North America

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said on Friday that he will soon make a decision about lifting sanctions against Chinese companies who 'buy Iranian oil'. Hengli Petrochemical, one of China's largest private refiners, and a symbol for Beijing's efforts to modernize?and upgrade?the industry, was among the Chinese oil refiners that were sanctioned by the U.S. Trump said to reporters on Air 'Force One, shortly after departing Beijing following his two day?summit? with President Xi Jinping. The Chinese summary of the summit did not mention any deals, but U.S. officials such as Trump mentioned the possibility that China could buy more...

Energy Minister said that Serbia will present its final offer to MOL, the Hungarian oil company, on Friday, in response to the Hungarian bid for NIS, the operator of the Balkan nation’s only refinery. Gazprom and Gazprom, two Russian companies, agreed in January to sell their 56% stake in NIS majority to MOL after the U.S. demanded that Russian shares be divested due to sanctions imposed by the U.S. over Moscow's involvement in the war in Ukraine. We had intensive discussions yesterday and the previous day with representatives of MOL. "We agreed on certain topics," Energy Minister Dubravka Handanovic, was...

Serbia's energy minister said that it will present its final proposal to MOL on Friday regarding the Hungarian company's bid for NIS to be acquired by MOL, the operator of the Balkan nation’s only refinery. Gazprom and?Neft, two Russian companies, agreed in January to sell their 56% stake in NIS majority to MOL after the U.S. demanded that Russian shares be divested due to sanctions imposed by the U.S. over Moscow's involvement in the war in Ukraine. Washington has given MOL and the Russian companies until May 22 for the sale to be completed. This will require the Serbian government's...

U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer said in a live interview with Bloomberg News on Friday that China wanted to see the Strait of Hormuz open again without any curbs or tolls. He added that the U.S. Beijing was confident that it would take action to 'limit' material support for Iran. He cited remarks made by Chinese officials during the Beijing summit of U.S.-China leaders. "It was very clear that the Strait of Hormuz should be open for China, with no tolling and no military control. We welcome this. Greer attended summit meetings between the?U.S. President Donald Trump met with Chinese...

Iraqi officials have approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure financial assistance due to?the Middle East conflict, said a source with the IMF as well as an Iraqi official on Thursday. Sources close to the IMF say that initial discussions took place at the spring meetings of IMF and World Bank last month in Washington. Discussions are continuing about the amount of funding Iraq will need and the structure of any loan. Iraqi officials who advise on financial policy have said that Iraq has begun preliminary talks with the IMF and World Bank about a loan for the country's...

The Cuban government released a statement saying that a U.S. delegation led by CIA Director John Ratcliffe had met his counterpart in Cuba's Interior Ministry on Thursday. Tensions are rising over a U.S. blockade of fuel, which has deprived the island of power and fuel. Since returning to office in the United States, Donald Trump has put pressure on Cuba. He said a few days ago that both long-time enemies were "going to talk." Cuban representatives at the meeting stressed that Cuba did not pose a danger to the national security of the United States, according to the Cuban government....

The?International Monetary Fund stated on Thursday that they?welcome?the initial dialogue between U.S. president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping. They added that reducing tensions and uncertainties between the two world's largest economies is good for the entire world. When asked to comment on the initial results of the Trump-Xi Summit in Beijing, IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said at a press briefing: "It is important that the two world's largest economies engage at the highest levels." "We certainly welcome the fact there is a constructive dialog between the two nations." Kozack said that anything that reduces trade tensions, or creates...

Cuba's electrical system suffered a partial failure early 'on Thursday morning', according to the grid operator UNE. This'snuffed out power in eastern Cuba,' and tested the patience of Cubans who were already tired from'seemingly endless blackouts' amid a 'U.S. fuel blockade. Grid operator reported that by mid-morning, officials had restored some essential services to the region. However, much of Cuba east from Camaguey including the second largest city of the island, Santiago de Cuba remained without electricity. This month, the Caribbean island with its 10 million people reached a tipping-point as the summer heat set in. The vast majority of...

Ali al-Zaidi, Iraq's new prime minister was sworn into office on Thursday with a partial cabinet. This is because lawmakers failed to reach consensus over key posts such as interior and defense. Basim Mohammed has been appointed the new oil minister, while Fuad Hassein will remain as foreign minister. The new government has 14 ministers who were approved by the parliament. However, the remaining positions including those in defence and interior have not been able to be agreed upon. Some lawmakers were reportedly enraged by the heated debate that took place during the session after they objected to the nomination...

Iraqi officials have approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure financial assistance due to?the Middle East conflict, said a source with the IMF as well as an Iraqi official on Thursday. The IMF source said that initial discussions took place at the spring meetings in Washington of the IMF and World Bank last month. Discussions are still ongoing on how much funding Iraq will need and the structure of any loan. Iraqi officials who advise on financial policy have said that Iraq has begun preliminary talks with the IMF and World Bank about a loan for the country's finances,...

The?U.S. has?dramatically reduced Iran's ability to threaten its neighboring countries and U.S. interest. A senior U.S. Admiral stated on Thursday that the bombings have slowed down Tehran's defence industry by 90%. Admiral Brad Cooper of U.S. Central Command emphasized 'the tactical success of the military campaign he led against Iran and said that the war has dramatically reduced the danger posed by Iran to the Middle East. Cooper refused to directly address the reports of and other news organizations that Iran had significant drone and missile capabilities. These reports cited U.S. Intelligence sources. Cooper, speaking to a U.S. Senate Committee,...

During a leadership'summit with Donald Trump, President Xi Jinping stated his interest in buying more U.S. crude oil to reduce China’s dependence on Strait of Hormuz. The readout said that both leaders agreed the Strait of Hormuz should remain open in order to allow for the free flow of oil and Xi was against any militarization of the strait or tolls. The Chinese summaries published by the state media did not mention oil purchases. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a comment request. Trump and Xi spent several hours together on Thursday, the first day of a two-day...

Rwanda's Trinity Metals plans to list on an international exchange in order to raise between $100 and $200 million as it expands its tin and tungsten mines, and moves forward with what could be one of the top lithium deposits in the world, according to its CEO. The soaring demand for metals known as 3T, which are used in electronic, defence, and energy supply chain, is driving a move toward traceable non-Chinese suppliers, bringing Rwanda's 3T mine belt near the Democratic Republic of Congo into sharper focus. Trinity has consolidated three undercapitalised properties in 2022, the Nyakabingo mine for tungsten,...

As U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar rose, gold fell to its 'lowest level in over a week on Friday. Meanwhile, inflation fears due to the Middle East conflict reinforced bets that interest rates would rise. By 9:40 am EDT (1340 GMT), spot gold had fallen 2.6% to $4,527.80 an ounce, its lowest price since May 5. Prices have fallen 4% this week. U.S. Gold Futures for June Delivery fell 3.2% to $4,535 "There were a few reasons for the sell-off in (precious metals). The dollar is strong right now. Edward Meir is an analyst with Marex. Benchmark 10-year U.S....

U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Friday that U.S. controls on exports of semiconductor chips were not a main topic during discussions between Chinese officials and U.S. officials. These comments indicate that a breakthrough in selling Nvidia’s advanced H200 chip to China is still far off, despite Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s last-minute invite to U.S. president Donald Trump's Beijing visit this week. This was not the main topic of discussion during the bilateral meeting. We didn't discuss?chip export control at the meeting," Greer stated, adding that between "15 and 17" U.S. Chief Executive...

Gold prices fell on Thursday as a result of rising 'oil' prices and a 'firmer dollar. This was after news broke about a sunk vessel and a snatched vessel. Investors are also looking forward to the meeting between U.S. president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping. At 2:48 pm EDT (1848 GMT), spot gold was down by 0.4%. U.S. Gold Futures for June Delivery settled at $4,685.30, down 0.4%. The U.S. Dollar was up 0.3% making greenback-priced gold more expensive for holders other currencies. News of the sinking and seizure off the coasts of the United Arab Emirates of...

The gold price remained largely unchanged on Thursday as investors focused on the latest developments in Middle East and President Xi Jinping's meeting with the U.S. At 1:01 pm EDT (1701 GMT), spot gold was down by 0.1% to $4,680.26 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for June Delivery fell by 0.4% to $4686.20. The U.S. Dollar was up by 0.3%, making greenback-priced gold more expensive for holders other currencies. Iran's state media reported that 30 vessels had allegedly crossed the Strait of Hormuz, despite reports of attacks in the area. Bart Melek is the global head of commodity strategies at...

?Gold prices dipped on Thursday as investors focused mainly?on a?recent development in the Middle East conflict and signals from U.S. president Donald Trump's recent meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping. At 9:42 am EDT (1342 GMT), spot gold was down by 0.4% to $4,668.34 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for June Delivery fell by 0.7% to $4672.70. The dollar?U.S. The dollar rose 0.1% and made metals priced in greenbacks more expensive to holders of other currencies. Oil prices fell after Iran's official media reported that 30 vessels had recently crossed the Strait of?Hormuz. This report briefly boosted gold prices. Bart...

Gold remained largely unchanged on 'Thursday as investors digested a rise in U.S. Inflation due to increased energy costs associated with the Iran War. As of 0931 GMT, spot gold was up 0.1% to $4,689.79 an ounce. U.S. Gold futures for June delivery dropped 0.2% to $4,696.20. China's Xi Jinping said that the trade talks are?making good progress on Thursday at the beginning of a two day summit. However, he warned that disagreements over Taiwan may?damage relationships and even lead conflict. Gold is still hovering at $4,700 while markets digest the latest U.S. inflation figures. Carlo Alberto De Casa, a...

These are the most popular?stories from the Wall Street Journal. These?stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for their accuracy. Cerebras Systems' initial public offering in the United States was priced at $185 per share, which is above the upper end of their indicated price range. - 'Chip startup Fractile announced that it raised a $220 million Series?B funding round led by Accel, Factorial Funds and Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. Cisco Systems will cut?thousands? of jobs in order to?increase artificial intelligence? in its business. The National Football League has signed a four-year contract with Netflix to license three...

Gold prices rose on Thursday as a result of a 'weaker' dollar. Investors were also looking for any signs of progress with the Iran War and focused mainly on talks between U.S. president Donald?Trump & Chinese president Xi Jinping. As of 0440 GMT, spot gold was 0.4% higher, at $4,706.70 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for June Delivery rose 0.2% to $4,713.40. Dollar eased making greenback bullion prices more affordable for holders other currencies. GoldSilver Central's Managing Director Brian Lan said, "Gold is consolidating at the moment because everyone is watching what happens in the high level talks between the...

The gold?price remained steady on Thursday as investors centered their attention on the?conversations?between a?U.S. The Iranian war was the focus of attention between President Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping. As of 0212 GMT, spot gold remained unchanged at $4,688.43 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for June Delivery fell 0.2% to $4,695. GoldSilver Central's Managing Director Brian Lan said, "Gold is consolidating right now as everyone is watching what happens in the high level talks between the U.S.A. and China." Lan said: "I think (gold) is also a window for those investors who want to get into metal." Trump...

The gold price fell a second time on Wednesday as inflation fears fueled by war weighed on the expectations for interest rate reductions. Markets were also looking forward to the upcoming summit between U.S. president Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. At 1:59 pm EDT (1759 GMT), spot gold was down by 0.6% to $4,686.35 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures closed 0.4% higher at $ 4,706.70. U.S. Producer Prices increased more than expected in April, posting the biggest gain since early 2020. This is the latest sign that inflation has accelerated amid a 'war on Iran. Peter Grant, senior...

Tyson Foods' Chief Financial Officer Curt calaway stated on Wednesday that U.S. producers are "spotty",?in their efforts to rebuild a nation's reduced herd. Supplies will remain tight as low inventories pushed beef prices to record levels. As part of his efforts to reduce domestic beef prices, President Donald 'Trump' has been considering possible executive actions that would lower tariffs on imported beef and regulations for producers. Prices for milk, eggs and other grocery staples are down since Trump's presidency in January 2025. However, beef prices have increased by over 16%. HIGH?PRICES AND DROUGHT WORRIES Ranchers are slow to keep female...