US economic growth lost steam in the first quarter this year, said the Commerce Department on Thursday, as the possibility of a mild recession brews while consumer spending weakens.. The GDP growth figure "reflected increases in consumer spending, exports, federal government spending," along with some forms of investment, said the department in a statement.
A Chinese coast guard ship cut off a Philippine patrol vessel carrying journalists in the disputed South China Sea, causing a near-collision, an AFP team on board another boat saw.. AFP was one of several media outlets invited to join two Philippine Coast Guard boats on a 1,670-kilometre (1,040-mile) patrol of the South China Sea, visiting a dozen islands and reefs.
Cambodian leader Hun Sen on Thursday cancelled a law he created just two months ago to protect critically endangered Mekong dolphins as the mammals continue to die from illegal fishing activities.. Hun Sen said Thursday he had decided to cancel the new decree because "dolphins keep dying and thousands of fishing families were affected".
Energy giant BP on Thursday faces a shareholder revolt over its decision to slow its energy transition, with activist investors promising to block the re-election of the head of the board of directors.. "We recognise that some shareholders and other stakeholders may have different perspectives on the decisions we take," the BP board said in response to the resolution.
At four in the morning outside a Yangon monastery, Shwe Lei and her team were wrestling 30 writhing pythons into old rice sacks and loading them into a van.. Stuffed into the sacks were three months' worth of work, rescued from homes and apartments around Yangon and cared for at the monastery until they are fit for release to the wild.
Samsung Electronics on Thursday reported its worst quarterly profits in 14 years, blaming slowing consumer spending on electronics and a global microchip glut that hit its core memory business.. The company said that "overall consumer spending slowed amid the uncertain global macroeconomic environment".
Manchester City took control of the Premier League title race as Kevin De Bruyne scored twice in a dominant 4-1 win over leaders Arsenal to close in on retaining their crown as English champions on Wednesday.. But even if there is an Arsenal response, City look imperious as they close in on not only a third consecutive Premier League title, but a treble.
Disney on Wednesday sued Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, alleging his administration's takeover of its theme park district in the state is part of "a targeted campaign of government retaliation" for exercising its constitutionally protected right to free speech.. "A targeted campaign of government retaliation -- orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney's protected speech -- now threatens Disney's business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights," it says.
Gang violence in Haiti is spreading at "an alarming rate," the UN warned Wednesday, repeating its unanswered call for an international force to help restore order in the crisis-torn country.. The United Nations chief has for months been asking the Security Council to send a specialized non-UN international armed force to help police restore order.
President Joe Biden greeted his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol for a state visit Wednesday at which they will announce a beefed-up US nuclear shield for Washington's vital ally in the face of an aggressive North Korea.. Yoon is only the second foreign leader invited for a state visit by Biden and he and his wife were greeted with full military honors at the White House.
