Breaking News

Spain services contract for first time in nearly 3 years, PMI shows

Spain's services sector contracted in April for the first time since August 2023 as uncertainty linked to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran hampered demand and confidence, a business survey showed on Wednesday.The Spain Services PMI Business Activity Index fell to 47.9 in April from 53.3 in March, the survey by S&P Global showed. The 50-mark separates growth from contraction."Firms widely reported that market demand had softened as widespread uncertainty led businesses and consumers alike to hesitate when it came to spending decisions," said Paul Smith, economics director at S&P Global M

Italy services costs rise at fastest pace in over three years, PMI shows

China's top envoy tells his Iranian counterpart a ‘comprehensive ceasefire’ is needed

Business|Economy|Finance|World

Russian services confidence drops to 40-month low, PMI shows

Russia's services sector contracted for a second straight month in April as weak client demand led to declines in output and new sales, while business confidence plumbed a 40-month low, a survey showed on Wednesday.The S&P Global Russia Services PMI Business Activity Index rose to 49.7 in April from 49.5 in March. The 50-mark separates growth from contraction.New business fell after five months of growth, with the decline the quickest since September 2025. Export orders also dropped and at the fastest pace in a year and a half, S&P Global said.Firms cut staffing for a third consecutiv

Ahold Delhaize tops profit forecasts on resilient US performance

South Korea suspends review of Trump's call to participate in 'Project Freedom'

Crime|Europe|Political|World

London police set up specialist Jewish protection team

British police are setting up a new team of 100 officers including counter terrorism specialists to help protect Jewish communities across London after a series of antisemitic attacks including the stabbing of two men.The plan announced on Wednesday for a dedicated protection team comes as officers announced more arrests for antisemitism, including detaining a 35-year old man on Saturday after rocks were thrown at an ambulance belonging to the Jewish community. London's top police boss Mark Rowley said Jewish communities were facing "sustained threats" from hostile state actors as well as ext

European shares advance on Mideast peace deal optimism; earnings on watch

Iran says it wants a 'comprehensive agreement' with US

US News

See all »

MidEast|Political|US|World

Trump says operation to reopen Strait of Hormuz will be 'paused'

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, dubbed "Project Freedom" by the U.S., will be paused for a short period to see whether an agreement can be finalized and signed, although the blockade will remain in force.(Reporting by Jasper Ward, Writing by Christian Martinez)

Election|US|World

Michigan Democrats keep control of state Senate in election win that offers clues about midterms

Democrat Chedrick Greene won a special election in Michigan on Tuesday, securing his party’s control of the state Senate through the remainder of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s term. Greene, a firefighter and Marine veteran, defeated Republican Jason Tunney, a former prosecutor, in the race for Michigan’s 35th Senate District, which includes Saginaw and Bay City and is surrounded by more conservative rural areas. Democrats had held a one-seat majority in the chamber, putting control at stake. “I just want you to know who’s had your back for 31 years and you can

Takeaways from Indiana, Ohio and Michigan: Trump's flex pays off and Democrats win special election

Vice President Vance woos Iowa Republican voters ahead of 2028

Defiant border czar brushes away MAGA critics, says ‘mass deportations are coming’

White House border czar Tom Homan on Tuesday brushed off critics within President Donald Trump’s base who say the administration is not deporting enough people, while vowing to “flood the zone” with immigration officers in jurisdictions which pass legislation limiting cooperation with federal enforcement.Speaking at the Border Security Expo in Phoenix, a room filled with Department of Homeland Security officials and industry personnel, a defiant Homan vowed that the “mass deportation promise will happen.”“For the people out there saying ‘President Trump’s getting weak on mass d

Environment|Science|US

Spring plans meet snow in Denver as a late storm could be the season's biggest

While some Americans were gazing at tulips and mowing lawns, people in Colorado and Wyoming were getting out their snow shovels. A late snowstorm swept over the Rocky Mountains and into the High Plains on Tuesday, bringing heavy, wet accumulation north of Denver into southeastern Wyoming. In Fort Collins, Colorado, heavy snow fell throughout the day on ground that was still too warm for significant accumulation. Slushy snow clung to leaves, grass and flowers, and homeowners shut off yard sprinklers lest sub-freezing temperatures damage their plumbing.

Tennessee Republicans target Memphis as South Carolina considers joining House redistricting battle

US adds officer-assault charge against suspect in Trump assassination attempt

World News

See all »

Business|Economy|MidEast|Political|World

Trump advisers step up their calls on China to help open Strait of Hormuz ahead of Beijing summit

White House officials are pressing China to use its influence with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz just days before President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping'shighly anticipated summit in Beijing. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Chinese officials to use Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's visit to China to urge Tehran to release its chokehold on the critical waterway. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Araghchi on Wednesday, the official Xinhua news agency reported. “I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told,” Ru

Business|Economy|Health|World

UnitedHealthcare removes prior approval requirements for 30% of healthcare services

UnitedHealth will eliminate prior approval requirements for 30% of healthcare services, its insurance unit said on Tuesday, further reducing delays and paperwork for patients and doctors.Health insurers have been taking measures to simplify their requirements for prior authorization on medicines and medical services after complaints from patients and doctors on the excessive paperwork that can delay or even deny needed care.• UnitedHealth's insurance unit will eliminate an additional 30% of remaining prior authorizations on select outpatient surgeries, some diagnostic tests like echoc

Crypto exchange Coinbase to cut about 14% of workforce in AI-driven restructuring

One of the planet’s biggest cities is sinking so rapidly it’s visible from space

Arts|Crime|Entertainment|US|World

Former FedEx driver sentenced to death for killing 7-year-old girl after delivery at her Texas home

A former FedEx driver was sentenced to death on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to killing a 7-year-old girl he took from her Texas home while delivering a Christmas gift. Jurors in a Fort Worth courtroom decided on Tanner Horner's punishment after hearing about a month of testimony and evidence that included audio of Athena Strand's last moments from inside his delivery van. Horner, 34, pleaded guilty to capital murder last month in the 2022 killing just as his trial began. Athena's body was found two days after she was reported missing from her home in the rural town of Parad

Business|Health|Science|US|World

US FDA blocked publication of COVID, shingles vaccine safety studies

Officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration blocked the publication of several studies supporting the safety of widely used vaccines against COVID-19 and shingles, a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said.Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA, said the studies were pulled over concerns about their conclusions. "The studies were withdrawn because the authors drew broad conclusions that were not supported by the underlying data. The FDA acted to protect the integrity of its scientific process and ensure that a