Asian shares gain, Shanghai up 2.6%, on Fed rate cut talk

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were higher on Thursday, with the Shanghai benchmark up 2.6%, after the Federal Reserve reaffirmed that it's prepared to cut interest rates if needed to shield the U.S. economy from trade conflicts or other threats. The Thursday tracked modest gains on Wall Street. The 10-year...

Xi, Kim summit topics: Friendship, food aid and maybe nukes

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — From nuclear weapons to huge food aid shipments to a shared skepticism about the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will have a long list of topics to discuss when Xi heads to North Korea on Thursday. Here's a look at things to watch...

Mexico's Senate approves trade deal with US, Canada

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to ratify a new free trade agreement with the United States and Canada, making it the first of the three countries to gain legislative approval. Mexico's upper chamber voted 114 to four with three abstentions in favor of the...

Top US trade official plans to meet Chinese counterpart

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. trade negotiator said he will meet with his Chinese counterpart to discuss a trade dispute between the world's two biggest economies before a summit next week in Japan between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping of China. Appearing before the House Ways and Means Committee...

Fed leaves its key rate unchanged but hints of future cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday but signaled that it's prepared to start cutting rates if needed to protect the U.S. economy from trade conflicts and other threats. The Fed kept its benchmark rate — which influences many consumer and business...

Mexico Senate overwhelmingly votes to ratify USMCA trade agreement with United States, Canada

AP FACT CHECK: Trump's boasts, blasts and promises at rally

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump boasted with abandon in launching his 2020 re-election campaign, overreached in excoriating his critics and promised progress on his border wall and health care that is improbable at best. In those respects, his latest campaign rally was much like any other by the...

Global shares mixed ahead of Fed rate decision

TOKYO (AP) — Global markets were mixed Wednesday amid some optimism about U.S.-China trade talks and ahead of an interest rate decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The Fed isn't considered ready to announce its first rate cut in more than a decade, but many expect the central bank to signal an inclination...

The Latest: Trump kicks off 2020 bid by airing grievances

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local): 10:20 p.m. President Donald Trump has kicked off his reelection campaign with a grievance-filled rally that focused more on settling scores than on laying out his agenda for a second term. On Tuesday night in Orlando, Florida,...

Russia, China block UN from saying NKorea violated sanctions

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia and China have blocked the U.N. Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against North Korea from declaring that Pyongyang breached the annual limit for importing refined petroleum products which are key for its economy, two U.N. diplomats said Tuesday. The diplomats...