by David Shepardson, Nora Eckert and Abhirup Roy WASHINGTON/DETROIT -The Biden administration’s proposed ban on Chinese connected-car technology could prove its strongest weapon yet to fend off an onslaught of cheap Chinese electric vehicles that has upended the global auto industry. The ban on hardware and software, announced Monday by the U.S. Commerce Department, is the administration’s latest salvo after imposing 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs and denying a $7,500 consumer EV subsidy to any vehicle with made-in-China components. Unlike those measures, the connected-car tech prohibition would apply even to cars built by Chinese firms outside China – such as…

by Jaspreet Kalra MUMBAI – India is in talks with countries in Africa and South America to help them build a digital payments system using its homegrown Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a blueprint and expects two launches by early 2027, a senior official said on Tuesday. The overseas arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is in talks with “several countries” and is closing in on an agreement with one of them, said Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL). The NPCI, a quasi-regulator under the central bank, is a public non-profit organisation for retail…

by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo and Camillus Eboh ABUJA -Nigeria’s central bank unexpectedly raised its benchmark lending rate by 50 basis points to 27.25% on Tuesday in a unanimous decision to tame persistent inflationary pressures, bank governor Olayemi Cardoso said. The move wrongfooted analysts who had expected rates to stay on hold and indicates the bank is prioritizing inflation control over economic growth amid the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. It is the fifth rate hike this year, after increases of 50 basis points (bps) in July, 150 bps in May, 200 bps in March and 400 bps in February which…

Vince Carter will become the first Toronto Raptors player to have his number retired on Nov. 2, multiple outlets reported Monday. Carter, 47, and his No. 15 jersey will be honored when the Raptors face the Sacramento Kings at Scotiabank Arena, according to reports from TSN and ESPN. Nicknamed “Air Canada” during his time north of the border, Carter was the 1998-99 NBA Rookie of the Year with Toronto and averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists over six-plus seasons with the Raptors. Carter, who will be inducted with the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 next month, will…

NAIROBI – A group of South Sudanese lawyers filed a case to the country’s top court on Monday challenging the president’s postponement of elections and extension of the transitional government’s term for two years. Ten days ago, President Salva Kiir’s office announced an extension of the transitional period by two years and postponed elections for a second time following a delay in 2022. Late last week, parliament ratified the decision without changes after the cabinet endorsed it. Elections were due to be held in December. On Monday, the lawyers challenging the action went to the Supreme Court, asking it to…

by Daniel Trotta ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA – Four top aides to North Carolina’s Republican candidate for governor resigned on Sunday, three days after CNN reported that he once called himself a “black NAZI!” and proposed bringing back slavery in comments posted on a pornography website. Mark Robinson, an African American who denied making the comments, announced that his campaign manager, finance director, deputy campaign manager and senior advisor had stepped down from their roles with the campaign without saying why. Robinson currently serves as North Carolina’s lieutenant governor. North Carolina’s gubernatorial campaign has implications for the presidential contest on the…

by Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON – Enhanced background checks have blocked thousands of gun sales to people under the age of 21 and those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes in the past year, the White House said on Sunday, a year after President Joe Biden set up a new office to accelerate work on preventing gun violence. Homicides have dropped 17% in the period, building on the largest-ever drop in homicides in 2023, the White House said. It said data from the Gun Violence Archive showed that mass shootings were also down 20% to date in 2024 compared to a…

by Bo Erickson WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday proposed a three-month stopgap funding bill that excludes an immigration-related measure demanded by Donald Trump, as lawmakers look to avert a month-end partial government shutdown. Johnson laid out the plan in a letter to colleagues released just eight days before the government’s current $1.2 trillion in discretionary funding runs out on Sept. 30. The chamber will aim to vote on the measure on Wednesday, according to a source with knowledge of the plan. Failure to act by then would furlough thousands of federal workers and…

INDIANAPOLIS – Jonathan Taylor ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns, Trey Sermon added a rushing TD and Jaylon Jones snagged two interceptions to boost the host Indianapolis Colts to a 21-16 victory against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Indianapolis (1-2) overcame a pair of Anthony Richardson interceptions, succeeding with its ground game while shoring up what had been a suspect run defense. The Colts had 150 rushing yards compared to 63 for the Bears (1-2). Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the April draft, was 33-of-52 passing for a career-high 363 yards and his first…

by Gabriella Borter ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania – An intimate crowd gathered around a blue bus and listened intently while Hadley Duvall, an abortion rights advocate and a supporter of Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, told how she was raped and impregnated by her stepfather at age 12. Duvall ultimately had a miscarriage but said that under new abortion laws in her home state of Kentucky, she would have been forced to carry the pregnancy to term. Aleyda Garcia, 53, held a Harris campaign sign in Spanish and teared up. Her son Brandon Rodriguez, 18, wiped a drop from his mother’s cheek. A…