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China's factory activity extends expansion, PMI shows, as Iran war risks mount

China's factory activity expanded for a second straight month in April, as manufacturers cranked up production to ship goods early to buyers worried the Iran war will further inflate costs, sending new export orders to their strongest level in two years. But the escalating Middle East conflict is laying bare risks in the $20 trillion economy's production-led growth model, with higher energy prices likely to deter fresh orders once stockpiling fades, even as Chinese exporters enjoy a short-lived boost.The official manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) dipped to 50.3 from 50.4 in March

ArcelorMittal beats earnings forecasts as high steel prices offset demand hit

Canada says it will host new multilateral defence bank

German economy grows in Q1 but unemployment climbs above 3 million

Germany's economy grew by more than expected in the first quarter of 2026 despite the shock to energy prices from the war in Iran, but unemployment rose above the 3 million mark in April.Gross domestic product expanded by 0.3% in the first quarter compared with the previous three-month period, preliminary data from the statistics office showed on Thursday, with household consumption and government spending the main drivers. Exports were also up.Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a rise of 0.2%.Despite exceeding expectations in the first quarter of this year, growth in the final three mon

Italy ekes out modest growth in Q1 as risks loom ahead

Euro zone economy barely grew in first quarter

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The first direct US-Venezuela commercial flight in 7 years is to land in Caracas

The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela is scheduled to land on Thursday in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, seven years after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ordered an indefinite suspension, citing security concerns. The resumption of a commercial flight between the two countries comes in the wake of the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro in a stunning nighttime raid on his residence in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, in early January. It also comes a month after the U.S. formally reopened its embassy in Caracas following

Myanmar reduces ousted leader Suu Kyi's prison term in new amnesty

Activists say Israel has intercepted their Gaza aid flotilla near Crete, detaining crews

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Orleans Parish sheriff and CFO indicted after last year’s jail escape of 10 Louisiana inmates

Almost a year after 10 Louisiana inmates escaped from a New Orleans jail, the Orleans Parish sheriff and the office’s chief financial officer were indicted by a special grand jury on charges of malfeasance and other crimes in relation to the jailbreak.Ten prisoners housed in the Orleans Justice Center made their escape last spring, maneuvering out of a small hole in a wall and making their way out into the night. All 10 escapees were eventually recaptured, and 13 people were charged with helping the escapees, both inside jail and once they were at large.Susan Hutson, the current Orleans Sher

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Rockets beat Lakers 99-93 in Game 5, avoiding playoff elimination for the 2nd straight game

Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points, Tari Eason added 18 and the Houston Rockets avoided playoff elimination for the second straight game with a 99-93 victory over the Lakers in Game 5 on Wednesday night, trimming Los Angeles' lead in the first-round series to 3-2. Alperen Sengun had 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who sent the series back to Houston for Game 6 on Friday night with a gritty performance to overcome Austin Reaves' return to the Lakers. Houston has won two straight even without top scorer Kevin Durant, who has mi

Report details suspect’s behavior in 2023, years before killings of University of South Florida doctoral students

Legal filing raises questions about who shot Secret Service officer at press dinner

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Trump administration sues New Jersey over law enforcement mask ban

The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday filed a lawsuit seeking to block a New Jersey law that bans law enforcement officers from wearing masks and requires them to provide identification before arrests and detentions.The suit, filed in a Newark federal court, claims that the newly enacted New Jersey Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act is an unconstitutional regulation of the federal government by a state. The suit seeks an injunction blocking New Jersey from enforcing the law against federal agents, though it also applies to local and state law enforcement.A federal judge in February pre

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Trump says he discussed a Ukraine ceasefire with Putin

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he discussed a possible ceasefire in the four-year war in Ukraine in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.He spoke after the Kremlin reported the two leaders discussed a temporary Ukraine ceasefire to mark the anniversary of the end of World War Two next month."We had a good talk, I've known him a long time," said Trump. The two leaders had their last publicly reported phone call on March 9, although Trump has indicated they speak regularly.Trump, speaking to reporters as he met with astronauts from the Artemis II mission in the Oval

10 current and former Mexican officials accused in US indictment of aiding drug trafficking

What is the ‘perimeter’ for presidential security?

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New York Mayor Mamdani encourages King Charles to return Koh-i-Noor Diamond

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Wednesday he encourages Britain's King Charles to return the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, with his comments coming during the British monarch's ongoing U.S. visit."If I were to speak to the king separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor Diamond," Mamdani, who is Indian American, said when asked at a press conference hours before a ceremony that commemorated victims of the deadly September 11, 2001, attacks. Later in the day, the king spoke with Mamdani at the ceremony. Buckingham Palace declined to comment. Mamdani's office

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WSJ: LIV Golf to tell players and staff by Thursday that tour will lose Saudi funding at end of season

LIV Golf is facing an existential threat, as its Saudi backers are expected to pull funding from the league as early as Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.The Saudi-backed circuit aimed to rival the PGA Tour as the world’s preeminent destination for pro golf by luring some of the game’s top names with huge sums of money, largely from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter, that LIV planned to inform players and staff by Thursday that it is withdrawing its backing at the end of the season.CNN Spo

U.S. war in Iran has cost $25 billion so far, says Pentagon official

Trump sees blockade extension as best option for forcing Iran back to the negotiating table

Economy|MidEast|Political|World

Pentagon's Hegseth defends Iran war, says it is not a quagmire

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to defend the Iran war in fiery remarks to Congress on Wednesday, saying it was not a quagmire and attacking Democratic lawmakers as "feckless" for criticizing the unpopular conflict.Hegseth was testifying before Congress for the first time since the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28 that has led to a surge in gasoline prices.Trump's popularity has taken a pounding since the conflict began and just 34% of Americans approve of the U.S. conflict with Iran, down from 36% in mid-April and 38% in mid-March, the Reuters/Ipsos po

Sports|World

FIFA allows Afghan women to play for their country, defying Taliban

For nearly five years, dozens of Afghanistan’s women soccer players have lived in exile — scattered across Australia, the United States and Europe — unable to officially represent their country’s national team. A landmark amendment to the regulations of soccer’s worldwide governing body is set to change that.The ruling Tuesday by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) allows Afghan female players to compete as the Afghanistan women’s national team in official international matches for the first time with full sporting recognition.The decision, issued at a FIFA