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WASHINGTON (AP) — Ending a second day of tense negotiations, U.S. and Mexican officials failed Thursday to reach a deal to avert import tariffs that President Donald Trump is threatening to impose as he tries to strong-arm Mexico into stemming the flow of Central American migrants across America’s southern border.

Vice President Mike Pence, monitoring the talks from his travels in Pennsylvania, said the U.S. was “encouraged” by Mexico’s latest proposals but, so far, tariffs still were set to take effect Monday.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iran has chosen to “step back and recalculate” after making preparations for an apparent attack against U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf region, but it is too early to conclude the threat is gone, the top commander of American forces in the Mideast said Thursday.

In an interview with three reporters accompanying him to the Gulf, Gen. Frank McKenzie said he remains concerned by Iran’s potential for aggression, and he would not rule out requesting additional U.S. forces to bolster defenses against Iranian missiles or other weapons.

6 June 2019; MEMO: Ankara has told the United States that it is willing to purchase its Patriot missile system following the delivery of Russia’s S-400 missile system if the US offers a deal as lucrative as that offered by Russia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Tuesday.

6 June 2019; DW: The potential sale by the United States, Taiwan's main arms supplier, includes more than a hundred tanks, along with anti-tank and Stinger missiles.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry confirmed the request on Thursday and in a speech, President Tsai Ing-wen said "We will keep on strengthening our self-defense capabilities (and) will also keep on being a contributor to regional peace."

The list of weaponry includes:

6 June 2019; DW: The sudden end to the merger talks came after midnight in Paris.

In a statement issued from London early on Thursday, Fiat Chrysler (FCA) said it was withdrawing its merger proposal which would have created the world's third-largest automaker, worth almost €36 billion ($40 billion) after it became "clear that the political conditions in France do not currently exist for such a combination to proceed successfully."

Mumbai, Jun 6 (PTI) To give a boost to the sagging economy, the Reserve Bank of India Thursday lowered its benchmark lending rate to a nearly nine-year low of 5.75 per cent and changed its monetary policy stance to accommodative, leaving space for future rate cuts.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Amazon said Wednesday that it plans to use self-piloted drones to deliver packages to shoppers’ home in the coming months.

The online shopping giant did not give exact timing or say where the drones will be making deliveries.

Amazon said its new drones use computer vision and machine learning to detect and avoid people or clotheslines in backyards when landing.

“From paragliders to power lines to a corgi in the backyard, the brain of the drone has safety covered,” said Jeff Wilke, who oversees Amazon’s retail business.

HAVANA (AP) — Drivers of classic cars, restaurateurs, tour guides and owners of bed-and-breakfasts are all saying the Trump administration’s new restrictions on U.S travel to Cuba will be a severe blow to their businesses.

The restrictions announced Tuesday eliminate U.S. cruise travel to Cuba. They also wipe out the most popular category of legal travel to the island, the group educational trips known as people-to-people travel.

MIAMI (AP) — The Trump administration’s new restrictions on travel to Cuba will sting the cruise industry, taking away a new and increasingly popular destination at the start of the critical summer vacation season.

Major cruise lines on Wednesday immediately began dropping stops in Cuba from their itineraries and hastily rerouting ships to other destinations including Mexico.

The changes affect thousands of passengers already on cruises or booked for future trips, according to the Cruise Lines International Association, an industry trade group.

SHANNON, Ireland (AP) — For the backdrop to his first official visit to Ireland, President Donald Trump wanted to promote his golf course on the nation’s rocky west coast. The Irish government countered with the grand staging of an ancient castle.

In the end, neither side got what they wanted. The compromise location for Trump’s meeting Wednesday with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar was the VIP lounge at Shannon Airport, just down the hallway from the food court and duty-free shop.