By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — World shares advanced Wednesday after China’s central bank announced fresh measures to boost its slowing economy and stabilize financial markets. The announcement late Wednesday pushed Hong Kong’s benchmark up 3.6%. Shares fell in Tokyo but rose in most other major markets. Oil prices advanced. In early
Continue ReadingBy OMAR FARUK Associated Press MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A stadium in Somalia’s violence-prone capital is hosting its first soccer tournament in three decades, drawing thousands of people to a facility that had been abandoned for years and later became a base for military — and even extremists — amid civil war. The competition is
Continue ReadingBEIJING (AP) — China, the world’s biggest exporter, says it is deeply concerned about tensions in the Red Sea that have upended global trade by forcing many shippers to avoid the Suez Canal. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Wednesday that China has been in “close communication with all parties concerned and making positive efforts
Continue ReadingBy ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — China’s central bank plans to reduce the ratio of reserves banks must keep on hold as part of a slew of measures to support its slowing economy. Pan Gongsheng, governor of the People’s Bank of China, said the government soon plans to issue a policy on
Continue ReadingPARIS (AP) — French farmers are staging protests across the country and in Brussels against low wages and what they consider to be excessive regulation, mounting costs and other problems. Roadblocks are spreading in many French regions, one day after a farmer and her daughter died due to a traffic collision at a protest barricade.
Continue ReadingBy Andrew Carey, Radina Gigova, Katharina Krebs, Yulia Kesaieva, Anna Chernova, Olga Voitovych and Sophie Tanno, CNN (CNN) — Russia accused Ukraine of downing a Russian military plane near the Ukrainian border Wednesday, saying all 74 people on board were killed including dozens of Ukrainian servicemen being transported for a prisoner swap. The Ilyushin-76 cargo
Continue ReadingBy The Associated Press A Russian military transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, six crew and three people accompanying them crashed on Wednesday morning in Russia’s Belgorod region near Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the crash, which occurred around 11 a.m. It was also not known if
Continue ReadingBy NAJIB JOBAIN and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces battled Palestinian militants Wednesday near the main hospital in Gaza’s second-largest city, where medics said hundreds of patients and thousands of displaced people were trapped by the fighting. Israel has ordered residents to leave a swath of downtown Khan Younis
Continue ReadingBy ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — China’s central bank plans to reduce the ratio of reserves banks must hold to help boost the slowing economy. Pan Gongsheng, governor of the People’s Bank of China, also said the government soon plans to issue a policy on lending to property developers to help support
Continue ReadingBERLIN (AP) — Germany’s train drivers have brought rail traffic to a standstill again when they began a six-day strike to push their demands in a rancorous dispute with the country’s main railway operator over working hours and pay. The strike by the GDL union, which began early Wednesday, will affect passenger services and freight
Continue ReadingBy JUTARAT SKULPICHETRAT Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled that popular progressive politician Pita Limjaroenrat, who was blocked from becoming prime minister even though his party placed first in last year’s election, did not violate the election law and can retain his seat in Parliament. Pita had been suspended from the
Continue ReadingBy SARUUL ENKHBOLD Associated Press ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — A truck carrying 60 tons of liquefied natural gas and a car collided at an intersection in the Mongolian capital, causing a series of explosions that killed three firefighters and injured 11 people. Images showed a massive fireball at the scene of the crash outside a
Continue ReadingBRISBANE, Australia (AP) — A tropical low slowly moving toward northeast Australia reached cyclone strength on Wednesday and will bring flooding into Queensland state into the weekend. Tropical Cyclone Kirrily was moving west at 5 mph and forecast to make landfall overnight Thursday. Gusty winds were expected to affect the Whitsunday Islands on Wednesday evening
Continue ReadingBy Helen Regan and Wasu Vipoosanapat, CNN Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) — A Thai political leader who led his party to a stunning electoral victory on a campaign that threatened to shake up the country’s powerful conservative establishment has escaped being disqualified from politics but his — and his party’s — political future remains in question. Thailand’s
Continue ReadingBy ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after Japan reported its exports jumped nearly 10% in December, though shares in Tokyo declined. U.S. futures and oil prices edged higher. Chinese shares resumed their upward climb after the vice chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Wang Jiangjun,
Continue ReadingFORT SMITH, Northwest Territories (AP) — A coroner’s service in Canada’s Northwest Territories said there are fatalities from a plane crash near community of Fort Smith. The Northwest Territories Coroner’s Service did not say how many have died or give further details, saying it must first notify next of kin. There was no word yet
Continue ReadingBy Yoonjung Seo and Lucas Lilieholm, CNN Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — A South Korean research group has released rare footage that it claims shows North Korean teenagers sentenced to hard labor for watching and distributing K-dramas – which are banned in the hermit nation. The narrated footage released last Friday shows the two teens
Continue ReadingBANGKOK (AP) — Japan has reported its exports surged almost 10% in December from a year earlier, helped by a revival in trade with China and strong demand for vehicles. Imports fell almost 7%, leaving a trade surprise of 62 billion yen ($410 million). A weak Japanese yen has helped export manufacturers like Toyota, Honda
Continue ReadingPRAGUE (AP) — A fast train has collided with a truck in eastern Czech Republic, killing one person and injuring at least 10 people. The Czech Railways says the driver of the train was killed. Police say their preliminary information shows dozens could be injured. The Czech Railways says about 15 suffered injuries. The accident
Continue ReadingBy ERIC HE Associated Press SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Tomás Hertl scored 1:29 into overtime and the NHL-worst San Jose Sharks rallied past the New York Rangers 3-2 on Tuesday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season. San Jose erased a 2-0 deficit with goals by Nico Sturm and Ryan Carpenter
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