United States

US may lift sanctions on 140 mn barrels of Iranian oil on the seas: Bessent

The US hasn't been targeting Iran's energy assets in the war, he said. With regard to Kharg Island, a key Iranian export hub, it mounted a "precision strike" against the military assets

US will launch 'largest strike package yet' against Iran today: Hegseth

The US defence secretary reiterated that only President Donald Trump would decide when the war would end, adding that Iran's naval and missile manufacturing capabilities had been severely eroded

Sergio Gor in Sri Lanka for talks on sea lanes, port security amid Iran war

The US Special Representative for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor and Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Thursday discussed strengthening of bilateral relations and the island nation's position on the West Asia crisis. The US Special envoys' visit to Sri Lanka comes at a time when Sri Lanka came to be embroiled in the joint US-Israeli war against Iran since February 28. Gor met with Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat as part of "US efforts to safeguard vital sea lanes and secure ports, reinforce mutually beneficial trade and commercial ties, and advance a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific for the benefit of both our peoples," a release from the US Pacific Command said. Gor and Dissanayake's "discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties and Sri Lanka's position on the Middle East conflict and its challenges," the President's Media Division (PMD) said in a post on X. The US Special envoy will also travel to Maldives after Sri Lanka in the 5-day vi

Venezuela's acting Prez names new defence chief to replace Maduro loyalist

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez announced a major Cabinet shake-up Wednesday with the appointment of a new defense minister to replace Gen. Vladimir Padrino Lopez, who had been a cornerstone of the military's long-standing support for former President Nicolas Maduro. Rodriguez announced the transition on her Telegram channel, saying the appointment of Gen. Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez to the role was effective immediately. She also thanked Padrino Lopez for his "loyalty to the Homeland" and expressed confidence in his future roles. The announcement comes more than ten weeks after Rodriguez became acting head of state following the Jan. 3 U.S. military operation that captured Maduro to put him on trial in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges. The Trump administration has since ramped up pressure on the Maduro loyalists currently governing the oil-rich nation. Padrino Lopez was one of the longest-serving Cabinet ministers after Maduro took office in 2013 and one the country's

US Fed holds rates, signals one cut in 2026 despite higher inflation

Inflation, as measured by the Fed's preferred gauge, was expected to end the year at 2.7 per cent , not far below its current rate and higher than the 2.4 per cent projected in December

EU proposes 'EU Inc' plan to boost startups against US and China

While the EU proposal to operate under a single set of EU rules is available to any European businesses, it is mainly aimed at new companies with innovative technologies to help them scale up

US states, cities sue Trump over his move to scrap climate regulations

The suit, which also follows an earlier challenge filed by a coalition of environmental groups, also includes the states of Michigan, Connecticut, and Virginia and cities of New York, Boston, Chicago

Pakistan developing missiles that could strike US, says Tulsi Gabbard

The US National Intelligence Director said Islamabad's long-range ballistic missile efforts may evolve into intercontinental systems capable of targeting the American mainland

US stocks fall as Brent crude at $109 fuels inflation fears amid Iran war

US stocks are sinking Wednesday after another climb for oil prices raised worries about inflation, which may have been primed to worsen even before the war with Iran began. The S&P 500 fell 0.5 per cent and was on track for its first loss this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 377 points, or 0.8 per cent, as of 11 am. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5 per cent lower. Stocks fell under the pressure of a 6.2 per cent climb for the price of a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, to USD 109.84. Benchmark US oil rose 2.3 per cent to USD 97.70 per barrel. Oil and natural gas prices have been spiking since the war began because of disruptions to the Persian Gulf's energy industry. Iran's state television said Wednesday that the Islamic Republic would be attacking oil and gas infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after an attack on facilities associated with its offshore South Pars natural gas field. If the disruptions .

Trump grants 60-day waiver from Jones Act shipping rules to ease oil costs

The White House said President Donald Trump would waive, for 60 days, Jones Act requirements for goods shipped between US ports to be moved on US-flagged vessels. The 1920s law, designed to protect the American shipbuilding sector, is often blamed for making gas more expensive. The moves highlight the increased pressure that the Republican administration is under to ease soaring oil prices as the United States, along with Israel, wages a war with Iran without a foreseeable end date. Global oil prices have since spiked as Iran halted traffic through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world's oil typically passes through from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide.

India’s LPG crisis: How the West Asia war disrupted gas supply | US-Iran war | Crude oil

The ongoing war in West Asia has disrupted LPG supplies to India. Restaurants are limiting operations and customers are panic buying cylinders.

Japan PM Takaichi heads to US for 'tough' talks with Trump amid Iran war

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is travelling Wednesday to the United States for what she expects to be a "very difficult" meeting with US President Donald Trump after he called on Japan and other allies to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz. The three-day visit to Washington was originally expected to focus on trade and strengthening the US-Japanese alliance as China's influence grows in Asia. It is now expected to be overshadowed by the war the United States and Israel launched against Iran on February 28. "I think the US visit will be a very difficult one, but I will do everything to maximise our national interest and to protect the daily lives of the people when the situation changes daily," Takaichi told parliament on Wednesday, hours before her departure. Takaichi held her first meeting with Trump in October in Tokyo, days after becoming Japan's first female prime minister. A hard-line conservative, Takaichi is a protege of former leader Shinzo Abe, who ...

Trump asks if 'finishing off' Iran would make 'allies' reopen Hormuz Strait

Trump questioned whether stronger action against Iran would compel allies to secure the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting tensions over burden-sharing in safeguarding global trade routes

How US tariff cuts restarted Punjab’s textile and engineering factories | Trade war | Trump tariffs

US tariffs cuts have revived Punjab's textile and engineering sectors. Factories in Ludhiana, once running at 70-75% capacity, are ramping up production, restarting expansions, and planning to hire

LPG crisis hits markets: What’s next for gas and QSR stocks? | West Asia war | US-Iran war

The West Asia conflict is no longer just a geopolitical story. It is now moving markets in India. Natural gas prices are rising, LPG supply chains are tightening

Top US intel officials set to testify about Iran war, homeland threats

Top Trump administration national security officials facing back-to-back congressional hearings starting Wednesday are expected to be pressed on the war in Iran, including a deadly strike on a school, as well as the FBI's capacity to prevent terror attacks inside the United States. The annual worldwide threats hearings involving the government's senior-most intelligence officials are taking place at a time of scrutiny over the US military campaign in the Middle East and heightened concerns about terrorism in the homeland following recent attacks at a Michigan synagogue and Virginia university. The testimony before the House and Senate intelligence committees is expected to centre on the war and in particular the revelation that outdated intelligence likely led to the US firing a missile that hit an elementary school in Iran and killed over 165 people. The outdated targeting data was reported to have come from the Defence Intelligence Agency, whose director, Lt. Gen. James H. Adams,

Ex-Illinois Republican Party chairman wins GOP primary for US Senate seat

Don Tracy, the former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, has won the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate. The retirement of Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin triggered a competitive campaign, with 10 Democrats and 6 Republicans in the race. Furious fundraising and sharp elbows marked the contest, which has tested the influence of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker. He backed Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton over U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly in that primary. Tracy was the state party chairman from 2021 to 2024. Illinois last had a Republican in the Senate a decade ago, when Mark Kirk was defeated by Democrat Tammy Duckworth. Illinois voters decided primaries Tuesday for six open U.S. House and Senate seats in contests that became a testing ground for issues shaping the Democratic Party's future. From questions about the cryptocurrency and AI industries to immigration enforcement to fracturing U.S. support for Israel, the state's voters confronted such issues as super PACS poured

1 killed, another injured in shooting at US Air Force base in New Mexico

A shooting at a U.S. Air Force base in New Mexico has left one person dead and another wounded, according to military officials. The Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo was put on lockdown at about 5:30 p.m on Tuesday because of reports of an active shooter, according to a statement released by the base. The person who was wounded has been taken for medical treatment. Security officials have confirmed the base is safe and the lockdown has been lifted. "Emergency personnel are responding to the situation and there is no threat at this time," the statement said. Neither the names of the people shot nor additional details on the shooting have been released.

Top counterterrorism official Joseph Kent resigns in protest of Iran war

He is the first high-profile administration official to step down in protest of the conflict

US judge orders restoration of Voice of America, journalists back to work

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to restore the government-run Voice of America's operations after it had effectively been shut down a year ago, putting hundreds of employees who have been on administrative leave back to work. U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth gave the U.S. Agency for Global Media a week to put together a plan for putting Voice of America on the air. It has been operating with a skeleton staff since President Donald Trump issued an executive order to shut it down. A week ago, Lamberth said Kari Lake, who had been Trump's choice to lead the agency, did not have the legal authority to do what she had done at Voice of America. In Tuesday's decision, Lamberth ruled on the actions she had taken to respond to Trump's order, essentially shelving 1,042 of VOA's 1,147 employees. "Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision," Lamberth wrote. There was no immediate comment on the decision by the agenc