Author: ALJAZEERA

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez warns the spending hike would undermine EU efforts to build its own security and defence base.Spain has reportedly asked to opt out of NATO’s proposed defence spending target of 5 percent of GDP, risking disruption to a key agreement expected at next week’s alliance summit. In a letter addressed to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Thursday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged the alliance to adopt a more flexible framework, according to media reports. The letter, seen by the Reuters and Associated Press news agencies, called for either the target to remain optional or for Spain to…

The United States Federal Reserve has left its benchmark rate unchanged despite mounting pressure from President Donald Trump to cut rates. On Wednesday, the Fed said it will leave its short-term rate steady at 4.25 percent to 4.5 percent. The central bank’s decision was largely in line with expectations, and it has not cut interest rates since December. The decision comes as policymakers weigh signs of a weakening economy. US retail sales numbers fell more than expected in its report from the US Department of Commerce yesterday. Last week’s jobless claims report from the US Department of Labour came in…

Tech giant rejects ‘false reports’ after Iranian state media urges citizens to delete messaging app.US tech giant Meta has expressed concern that Iran may block WhatsApp after state media claimed the messaging service is being used for snooping by Israel. “We’re concerned these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most,” Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, said in a statement on Tuesday. “All of the messages you send to family and friends on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted meaning no-one except the sender and…

Airlines suspend flights and some countries close airspace after Israel launches attacks on Iran and Tehran retaliates.Several airlines have suspended or cancelled flights in the Middle East and some countries have shut their airspace after Israel launched a wave of air strikes on Iran. The Israeli attacks targeted military facilities, nuclear sites and residential areas in the early hours of Friday. Iran has since retaliated with a wave of missile strikes across Israel. Here is a list of suspended and rerouted flights: Emirates, the Middle East’s largest airline, said it had cancelled flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and…

Boeing and GE Aerospace are scaling back their public activities following the fatal crash of an Air India jetliner, with the planemaker’s CEO cancelling his trip to the Paris Airshow next week and GE postponing an investor day. More than 240 people were killed when an Air India Boeing 787 jet bound for London crashed moments after taking off from the city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, authorities said, in the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a message to staff on Thursday evening that he and Boeing Commercial Airplanes boss Stephanie Pope had cancelled plans to…

The unfolding Israel-Iran conflict will “immensely” dominate the upcoming gathering of the leaders of the Group of Seven, not just because of the dangers of further escalation, but also because of the “sheer uncertainty” of United States policy under President Donald Trump, experts say. The informal G7 grouping of the world’s seven advanced economies is set to meet from June 15 to 17 in Kananaskis, Alberta. Holding the current presidency of the G7, Canada is hosting this year. While the agenda items will change in importance, depending on how things evolve in the Middle East, the latest crisis is already…

Israel’s strike on military and nuclear sites, and Iran’s retaliation, have rocked already strained global supply chains. As airlines suspend flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran and other airports across the region, oil companies, shipping firms, and regulatory agencies are scrambling amid growing concerns that key trade routes like the Strait of Hormuz could be caught in the crossfire. Merchant shipping is still passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but with increased caution. Iran has previously threatened to close this critical trade route in response to Western pressure. Even the suggestion of such a move has already sent shockwaves through global…

The fatal crash of a 787 Dreamliner that was being operated by Air India from Ahmedabad in northwestern India to London Gatwick Airport has once again fueled scrutiny of both Boeing and the airline, as the two companies have been trying to emerge from years of crises and poor reputations. The nearly 12-year-old Dreamliner crashed on a densely populated part of the city soon after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 people on board on Thursday. The total death toll is expected to rise as the plane fell on a medical college hostel and rescue operations are still under way.…

A new report accuses fashion giants of not considering the welfare of workers affected by climate change in garment factories in Southeast Asia.Fashion brands including luxury label Hermes, sportswear giant Nike, and fast fashion chain H&M are in the hot seat amid new allegations of climate greenwashing after making commitments to slash carbon emissions in Asia, which is home to more than 50 percent of global garment production. A report released this morning by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), titled, The Missing Thread, analysed 65 global fashion brands. It found that while 44 of them had made…

Acting Enforcement Director Cara Petersen has served with the United States agency since it was founded.The top remaining enforcement official at the United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has tendered her resignation, saying the White House’s overhaul of the agency has made her position untenable. Acting Enforcement Director Cara Petersen, who has served at the agency since its creation nearly 15 years ago, said that current leadership under US President Donald Trump “has no intention to enforce the law in any meaningful way”, according to an email first obtained by the Reuters news agency.   “I have served under…