The Trump administration said Monday that it will no longer exempt any countries from U.S. sanctions if they continue to buy Iranian oil, stepping up pressure on Iran in a move that primarily affects the five remaining major importers: China and India and U.S. treaty allies Japan, South Korea, Turkey....
FCC to Hold Big 5G Auction, Spend $20B for Rural Internet
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government will hold a massive auction later this year to bolster 5G service, the next generation of mobile networks. President Donald Trump showcased the announcement Friday, declaring that the race to stand up these faster, more powerful networks is a competition "America must win." "We cannot allow...
Leading Finance Officials Acknowledge Global Slowdown
WASHINGTON — Finance officials from the world's major powers acknowledged Friday that the global economy is in a slowdown, but they forecast that growth will pick up by the second half of this year, thanks to interest-rate policies from the Federal Reserve and other central banks. Officials of the Group...
In a Blow to Trump, America’s Trade Deficit Hit Record $891 Billion
By Jim Tankersley and Ana Swanson WASHINGTON — America’s trade deficit with the rest of the world rose to its highest level in history last year as the United States imported more goods than ever, including a record amount from China, ballooning the deficit to $891.3 billion and delivering a setback...
AP Fact Check: Trump’s Epic Speech Is Laced With Fabrication
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump uttered a dizzying number of false statements in his epically long weekend speech, to an audience that didn't seem to mind at all. He got the unemployment rate wrong. He misstated his winning margin in the election. He reprised some of his most frequently told...
US-China Battle Over Huawei Comes to Head at Tech Show
BARCELONA, Spain — A global battle between the U.S. government and Chinese tech company Huawei over allegations that it is a cybersecurity risk overshadowed the opening Monday of the world's biggest mobile industry trade fair. Huawei has an outsize presence at MWC Barcelona, from its displays in three separate show...
US Steps Up Winter-Warfare Training as Global Threat Shifts
MARINE MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER — Hunkered down behind a wall of snow, two U.S. Marines melt slush to make drinking water after spending the night digging out a defensive position high in the Sierra Nevada. Their laminated targeting map is wedged into the ice just below the machine gun....
World Economy Forecast to Slow in 2019 Amid Trade Tensions
DAVOS, Switzerland — The world economy absorbed more bad news Monday: The International Monetary Fund cut its growth forecast for 2019. And China, the world's second-biggest economy, said it had slowed to its weakest pace since 1990. The IMF cut its estimate for global growth this year to 3.5 percent,...
US Employers Went on a Hiring Spree in December: 312K Jobs
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers dramatically stepped up hiring in December, adding 312,000 jobs in an encouraging display of strength for an economy in the midst of a trade war, slowing global growth and a partial government shutdown. The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.9...
China Lands Spacecraft on ‘Dark’ Side of Moon in World First
BEIJING — China's burgeoning space program achieved a first on Thursday: a landing on the so-called dark side of the moon that brings the country closer to its goal of becoming a space power. Three nations — the United States, the former Soviet Union and more recently China — have...