USA

Key Dates in the Fall of Britain's Former Prince Andrew

Key dates in the life of Andrew, King Charles III's younger brother, who has been stripped of his royal titles over allegations stemming from his friendship with US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein: - February 19, 1960: Born Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward at Buckingham Palace in London, the third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince ...

Israel Returns Remains of 30 More Palestinians to Gaza

Israel has returned the bodies of 30 more Palestinians to Gaza as part of an ongoing exchange deal under a US-brokered ceasefire plan, a hospital told AFP on Friday. The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis told AFP that "the bodies of 30 Palestinian prisoners were received from the Israeli side as part of the exchange deal". Under the truce, ...

Trump Urges Scrapping Key Vote Threshold to End Shutdown

President Donald Trump on Thursday called for the "Nuclear Option" of scrapping the key 60-vote threshold required for the Senate to advance legislation, as Republicans face mounting pressure to end the US federal shutdown. The move would get rid of a longstanding rule that enables 41 of the 100 senators to block any bill from debate or vote -- a ...

Donald Trump’s Rare Earth Diplomacy

Donald Trump is taking aim at China’s dominance over rare earths, the invisible metals that power everything from smartphones to missiles. His goal: to free the global economy from its dependence on Beijing and secure US access to these critical resources. What Are Rare Earths? Despite their name, rare earths are 17 metals, including ...

Trump Hails Busan Talks with Xi Jinping, Cites Progress on Trade, Rare Earths, and Ukraine

US President Donald Trump described his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on Thursday as a “major success.” According to Trump, the discussions covered several issues, including potential reductions in tariffs imposed on China over the fentanyl trade and planned cooperation on efforts to end the war in ...

Trump Orders US to Start Nuclear Weapons Testing

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he had ordered the Pentagon to start nuclear weapons testing on a level with China and Russia -- just minutes before opening a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The move comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-capable, ...

Gold Demand Hit Records as Price Soared

Demand for gold hit a record high in the third quarter as the precious metal's price hit all-time highs on geopolitical unrest, industry data showed Thursday. Total demand grew three percent year-on-year in the July-September period to 1,313 tonnes, the World Gold Council said, as the metal, perceived as a safe haven investment, benefitted from ...

G7 Meets on Countering China's Critical Mineral Dominance

Curbing China's critical mineral dominance will top the agenda at a G7 energy ministers meeting in Canada on Thursday, as industrialized democracies seek more reliable access to the resources that power future technologies. The Group of Seven, including US President Donald Trump's administration, has sounded the alarm over China's stranglehold on ...

Trump Says 'Pretty Much' Finalized Trade Deal With S. Korea

US President Donald Trump indicated Wednesday that a trade deal had been reached with South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung, before adding later the agreement was "pretty much" finalized. "We did," Trump told journalists when asked if a deal had been reached, without giving further details. "We reached a deal. We did a lot of different things. ...

Key Issues up for Discussion at Trump-Xi Meet

US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are set to meet Thursday for the first time since 2019. Washington and Beijing have been locked in a multipronged trade spat since Trump returned to the White House and are tussling for global sway. Here are the key issues the two leaders could discuss: Rare earths A strategic ...

Copper Price Hits Record High on US-China Hopes of Trade Truce

The price of copper reached a record high in trading Wednesday, the industrial metal boosted by hopes of a truce in the US-China trade war. Copper hit $11,143 a tonne on the London Metal Exchange, also on concerns about tight global supply as a major mine in Indonesia remains shut following a deadly mudslide last month. The new high beat the ...

As US Blows Up Drug Boats, Venezuelan Oil Sets Sail

While the American military blows up boats it claims are transporting drugs from Venezuela, observers say tankers shipping Venezuelan oil in violation of a US embargo continue to navigate the very same Caribbean waters undisturbed. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has claimed a massive US military deployment within striking distance of his ...