Washington

Asia Markets Mostly up on Heels of Apple, Amazon Earnings

Asian stock markets mostly rose Friday morning, with a surge in Japanese shares coming after better-than-expected earnings reports from US tech behemoths Apple and Amazon. Investor confidence in artificial intelligence has fuelled a rally in global stock markets this week that saw California-based chip designer Nvidia become the first-ever $5 ...

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 ...

Kanaan Rejects New Taxes and Calls for Fair Public Sector Reform

Head of Parliament’s Finance and Budget Committee, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, reiterated on Thursday that the committee “rejects any increase or creation of new taxes and fees” aimed solely at closing the state’s budget deficit. “Every time the state needs funding, it imposes new burdens on citizens. This approach must stop,” Kanaan declared ...

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 ...

Iraq Heads to the Polls Amid Tension, Fear, and Hope

Baghdad is preparing to vote. On November 11, nearly 21.5 million registered Iraqis will elect the 329 members of the Council of Representatives. This is a decisive vote in a country caught between political gridlock and hopes for change. Iraq is searching for a new balance, away from sectarian tensions, corruption, and foreign influence. But the ...

Diplomatic Flurry in Beirut Amid Rising Israeli Strikes

Lebanon is witnessing a surge of high-level diplomatic visits as Israeli attacks intensify in the South and Bekaa, raising questions about whether this diplomatic activity seeks to calm tensions or apply greater pressure on Hezbollah’s disarmament. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and U.S. Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus arrived in ...

Drones, Glide Bombs and Patriots: Weapons in Ukraine War

Ukraine's allies are gathering in London on Friday, with President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pushing for more long-range missiles to be delivered to Kyiv. They are just one part of a rapidly developing arsenal being deployed on both sides of the front line, as the three-and-a-half year war has reshaped the ...

Gold Falls Again as Rally Comes to Halt, Asian Markets Drop

Gold and silver tumbled for a second day Wednesday, bringing a rally in the precious metals to a juddering halt, while equities also sank after US President Donald Trump remarked that a meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping might not take place. Bullion has seen an eye-watering run-up since the turn of the year, helping it climb more than ...

JD Vance in Israel: Washington Reasserts Control over the Ceasefire

Vance’s trip is part of a broader American diplomatic push. Since Monday, special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been holding a series of meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Together, they are working to secure an agreement designed not only to end hostilities, but also to lay the groundwork for a new regional security ...

BDL Governor Holds Key Talks with IMF Officials in Washington

The Governor of Lebanon’s Central Bank (BDL), Karim Souhaid, held a series of high-level meetings in Washington with officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to a statement issued by his press office on Thursday. Souhaid was accompanied by Deputy Governors Salim Shahine and Gaby Shnouzian, along with the Chairman of the ...

Between Moscow and Washington, India Charts Its Energy Course

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had committed to “cease purchasing Russian oil” within a “short timeframe,” while imposing 50% tariffs on Indian exports to the United States, with additional penalties for transactions involving Moscow. However, New Delhi stressed that its “top ...

US Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, Readies for Diplomatic Mission

Michel Issa has officially been sworn in as the new United States Ambassador to Lebanon, marking the imminent start of his diplomatic mission in the country. Speaking during a ceremony held Tuesday evening at the Lebanese Embassy in Washington, Issa said: “I am preparing to depart soon for Lebanon to begin my mission as US Ambassador.” He ...