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The US economy grew at its fastest pace in two years during the third quarter of this year, driven by strong consumer spending and a sharp rebound in exports. However, this momentum appears to have slowed amid rising living costs and the recent government shutdown.The Bureau of Economic Analysis, part of the US Department of Commerce, reported in its preliminary estimate of third-quarter GDP that the gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annualized rate of 4.3% in the last quarter, the fastest growth rate since the third quarter of 2023.According to CNN, the stronger-than-expected increase in GDP during the last quarter, announced by the Commerce Department last night, reflects continued business investment in equipment and artificial intelligence. Government spending, mostly on defense, also contributed to this growth.Inventories and residential spending, which includes home construction and sales, were the only factors that negatively impacted GDP. The increase in consumer spending was the fastest in nearly a year, as households spent generously on recreational goods, vehicles, and international travel.Consumer spending also rose by 3.5% in the third quarter, marking its strongest growth rate since the fourth quarter of 2024, after growing by 2.5% during the period from April to June. 

At least two people were killed and eight others were seriously injured in a shooting incident on the campus of Brown University in Rhode Island, in the northeastern United States.The university said in a statement that the shooter had not been apprehended and that the shelter-in-place order remained in effect.CNN reported that authorities are still searching for a suspect, according to police and university officials.At a press conference held tonight, Providence Police Deputy Chief Tim O'Hara said officials do not know what type of firearm was used.The university administration confirmed that it is working to provide psychological support to students and staff affected by the incident, calling on everyone to be cautious and follow the security instructions issued by the local authorities.Authorities have not yet determined the exact number of injured, while the injured are receiving treatment in nearby hospitals.The authorities expressed their deep regret for the incident, stressing that they will continue to investigate the circumstances of the shooting and determine the reasons that led to it. 

US President Donald Trump announced that he has approved the export of an advanced artificial intelligence chip produced by US technology giant Nvidia to China, under strict national security conditions.In a post on social media on Monday, Trump said Nvidia will be permitted to sell its H200 processors to China, stressing that the move would be subject to rigorous safeguards to protect US national security. He added that he has informed Chinese President Xi Jinping of the decision, noting that Xi responded "positively."Trump said the US Department of Commerce is finalizing the details of the arrangement, adding that the same framework would apply to other major US semiconductor companies, including AMD and Intel.The H200 chip, unveiled two years ago, features higher-bandwidth memory than its predecessor, the H100, enabling significantly faster data processing. Reports indicate that allowing its export would enable Chinese AI laboratories to build supercomputers with performance comparable to leading US artificial intelligence systems, albeit at a higher cost.Trump, however, confirmed that the export of Nvidia's latest Blackwell chips will remain prohibited."We will protect national security, create American jobs, and keep America's lead in AI," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Nvidia's US customers are already moving forward with their highly advanced Blackwell chips, and soon Rubin, neither of which are part of this deal."For its part, Nvidia welcomed the decision, saying in a statement: "Offering H200 to approved commercial customers, vetted by the Department of Commerce, strikes a thoughtful balance that is great for America."  

US President Donald Trump has said his administration intends to maintain a pause on asylum decisions for a "long time", following last week's shooting that targeted two National Guard members near the White House.Trump said he had "no time limit" in mind for the measure, which the Department of Homeland Security has linked to enhanced security reviews involving applicants from 19 countries already subject to US travel restrictions."We don't want those people. We have enough problems," Trump told reporters on board Air Force One. "Many of them are no good and they shouldn't be in our country."The Trump administration suspended all asylum decisions after a November 26 shooting near the White House that killed a National Guard member in her twenties and seriously injured another.The president said he intends to permanently halt immigration from what he described as "Third World countries" to allow the U.S. system to "fully recover." Meanwhile, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stated that asylum decisions will remain halted until all applicants undergo the highest level of security screening.

The US dollar is heading for its biggest weekly drop in four months, as trading volumes shrink because of the US Thanksgiving holiday - pushing traders to focus on next year's outlook, while the Federal Reserve (the US central bank) appears to be the only party likely to take interest-rate-cut steps.In currency markets, the Japanese yen rose 0.4 percent to 155.87 per dollar in Asian trading, while the euro climbed above USD 1.16.The New Zealand dollar also rose to a three-week high of USD 0.5728, gaining about 2 percent, while the Australian dollar strengthened after inflation data that came in higher than expected.The Chinese yuan stood at 7.08 per dollar, while the British pound reached its highest level since late October at USD 1.3265, heading for its biggest weekly rise since last August.Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index - which measures the performance of the US currency against a basket of major currencies - was steady at 99.433 points, after retreating from its six-month high reached a week earlier, and is heading toward its largest weekly drop since July. 

The State of Qatar has expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the shooting incident that occurred near the White House in the United States of America, which resulted in the injury of two National Guard members, affirming its full solidarity with the United States, its government and people.In a statement issued Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the State of Qatar's firm stance rejecting violence, terrorism, and criminal acts, regardless of the motives and reasons.The Ministry also conveyed Qatar's wishes for a swift recovery for the injured. 

A US official said that President Donald Trump has approved a peace plan between Russia and Ukraine that has been developed over the past few weeks.NBC quoted the official as saying that the plan was prepared discreetly by several senior US administration officials in consultation with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Ukrainian officials. He noted that US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff participated in drafting it.He added that the plan focuses on providing security guarantees for both sides, paving the way for a lasting peace.Meanwhile, US and European officials said that several key elements of the plan to end the war in Ukraine are still being revised, and that its release came as a surprise to Ukrainian and European officials.In a related development, a senior Ukrainian official revealed new US proposals to end the war, coinciding with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his anticipated meetings with US military officials in Kyiv.Direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv have not taken place since the Istanbul meeting in July, amidst the ongoing Russian military operations in eastern Ukraine, which have continued for nearly four years.

South Korea and the United States kicked off a joint cybersecurity exercise Monday to strengthen their combined readiness posture against potential cybersecurity threats from enemies.The Cyber Alliance drills, slated to run through Friday, will take place at a training facility in Maryland, aimed at better bracing for future cyberwarfare, according to South Korea's defense ministry.The training will involve swiftly sharing intelligence on a potential cybersecurity threat under a simulated cyberattack scenario.It marks the second such drills since it was conducted in South Korea's Cyber Operation Command last year, according to Yonhap News Agency.Seoul and Washington will continue to expand cooperation in not only cyber alliance training, but also intelligence sharing for cyberthreats, joint participation in multinational cybersecurity drills and more, the ministry said.

The Philippines, the United States, and Japan conducted a new round of joint naval exercises in the West Philippine Sea, underscoring their deepening security cooperation.The 13th Multilateral Maritime Cooperation Activity (MMCA) -- and the eighth held this year -- involved key assets from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the US Indo-Pacific Command, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.According to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Sunday, the Philippine side deployed two missile-capable frigates, BRP Jose Rizal (FF150) and BRP Antonio Luna (FF151), along with an AW159 helicopter.The United States deployed the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, led by the USS Nimitz (CVN 68), while Japan deployed the destroyer JS Akebono (DD-108) along with an SH-60K Seahawk helicopter.The Philippine Coast Guard also supported the activity by enhancing maritime domain awareness.The exercises included communications checks, at-sea replenishment techniques, anti-submarine warfare drills, maritime domain reporting, helicopter deck landings, formation maneuvers, and an integrated final exercise.

US authorities confirmed the beginning of a recovery in air transportation following the end of the government shutdown that lasted for more than a month, considering yesterday, Friday, to be one of the best days for aviation in the country since last October.US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stated in a post on his account on the platform X that the nation's air traffic had begun to recover from the disruptions caused by the government shutdown. He explained that Friday had been one of the best days the airspace had seen in some time, with only a very small number of air traffic controllers absent from work. He added that the department is reviewing the submitted data and working diligently to return airspace operations to normal.Restrictions had been imposed on air traffic because of the longest government shutdown in US history, which began on October 1 and ended last Wednesday after President Donald Trump signed legislation extending government funding following its approval by Congress.The shutdown resulted in hundreds of thousands of federal employees being furloughed and forced authorities to call back other essential employees, who had to work without pay, including thousands of air traffic controllers. However, absenteeism increased among this workforce, which had already been struggling with significant staff shortages.With operations returning to normal, a six-percent reduction in domestic flights remains in place at 12 of the country's busiest airports under a decision implemented by the Federal Aviation Administration starting Nov. 13.Aviation analytics data company Cirium estimated in its assessment of the shutdown's impact that only two percent of scheduled flights in the United States were canceled yesterday. It noted that the airports most affected were Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare, Newark, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Denver, each of which saw approximately 20 percent of flights canceled.

The Venezuelan army announced a large-scale military deployment across the country, coinciding with the arrival of a US aircraft carrier off the coast of Latin America, which Washington says is intended to support anti-drug trafficking operations.Venezuelan media broadcast statements by senior military officers in several states, accompanied by images showing extensive military exercises.In the same context, the US Southern Command said that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, whose deployment was ordered about three weeks ago, has entered the command's area of ​​operations, which includes Latin America and the Caribbean.Since last August, Washington has maintained a military presence in the Caribbean Sea, including six warships, asserting that its objective is to combat drug trafficking into the United States.According to US reported, twenty airstrikes targeting vessels suspected of carrying drugs have resulted in the deaths of at least 76 people.Venezuelan authorities, however, accuse the United States of using anti-drug operations as a pretext to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and forcibly change the regime.

A comprehensive study conducted by a research team from the University of California, USA, revealed that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to experience chronic digestive problems. The study evaluated data from more than 300 children with autism, compared to more than 150 children without the disorder, through parental questionnaires and a long-term follow-up period of nearly a decade. The results, published in the journal "Autism," showed that children with autism were 50% more likely to initially experience digestive symptoms. Over time, the risk increased significantly, with children four times more likely to experience these symptoms than children without the disorder. Dr. Christine Wu Nordahl, the study's lead researcher, said that it's not about finding a single cause, but rather understanding the child as a whole. She added that supporting digestive health is an important step in improving the quality of life for children with autism. The researchers noted that the traditional diets common among children with autism, which often rely on low-fiber, processed foods, may increase the risk of digestive problems such as bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. They noted that gut bacterial imbalances are common in this group, which may increase the likelihood of symptoms appearing.