Bloomberg US officials encountered more than 1.7 million migrants crossing the border with Mexico over the past year—a record number likely to escalate Republican attacks on the Biden administration’s handling of immigration. US Customs and Border Protection reported 1.73 million southwest border encounters overall, but many were making repeat attempts, the agency said. CBP’s Border Patrol conducted 1.66 million of ...

Bloomberg A US-led airstrike in northwest Syria killed senior al-Qaeda leader Abdul Hamid al-Matar, according to the US Central Command. The strike was conducted in the vicinity of Suluk using an MQ-9 aircraft, US Army Major John Rigsbee said in a statement. There have been no indications of civilian casualties, he added. “The removal of this al-Qaeda senior leader will ...

Bloomberg The Biden administration said it will release more records related to the assassination of President John F Kennedy in December. Some of the information regarding Kennedy’s death on November 22, 1963, remained off limits to “protect against an identifiable harm to the military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement, or the conduct of foreign relations that is of such gravity ...

Bloomberg Liz Truss warned of the importance of not becoming overly reliant upon China, in an indication of her priorities as the UK’s new foreign secretary. The UK intends to “build a network of liberty” with nations with similar values of democracy and free markets, while also keeping strong economic links with the superpower, Truss told the Telegraph in an ...

Bloomberg South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) is unlikely to win a majority in Johannesburg, the nation’s largest city, or the capital Pretoria in forthcoming municipal elections, a News24 poll showed. The ANC’s support in Johannesburg could fall to 41% if half of eligible voters turn out for the November 1 elections, News24 reported, citing the poll it commissioned. ...

Bloomberg UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak dismissed questions about whether he wants to become PM, saying that he is “tired enough anyway.” The chancellor made the comments in an interview with The Times newspaper on Saturday, in which he also discussed the risks of rising interest rates and the need to rein in public spending ahead of his ...

Bloomberg The US posted the second-largest annual budget deficit on record for 2021 as pandemic-relief spending sustained the federal government’s massive borrowing needs. The deficit for the fiscal year through September was $2.77 trillion, compared with the $3.1 trillion peak seen in the previous year, a Treasury Department report shows. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and acting White House budget director ...

Bloomberg Italy’s credit rating outlook was raised to positive from stable by S&P Global Ratings, which said the progress in implementing reforms will boost economic growth, benefiting fiscal consolidation. S&P affirmed the BBB rating on Italy, which is two notches above junk. The country’s prospects are looking brighter as increasing rates of vaccination have allowed it to avoid renewed lockdowns. ...

Bloomberg Alphabet Inc’s Google is slashing the fees it takes from subscription services on its app store following pressure from developers and lawmakers. Beginning January 1, the Google Play Store will charge third-party subscription apps a 15% commission, the company said. Previously, subscription apps were charged 30% for first year, then 15% thereafter. Google also charged 15% for first $1 ...

Bloomberg The cost of hedging against inflation in the UK over the next decade rises to the highest level in 25 years as investors brace for price pressures in the economy to persist. The so-called 10-year breakeven rate climbed as much as 11 basis points to 4.25%, the highest since 1996. That predates the Bank of England’s independence in 1997, ...