Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia on espionage charges. During the phone conversation, Lavrov underscored the need to respect the decision of Russian authorities made under …
Read More »Why two U.S. banks failed fast
The collapse of SVB and Signature Bank shows that the crisis in the U.S. banking sector is not over yet COMMENT | Vidhura S. Tennekoon | Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank failed with enormous speed, so quickly that they could be textbook cases of classic bank runs, in which too many …
Read More »U.S. dollar skids amid declining Treasury yields, weak data
New York, USA | Xinhua | The U.S. dollar fell broadly against its major rivals in late trading on Friday. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, dropped 0.67 percent to 103.7153. In late New York trading, the euro rose to 1.0682 U.S. dollars from 1.0611 dollars in …
Read More »SVB’s downfall evokes unease in U.S. banking sector, global markets
New York, US | THE INDEPENDENT | The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has not only revealed billions of dollars in loss but also rattled the technology industry, which had been leading innovation in the past years but yet was disturbed by layoffs and bankruptcies for months. Small businesses …
Read More »Can Africa reduce the impact of the US dollar on its emerging markets?
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Reducing reliance on the US dollar necessitates satisfying financing requirements in local currency and enhancing local financial institutions Whenever I meet clients and investors, the one discussion I always end up having, regardless of market conditions, is on currency markets. There are often strong views …
Read More »Venezuelan president says U.S. imperialism in decline
Caracas, Venezuela | Xinhua | Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Saturday that U.S. hegemony in Latin America, the Caribbean and the rest of the world is in decline. “The U.S. empire is in historical decline and no longer has anything to offer for the good of the people of Latin America and …
Read More »Cancerous skin lesion removed from Biden’s chest, no further treatment required: physician
Washington, USA | Xinhua | A cancerous skin lesion had been removed from U.S. President Joe Biden’s chest, White House physician Kevin O’Connor said on Friday. O’Connor wrote in a memo that the tissue was removed as part of Biden’s health assessment at a military hospital last month and sent for a …
Read More »FULL SPEECH: Biden delivers State of the Union address to divided Congress amid sour public mood
Washington, US | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday night amid a sour public mood. This is Biden’s second State of the Union speech since he took office in January 2021 and the first of its kind before a …
Read More »NATO urges Russia to respect nuclear pact with U.S.
Brussels, Belgium | Xinhua | The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Friday called on Russia to respect its treaty with the United States on nuclear weapons, which contributes to international stability. NATO ambassadors said in a statement that “We note with concern that Russia has failed to comply with legally-binding obligations …
Read More »U.S. says operation in Somalia kills key ISIS leader
Washington, USA | Xinhua | A U.S. military operation killed a number of Islamic State (ISIS) members in Somalia on Wednesday, including a key leader of the extremist group, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday. Among those killed was Bilal-al-Sudani, “an ISIS leader in Somalia and a key facilitator for ISIS’s …
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