The United States is sanctioning 15 entities and 14 shadow fleet vessels connected to the illicit trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products and petrochemical products, the State Department said on Friday. — (Reporting by Bhargav Acharya, writing by David Ljunggren; Editing by Katharine Jackson)
Argentina Trade Deals With US Do Not Box out China, Minister Says
A deal on critical minerals between Argentina and the U.S. signed this week does not rule out Chinese investment in the country's mining sector, Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said on Friday. "This, as of today, does not imply that China cannot participate or will not participate in investments in...
Dollar Retreats From Two-Week High, Yen Set for Weekly Loss
The dollar fell from two-week highs on Friday, giving up some of its safe-haven gains as risk assets rebounded from a deep rout driven by concerns over a surge in AI-related spending this year. Still, the buck remained on track for a weekly gain, and pared some earlier losses against...
Bad Bunny Lookalikes Swamp San Francisco Taco Joint in Pre-Super Bowl Contest
Oversized sunglasses, colourful shirts, Puerto Rican straw hats, and even an "ICE out" sign filled a San Francisco restaurant on Thursday as Bad Bunny lookalikes competed for $100 and bragging rights ahead of the reggaeton star's Super Bowl halftime show. Tacolicious along with Mision Loteria hosted the lookalike contest that...
Justice Dept. Pursues Many Officer Assault Cases in Minnesota as Misdemeanors
When the Justice Department charged 16 people last week with assaulting federal agents involved in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota, Attorney General Pam Bondi flew halfway across the country to be “on the ground,” as she put it, when the cases were unsealed. Bondi talked tough, posting on...
‘West Wing’ Actor Timothy Busfield Indicted on Child Abuse Charges
Timothy Busfield, the U.S. actor and director known for his role in "The West Wing," was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on charges of child sex abuse, the prosecutor's office in Albuquerque announced on Friday. Busfield surrendered to authorities on January 13 after Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam...
Bitcoin Bounces Back as Risk Assets Stabilize
Bitcoin climbed back above $70,000 on Friday, after sinking to a 16‑month low earlier, lifted by a sharp rebound in technology shares and precious metals following a global rout that had hammered a broad swathe of risk assets. The world's largest cryptocurrency was last up nearly 11% at $70,042 ,...
Renovations to Close Downtown Fresno Library for Two Years
Fresno County Public Library's flagship location in downtown will close beginning Sunday, Feb. 15. And though the wait for a reopening could be two years for library goers, it will bring long-awaited renovations. Sally Gomez, director of the Fresno County Public Library, said upgrades position the branch for the future....
White House Considers Antitrust Probe Into Homebuilders, Bloomberg News Reports
Trump administration officials are exploring opening an antitrust investigation into U.S. homebuilders as the White House ramps up efforts to address the housing affordability crisis in the country, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. A White House representative referred Reuters request for comment to the Department of Justice. The DOJ did...
Oil Prices Climb Over $1 on Worries Over Iran-US Talks
Prices climbed over $1 a barrel for Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude on Friday as investors grew worried talks between Iran and U.S. representatives were not making enough progress to prevent military action. Brent crude futures climbed $1.21 a barrel, or 1.79%, to $68.76 at 11:30 a.m. CST (1730...