Prime Minister Mark Carney unveils $18 billion Canadian investment fund
TORONTO (AP) — Canada is developing a government-owned investment fund, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Monday. The fund will invest in major Canadian industrial projects in areas like energy, infrastructure, mining, agriculture and technology. It will start at $18 billion. Carney said the federal government will put up funds alongside private investors. The money will help fund projects Carney's government is focused on building as Canada seeks to diversify away from the United States. Carney is a former two-time central banker in England and Canada as well as chair of the board of directors for Bloomberg.
Iran offers to reopen Strait of Hormuz if US lifts its blockade and the war ends, officials say
CAIRO (AP) — Iran has offered to end its control over the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade and ends the war. That's according to regional officials. The proposal that emerged Monday would delay discussions on Iran’s nuclear program. U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer. The blockade prevents Iran from selling oil, affecting global prices and economies. Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran, but a permanent settlement remains elusive. In other developments, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the situation. Talks between Iran and the U.S. have stalled. Pakistan has been attempting to mediate.
Tired and worried, seafarers have been stranded in the Persian Gulf for weeks
NEW DELHI (AP) — Around 20,000 seafarers on hundreds of vessels are stuck in the Persian Gulf, unable to cross the Strait of Hormuz that remains effectively shut by Iran. Indian Capt. Rahul Dhar and his crew have been stranded on their tanker for about eight weeks. They have witnessed drones and missile interceptions as they try to keep in touch with their families. Some other crews have faced shortages of food and water. A ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has brought some hope, but anxiety over uncertainty has taken its toll. The International Maritime Organization has called for a safe corridor, but most ships remain stranded.
Congo creates a paramilitary mining guard backed by US and UAE funding
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo has announced the creation of a paramilitary guard to secure its mining operations, backed by U.S. and Emirati investments. It aims to boost investor confidence and strengthen oversight of mineral production. The new unit is expected to have 2,500 to 3,000 personnel operational by December, with plans to expand to over 20,000 by 2028. Congo is a major supplier of coltan, essential for electronics. The country struggles with illicit mineral trafficking and insecurity, especially in the east. This initiative is part of U.S. efforts to reduce China's dominance over critical mineral supply chains.
US stocks hover near their records as oil prices rise
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market’s record-breaking rally is stalling after uncertainty rose over the weekend about what will happen next in the Iran war. The S&P 500 was mostly unchanged Monday, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 155 points, and the Nasdaq fell 0.3% from its own record. Crude prices climbed roughly 3% as oil tankers still find the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed to traffic. This upcoming week is packed with profit reports from Wall Street's biggest companies and interest-rate announcements from the world's most influential central banks.
Microsoft cuts OpenAI revenue share in a fresh step to loosen their AI alliance
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Microsoft said Monday it will no longer pay a share of its revenue to ChatGPT maker OpenAI, the latest move to untether a close partnership that helped unleash an artificial intelligence boom. OpenAI relied exclusively on Microsoft’s huge investments in cloud computing services to build the technology that helped make ChatGPT a household name. Microsoft, in turn, relied on OpenAI’s technology to build its own AI assistant Copilot. But the partnership has evolved as San Francisco-based OpenAI, founded as a nonprofit, has shifted to a capitalistic enterprise on a path toward an initial public offering on Wall Street and has balanced its reliance on Microsoft with other cloud partners like Amazon, Google and Oracle.
Argentina's leader bars journalists from government HQ, raising concerns about press freedom
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentine President Javier Milei has blocked journalists from the government headquarters and insulted the media on social media. On Thursday, he expelled the press corps from the Casa Rosada, marking a significant escalation in his administration's attacks on traditional news outlets that mirror the tactics of his ideological ally, U.S. President Donald Trump. Milei's spokesperson claims the move was a response to unauthorized footage aired by a local TV channel. Critics say Milei's aggressive anti-media campaign is undermining press democratic norms in a nation that has long prided itself on a free and vibrant press.
Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman head to court in high-stakes showdown over AI
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Technology tycoons Elon Musk and Sam Altman are poised to face off in a high-stakes trial revolving around the alleged betrayal, deceit and unbridled ambition that blurred the bickering billionaires’ once-shared vision for the development of artificial intelligence. The trial, which is scheduled to begin Monday with jury selection, centers on the 2015 birth of ChatGPT maker OpenAI as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion. The civil lawsuit accuses Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, of double-crossing Musk by straying from the company’s founding mission to be an altruistic steward of the technology.
Tillis says he's ready to move ahead with confirming Warsh as Trump's pick as Fed chair
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican senator who had effectively blocked confirmation of President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve says he's dropping his opposition after the Department of Justice ended its investigation of the current central bank chair. The announcement by Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina removes a big hurdle to Trump’s effort to install Kevin Warsh in the job in place of Jerome Powell. At issue was an investigation by the top federal prosecutor in Washington of the Fed’s multibillion-dollar building renovations. Tillis had seen that as a “vindictive prosecution” and suggested it threatened the Fed’s longtime independence from day-to-day politics. He tells NBC's he's prepared to move on with Warsh's confirmation.
Camera trap shows Sumatra orangutan using a canopy bridge to cross a public road in Indonesia
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Conservations say a Sumatran orangutan has been filmed for the first time using a human-made canopy bridge to cross a public road on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Rapid development has been shrinking the jungle habitat of the critically endangered species. And fatal conflicts with people have been increasing. Conservationists told The Associated Press on Monday about the crossing. They say it marks the first documented case of a Sumatra orangutan using an artificial canopy bridge to cross a public road and connect the separate habitats. The bridge spans the Lagan–Pagindar road in Pakpak Bharat district. The vital corridor connects remote villages that cuts directly through prime orangutan habitat. It splits an estimated 350 orangutans into two isolated forest areas.
