Washington | Reuters — The White House on Monday said a near-simultaneous release of a top Huawei executive and two Canadians detained shortly after her arrest was not a prisoner swap, but said the moves came up in a call between the Chinese and U.S. presidents weeks before. On Friday, Huawei chief financial officer Meng […] Read more
Xi raised Huawei case in recent call with Biden, White House says
U.S. extends travel restrictions at Canada, Mexico borders
Washington | Reuters — The United States on Monday extended restrictions at its land borders with Canada and Mexico through Oct. 21 that bar nonessential travel such as tourism by foreigners despite Ottawa’s decision to open its border to vaccinated Americans. Canada on Aug. 9 began allowing fully vaccinated U.S. visitors for nonessential travel. The […] Read more
U.S. seeks to protect pork exports if swine fever hits territories
Policy would distinguish Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands from mainland
Chicago | Reuters — The United States said on Thursday it is seeking to avoid disruptions to pork exports if the territories of Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands detect the fatal pig disease African swine fever. The risk for infections in the territories is higher after the Dominican Republic last month confirmed the […] Read more
Bayer takes battle over Roundup cancer claims to U.S. Supreme Court
Frankfurt | Reuters — Bayer, trying to contain billions of dollars in legal costs, filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse an appeals court verdict that upheld damages to a customer blaming his cancer on the German group’s glyphosate-based herbicides. Bayer last week lost a third appeal against verdicts that sided with […] Read more
Slow U.S. corn shipments could pressure supply forecasts
Reuters – The United States has already secured a record corn export campaign for the nearly concluded season, but the shipments are unlikely to match the government’s current forecast because the pace has recently been too slow. Disappointing export inspections last week – a marketing year low – might be an indication that the U.S. […] Read more
U.S. extends travel curbs at land borders through Aug. 21
Washington | Reuters — The U.S. government on Wednesday extended the closure of land borders with Canada and Mexico to non-essential travel such as tourism through Aug. 21 even as officials debate whether to require visitors to have received a COVID-19 vaccine. The latest 30-day extension by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) came after […] Read more
Canada to admit vaccinated U.S. tourists
Border to open Aug. 9 after more than 16 months
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada on Monday said it would allow fully vaccinated U.S. tourists into the country starting from Aug. 9 after the COVID-19 pandemic forced an unprecedented 16-month ban that many businesses complained was crippling them. Inoculated visitors from countries other than the United States will be permitted to enter beginning on Sept. […] Read more
U.S. appeals court rules for environmental groups in biofuel case
New York | Reuters — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled on Friday in favour of environmental groups who argued against the U.S. government’s conclusion that biofuel blending obligations posed no danger to species’ habitats. The Environmental Protection Agency decides on the amount of biofuels that oil refiners must […] Read more
Canada to lift more border restrictions in weeks to come, Trudeau says
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada will further relax border restrictions in the weeks to come as long as the science supports such a move, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday, suggesting Ottawa would move more quickly than initially announced. Trudeau, under pressure to allow non-essential travel from the U.S., was more categorical than he had […] Read more
Canada taking first step toward lifting border restrictions
U.S. border restrictions still in place until at least June 21
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada on Wednesday took a cautious first step toward easing COVID-19 border restrictions, saying it was prepared to relax quarantine protocols for fully vaccinated citizens returning home starting in early July. Canada’s air and land borders have allowed for only essential travel since March of last year, and Canadians coming home […] Read more