US new car sales hit 5-year high in 2024, helped by hybrids
DETROIT — U.S. new car sales in 2024 continued to rise from their pandemic lows, bolstered by replenished inventories, higher incentives and surging demand for hybrid vehicles, automakers reported on Friday. Sales of new vehicles finished at 15.9 million last…
US announces $306 million in new bird flu funding
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration announced Friday that it will allocate $306 million to bolster the nation’s bird flu response before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The new funding will support national, state and local preparedness and…
FAA chief: Boeing needs culture shift to put safety above profits
A year after a panel blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during flight, the nation’s top aviation regulator says the company needs “a fundamental cultural shift” to put safety and quality above profits. Mike Whitaker, chief of the Federal…
Ukraine Defense Contact Group to hold one last meeting
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will attend his final meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany next week, the Defense Department said Friday. The group of more than 50 nations, also known as…
Seasonal illnesses in full force in most US states, CDC says
The holidays came with a side of flu for many Americans, with 40 states reporting high or very high levels of illness last week, according to the latest government health data. “A lot of flu out there,” said Carrie Reed…
Biden blocks Japan’s Nippon Steel from buying US Steel
President Joe Biden said Friday that he was blocking the proposed $14.9 billion acquisition of American company U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel. Analysts said rejection of the deal could hurt relations with Japan, a key ally and trade partner….
US surgeon general urges cancer warnings for alcoholic drinks
WASHINGTON/LONDON — Alcoholic drinks should carry a warning about cancer risks on their label, the U.S. surgeon general said Friday in a move that could signal a shift toward more aggressive tobacco-style regulation for the sector. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek…
South Sudan begins mass inoculation campaign with cholera vaccines
Juba, South Sudan — More than 1.1 million doses of an oral cholera vaccine have arrived in South Sudan, as the government launched a program to inoculate more than 80 percent of the population. But the mass vaccination exercise…
Biden blocks Japan’s Nippon Steel from buying US Steel
Washington — President Joe Biden has made good on his months of public opposition to the proposed purchase of American company U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel, announcing Friday he is blocking the $14.9 billion takeover. The acquisition would “place…
MIDDLE EAST CRISIS LIVE: Security Council holds emergency meeting on collapse of Gaza health system
The UN Security Council met on Friday morning in New York to debate the collapse of health services in Gaza. The meeting was called by Algeria, the leading voice for the Arab world on the Council which has just taken…