Reuters, Author at Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Girl, 14, among those killed in Wisconsin school shooting

Reuters — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 04:00:00 +0000

A 14-year-old girl and a teacher at her private Christian school were named by Wisconsin authorities on Wednesday night as the victims of a school shooter earlier this week.

Seoul: At least 100 North Korean troops killed in Ukraine

Reuters — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 02:50:00 +0000

SEOUL >> At least 100 North Korean troops deployed to Russia have been killed with another 1,000 injured in combat against Ukrainian forces in intense fighting in the Kursk region, a South Korean lawmaker said on Thursday citing the country’s spy agency.

U.S. sues CVS over alleged illegal opioid prescriptions

Reuters — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 01:00:00 +0000

The U.S. Department of Justice announced a lawsuit today accusing pharmacy chain CVS of filling illegal opioid prescriptions and billing federal health insurance programs, contributing to a nationwide epidemic of opioid addiction and overdose.

Powell says Fed cannot hold bitcoin, not seeking to change that

Reuters — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:03:00 +0000

NEW YORK >> Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday the U.S. central bank has no desire to be involved in any government effort to stockpile large amounts of bitcoin.

Apple hits out at Meta’s numerous interoperability requests

Reuters — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

BRUSSELS >> Apple today hit out at Meta Platforms, saying its numerous requests to access the iPhone maker’s software tools for its devices could impact users’ privacy and security, underscoring the intense rivalry between the two tech giants.

Australian search and rescue teams arrive in quake-hit Vanuatu

Reuters — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 23:53:00 +0000

SYDNEY >> Australian rescue and medical teams have reached Vanuatu, authorities said on Thursday, to help efforts to save people trapped under collapsed buildings after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake killed at least 14 people and injured hundreds.

U.S. to extend airbag probe rather than require vehicle recall

Reuters — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 23:35:00 +0000

WASHINGTON >> The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Wednesday it will not seek an immediate recall of airbag inflators in about 50 million U.S. vehicles assembled by 13 automakers and instead will conduct further investigation.

Amazon workers to strike at multiple U.S. warehouses

Reuters — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 22:20:00 +0000

Thousands of Amazon.com workers will walk off the job on Thursday at 6 a.m. ET (1 a.m. Hawaii time), in the crucial final days of the holiday season, after union officials said the retailer failed to come to the bargaining table.

Wall Street tumbles over 1,100 points on Fed projection

Reuters — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 21:40:00 +0000

NEW YORK >> Wall Street closed sharply lower today, with the Dow falling over 1,100 points after the U.S. Federal Reserve delivered a rate cut as expected but signaled it will ease the pace of further cuts in the coming year.

Musk: Congress should not vote to extend funding

Reuters — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 21:00:00 +0000

WASHINGTON >> Elon Musk, tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to prune the federal government, today pressured Republicans in Congress to reject a stopgap spending bill, which would trigger a partial government shutdown.

U.S. suffers 1st severe human case of bird flu; California declares emergency

Reuters — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 20:38:00 +0000

The U.S. reported its first severe human case of bird flu today in a Louisiana resident who is hospitalized in critical condition after suspected contact with an infected backyard flock.

Fed lowers key rate quarter-point; sees slower pace of cuts

Reuters — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 20:08:00 +0000

WASHINGTON >. The U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates a quarter percentage point today and signaled it will slow the pace at which borrowing costs fall any further, given a relatively stable unemployment rate and little recent improvement in inflation.

Trump pushes for FBI probe of Liz Cheney over Jan. 6 panel

Reuters — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:05:00 +0000

WASHINGTON >> President-elect Donald Trump today backed a call for the FBI to investigate fellow Republican former congresswoman Liz Cheney over her role in leading Congress’s probe of the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.

Japan breaks annual visitor record in 11 months

Reuters — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 09:00:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Japan set a new annual record for visitor arrivals with one month to spare, official data showed on Wednesday, as the weak yen helped propel the nation’s tourism boom.

Luigi Mangione indicted for murder in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting

Reuters — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 23:16:00 +0000

NEW YORK >> Luigi Mangione sought to “sow terror” by shooting dead UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street this month, a New York prosecutor said today in announcing Mangione had been indicted for murder.

Regulator: Half U.S. at high risk of power shortfall in next decade

Reuters — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 20:43:00 +0000

NEW YORK >> About half of the United States is at increased risk of power supply shortfalls in the next decade that could lead to outages and electricity conservation measures, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation said on Tuesday.

Starbucks workers’ union authorizes potential U.S. strike

Reuters — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 20:33:00 +0000

The workers’ union representing more than 10,000 Starbucks baristas said they have authorized a potential strike, ahead of this year’s final round of bargaining talks with the coffee giant on Tuesday.

Sen. Warren: Trump needs to hold Musk to ethics standards

Reuters — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 20:19:00 +0000

WASHINGTON >> U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has asked Donald Trump’s transition team to hold Elon Musk to the same ethics standards as other transition members, putting oversight of the unusually powerful presidential adviser in the spotlight. The billionaire CEO of Tesla and rocket company SpaceX, as well as the owner of social media platform X, has had an increasingly close relationship with Republican Trump since he endorsed him in July. Musk spent over a quarter billion dollars to help elect Trump, and also owns interests in cryptocurrency and other ventures.

New York Mayor Eric Adams loses bid to dismiss a bribery charge

Reuters — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 19:58:00 +0000

NEW YORK >> New York Mayor Eric Adams lost a bid to narrow his five-count federal corruption indictment as a judge declined on Tuesday to dismiss a bribery charge related to luxury travel benefits provided by a Turkish official, with the trial set for April.

Japan’s Honda and Nissan to begin merger talks, Nikkei reports

Reuters — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 19:43:00 +0000

Japanese auto giants Honda Motor and Nissan Motor will start negotiations to merge as they face growing competition from bigger global electric vehicle makers, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Teen girl’s motive unclear in Wisconsin school shooting

Reuters — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 18:39:00 +0000

Police in Wisconsin today were interviewing friends and family and examining the online presence of a 15-year-old girl to determine what drove her to open fire in a classroom at her private Christian school, killing a fellow student and a teacher before taking her own life.

Ukraine kills Russian chemical weapons chief in Moscow

Reuters — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 18:15:00 +0000

MOSCOW >> A top Russian general accused by Ukraine of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops was assassinated in Moscow by Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service today in the most high-profile killing of its kind.

Canada’s finance minister resigns after clash with Trudeau

Reuters — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 22:40:00 +0000

OTTAWA >> Canada’s Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland quit today after clashing with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on issues including how to handle possible U.S. tariffs, dealing an unexpected blow to an already unpopular government.

TikTok turns to Supreme Court in last-ditch bid to avert ban

Reuters — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 20:50:00 +0000

WASHINGTON >> TikTok made a last-ditch effort today to continue operating in the United States, asking the Supreme Court to temporarily block a law intended to force ByteDance, its China-based parent company, to divest the short-video app by Jan. 19 or face a ban.

Police: Teenage shooter kills student, teacher at Wisconsin school

Reuters — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:50:00 +0000

A teenage student killed a fellow student and a teacher at a Wisconsin school on Monday before police found the suspect dead at the scene of the latest shooting to devastate a U.S. campus, authorities said.

Bitcoin rallies past $107,000, hopes grow for strategic reserve

Reuters — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Bitcoin’s record rally topped $107,000 today after President-elect Donald Trump reiterated that he plans to create a U.S. bitcoin strategic reserve similar to its strategic oil reserve, stoking the enthusiasm of crypto bulls.

Trump, SoftBank CEO announce $100 billion U.S. investment

Reuters — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 17:30:00 +0000

PALM BEACH, Florida >> President-elect Donald Trump, with SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son at his side, announced today that SoftBank would invest $100 billion in the U.S. over the next four years in what would be a boost to the U.S. economy.

Trump team eyes reversal of Biden EV, emissions policies

Reuters — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:30:00 +0000

Incoming President Donald Trump’s transition team is recommending sweeping changes to cut off support for electric vehicles and charging stations and to strengthen measures blocking cars, components and battery materials from China, according to a document seen by Reuters.

Lamborghini delays first EV launch to 2029 as market not ready

Reuters — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:00:00 +0000

SANT’AGATA BOLOGNESE, Italy>> Italy’s Lamborghini will always make cars in Italy as it plans to launch its first electric model only in 2029, amid a market for luxury sports cars that is not ripe for full electrification, CEO Stephan Winkelmann said today.

Rhode Island hit by data breach as hackers demand ransom

Reuters — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 22:35:00 +0000

Hundreds of thousands of Rhode Island residents’ personal and bank information, including Social Security numbers, were very likely hacked by an international cybercriminal group asking for a ransom, state officials said on Saturday.

Syrian Christians attend services, schools reopen a week after Assad’s overthrow

Reuters — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 22:05:00 +0000

DAMASCUS/LATAKIA, Syria >> Syrian Christians attended regular Sunday services for the first time since the dramatic overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad a week ago, in an early test of assurances by the new Islamist rulers that the rights of minorities will be protected.

Trump and Netanyahu discuss Gaza hostages and Syria

Reuters — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 21:46:00 +0000

JERUSALEM/WEST PALM BEACH, Florida >> Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump about developments in Syria and a recent push to secure the release of Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, he said on Sunday.

Mother sees hope for her son’s release in Syria

Reuters — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 21:17:00 +0000

WASHINGTON >> The mother of American journalist Austin Tice, who was taken captive during a reporting trip to Syria in August 2012, voiced hope on Sunday that upheaval in Syria will lead to freedom for her son.

Israel to close Dublin embassy, citing ‘extreme anti-Israel policies’

Reuters — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 21:04:00 +0000

Israel will close its Dublin embassy due to the “extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government,” Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Sunday, citing its recognition of a Palestinian state and support for legal action against Israel.

Israeli forces carry out air, ground attacks in Gaza; dozens dead

Reuters — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 20:48:00 +0000

CAIRO >> Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 48 Palestinians, including a journalist and rescue workers, medics said, and the Israeli military said its air and ground forces in the north of the enclave killed dozens of militants and captured others.

Mayotte cyclone kills several hundred, maybe thousands

Reuters — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 20:31:00 +0000

PARIS >> Several hundred people and possibly even thousands may have been killed when the most powerful cyclone in nearly a century hit the French Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte, a senior local French official said on Sunday.

N.Korean troops join Russian assaults in large numbers, Ukraine says

Reuters — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 23:35:00 +0000

KYIV, Ukraine >> Russia has begun using North Korean troops in significant numbers for the first time to conduct assaults on Ukrainian forces battling to hold an enclave in Russia’s Kursk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today.

ABC to pay $15M to Trump library to settle lawsuit

Reuters — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 23:15:00 +0000

ABC News has agreed to give $15 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s presidential library to settle a lawsuit over comments that anchor George Stephanopoulos made on air involving the civil case brought against Trump by writer E. Jean Carroll, a court document filed on Saturday showed.

FBI: Most Northeast drone sightings are actually manned aircraft

Reuters — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 22:28:00 +0000

WASHINGTON >> Officials from the White House, FBI and DHS today stressed that most of the recent reported drone sightings in New Jersey and nearby states involved manned aircraft, and there was no evidence of any national security threat.

At site of mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers

Reuters — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 10:25:00 +0000

DAMASCUS, Syria >> A hip bone in a blown-out building, part of a spine amid some debris, a few foot bones in a worn-out sock. The Tadamon district of Damascus is littered with bones, after what residents and rights groups described as years of killings there under the rule of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad.