international relations
U.S. Moves to Seize Cryptocurrency Accounts Linked to North Korean Heists
WASHINGTON—U.S. authorities on Thursday moved to seize 280 cryptocurrency accounts they said were used by North Korean hackers who stole more than a quarter of a billion dollars from cryptocurrency companies around the world, including one in the U.S. The U.S. Justice Department said the accounts targeted in the civil forfeiture filing were used by …
Twitter, TikTok Have Held Preliminary Talks About Possible Combination
Twitter Inc. has had preliminary talks about a potential combination with TikTok, the popular video-sharing app that the Trump administration has declared a national-security threat due to its Chinese ownership, according to people familiar with the matter. It is unclear whether Twitter will pursue a deal with TikTok, which would face significant challenges. A deal …
White House officials suggest breaking new coronavirus relief package into smaller pieces
White House officials on Sunday again suggested the best way to proceed with coronavirus relief is to split the Democratic $3.4 billion plan into pieces and pass some measures quickly while debate lingers on other items. In an interview on ABC News’ “This Week,” White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said he thought Congress …
U.S. Braces for Chinese Diplomatic Retaliation as Ties Break Down
HONG KONG—The U.S. State Department is preparing for Beijing to close one or more U.S. consulates in China after Washington ordered the abrupt shutdown of the Chinese Consulate in Houston. American diplomats stationed across China have been anticipating that Beijing could target their own diplomatic missions for retaliation, and are making preparations in case that …
U.N. Condemns Iran Over Nuclear Activity, Fueling U.S. Calls to End Deal
Member states from the United Nations atomic agency board voted Friday to condemn Iran for failing to cooperate with its probe of Tehran’s nuclear activities, a move that gives the Trump administration new ammunition in its push to kill the Iranian nuclear deal. The resolution, the first since 2012 to call out Iran for not …
Breaking With Tradition, Some Judges Speak Out on Racial Injustices
WASHINGTON—As demonstrations after George Floyd’s killing in police custody unfolded across the nation last week, the chief justice of North Carolina weighed in with her own declaration—the first in a wave of extraordinary statements by jurists around the country. “In our courts, African-Americans are more harshly treated, more severely punished and more likely to be …
Experts say Trump’s threats to WHO could undercut global health
LONDON (AP) — Health experts say U.S. President Donald Trump’s increasing attacks on the World Health Organization for its handling of the coronavirus demonstrate a profound misunderstanding of the U.N. agency’s role and could ultimately serve to weaken global health. In a letter to the WHO’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Trump wrote that the WHO’s …
U.S. Economy Shrank at 4.8% Pace in First Quarter
WASHINGTON—The U.S. economy shrank at a 4.8% pace in the first quarter as the coronavirus spread, the steepest contraction since the last recession. The steep drop in first quarter U.S. gross domestic product, the broadest measure of goods and services produced across the economy, indicated the economy is sliding toward a near-certain recession and signaled …
Supreme Court to Break Tradition, Hold Oral Arguments by Teleconference
WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court, breaking with longstanding tradition because of the coronavirus pandemic, said Monday it will hear oral arguments by teleconference in May, including in cases about the potential disclosure of President Trump’s financial records. “In keeping with public-health guidance in response to Covid-19, the Justices and counsel will all participate remotely,” the court said …
Lawmakers to Move Within Days to Provide More Small-Business Loans
WASHINGTON—Top lawmakers said they plan to move within days to provide hundreds of billions of dollars in new funding for small-business loans, citing widespread demand for assistance from firms hit by shutdowns related to the coronavirus pandemic. Heavy requests for the previously approved $350 billion in loans are pushing Republican and Democratic lawmakers to consider …
