AFP USA

Russia launched a missile attack Thursday on Kyiv, killing at least two and wounding dozens hours after US President Donald Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for refusing to accept Moscow’s occupation of Crimea as a peace deal.The Ukrainian capital was attacked “by enemy missiles” in the early hours, with flights of drones heard across the city by AFP journalists as residents hid in bomb shelters. City mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were killed and 54 others wounded so far in the attack.Of these, “38 of them, including six children, were hospitalised,” he said, adding that the rest of the wounded were treated at the scene. In Ukraine’s east, the city of Kharkiv was hit by seven missiles, said city mayor Igor Terekhov, who later warned that “a massive drone attack on the city continues”. “Stay safe!” Terekhov said on Telegram.Hours earlier, Trump had said a peace deal was “very close” — and effectively closed with Moscow — but accused Zelensky of being “harder” to negotiate with.The Ukrainian president’s refusal to accept US terms for ending the conflict — which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 — “will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field’,” he said.”I think we have a deal with Russia. We have to get a deal with Zelensky,” Trump told reporters. “I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelensky. So far it’s been harder.”Ahead of Trump’s broadside, Vice President JD Vance laid out the US vision for a peace deal where Russia would get to keep already occupied swaths of Ukraine, which include Crimea.Zelensky has rejected this as a violation of Ukraine’s constitution.That in turn prompted an outburst from Trump, in which he accused Zelensky of being “inflammatory” and taking a position “very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia.”Zelensky “can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.Trump said Crimea — a lush Black Sea peninsula with longtime major Soviet and Russian naval facilities — “was lost years ago” and “is not even a point of discussion.”Zelensky responded by posting on social media a 2018 “Crimea declaration” by Trump’s then-secretary of state Mike Pompeo, which said Washington “rejects Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea.”As Kyiv was bombarded with a Russian missile attack, Zelensky’s top aide took to Telegram, saying “Russia is attacking Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities with missiles and drones right now”. “Putin shows only a desire to kill,” said Andriy Yermak. “The fire must stop. The attacks on civilians must stop.”- ‘Freeze’ Russia’s gains -Weeks into a US-initiated process, Trump’s patience was “running very thin,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.Intense US pressure on Ukraine to accept a deal comes after Trump regularly boasted on the campaign trail that he would resolve the conflict in 24 hours.He has put no equivalent visible pressure on Russia, while dangling a lifting of massive US economic sanctions against Moscow if the fighting stops.Meanwhile, on a trip to India, his deputy Vance gave the fullest public explanation of the US plan so far, saying the deal would “freeze the territorial lines at some level close to where they are today.””The Ukrainians and the Russians are both going to have to give up some of the territory they currently own,” Vance said.Freezing the frontlines would mean Ukraine losing large areas to Russia.The vice president did not explain what territory Russia — which seized Crimea in 2014 — would have to give up.It was time for Moscow and Kyiv “to either say ‘yes,’ or for the United States to walk away from this process,” Vance said.Growing speculation over Washington being ready to recognise Russian rule over Crimea has alarmed European capitals.French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said “Ukraine’s territorial integrity and European aspirations are very strong requirements for Europeans.”A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters “it has to be up to Ukraine to decide its future.”Top Ukrainian officials wrapped up a round of talks in London on Wednesday with representatives from Britain, France, Germany and the United States.US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff is to visit Moscow this week and Trump said he would likely meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly after his trip to the Middle East in mid-May.The diplomatic wrangling and strikes on Kyiv came after a fresh wave of Russian air attacks that shattered a brief Easter truce, killing nine and wounding at least 30 more in the southeastern city of Marganets.In light of the attacks, Zelensky has called for an “immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire.”burs-sms/dhc/hmn

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday played up prospects of a “fair deal” on trade with China, but his top officials offered few details of how Washington might de-escalate its damaging tariff war with Beijing.Trump told reporters his country would have a “fair deal with China,” adding that “everything’s active” when asked if Washington was talking to Beijing.But how soon the tariffs can be lowered “depends on them,” Trump said, referring to Beijing, even as he maintained that he gets along “very well” with Chinese President Xi Jinping and hopes they can reach an agreement.Trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies have soared as Trump ramped up levies on imports from China this year, imposing an additional 145 percent tariff on many products over practices Washington has deemed unfair, and other issues.Beijing in turn has countered with new 125 percent tariffs on US goods.Despite signals that Washington is looking towards a fair agreement, the state of discussions remains murky.Asked if there is direct US contact with China on trade, Trump said: “Every day.”But earlier Wednesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters that the two countries are “not yet” talking when it comes to lowering tariffs.”I think both sides are waiting to speak to the other,” he said at an event on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank’s spring meetings in Washington.He added that there is no unilateral offer from Trump to slash duties on Chinese goods.- ‘An embargo’ -Bessent said the staggeringly high tariffs both countries have imposed on each other’s goods have to come down before negotiations can occur.”I don’t think either side believes that the current tariff levels are sustainable, so I would not be surprised if they went down in a mutual way,” he added on the sidelines of an Institute of International Finance forum.”This is the equivalent of an embargo, and a break between the two countries in trade does not suit anyone’s interest,” Bessent said, stressing that “de-escalation by both sides is possible.”But he had no timeframe on how soon bilateral talks could take place.”It’s both a blessing and a curse that the strongest relationship is at the very top,” Bessent said, referring to Trump’s ties with Chinese counterpart Xi. But with “any de-escalation, the talks would not begin at the very top.”Joseph Grieco, professor of political science at Duke University, told AFP that Trump may continue to chase China for a deal “to keep the financial markets off his back.””I worry Trump will eventually offer President Xi a favorable deal, one that doesn’t address the serious economic problems the US actually has with China,” he said.While Trump has swiftly rolled out sharp tariffs on different countries and sectors, he has also been quick to introduce certain exemptions — most recently some temporary reprieve for tech products like smartphones and chipmaking tools.And he could widen the carveouts, the Financial Times reported Wednesday, saying Trump could exempt car parts from some tariffs on Chinese imports — alongside those on steel and aluminum.On Wednesday afternoon, Trump said he was not considering changes to US auto tariffs but noted that levies on Canada could rise in terms of cars.Separately, Bessent said he did not have a stance on whether the president had the authority to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell if he wanted to.He suggested Trump’s previous comment that the “termination” of Powell could not come fast enough might also refer to the end of the Fed chief’s term.Earlier Wednesday, Bessent said in a speech that Beijing’s export-reliant economic model is “unsustainable” and “not only harming China but the entire world.”He stressed US concerns around trade imbalances that the Trump administration says it hopes to address through sweeping tariffs.But Bessent maintained that “America first does not mean America alone.”He insisted the administration’s moves are broadly a call for deeper collaboration and mutual respect among trading partners, while taking aim at policy choices by other countries that he said have hollowed out US manufacturing and put its security at risk.

YouTube on Wednesday celebrated more than 20 billion videos being uploaded to the platform since the first clip debuted two decades ago.The online video-sharing platform has evolved from a dinner party lark into a modern lifestyle staple poised to overtake US cable television in paid viewership.PayPal colleagues Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim conceived YouTube in 2005, reportedly during a dinner party. The domain YouTube.com launched on Valentine’s Day that year.Video uploading capabilities were added on April 23, when Karim posted the first video, titled “Me at the Zoo.” The 19-second clip showing Karim at the San Diego Zoo’s elephant exhibit has garnered 348 million views.Over the next 20 years, the site expanded beyond what was imagined possible back in 2005.YouTube says that it now sees an average of some 20 million videos uploaded daily.The platform hosts everything from concert clips and podcasts to political ads, tutorials and much more.YouTube has become the world’s largest digital video service in terms of time spent by viewers and ad revenue, according to eMarketer analyst Ross Benes.The platform reached more than 2.5 billion viewers globally last year, and hit 100 million subscribers to its music and premium tier, according to market tracker Statista. YouTube is projected to surpass all US cable television services in paid subscribers within two years, according to Benes. Users worldwide watch more than a billion hours of YouTube content daily on television sets alone, Google reported.YouTube said it will upgrade its TV viewing experience this summer with improved features and “quality tweaks,” though it did not provide further details.”If you go back 20 years, it would have seemed laughable that this website with kids making parody videos would become a threat to Disney, ABC, and CBS,” Benes said. “That’s what they were able to accomplish.”Analysts consider Google’s 2006 purchase of YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock a pivotal moment, combining Google’s search and advertising expertise with a video-sharing platform that had passionate users.Google used its advertising know-how to build a successful model, sharing revenue with creators who attracted significant audiences. The company enhanced technology and negotiated with studios to address copyright violations on what was once considered the Wild West of video content.YouTube also worked its way past concerns that disturbing content, like parody videos of popular cartoon characters in violent or risque situations, were being served up to children by its recommendation software.The platform now competes with streaming services like Netflix, Disney, and Amazon Prime, as well as short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram’s Reels.

President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday ordered the closure of a US agency that invested billions in African and other developing countries’ infrastructure in return for good governance, effectively ceding ground to China.The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) will immediately exit projects around the world, from building roads to modernizing electricity grids, likely leaving the works under construction unless other partners step in. An MCC executive at a staff meeting on Wednesday told staff that “we are coming to an orderly close” with all programs to be discontinued, according to an employee who was present.The meeting came after a staff-wide memo, seen by AFP, informed that billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency was imposing a “significant reduction” at MCC and laid out practicalities for the majority of staff who will lose jobs.Founded in 2004 under former president George W. Bush with bipartisan support, MCC signs contracts for US investment in developing countries that meet standards on economic transparency and good governance.MCC has since invested $17 billion with numerous prominent projects underway.Just in October, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema — who has consolidated democracy at home — vowed to keep upholding “shared values” with the United States as he signed a half-billion-dollar agreement to improve roads, irrigation and electricity.Trump has made clear he has limited interest in sub-Saharan Africa and that he opposes development aid, which he sees as not directly benefiting the United States, earlier shuttering the US Agency for International Development, a much larger government body.The MCC employee, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid retribution, said the organization differed significantly from USAID.”We’re not doing humanitarian assistance. We’re not doing social justice. We’re very much building up an environment for private-sector investment in foreign economies,” she told AFP.”This is a very different thing, something that actually does put America first,” she said.”It’s interesting, if we’re worried about China’s influence in the world, that we would shutter MCC, which builds large-scale infrastructure that counters China’s influence.”- Area of competition with China -Infrastructure projects — roads, hospitals and other buildings — have been a signature selling point for China, which the United States sees as its primary adversary.Chinese President Xi Jinping in September vowed another $51 billion of investment in Africa over the next three years.The United States under former president Joe Biden acknowledged it cannot keep up with such high-profile, state-led spending but argued it can offer a more sustainable model.MCC will inform countries on Friday that compacts will be terminated within 40 days, the staffer said. After negotiations with Musk’s team, MCC was allowed extensions in four countries — Ivory Coast, Mongolia, Nepal and Senegal.In Nepal, Mongolia and Senegal, the MCC will have up to three months, with hopes of making construction sites safe.The goal is “so someone is not going to fall into a pit or something,” the employee said. “Whether or not we’ll be successful, I don’t know.”MCC was granted slightly longer in Ivory Coast where the project, which includes support for integrating major road arteries, is nearing completion.The Nepal project was sealed in 2022 despite street protests against it by leftists in Kathmandu.The $500 million grant in China’s small Himalayan neighbor aims to improve roads and increase cross-border electricity trading with US-friendly India.In Senegal, a $600 million initiative — $550 million from MCC and $50 million from the Senegalese government — has included ramping up electricity outside urban areas.Elizabeth Hoffman, executive director for North America at ONE, the anti-poverty group co-founded by Bono, voiced alarm at the shutdown.”MCC brings an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to development assistance that holds governments accountable and effectively counters malign foreign influences like China,” she said.MCC and Trump administration did not immediately comment on the cuts, which were first reported by development specialist site Devex.

A coalition of 12 American states filed a lawsuit Wednesday to challenge the Trump administration’s tariffs, saying the president cannot institute the levies without the approval of Congress.”President Trump’s insane tariff scheme is not only economically reckless — it is illegal,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a statement. The southwestern state is joined by Democratic-led Minnesota, New York, Oregon and others in the filing. Separately, California filed a similar suit a week ago.President Donald Trump has sent markets into tumult in his second term, turning decades of free trade policy on its head with his “Liberation Day” announcements of new tariffs against numerous countries.Trump has imposed an additional 145 percent import duties on China, and Beijing responded with its own 125 percent tariffs on US goods. On Wednesday, Trump told reporters he’s working on a “fair deal with China.”Meanwhile he has imposed 10 percent tariffs on other trade partners — and he is threatening more punishing levies.In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, the states argue that the 1977 law invoked by Trump does not allow him to use emergency measures to impose tariffs, a power constitutionally reserved for Congress.”By claiming the authority to impose immense and ever-changing tariffs on whatever goods entering the United States he chooses, for whatever reason he finds convenient to declare an emergency, the President has upended the constitutional order and brought chaos to the American economy,” the lawsuit alleges.Trump has said his protectionist policy will return manufacturing jobs to the United States. “No matter what the White House claims, tariffs are a tax that will be passed on to Arizona consumers,” Mayes said.On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Trump’s approval rating has fallen steadily during his first three months in office, hitting a low of 44 percent this week. Democrats are seizing the opportunity to illustrate how his policies are hurting pocketbooks.Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom called Trump’s tariff policy “the worst own-goal in the history of this country.”

Elon Musk says he will step back from his controversial White House role as the unofficial head of the cost-cutting “Department of Government Efficiency” to focus more on his troubled Tesla car company.While classified as a mere “special government employee” and “senior advisor to the president,” the South African-born tycoon has left indelible marks on American politics as President Donald Trump’s most visible billionaire backer.- The ‘Nazi’ salute -Being Trump’s right-hand man took on a new meaning when the world’s richest person made headlines by dramatically throwing out his arm — twice — at a rally celebrating Trump’s January 20 inauguration.Standing at a podium bearing the presidential seal, Musk’s right arm was straight, his hand open, his palm facing down. Historians agreed with Democratic politicians that the sharp gesture looked exactly like a Nazi salute.The Tesla boss — whose electric vehicles were soon dubbed “swasticars” by critics — dismissed the claims, posting on his X social media platform: “The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”Whatever the display meant, Nazi-related jokes and memes dominated public reactions to the day meant to mark Trump’s triumphant return to office.- Endorsing Germany’s extreme-right -Hot off his salute shock, Musk participated virtually at a January rally for Germany’s anti-immigration, ultra-nationalist AfD party.Musktold the crowd “you really are the best hope” for Germany and urged them to be “proud of German culture and German values.”His endorsement of the AfD shook mainstream German parties, which said they viewed it as foreign interference by Trump’s advisor. Vandals burned four Teslas in the streets of Berlin afterward.Despite record gains at the polls, AfD ultimately took second place in the election behind Germany’s conservatives. – Brings kid to work -Dressed down in MAGA hats andt-shirts, Musk became a near constant presence in the White House. For a while, so did his four-year-old son named X.During Musk’s first appearance before press since his arrival in Washington to run DOGE, the child was trotted out and Trump said, “This is X and he’s a great guy.”The boy was filmed picking his nose while his father boasted about his cost-cutting exploits standing next to the Oval Office’s Resolute Desk.- Brings chainsaw to budget -Unelected and unconfirmed by Senate, Musk has repeatedly bashed the “unelected, fourth unconstitutional branch of government, which is the bureaucracy” and immediately made brutal cuts to the federal workforce and budget.To illustrate his management style, Musk donned sunglasses and brandished a chainsaw on stage at a conservative get-together in Washington.It was handed to him — not turned on — by right-wing Argentine President Javier Milei, who made the machine a symbol of slashing bureaucracy and state spending in his own country.- Overshadowing Trump’s cabinet -At Trump’s first cabinet meeting on February 26, Musk had a starring role even though he is not part of the cabinet. He stood looming near a doorway, wearing a t-shirt with words “Tech Support” across the chest as the cabinet met.Even without a literal seat at the table, the country’s most powerful officials were overshadowed by Musk, who helped bankroll Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.Trump downplayed this tension shortly before the meeting, posting on his social media platform: “ALL CABINET MEMBERS ARE EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH ELON.”- Trump the Tesla salesman -With Musk’s Tesla car company taking a battering on the stock market and sales dropping sharply, and with vandals targeting his brand, the White House hosted a highly publicized test drive to boost Tesla’s rep. With a Tesla Cybertruck and a Model S parked on the South Portico, Trump and Musk mounted a sale’s pitch.Trump even said he had purchased one.The stunt didn’t ultimately turn around Tesla’s plummeting sales, with the electric vehicle maker reporting a 71 percent drop in first-quarter profits.- Fails to sway court election -Money can’t buy you everything, Musk discovered, after pouring $25 million into the most expensive court race in US history to try to get a pro-Trump Republican judge elected to Wisconsin’s Supreme Court.Musk paid voters $100 to sign a petition opposing “activist judges” and even handed out $1 million checks to voters, beseeching the public to select the conservative judge. The court’s docket was packed with precedent-setting cases over abortion and reproductive rights, the strength of  public sector unions, voting rules and congressional district boundaries. The US state in April instead chose a liberal judge by a wide margin, dismaying the billionaire — who had spent roughly $277 million in 2024 in the national race to help get Trump elected.- Tariff dissenter -After Trump announced his sweeping US tariffs, deeply affecting major trading partners China and the European Union, Musk made the case for a free-trade zone between the US and Europe.This clashes with Trump trade policy.Shortly after, he called Trump’s economic adviser Peter Navarro, a longtime advocate for trade barriers, “dumber than a sack of bricks.”Navarro had taken aim at Tesla, saying the carmaker mostly sourced assembled major components from factories in Asia.Musk retorted with studies he said showed “Tesla has the most American-made cars.”White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt later tried to play down the public feud, saying that “boys will be boys.”

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency called Wednesday on Iran to explain tunnels built around a nuclear site but voiced optimism that US-Iran talks would land a deal.The Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington think tank, released satellite imagery on Wednesday that it said showed a new, deeply buried tunnel alongside an older one around the Natanz site, as well as a new security perimeter.”I’ve been raising this issue repeatedly, and I will continue to do so,” Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told reporters on a visit to Washington.Grossi, who visited Tehran last week, said that all countries need to inform the IAEA of intentions for facilities around nuclear sites but that Iran has a stance “unique in the world” that it does not need to inform the agency ahead of time.”We’re asking them, what is this for? They are telling us, it’s none of your business,” Grossi said.Grossi said it “cannot be excluded” that the tunnels would store undeclared material but said he did not want to speculate on intentions.But Grossi also said that Iranian and IAEA experts would meet to follow up on his visit, including on reinstalling cameras on nuclear sites.”It was agreed that I am sending a technical team to continue our discussions on this very specific kind of things,” he said.”They are going to be meeting in the next few days in Tehran.”- Expectation of new deal -Iran and the United States have held two rounds of talks since President Donald Trump called for a diplomatic solution to avoid conflict. A new round of technical talks is expected this weekend.”I think there’s a general expectation that this goes well and that the agreement is verified by the IAEA,” Grossi said.He said that was “more or less the sense of what I’m getting when I’m talking to leaders,” mentioning specifically Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as hopeful for a US-Iran deal.Trump in 2018 ripped up an earlier nuclear agreement negotiated under Barack Obama and reimposed sweeping sanctions.But Trump has voiced hope in his second term for a new accord that would resolve the issue diplomatically, and has discouraged Israel from a military strike on Iran.Asked about a military option, Grossi said: “I should simply remind that attacks on nuclear facilities is something that could have potentially very, very serious consequences.”- US talks tough -The Obama deal, known as the JCPOA, allowed Iran to maintain uranium enrichment at 3.67 percent — far below the level needed for nuclear weapons — for civilian nuclear usage.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood firm in an interview released Wednesday that there should be no enrichment.”If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one just like many other countries in the world have one, and that is they import enriched material,” he told the Honestly podcast.Rubio said the Trump team would not repeat the Obama deal which “gave Iran immediate and full sanctions relief in exchange for enrichment capabilities that at any point could be weaponized in the future.”Obama administration officials counter that the JCPOA worked in constraining Iran’s program until Trump walked away and that it is unrealistic to expect Iran to surrender its whole program.The Trump administration has kept up sanctions despite the diplomacy. On Tuesday, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on an Iranian shipping network and its purported owner.Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei responded that the move was in “clear contradiction with the United States’ demand for dialogue and negotiation and indicates America’s lack of goodwill and seriousness in this regard.”burs-sct/mlm

Celebrated rocker Carlos Santana was forced to postpone several tour dates after testing positive for Covid-19, his manager said Wednesday.The 77-year-old guitar icon “experienced dehydration” before canceling Tuesday’s show in San Antonio, and “out of an abundance of caution” is doing the same for Wednesday’s performance in Sugar Land, Texas, his manager Michael Vrionis said.”Mr. Santana has tested positive for Covid and is resting at his hotel,” Vrionis said in a message posted to Santana’s official Facebook.”I am happy to report that Carlos is doing well and will be back on his US Tour this Friday in Thackerville,” in the state of Oklahoma, the statement continued. “We appreciate everyone’s well wishes and concern. Carlos is looking forward to seeing you all very soon.” The postponed shows will be rescheduled as soon as possible, according to the post.Superstar Santana is one of the world’s most vaunted guitarists, who soared to fame after his legendary 1969 performance at Woodstock, and put out smashes including “Oye Como Va,” “Black Magic Woman” and “Evil Ways.”He experienced a career renaissance in the late 1990s and early 2000s with his Grammy-winning, chart-topping “Supernatural” album.

Boeing’s CEO confirmed Wednesday that China had stopped accepting new aircraft due to the US-China trade war, as the company’s shares surged following a smaller than expected loss.In a televised interview with CNBC, Boeing Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg said Chinese customers had “stopped taking delivery of aircraft due to the tariff environment,” adding that if the halt continued, the aviation giant would soon market the jets to other carriers.President Donald Trump’s trade conflicts with China and other countries loom as a question mark for Boeing, a major US exporter, despite Wednesday’s solid results.Boeing had planned to deliver around 50 aircraft to China in 2025, said Ortberg, adding that the company wouldn’t “wait too long” to send the jets to other customers.”I’m not going to let this derail the recovery of our company, so we’ll give the customers an opportunity if they want to take the airplanes,” Ortberg said.”That’s what we prefer to do. But if not, we’re gonna remarket those airplanes.”The comments came as Trump and top administration officials have, over the last day, spoken more optimistically about a trade accord with China. But Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters Wednesday that Washington is “not yet” speaking with Beijing on tariffs.Boeing’s engagement with the White House on trade has been “very dynamic,” Ortberg said on a conference call with analysts.”I can’t predict” the course of trade talks, Ortberg said. “We do hear signs that indicate that there will be negotiated settlements… I just don’t know the timing.”A priority is “to make sure we don’t see more countries in a similar boat as where we are with China,” Ortberg said.Boeing downplayed the impact of Trump’s tariffs, saying steel and aluminum make up only one or two percent of aircraft costs, with most of the raw material supplied domestically anyway. Under a US duty drawback program, Boeing can recover custom duties on certain goods when they export the taxed item.- Smaller loss -The aviation giant reported a loss of $123 million in the first quarter, smaller than the $343 million loss in the year-ago period. Revenues rose 18 percent to $19.5 billion.In its earnings release, Boeing confirmed targets to raise commercial plane production as it bolsters its safety efforts following deadly crashes and other major incidents.The company reaffirmed that production of its 737 MAX will hit 38 per month in 2025, while output of the 787 Dreamliner will climb to seven per month from five per month.Boeing said it still expects first delivery of the 777-9 in 2026.Boeing also reported a cash burn of $2.3 billion, “much better” than the expected $3.7 billion hit to free cash flow, according to analysts at TD Cowen.Boeing on Tuesday announced plans to sell portions of its digital aviation solutions business to software-focused investment firm Thoma Bravo for $10.6 billion as it seeks to bolster its financial position.Ortberg told analysts that he is considering some other divestments of assets “smaller” than those in the Thoma Bravo deal, which includes Jeppesen, an 81-year-old aviation navigation company.Ortberg joined Boeing last summer following a leadership shakeup in the wake of a January 2024 Alaska Airlines flight that made an emergency landing after a panel blew out mid-flight.Before that, there were deadly plane crashes on the 737 MAX in 2018 and 2019 in Indonesia and Ethiopia.To win back the confidence of lawmakers and customers, Boeing has been implementing quality control enhancements under close scrutiny of federal regulators.”Our company is moving in the right direction as we start to see improved operational performance across our businesses from our ongoing focus on safety and quality,” Ortberg said in a press release. Boeing led the Dow index Wednesday, rising six percent.

A US Army intelligence analyst was sentenced to seven years imprisonment on Wednesday for providing sensitive defense information to China, including documents about US weapons systems and military tactics and strategy.Sergeant Korbein Schultz, who held a top-secret security clearance, was arrested in March 2024 at Fort Campbell, a military base on the Kentucky-Tennessee border.Schultz was sentenced after he pleaded guilty last August to sharing at least 92 sensitive US military documents, the Justice Department said in a statement.He admitted charges of conspiring to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense articles without a license, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and bribery of a public official.”This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.According to the charging documents, Schultz provided dozens of sensitive US military documents to an individual living in Hong Kong who he believed to be associated with the Chinese government.He was paid $42,000 for the information, according to the Justice Department.Among the documents handed over by Schultz was one discussing the lessons learned by the US Army from the Ukraine-Russia war that it would apply in a defense of Taiwan.Other documents discussed Chinese military tactics and preparedness, and US military exercises and forces in South Korea and the Philippines.US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday that the Justice Department “remains vigilant against China’s efforts to target our military and will ensure that those who leak military secrets spend years behind bars.”Schultz’s arrest came less than a year after the arrests of two US Navy sailors in California on charges of spying for China.One of them, petty officer Wenheng Zhao, was sentenced to 27 months in prison in January 2024 after pleading guilty to charges of conspiring with a foreign intelligence officer and accepting a bribe.