US Congress debates last-minute spending bill to avert government shutdown

US Congress debates last-minute spending bill to avert government shutdown

The United States is bracing for a government shutdown, as members of Congress race to negotiate a last-minute budget deal that would keep federal services funded through the new year. Early on Friday, US media reported that the Office of Management and Budget, under outgoing President Joe Biden, had already signalled that federal agencies should…

US consumer watchdog sues big banks over ‘widespread’ fraud on Zelle app

US consumer watchdog sues big banks over ‘widespread’ fraud on Zelle app

The United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo for failing to protect consumers from alleged “widespread fraud” on the payments platform Zelle. The lawsuit, filed on Friday, was initiated as the watchdog moves ahead with a bold agenda in the final weeks…

US charges IRGC officer with killing of American citizen in Iraq

US charges IRGC officer with killing of American citizen in Iraq

The United States has charged an alleged officer of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with “terrorism and murder” over the killing of a US citizen in Iraq in 2022. The Department of Justice released the charges on Friday, accusing Mohammad Reza Nouri of orchestrating the killing of Stephen Troell in Baghdad in retaliation for…

Canada’s Trudeau reshuffles cabinet amid persistent pressure to resign

Canada’s Trudeau reshuffles cabinet amid persistent pressure to resign

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has reshuffled his cabinet, just days after his top deputy resigned in a move that sent shockwaves across the country and renewed calls for Trudeau to step down as head of the Liberal Party. The prime minister welcomed the members of his new cabinet during a swearing-in ceremony in the…

Trump threatens tariffs if EU doesn’t buy more oil and gas from US

Trump threatens tariffs if EU doesn’t buy more oil and gas from US

Donald Trump has threatened to levy tariffs against the European Union if the bloc does not buy more oil and gas from the United States, in the latest economic warning from the US president-elect before his inauguration next month. In a brief post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he told the EU “that…

US drops m reward for arrest of Syria’s new leader after Damascus talks

US drops $10m reward for arrest of Syria’s new leader after Damascus talks

A senior diplomat has announced that the United States is dropping a $10m reward for the arrest of Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, after an uprising that toppled President Bashar al-Assad. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf made the announcement on Friday after she and other US officials visited the Syrian capital,…

Biden cancels another .2bn in US student loans before leaving office

Biden cancels another $4.2bn in US student loans before leaving office

US President Joe Biden’s administration is cancelling student loans for another 55,000 people in the United States, amounting to $4.2bn in debt forgiveness just weeks before his time in office ends. The White House said in a statement on Friday that the move would affect public service workers, including teachers, nurses and law enforcement officers….

Why has DRC filed criminal charges against Apple over ‘conflict minerals’?

Why has DRC filed criminal charges against Apple over ‘conflict minerals’?

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has filed criminal complaints against tech giant Apple’s subsidiaries in France and Belgium over the use of “conflict minerals” in their supply chains. Lawyers representing the Central African country, claimed in a statement this week that Apple’s subsidiaries in Europe are using conflict minerals sourced in sub-Saharan Africa…

The Take: Can the US healthcare system ever be fair for Black patients?

The Take: Can the US healthcare system ever be fair for Black patients?

When a new kidney could save your life, every minute counts. When Jazmin Evans discovered she could have received a kidney four years earlier, she was shocked. When she found out the delay was due to a racially biased testing process, she tried to warn others. In this episode: Jazmin Evans – Kidney transplant patient,…

Malaysians held in US’s Guantanamo Bay prison returned home after 18 years

Malaysians held in US’s Guantanamo Bay prison returned home after 18 years

Two Malaysian men held at the United States military prison in Guantanamo Bay for 18 years have been returned home, Malaysia’s state news agency reports. Malaysia’s Inspector General of Police Razarudin Husain said Mohammed Farik bin Amin and Mohammed Nazir bin Lep arrived in the country late on Wednesday “in good and healthy condition”, and…