Guyana turns to US to help boost its military as territorial dispute with Venezuela deepens

Guyana turns to US to help boost its military as territorial dispute with Venezuela deepens

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana’s government said it is seeking help from the U.S. to improve its defense capabilities amid fears that neighboring Venezuela might one day seize a disputed region in western Guyana that is rich in minerals and oil. The announcement follows two days of talks among top Guyanese officials and Daniel P. … Read more

China sanctions 5 US defense companies in response to US sanctions and arms sales to Taiwan

China sanctions 5 US defense companies in response to US sanctions and arms sales to Taiwan

BEIJING (AP) — China announced sanctions Sunday on five American defense-related companies in response to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and U.S sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals. The sanctions will freeze any property the companies have in China and prohibit organizations and individuals in China from doing business with them, the Foreign Ministry said … Read more

House Speaker Mike Johnson invites Biden to deliver the State of the Union

House Speaker Mike Johnson invites Biden to deliver the State of the Union

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Mike Johnson is inviting President Joe Biden to deliver his annual State of the Union address on March 7. In a letter sent to the White House on Saturday, Johnson, R-La., extended the formal invitation for Biden to speak to a joint session of Congress. Johnson said he was inviting Biden … Read more

Grounded charter jet freed to leave France. Lawyer says most passengers expected to return to India

Grounded charter jet freed to leave France. Lawyer says most passengers expected to return to India

PARIS (AP) — A charter plane sequestered while carrying 303 Indians to Nicaragua was authorized Sunday to leave the French airport where it has been grounded for four days for a human trafficking investigation. A lawyer for the airline said the plane would take many of the stranded passengers back to India on Monday. Local … Read more

US releases ally of Venezuela president in a swap for jailed Americans

US releases ally of Venezuela president in a swap for jailed Americans

MIAMI (AP) — The Biden administration has released a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a swap for jailed Americans, The Associated Press has learned. Alex Saab, who was arrested on a U.S. warrant for money laundering in 2020, was released from custody Wednesday. In exchange, Maduro will free some, if not all, … Read more

Latino Democrats shift from quiet concern to open opposition to Biden’s concessions in border talks

Latino Democrats shift from quiet concern to open opposition to Biden’s concessions in border talks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Prominent Latinos in Congress looked on quietly, at first, privately raising concerns with the Biden administration over the direction of border security talks. Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California was on the phone constantly with administration officials questioning why the Senate negotiations did not include any meaningful consideration of providing pathways to … Read more

Biden considers new border and asylum restrictions as he tries to reach Senate deal for Ukraine aid

Biden considers new border and asylum restrictions as he tries to reach Senate deal for Ukraine aid

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Biden administration officials were laboring Wednesday to try to reach a last-minute deal for wartime aid for Ukraine by agreeing to Senate Republican demands to bolster U.S.-Mexico border policies, with urgency setting in as Congress prepared to depart Washington with the impasse unresolved. The White House was racing to lock in … Read more

Trump declines to rule out abusing power or seeking retribution

Trump declines to rule out abusing power or seeking retribution

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump declined to rule out abusing power if he returns to the White House after Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity asked him Tuesday to respond to growing Democratic criticism of his rhetoric. The GOP presidential front-runner has talked about targeting his rivals — referring to them as … Read more

Stock market today: Asian shares get a lift from rally in US following encouraging inflation report

Stock market today: Asian shares get a lift from rally in US following encouraging inflation report

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares surged higher on Wednesday, cheered by a rally on Wall Street that was one of the best days of the year following a surprisingly encouraging report on inflation. Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1.8% to 33,293.67 as investors appeared to shrug off news that Japan’s economy contracted at a worse … Read more

US government estimates economy grew last quarter at a 2.1% rate, unchanged from previous projection

US government estimates economy grew last quarter at a 2.1% rate, unchanged from previous projection

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy grew at a 2.1% annual pace from April through June, extending its sturdy performance in the face of higher interest rates, the government said Thursday, leaving its previous estimate unchanged. The second-quarter expansion of the nation’s gross domestic product — its total output of goods and services — marked … Read more