United States

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has continued to criticize and take action against corporate executives, institutions and corporations, even months after assuming office. His actions, from new export deals to freezing university grants, have changed the status quo in the United States between government, law and academia. Trump has publicly criticised a number of influential individuals and entities. NETFLIX Netflix has acquired Warner Bros Discovery’s film studios, streaming service and Warner Bros Discovery’s streaming arm for $72 billion. This gives Netflix control over one of Hollywood’s most iconic assets. After a lengthy bidding war, Netflix's offer of nearly $28 per...

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra modi will meet in New Delhi to discuss ways to increase trade between the two countries. Western sanctions are affecting their long-standing relationship. Putin's first India visit in four years comes at a moment when New Delhi and the U.S. are in negotiations for a deal that will reduce punitive tariffs placed by Donald Trump on India's goods because of its Russian oil purchases. Moscow has been India’s largest arms supplier for decades. It has stated that it would like to import more Indian products in order to increase trade...

The Trump administration allowed transactions on Thursday with Lukoil outside of Russia, with a small waiver from sanctions imposed by the U.S. in October because the company's revenue is used to support Moscow's war against Ukraine. A posting on the Treasury Department website stated that the transactions for approximately 2,000 stations in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, as well as the Americas were authorized until April 29, 2026. In October, President Donald Trump imposed sanctions against Lukoil, one of Russia's largest oil companies. This triggered a rush of buyers to buy its assets, estimated at $22 billion. These...

Two sources with knowledge of the matter claim that Bernd Bergmair (former majority owner of adult entertainment group Pornhub) has approached the U.S. Treasury to buy international assets from sanctioned Russian oil giant Lukoil. As part of its efforts to press Moscow to end the war in Ukraine, the U.S. imposed Sanctions on Lukoil - Russia's largest private oil producer. Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and other oil giants have approached U.S. authorities to get permission to speak to Lukoil. Bergmair, through his lawyer, declined to say which assets he is interested in. He also refused to confirm whether he has already...

Sify Infinit Spaces, India's first publicly listed data center operator sees AI as driving the demand for computing power, but it is tempering its future investments in order to avoid being over-exposed to a possible bubble, said its chief executive. India has seen a surge in the number of data centers, largely due to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence technologies. These technologies require massive computing power. Sharad Agarwal, CEO of Sify Infinit, said in an interview conducted late November that the company will continue to expand "responsibly and calculatedly" so as to match sustainable demand. Sify Technologies, the company's...

Motiva Enterprises will perform maintenance on a coker this December and overhaul its large crude distillation system in September 2026, according to people familiar with the plant's operations. The refinery produces 640,500 barrels per day. A Motiva spokesperson failed to respond on Tuesday when asked for comments about the planned maintenance of the Port Arthur refinery in the United States, the largest. Sources did not specify which of the cokers in the refinery would undergo maintenance before the end 2025. Two cokers are available at the refinery. DCU-1 is capable of producing 54,000 bpd, and DCU-2 can produce 110,000 bpd....

Gary Pedersen said that Gunvor's CEO Gary Pedersen had no immediate plans to rebrand. He took over the company in a management buyout a day earlier, less than a week after the U.S. Treasury referred to Gunvor as the "Kremlin’s puppet." Gunvor is the largest oil trading house in the world, with daily transactions that amount to 3% of global oil supplies. The company was founded by Swedish billionaire Torbjorn Tornqvist, and Russian oligarch Gennady Tichenko 25 years ago. They grew it into the biggest trader of Russian Oil in the 2000s. Gunvor's 25 years of leadership ended with Monday's...

Gary Pedersen stressed that business was as usual at Gunvor, the Swiss commodities trader, during an interview on Tuesday. A day earlier, Pedersen had taken over following a sudden management buyout from co-founder Torbjorn Tornqvist. The management buyout announcement on Monday was a surprise to many and marked the end for Tornqvist after 25 years of leading Gunvor. Pedersen became the first American leader of a major Swiss commodities firm since Marc Rich who was indicted over tax evasion charges and other offenses. Gunvor has been scrambling to repair its relationship with the U.S. since the Treasury labeled it as...

TAE Technologies is a private company that has been backed by Alphabet, Google, and Chevron. On Tuesday, it announced a joint venture to develop neutral beams in nuclear fusion with the United Kingdom’s nuclear agency. The UK Atomic Energy Authority has agreed to invest 5.6 million Euros ($6.50 Million) as equity in a new venture, TAE Beam UK. Nuclear fusion, a new technology, aims to harness the same process that powers our sun in order to produce electricity. It promises a vision of unlimited energy, free from pollution, radioactive waste and greenhouse gases. Nuclear technology is a growing industry, and...

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Tuesday that the country will continue to allow payments and transactions with the U.S. sanctioned Russian oil company NIS, until the end the week. This is despite the threat of secondary sanctions. Gazprom and Gazprom of Russia, who own the majority of NIS, are required to sell their shares in the company. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on NIS because it is owned by Russians. Vucic, the president of Serbia, said that payments made with NIS by its banks, which includes the central bank will continue through Monday. After meeting with government officials responsible...

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of Sudan (RSF), a group that is part of the Sudanese military, claimed on Monday to have taken full control over Babanusa. This transport hub in the oil-producing southern region was seized by the RSF. However, its rival, Sudanese Army, denied the claim. In a Monday statement, the RSF stated that it "liberated" Babanusa state in West Kordofan -- the latest frontline of the war in Sudan -- after it defeated "a surprise assault" by the Sudanese Army in what it termed "a clear breach of the humanitarian ceasefire." The army denied on Tuesday that...

Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson on Tuesday, told Indian journalists that the decline in India's imports of Russian oil may only last for a "brief period", as Moscow intends to increase supplies to New Delhi. India, which is the largest buyer of Russian oil by sea, has reduced its crude imports to Moscow due to Western sanctions. India is the third largest oil consumer and importer in the world. Russia is its top oil supplier. This month, India is expected to reduce its Russian oil imports to a minimum of a three-year high after Washington sanctions Moscow's largest oil producers Rosneft...

Gold ?edged down on Tuesday as investors, having mostly priced ?in ?a Federal Reserve rate cut, looked ahead for clues that the U.S. central bank might opt for a gentler-than-expected easing cycle when its two-day policy meeting begins later in the day. As of 0609 GMT, spot gold was down by 0.3% at $4,174.91 an ounce. U.S. gold futures for delivery in December fell 0.4% to $4.202.70 an ounce. Kelvin Wong, senior market analyst at OANDA, said that investors are largely repositioning themselves ahead of the Federal Reserve's meeting. During his press conference earlier in the month, Jerome Powell signaled...

The U.S. Military said it plans to build a fleet small-scale refineries that will produce the critical minerals needed to manufacture bullets, armor, and other types of weaponry. This is a step to create domestic sources of niche materials, which Chinese miners have 'long controlled. Plans, not previously announced, are being developed jointly by the U.S. Army, the Idaho National Laboratory, and the antimony and gold mining company Perpetua Resources. Antimony is the first mineral that the military wants to refine. The Army has said that it will not produce large quantities of minerals for private consumption. However, a small-scale...

The price of gold was flat on Tuesday, as investors had already priced in a Federal Reserve rate cut. They were also preparing for signs that the U.S. Central Bank may adopt a more moderate easing cycle than expected at its two-day meeting beginning later that day. As of 0444 GMT, spot gold was flat at $4,189.17 an ounce. U.S. Gold futures for December delivery were flat at $4.218.50 an ounce. Kelvin Wong, senior market analyst at OANDA, said that investors are repositioning themselves largely ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy-setting meeting. Powell had given a hawkish rate cut guidance...

Gold rose on Monday, as investors became more confident that U.S. Federal Reserve would cut interest rates during its two-day meeting this week. A weaker dollar also helped. Gold spot rose 0.3%, to $4208.40 an ounce at 09:11 am ET. ET (14:11 GMT)). U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery fell 0.1 per ounce to $4,238. Dollar index slid lower, boosting the appeal of greenback-priced Gold for overseas buyers. Both gold and silver have a very strong technical posture in the near term. This is a good thing for speculators, as it encourages them to be on the long side of...

Gold prices increased on Monday due to growing expectations that the U.S. will cut interest rates, which pushed up the dollar ahead of this week's Federal Reserve policy meeting. By 1127 GMT, spot gold had risen 0.2% to $4206.36 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery fell 0.2% to $4235.60 an ounce. Dollar-priced Gold is now more affordable to overseas buyers thanks to the dollar index, which has been trending lower since December 4. The gold price is rising due to a lower dollar, and the market expects that the Fed will cut rates this week. This was stated...

Gold prices increased on Monday due to growing expectations that the U.S. will cut interest rates, which pushed up the dollar ahead of this week's Federal Reserve policy meeting. By 0851 GMT, spot gold had risen 0.3% to $4.209.43 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for December Delivery fell 0.1% to $ 4,239.40 an ounce. Dollar-priced Gold is now more affordable to overseas buyers thanks to the dollar index, which has been trending lower since December 4. The gold price is rising due to a lower dollar, and the market expects that the Fed will cut rates this week. This was...

The copper price opened the week strongly, reaching a new record on Monday. This was boosted by the expectation of a rate cut from the U.S. Federal Reserve, and the prospect of squeezing supply. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's most active copper contract closed the daytime trade 1.54% higher at 92,970 Yuan ($13152.91) a metric ton. Shanghai copper reached a record high of 93,300 Yuan in this session. The benchmark three-month Copper on the London Metal Exchange gained 0.79%, to $11,712 per ton at 0700 GMT. It had previously reached a high of $11,771. The markets are pricing in an interest...

Gold edged higher on Monday as traders became more confident that the U.S. Federal Reserve would cut interest rates at its meeting this week. As of 0530 GMT, spot gold increased 0.3% to $4207.99 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for December Delivery fell 0.1% to $4237.0 per ounce. Gold priced in greenbacks is now cheaper for foreign buyers. Tim Waterer, KCM Trade's Chief Market Analyst, said that the Fed is on track to reduce rates this week. The expectation of looser monetary policy has driven gold prices higher. The anticipated rate cut is keeping the dollar under control, and simultaneously...

China's exports of rare earth minerals jumped in November. This was the first month that President Xi Jinping, and U.S. president Donald Trump had agreed to accelerate shipment. The General Administration of Customs of China reported that exports jumped by 26.5% in November from October, to reach 5,493.9 tons. The customs office will release a breakdown of countries on December 20, but it is not known if increased shipments into the U.S. and Europe fueled that jump. Since April, the introduction of export controls on 17 minerals that are used in autos and consumer electronics as well as defence has...

Shanghai Copper began the week on Monday with a higher price, as the U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates. As of 0215 GMT, the most active copper contract at the Shanghai Futures Exchange had risen 0.52% to 92,040 Yuan ($13,020.78) a metric ton. The benchmark three-month price of copper at the London Metal Exchange fell 0.23% to $11,593 per ton. The markets are pricing in an interest rate reduction of a quarter point by the U.S. on Wednesday. Only 19 out of 108 economists voted against any change. Copper prices rose in Asia as signs of lower...

Anson Resources, based in Australia, announced on Monday that it had signed a nonbinding Memorandum of Understanding with Utah-based Nusano for the supply of lithium chloride to be used in advanced manufacturing and nuclear applications. Anson will provide samples of lithium chloride from its Green River Project in Utah to be tested for qualification. Talks are aimed at an agreement covering a five-year period and at least 300 tonnes equivalent lithium carbonate per year. Nusano is a privately-held company that plans to use Anson’s lithium chloride feedstock in order to produce lithium-6, lithium-7, and other isotopes for the nuclear sector...

The gold price rose on Friday, as expectations of a rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve next week boosted sentiment. Silver also reached a new record high. At 1:36 pm, spot gold was up by 1% at $4,212.16 an ounce. ET (1836 GMT), however, was on course for a weekly loss of 0.4%. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery settled unchanged at $4.243 per ounce. Bart Melek is the global head of commodity strategies at TD Securities. He said that "the market is increasingly confident the central bank will cut (rates)." In response, the U.S. currency has weakened a...