China’s top economic official trimmed its growth target and warned Sunday of dangers from global pressure for trade controls, as Beijing tries to build a consumer-driven economy and reduce reliance on exports and investment. In a speech to the national legislature, Premier Li Keqiang Li promised more steps to cut …

It may seem odd that the world’s largest land mammal would be afraid of bees, but Kenya-based research and conservation group Save the Elephants has used the elephants’ fear of being stung around the eyes, mouth and trunk to deter them from crop-raiding. It is doing this through “beehive fences,” …

It was another historic week for U.S. markets as the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 21,000 for the first time, taking only 24 trading sessions to rise from 20,000 to 21,000 — the second-fastest 1,000-point move ever by the index. The S&P 500 closed higher for the week, completing …

Cranes dot the skyline of China’s northeastern city of Shenyang. And from the street level, the slowing growth of the Chinese economy seems like a mirage in this rust-belt city. Shenyang’s main street, Qingnian Dajie, or Youth Avenue, which also is known as the “Golden Corridor,” is lined with massive …

The head of the U.S. central bank says improvements in employment and rising inflation mean an interest rate increase will “likely be appropriate” later this month. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen told a Chicago audience the change will come if economic data continues to come in as expected. The Fed …

Mexico is prepared to negotiate changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement that would modernize the 23-year-old open-trade pact grouping the United States, Canada and Mexico, Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said Friday. Guajardo said Mexico was prepared to discuss with the Trump administration and Canada such revisions to NAFTA …

One by one, several Federal Reserve officials have signaled in recent days that the Fed is ready to resume raising interest rates as soon as this month. The question is whether the official who matters most — Chair Janet Yellen — will add her own voice to that impression. When …

A private Catholic high school in California’s Silicon Valley that made $24 million from an initial public offering of shares in Snap Inc. will use the windfall for financial aid, professional development, teacher training and funding of school programs, the school’s president said Friday. The board of the high school …

Demand for gasoline in the United States, which accounts for a tenth of global oil consumption, is expected to peak next year as engines become more efficient, WoodMackenzie analysts said. Global demand for gasoline, which accounts for more than a quarter of the world’s oil consumption, is set to peak …

South Korean companies Friday bore the brunt of Chinese anger over the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system outside Seoul, as shares tumbled after media reports of Beijing tour operators being ordered to stop selling trips to the country. Cosmetics makers, retailers, automakers and airlines were among the biggest …

Puffing on a cigar at Cuba’s annual Habanos cigar festival, American aficionado Paul Segal said he would buy as many boxes of cigars as he could carry home in case U.S. President Donald Trump tightens regulations on visitors to the communist-run island again. Segal, who writes a cigar blog called …

Federal law enforcement agents have searched three facilities of the American heavy-equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. in the U.S. Midwest. Caterpillar spokeswoman Corrie Heck Scott said in an email that the company, the world’s largest manufacturer of mining and construction equipment, was cooperating with law enforcement, but gave no further details …

Street vendors are a part of the life of many American cities. They’re not always regulated and many are immigrants. Los Angeles is a prime example. Street vending is has been illegal. A number of the vendors there are undocumented immigrants. With hopes to protect them from deportation for breaking …

Following a drastic decline in his small business after India scrapped 86 percent of its currency in November, fruit hawker Khubi Ram switched to selling vegetables, which are more of an essential household purchase.  “My two helpers headed back to their villages, they had no money. I had to somehow …

Motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson, which President Donald Trump singled out Tuesday when discussing foreign trade barriers, warned earlier this year against responding to such restrictions by imposing higher American tariffs.   Trump said in his speech to Congress that executives from Harley-Davidson told him they have trouble selling motorcycles outside of …

Mexico’s Cemex, one of the world’s largest cement producers, is open to providing quotes to supply the raw materials for U.S. President Donald Trump’s promised border wall, its chairman told Reforma newspaper on Wednesday. Trump repeated on Tuesday a vow that he would soon start building a barrier along the …

If President Donald Trump’s hardline stance on illegal immigration leads to large-scale deportations, among those hurt could be the U.S. economy. That’s the view of many economists, who say the United States can’t afford to suddenly lose vast numbers of the immigrants who work illegally picking fruit and vegetables, building …

Chilean police raided the offices of Brazil’s Odebrecht in capital Santiago on Wednesday, as part of a widening investigation into bribes paid by the conglomerate on construction projects across Latin America. A Chilean prosecutor will travel to Brasilia this month to work with Brazilian colleagues questioning Odebrecht executives, national public …

Here’s a look at how the U.S. government’s budget is drawn up and approved: — The process starts with the submission of the president’s annual budget request to Congress. Traditionally, this is done on the first Monday in February. The president’s budget request details the administration’s position on a full …

Vladimir Jehlicka and his business partners spent 25 years building up their Czech machinery firm before deciding to call it a day. However, they faced a problem that is growing as the first generation of post-communist entrepreneurs nears retirement. Their children weren’t interested in running the shop but equally Jehlicka …

Trump administration officials say it is time for a “more aggressive approach” to trade negotiations and enforcement.   Wednesday’s 2017 Trade Policy Agenda says Washington will strongly defend U.S. sovereignty in trade issues, strictly enforce trade deals, protect U.S. intellectual property, and negotiate “new and better trade deals with countries …

President Donald Trump’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan will likely include private projects like pipelines that don’t involve federal money but have been hindered by a lack of government permits or regulations, according to a key Republican lawmaker.   Trump has repeatedly pledged, including in his speech Tuesday to Congress, to …

U.S. authorities on Wednesday charged 19 people with taking part in a complex international fraud and money laundering ring that tricked companies and consumers out of millions of dollars. The charges were part of an international sweep Wednesday, in which police in the United States, Hungary, Bulgaria and Israel arrested …

Saudi Arabia pledged $1 billion in development finance for Indonesia and expanded cooperation in other areas, deepening ties with Southeast Asia’s biggest economy as the Saudi king and a huge entourage arrived Wednesday for a 9-day visit. Enthusiastic crowds lined the route of King Salman’s heavily guarded motorcade as it …

U.S. stocks hit record highs in Wednesday’s trading, with the Dow Jones Industrial average exceeding 21,000 for the first time. U.S. stock markets have been hitting a series of record highs since the election of President Donald Trump, who encouraged businesses by promising to cut taxes and regulations, and make …