and Ukraine near grain deal in first talks since March
Istanbul (AFP) – Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday made substantive progress in their first direct talks since March on a deal to relieve a global food crisis caused by blocked Black Sea grain exports. The high-stakes meeting involving UN and Turkish off…