«SFGate» (sfgate.com)

The United States and China are butting heads over a number of contentious bilateral, regional and global issues as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets senior Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping. Friday's meetings started with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and then Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong, who said Blinken would also see Xi. Talks between the two sides have increased in recent months even as differences have grown. Blinken and Wang underscored the importance of keeping lines of communication open... Читать дальше...

Asian shares are mostly higher despite worries about the economic outlook and inflation in the U.S. and globally. Benchmarks rose in Friday trading in Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong and Shanghai, but fell in Sydney. Oil prices rose and the dollar edged higher against the Japanese yen. On Thursday, Wall Street retreated on worries about a potentially toxic cocktail for financial markets in which inflation remains high but the economy’s growth flags. A sharp drop for Meta Platforms, one of Wall Street’s most influential stocks... Читать дальше...

South Africa this week celebrates 30 years of freedom after a historic 1994 election that saw the end of white minority rule and racial segregation. However, much of the enthusiasm and optimism that characterized that historic day has subsided as Africa’s most developed economy faces a myriad of challenges, including widening inequality and high levels of poverty among the country's Black majority. These challenges come as the country braces for what is expected to be one of its most fiercely contested elections next month. Читать дальше...

Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war are digging in at Columbia University for a 10th day, part of a number of demonstrations roiling campuses from California to Connecticut. Hundreds have been arrested across the nation, sometimes amid scuffles with police. In New York, Columbia is negotiating with student protestors who have rebuffed police and doubled down. Other schools have been quick to call law enforcement to douse demonstrations before they can take hold. Columbia officials have said... Читать дальше...

The 16-year-old was last seen by their mother inside their Bolinas home. 

Harvey Weinstein's accusers and their advocates were shocked and angered by an appellate court’s decision to overturn the ex-movie mogul’s 2020 rape conviction. But #MeToo advocates also sought to send a clear message that the movement has not been derailed. Tarana Burke, who coined the phrase “Me too” in 2006, and Anita Hill, who testified against Clarence Thomas in 1991, both urged a long view, saying no single legal ruling can reverse the tremendous cultural progress made in the last six years. Читать дальше...

The Utah Republican Party is set to select a nominee in the race to replace Mitt Romney in the U.S. Senate at its annual convention. Observers are closely watching whether the eventual replacement for Romney ends up being a moderate Republican or someone who leans farther right. The winner at Saturday’s convention may get a bump in the race. But Republican voters will ultimately decide the party’s pick since candidates who lose can still gather signatures and face off again in the June 25 primary. Читать дальше...

Millions of Indians are voting in the second round of multi-phase national elections with some big names in the contest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is strongly promoting his party’s pro-Hindu line in his campaign. Rahul Gandhi, a top opposition party leader, is contesting from Wayanad constituency in southern Kerala state for a second time after he was defeated in 2019 elections by a BJP leader in the northern Indian city of Amethi — a traditional stronghold for the Nehru-Gandhi family. Nearly 970 million voters ... Читать дальше...

With Donald Trump facing dozens of federal criminal charges and hundreds of millions in legal expenses, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. went public on the Nasdaq exchange March 26. Its performance has confounded analysts. It's gone up and down and defied Wall Street expectations. That is, in part, because it is closely tied to a man who has spent decades defying expectations. Trump Media runs the social media platform Truth Social, which Trump created after he was banned from Twitter and Facebook following the Jan. Читать дальше...

An Arizona grand jury’s indictment of 18 people who either posed as or helped organize a slate of electors falsely claiming that former President Donald Trump won the state in 2020 could help shape the landscape of challenges to the 2024 election. The indictment issued Wednesday is part of a campaign to deter a repeat of 2020, when Trump and his allies falsely claimed he won swing states, filed dozens of lawsuits unsuccessfully challenging Biden’s victory and tried to get Congress to let Trump stay in power. Читать дальше...

Defense lawyers in Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial are poised to dig into a former tabloid publisher’s accounts of how he worked to protect the Republican’s 2016 presidential campaign. David Pecker will return to the witness stand for the fourth day as defense attorneys try to poke holes in the testimony of the former National Enquirer publisher. The prosecution's first witness has described helping bury embarrassing stories Trump feared would hurt his campaign. It will cap a consequential... Читать дальше...

The speculation about a potential Brandon Aiyuk trade will continue for another day.

Kaiser patients' symptom searches may have been shared with tech giants.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania wants a series of three debates with his Republican challenger David McCormick ahead of the November election, and McCormick is readily accepting. Casey says in a statement Thursday he intends to participate in debates in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. Asked about it at a campaign event, McCormick said it’s a great idea. A series of three such meetings would give the debate stage the most robust presence in a Senate race in Pennsylvania since 2006, when Casey and then-GOP Sen. Читать дальше...

A baker at Bob’s Donuts was hit by a driver while riding his electric scooter.

As Donald Trump seeks a return to the White House, criminal charges are piling up for the people who tried to help him stay there in 2020 by promoting false theories of voter fraud. Several of those charged or accused of involvement in election interference across the states are still involved in Republican politics today — including the lawyer overseeing “election integrity” for the Republican National Committee. And Trump, who faces federal charges in Washington and state charges in Georgia for his efforts to overturn Biden’s win... Читать дальше...

Much of the trail runs in conjunction with the Pacific Crest Trail.

Taylor Swift sings about tortured poets but doesn’t seem to be living like one.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LOS ANGELES (AP) — OP Bancorp (OPBK) on Thursday reported net income of $5.2 million in its first quarter.

Zach Wilson kept his housing situation modest, scoring a nondescript townhouse less than 10 minutes from Jets HQ in Florham Park, NJ.

RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) — RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) — Casella Waste Systems Inc. (CWST) on Thursday reported a loss of $4.1 million in its first quarter.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — MADISON, Wis. (AP) — First Business Financial Services Inc. (FBIZ) on Thursday reported first-quarter profit of $8.8 million.

NEW YORK (AP) — NEW YORK (AP) — Minerals Technologies Inc. (MTX) on Thursday reported earnings of $46.7 million in its first quarter.

NEW YORK (AP) — NEW YORK (AP) — FTAI Aviation Ltd. (FTAI) on Thursday reported first-quarter net income of $39.6 million.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Universal Insurance Holdings Inc. (UVE) on Thursday reported net income of $33.7 million in its first quarter.