North America

(AP) --- Stocks fell in afternoon trading on Wall Street Wednesday, ahead of what traders expect will be another big interest rate increase from the Federal Reserve.

Markets will be watching closely to see what Fed Chair Jerome Powell says about the central bank’s outlook for how long rates will need to stay high to fight inflation.

The S&P 500 fell 0.6% as of 1:37 p.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 46 points, or 0.1%, to 32,606 and the Nasdaq fell 1.1%. Small company stocks lost more ground than the broader market. The Russell 2000 fell 1.5%.

NEW YORK (AP) — As he played to a crowd of supporters in Robstown, Texas, former President Donald Trump drew cheers as he talked up his first two runs for the White House — and teased a third.

“In order to make our country successful, safe and glorious again, I will probably have to do it again,” he said last month.

WASHINGTON, Nov 01 (APP): The United States will counter misinformation with information, a State Department spokesperson said Monday, reiterating rejection of former prime minister Imran Khan’s persistent allegations that US was responsible for his ouster from power, as his “long march” winds its way through various cities to Islamabad.

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 01 (APP): A senior Pakistani diplomat Tuesday called for “decisive actions” to prevent and redress human rights violations universally — not selectively — particularly in situations of foreign occupation and alien domination, where he said occupiers portray legitimate struggles for self-determination as terrorism.

HAVANA, Nov 1 (NNN-ACN) — More than 60 countries have confirmed their participation at the 38th Havana International Fair (FIHAV) 2022, to be held Nov 14-18 at the Expocuba Fairgrounds in Havana.

Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz, minister of foreign trade and investment, informed at a press conference that official delegations, headed by ministers and other high-level government officials, will attend the trade fair, a sign that the world supports Cuba despite the economic, commercial and financial blockade by the US government.

WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will visit Florida on Tuesday, seven days ahead of U.S. midterm elections, to contrast Democratic healthcare plans to those of Republicans while taking on potential 2024 rival Ron DeSantis during a campaign event.

In his first political event in a state he lost in 2020, Biden is expected to take aim at Florida Republican Governor DeSantis during a campaign event for Democratic candidate for governor Charlie Crist, and then attend a fundraiser.

WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The United States is concerned about threats from Iran against Saudi Arabia and will not hesitate to respond if necessary, a White House spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis," said the spokesperson from the National Security Council. "We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region."

NEW YORK, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Influenza is hitting the United States unusually early and hard, resulting in the most hospitalizations at this point in the season in more than a decade and underscoring the potential for a perilous winter of respiratory viruses, The Washington Post last week cited federal health data.

"While flu season is usually between October and May, peaking in December and January, it's arrived about six weeks earlier this year with uncharacteristically high illness," said the report.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Attempts by the United States, Canada and a few other countries to smear the human rights situation in China were once again defeated on Monday as a majority of United Nations (UN) member states voiced support for China.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. secretary of energy was scheduled to visit Puerto Rico Tuesday for the second time in less than two weeks as the island struggles with a crumbling power grid and constant power outages worsened by recent hurricanes.

During her last visit, Secretary Jennifer Granholm warned of numerous “critical failures” and the federal government pledged to help speed up reconstruction of the U.S. territory’s power grid, which was devastated by 2017’s Hurricane Maria.