Author: chicagoinquirer

by Dawn Chmielewski LOS ANGELES – A battle over control of Rupert Murdoch’s global television and publishing empire begins Monday in a Reno, Nevada courtroom, where a judge will consider the contentious matter of succession. Murdoch, 93, is attempting to change the terms of the family’s trust — which holds significant stakes in Fox News parent Fox and Wall Street Journal owner News Corp. The billionaire is looking to ensure that, upon his death, the media companies remain under control of his eldest son, Lachlan Murdoch, according to the New York Times, which obtained a sealed court document detailing the…

NAIROBI -South Sudan and Sudan have made progress towards restarting the pumping of South Sudan’s crude oil through a pipeline running to a port in its neighbour, South Sudan’s finance minister and the president’s office said. WHY IT’S IMPORTANT The exports are a crucial source of revenue for South Sudan and Sudan takes a cut of the oil as a transit fee. The main pipeline carrying oil from South Sudan through Sudan for export was halted in February because of damage stemming from a war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces. Analysts say the damage is leading to…

CAIRO – The Egyptian cabinet said in a statement on Monday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has directed the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) to pump $5 billion worth of investment money into Egypt in what it called a “first stage”. The statement came after Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met the Saudi crown prince in Riyadh and discussed boosting bilateral relations. The statement contained no further details on when the funds are going to be invested, the nature of the investments or in how many stages the Saudi government is planning to make its investments. PIF didn’t…

NEW YORK – Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in Manhattan by federal agents on Monday evening based on a sealed indictment, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York said. “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Marc Agnifilo, an attorney for Combs to Reuters. Agnifilo said that Combs voluntarily relocated to New York in anticipation of the charges. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York declined to comment on Agnifilo’s remarks. Combs,…

by Emma Farge GENEVA – WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will seek another four-year term as head of the World Trade Organization following a broad Africa-led push to start the process early, aiming to complete “unfinished business” from her first mandate. Okonjo-Iweala, 70, a former Nigerian finance minister, made history by becoming the first female and African chief of the 30-year-old trade body in 2021. “I would like to be part of this chapter of the WTO story and I stand ready to compete for the position,” Okonjo-Iweala told Reuters on Monday in comments later confirmed by a WTO statement. “For…

by David Shepardson and Nandita Bose WASHINGTON -The 1.3 million-member Teamsters union could decide who to endorse in the 2024 U.S. presidential election as early as Wednesday after members met Democratic candidate Kamala Harris on Monday, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said. Union representatives met her Republican rival Donald Trump in January. “We can’t kick this can down the road,” O’Brien told reporters after meeting with Harris for nearly an hour. Most major unions have endorsed Harris, including the United Auto Workers union. The AFL-CIO, which represents 60 unions and 12.5 million workers, endorsed Harris in July. The Teamsters are one…

by Brian P.D. Hannon Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, has died at age 70. Tito was the third of nine Jackson children, which include global superstars Michael and sister Janet, part of a music-making family whose songs are still beloved today. “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us. We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being,” his sons TJ, Taj and…

LONDON – When the Federal Reserve delivers a widely-anticipated interest rate cut on Wednesday, its first in four years, the move will resonate well beyond the United States. The size of a first move and the scale of overall easing remains open to debate, while a looming U.S. election is another complicating factor for global investors and ratesetters looking for a steer from the Fed and pinning hopes on an economic soft landing. “We don’t know yet what kind of cycle this is going to be – will it be like 1995 when there was just 75 bps of cuts…

by Brad Brooks and Alexandra Ulmer PALM BEACH – A gunman attempted to assassinate Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Sunday at Trump’s golf course in Palm Beach, Florida, authorities said. CNN, Fox News and The New York Times identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, citing unidentified law enforcement officials. The FBI declined to comment and Reuters could not independently verify his identity. Here is what we know so far about the suspected gunman: GUN BARREL IN BUSHES The Secret Service said its agents were accompanying Trump on the golf course, when one who was securing…

HOUSTON- Ka’imi Fairbairn booted four field goals — including three that went for 50-plus yards — and the host Houston Texans rode a stifling defensive performance to a 19-13 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams threw two interceptions and absorbed seven sacks, with Texans defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. combining for three of those to pace the suffocating attack. Williams passed for 174 yards as the Bears (1-1) totaled just 205 yards of offense. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud passed for 260 yards and a touchdown to Nico Collins, who finished…