DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Oil prices aren't the Fed's biggest problem right now — American demand is, says an economist
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Israel's strike on Iran caused oil prices to spike, sparking fears of rising inflation. But US inflation is more impacted by strong domestic demand than by oil prices, an economist told Bloomberg TV. Oil prices gained as much as 4% following reports of the attack before later subsiding. Services is demand, and that demand needs to come from somewhere — and that's a robust economy," Chaar told Bloomberg. "I would say the biggest challenge here for the Fed is to manage the demand of the US economy," Chaar said.

Persons: —, Samy Chaar, Lombard Odier, Jerome Powell, Chaar Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Fed, Bloomberg TV, Federal, Services, Institute for Supply Management Locations: Iran, Israel, —, Swiss, America

☆ Biden says Trump 'doesn't deserve to be the Commander-in-Chief for my son'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden on Wednesday choked up as he blasted Donald Trump, saying the presumptive Republican presidential nominee "doesn't deserve to be the Commander-in-Chief for my son." "They asked him to go visit American grave sites. Because they were all suckers and losers," Biden said, citing the reports about Trump's rationale. That man doesn't deserve," Biden said, pausing for several seconds as he choked up before adding, "to be the Commander-in-Chief for my son." Beau Biden died in 2015, when his father was vice president in the administration of former President Barack Obama.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, doesn't, Beau Biden —, Trump, Biden, Beau Biden, General's, Barack Obama, Trump's, John Kelly, Jeffrey Goldberg, Goldberg Organizations: Wednesday, Delaware Army National Guard, Democrat, United Steelworkers, General's Corp, National Guard, Guard, White House, CNN, U.S . Locations: Pittsburgh, Paris, Iraq, Aisne

☆ How much can you make in the military? US officers can earn a $220K salary plus some pretty generous benefits
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But the full compensation package of active military personnel goes beyond annual salary. Officers can earn a $220k salaryAll active duty military personnel adhere to the same pay scale and ranking system for base pay, regardless of which branch they serve in. An enlisted service member with an E-1 ranking receives $2,017.20 per month in basic pay, according to the DoD 2024 basic pay table. Service members outside the US may also receive an additional overseas housing allowance to incentivize military members to serve internationally. With Tricare, military members have no premium charges for coverage, and no out-of-pocket costs for medical care or prescriptions.

Persons: —, Paychecks, you've, you'll Organizations: Service, Military, Department of Defense, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, National Guard, Air Force, Business, O1, Space Force, Housing, Subsistence, Department of Defense's Finance, Accounting Service, US Department of Veteran Affairs, Savings Locations: San Diego, Bahrain, Tricare

☆ U.S. eyes change to military command in Japan as China threat looms: Reuters
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will agree next month to tighter military cooperation, including talks on the biggest potential change to Washington's East Asia command structure in decades, two sources said. Kishida wants to establish the joint command headquarters before the end of March 2025. Tokyo has said it has "serious concern" over China's growing military power and the threat it poses Taiwan, just over 100 km (62 miles) from Japanese territory. A four-star commander — the highest peacetime rank in any of the U.S. service branches — would match the rank of the Japanese counterpart in the new headquarters. A U.S. officer of that rank might lay the groundwork for a future unified Japanese-U.S. command, experts say.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Biden, Kishida, Yoshimasa Hayashi, — Organizations: Japanese, East, Japanese Self Defense Forces, Financial Times, U.S, Biden Locations: East Asia, Washington, Japan, South Korea, Tokyo, Taiwan, U.S

☆ AT&T Offers $5 Credit to Customers Affected by Service Outage
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Rebecca Carballo | More About Rebecca Carballo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

AT&T will offer a $5 credit to customers affected by a widespread outage on Thursday that was caused by technical issues the company encountered while trying to expand its network, its chief executive said on Sunday. The outage, which started around 3:30 a.m. Eastern time, temporarily cut off connections for users across the United States. Some of the affected cities included Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York, according to Downdetector.com, which tracks user reports of telecommunication and internet disruptions. At its peak, the site had received about 70,000 reports of disrupted service for AT&T. Service was fully restored after about seven hours.

Organizations: T, Service Locations: United States, Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York

☆ 153,000 student-loan borrowers are getting $1.2 billion in debt wiped out — the first group to see relief under a new repayment reform
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Thousands of student-loan borrowers just became the first group to see relief under President Joe Biden's new repayment reform. On Wednesday, Biden — along with the Education Department — announced that 153,000 borrowers are getting $1.2 billion in debt cancellation as a result of a new provision in the SAVE income-driven repayment plan. "If you've been paying for a decade, you've done your part, and you deserve relief," Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. The Education Department first implemented the SAVE plan over the summer, intended to make borrowers' monthly payments cheaper. Of course, the relief comes as many borrowers are encountering challenges with the return to repayment that began in October.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, —, you've, Miguel Cardona, Biden's, Education James Kvaal Organizations: Wednesday, Education Department —, Education Department, Business, Administration, SAVE, The Education Department, Public, Department, Education

☆ Prominent Ukrainian Army Unit Launches Own Recruitment Drive to Strengthen Ranks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Dan PeleschukKYIV (Reuters) - A year after the founding commander of Ukraine's Da Vinci Wolves Battalion was killed fighting Russian forces, his portrait adorns an airy new recruitment office in Kyiv casting a watchful eye over would-be members. With its military ranks wearing thin, Ukraine is struggling to overhaul mobilisation and broaden recruitment as the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion approaches. For the Da Vinci Wolves, led by war hero Dmytro "Da Vinci" Kotsiubailo until his death near the eastern town of Bakhmut last March, it means relying on a well-honed public image to attract new recruits. 'THE BEST'The Da Vinci Wolves have received more than 1,000 applications and are seeking around 500 new members, Filimonov said. Candidates include Anatoliy Kvasha, 48, who said he wanted a greater say over where he ended up after facing bureaucratic headaches at his local draft office.

Persons: Dan Peleschuk, Ukraine's Da, Dmytro, Da, Kotsiubailo, Serhii Filimonov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Filimonov, Anatoliy Kvasha, Kvasha, Kyrychenko, Anna Voitenko, Timothy Heritage, Toby Chopra Organizations: Dan Peleschuk KYIV, Ukraine's Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, Da Vinci Wolves, Vinci Wolves, 59th Motorized Brigade, Reuters, Separate Assault Brigade, Service Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Russian, Lviv

☆ Opinion | It’s Not Time for Our Troops to Leave the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Kenneth F. Mckenzie Jr. | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States base at Tower 22 in Jordan is in the middle of a seemingly unending desert, astride the ancient Damascus-Baghdad Highway near the border with Syria. Last month three U.S. service members at Tower 22 were killed by a drone launched by an Iranian-backed militia. The Tower 22 attack ended that state of play and sparked fresh questions about the safety of thousands of U.S. military personnel stationed in Jordan, Syria and Iraq as the Middle East conflict widens. Last month, the United States and Iraq started talks that could lead to the withdrawal of U.S. troops. It gives hope to Tehran that it is succeeding in its long-term goal of ejecting the United States from the region through its proxy militias.

Persons: Biden Organizations: United, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, U.S Locations: United States, Jordan, Damascus, Baghdad, Syria, Iranian, Iraq, Washington, U.S, Tehran

☆ King Charles Appears in Public for First Time Since Cancer Announcement
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Megan Specia | More About Megan Specia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

King Charles III on Sunday was seen publicly for the first time since Buckingham Palace announced last week that he was being treated for cancer, strolling into a church on the royal Sandringham estate where he has his residence. Charles, 74, waved and smiled at well-wishers who had gathered nearby to capture a glimpse of the monarch as news cameras flashed. He walked alongside his wife, Queen Camilla, before heading into the 11 a.m. service at St. Mary Magdalene Church. Later, both the king and queen smiled and waved for the cameras as they headed back to their home at Sandringham House. In a message released by Buckingham Palace on Saturday, King Charles thanked the public for supporting him since the news of his cancer diagnosis was announced.

Persons: King Charles III, Charles, Queen Camilla, Mary Magdalene, Buckingham, King Charles Organizations: Buckingham, Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham House Locations: Sandringham, St

Both Iraq and the U.S. had agreed last August to enter into talks to transition U.S. forces from their long-standing role in assisting Iraq in combating IS. The resumed meetings will continue to chart a path to a new bilateral relationship “as long as nothing disturbs the peace of the talks," Iraq said in its statement. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesIraq has long struggled to balance its ties with the U.S. and Iran, both allies of the Iraqi government but regional archenemies. The Iraqi government has angrily condemned U.S. airstrikes against Kataib Hezbollah, which is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces. Notably, there have been no additional strikes against U.S. bases in Iraq since Feb. 4.

Persons: ” Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, U.S ., Iraq, Hamas, Kataib Hezbollah, Popular Mobilization Forces Locations: Islamic State, Iran, Jordan, U.S, Iraq, Syria, Israel

Conservatives have looked to country music over the decades to voice political beliefs and react to social change. Maines called Keith’s song “ignorant,” while Keith began performing in front of a doctored photo of Maines with Saddam Hussein. KEITH WAS A FAN OF THE MILITARY, AND VICE VERSAIn the years following “Courtesy,” Keith participated in 18 USO tours, performing for more than 250,000 service members in his lifetime. Lucas says he and others sent CDs with Keith’s song, “American Soldier,” to the wives of the men serving with his son. Keith “emboldened others in country music to think viewpoints that might be perceived as angry and conservative were okay to express,” Willman says.

Persons: — Toby Keith’s, Keith, We’ll, Jason Aldean, Jason Isbell, ”, Chris Willman, “, Willman, Willie Nelson, Amanda Marie Martinez, Jim Crow America, ” Martinez, Merle Haggard, “ Okie, Haggard, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama’s, “ Let's, George W, Bush, Obama, Donald Trump, it’s, Joseph M, Thompson, Alan Jackson, Jackson, Darryl Worley’s “, Clint Black’s “, Natalie Maines, Maines, Saddam Hussein, KEITH, ” Keith, John A, Lucas, ” Lucas, ’ ” Lucas, Aldean, Oliver Anthony’s “ Rich, Keith “, ” Willman, Pat Finnerty, Toby Keith, Hogan, ” Finnerty, ‘, Finnerty, Jude ’, it’d, Maria Sherman Organizations: Country Music, Variety, Pentagon, Dixie Chicks, U.S . Army, Army, North Locations: NORFOLK, Va, U.S, Afghanistan, Iraq, America, Vietnam, Muskogee, Iran, Clint Black’s “ Iraq, Richmond , Virginia, Tennessee, Richmond, ”, Philadelphia, Los Angeles

☆ Here’s How the Latest U.S.-Led Strikes Have Unfolded
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Shashank Bengali | More About Shashank Bengali | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States has led a major wave of retaliatory strikes in the Middle East, hitting scores of targets belonging to Iranian-backed armed groups since Friday. The strikes are a sharp escalation of hostilities in the region, one that President Biden had sought to avoid since the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began in October. Here is how the latest strikes have unfolded. The Biden administration said the drone had been launched by an Iran-backed militia from Iraq, and President Biden pledged to respond. Jan. 30: President Biden said he had decided on a response to the attack in Jordan, but did not say what it would be.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Pentagon, Republican Locations: States, Iranian, Israel, Gaza, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, U.S

☆ Poll: 20-point deficit on handling economy highlights Biden’s struggles against Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Mark Murray | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

And Biden's deficit versus Trump on handling immigration and the border is greater than 30 points. All together, these numbers explain why the poll shows Trump leading Biden by 5 points among registered voters in a hypothetical 2024 general-election matchup, 47% to 42%. "What is most concerning is the erosion of Biden's standing against Trump compared to four years ago," Horwitt said. That said, the poll shows improving attitudes about the economy, with the share of voters believing the economy will get worse in the next year declining 14 points since October 2022. The two men are essentially tied on the issue of protecting democracy, with 43% of voters preferring Biden and 41% picking Trump.

Persons: Joe Biden, Wade, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden, Jeff Horwitt, Bill McInturff, Horwitt, — Organizations: Force, Reproductive, NBC News, Biden, Trump, NBC, Democratic, Hart Research Associates, Republican, GOP, U.S . Locations: Washington ,, Israel, Trump, Biden's, Iowa, New Hampshire, U.S, Jordan, Michigan

BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. military has launched strikes on dozens of sites manned by Iran-backed fighters in western Iraq and eastern Syria in retaliation for a drone strike in Jordan in late January that killed three U.S. service members and wounded dozens. A deadly strike on the desert outpost known as Tower 22 in Jordan near the Syrian border further increased tensions. The Euphrates River cuts through Syria into Iraq, with U.S. troops and American-backed Kurdish-led fighters on the east bank and Iran-backed fighters and Syrian government forces to the west. He said the strikes also hit an area inside the town of Mayadeen known as “the security quarter.”Iraqi government spokesperson Bassim al-Awadi said the border strikes killed 16 people and caused “significant damage” to homes and private properties. There have been no new attacks by the Houthis since the U.S. strikes in Iraq and Syria.

Persons: Guard’s, Ali, Ein Ali, Deir, Rami Abdurrahman, Omar Abu Layla, Bassim, Awadi, PMF Organizations: Hamas, U.S, Guard’s Quds Force, Human Rights, Popular Mobilization Force, Houthis Locations: BEIRUT, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Israel, U.S, Tehran, Deir el, Hassakeh, American, Kurdish, Syrian, Iranian, Guard’s Quds, Boukamal, Quriya, Mayadeen, Britain, Europe, IRAN, Washington, Gaza, Iraqi, Irbil, Yemen

The Bidens will attend a “dignified transfer” as the remains of the troops killed in the overnight assault Sunday return to U.S. soil. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will join the Bidens for the transfer in Dover, where such events take place when U.S. servicemembers are killed in action. Friday will be the second dignified transfer Biden attends as president. In August 2021, he took part in the ritual for the 13 servicemembers killed during the suicide bombing in Kabul. As vice president, Biden in 2016 attended a dignified transfer for two U.S. soldiers killed in a suicide blast at Bagram Airfield.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, servicemembers, Lloyd Austin, William Jerome Rivers, Kennedy Sanders, Waycross, Breonna Moffett, Moffett, ” Biden, Biden, Rivers, Sanders, Jerome, Tara Copp Organizations: Dover Air Force Base, U.S, Defense, Sunday, Navy, Capitol, Army, Army Reserves, Army Reserve, Defense Department, Pentagon, Hezbollah, White, Press Locations: WILMINGTON, Del, Jordan, U.S, Dover, Georgia, William Jerome Rivers of Carrollton, Sgt, Savannah, Sanders, Iran, Israel, Yemen, Moffett, Rivers, Fort Moore, New Jersey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kabul, airport’s, Syria

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has bolstered defenses at a base in Jordan that was attacked by Iran-backed militants as it prepares for a wider U.S. response to a drone attack that killed three service members, a U.S. official said Friday. Even as a larger U.S. military response seemed imminent, some Iran-backed factions pledged to continue to attack U.S. forces in the region. A second U.S. official confirmed the military had taken self-defense strikes inside Yemen against Houthi military targets deemed an imminent threat. The U.S. options under consideration include targets in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, where the Iranian-made drone that killed the service members was fired from, the official said. The U.S. has blamed the Jordan attack on the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iranian-backed militias.

Persons: Harakat, Jordan, Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, CQ Brown, Defense SecretaryAustin, ” Austin, Austin, ”, Aamer Mahdani, Abdulrahman Zeyad, Ahmed al, Haj Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Joint Chiefs, Dover Air Force Base, Defense, Hezbollah, Washington , D.C Locations: Jordan, Iran, U.S, The U.S, Yemen, Red, Yemeni, Hajjah, Sanaa, Iraq, Syria, Israel, Delaware, Iranian, Iraqi, backchannels, Washington ,, Baghdad

☆ Austin Says Iran Trains and Funds Militias Targeting U.S. Troops
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Helene Cooper | More About Helene Cooper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III stopped short on Thursday of blaming Iran for attacks that killed three U.S. service members on Sunday in Jordan but said that Tehran trained and funded the militia groups that have targeted American troops and commercial shipping in the Middle East. Mr. Austin, in a rare show of bravado, continued the Biden administration’s promises of retribution. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Ga.; Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Ga.; and Specialist Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Ga. The Pentagon says that 40 American troops were injured. Biden administration officials say that the drone strike crossed a red line and that there is no way the president will not respond.

Persons: Lloyd J, Austin III, Austin, Biden, “, William Jerome Rivers, Kennedy Ladon Sanders, Breonna Alexsondria Moffett Organizations: ”, Pentagon Locations: Iran, Jordan, Tehran, United States, Carrollton , Ga, Waycross, Savannah, Ga

When two Native American boys from Nebraska died after being taken to a notorious boarding school hundreds of miles away in Pennsylvania, they were buried there without notice. After it opened in 1879 in an old Army barracks, thousands of Native American children were sent by train and stagecoach to Carlisle. In 1990, Congress passed the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet secretary, has pushed the government to reckon with its role in Native American boarding schools. At least 500 children died at some of the schools, including Carlisle.

Persons: Samuel Gilbert, Edward Hensley, Samuel, Edward, weren't, Jan, ”, Greg Werkheiser, Richard Henry Pratt, Jim Thorpe, —, Deb Haaland, “, Beth Wright Organizations: Nebraska, Army, Carlisle Indian Industrial School, “, Cultural Heritage Partners, Department of Interior, War Department, Medical Field Service School, American, Protection, United States Congress, Interior, Native American, Native American Rights Fund Locations: Pennsylvania, Winnebago, Carlisle, Nebraska, Servicemembers, Lake, Washoe, Umpqua, Ute, Rosebud Sioux, Northern Arapaho, Blackfeet, Oglala Sioux, Oneida, Omaha, Modoc , Iowa

☆ Biden Says He Has Decided How to Respond to Attack on US Troops in Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Jeff MasonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he has made up his mind on how to respond to a drone attack that killed U.S. service members in Jordan, as he weighs punishing Iran-backed militias without triggering a wider war. He said the United States does not need a wider war in the Middle East, echoing comments from other officials on Tuesday that the United States does not want a war with Iran. Biden has been weighing his options and the expectation has been that there will be retaliatory strikes, but the timing of the response has been unclear. Three U.S. service members were killed and at least 34 wounded in a drone attack by Iran-backed militants on U.S. troops in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, officials said on Sunday. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Persons: Jeff Mason WASHINGTON, Joe Biden, Biden, Jeff Mason, Doina Chiacu, Chizu Nomiyama Organizations: White, U.S Locations: Jordan, Iran, Florida, United States, U.S, Syrian

☆ What Iran Really Wants
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Alissa J. Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Iran has emerged as the chief architect in multiple conflicts strafing the Middle East, from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf. It trained and helped arm the Iraqi militias that killed three U.S. service members with a drone in Jordan this weekend. Why is Iran suddenly involved in so many conflicts? Since the 1979 takeover of Iran by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the country’s Islamic revolutionary government has had one overriding ambition: to be the lead player shaping the future of the Middle East. Seen another way, it wants Israel weaker and the United States gone from the region after decades of primacy.

Persons: Ruhollah Khomeini Locations: Iran, Persian, Jordan, Israel, Pakistan, Yemen, Gaza, United States

☆ Carnival reroutes cruises as Red Sea tensions rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Ryan Anastasio | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Carnival announced Tuesday it would reroute cruise itineraries for a dozen ships scheduled to transit the Red Sea as tensions rise in the Middle East. Carnival expects the rerouting to impact its adjusted earnings per share by 7 cents to 8 cents in 2024. The company forecast adjusted full-year earnings per share of 93 cents, according to its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings released last month. The cruise liner is expected to release its fiscal first-quarter 2024 earnings in March. Carnival is the latest company to announce disruptions due to the conflicts in the Red Sea.

Persons: reroute itineraries, Joe Biden Organizations: Carnival, Houthi Rebels, Royal, MSC Cruises Locations: Avalon , California, Iranian, U.S, Yemen, Jordan, Red, Royal Caribbean, Swiss, Italian

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has made it clear the U.S. will strike back after a deadly drone attack killed three service members and wounded more than 40 at a small base in Jordan over the weekend. On Tuesday, Biden bluntly said “yes” when asked if he'd decided how to respond to the attack. Target options range from inside Iran, including on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, to Iranian ships at sea and Tehran-backed militia groups and key militant leaders in Iraq and Syria. HIT MILITIA GROUPS AGAINThe most likely move would be to hit Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria again. Hawkish Congress members said Biden should directly target Tehran for the deadly attack on the base in Jordan.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, he'd, “ That’s, ”, John Kirby, ” Biden, Quds, Gen, Qassem, Asad, Avi Melamed, ” Melamed, Jordan, Pat Ryder, Mohammed Shia, Sudani, Sen, Lindsay Graham, Sara Jacobs, Bradley Bowman, Jim Risch, —, Farnoush Amiri, Mike Pesoli, Joshua Boak, Sagar Meghani, Kevin Freking, Abby Sewell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quds Force, National Security, Force, U.S, Embassy, Middle, HIT, Pentagon, CONGRESSIONAL, HOW, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Republican, Senate Foreign Relations, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Tehran, Iraq, Syria, IRAN, Baghdad, Iranian, Hill, Davos, Washington, Beirut

☆ Iraq Condemns Deadly Attack on U.S. Troops in Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The United States has accused Iran-backed militant groups in Syria and Iraq of carrying out the attack, the first deadly blow against U.S. forces since the eruption of the Gaza war touched off violence across the Middle East. Iran-aligned groups have been waging attacks against Israeli and U.S. targets from Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, since their Palestinian ally Hamas and Israel went to war on Oct. 7. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organisation of hardline Iran-backed militant groups, on Sunday claimed attacks on three bases, including one on the Jordan-Syria border. Baghdad has condemned the attacks while also saying regional escalation would continue as long as the Gaza war went on. The attack took place one day after Iraq and the United States initiated talks on the end of a U.S.-led international military coalition that deployed to Iraq a decade ago as part of the campaign against Islamic State.

Persons: Basim Alawadi, Israel, Tala, Tom Perry, Timour, Nick Macfie Organizations: United, U.S, Sunday, Islamic Locations: BAGHDAD, Iraqi, Jordan, United States, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Gaza, Jordanian, U.S, Lebanon, Yemen, Hamas, Western, Baghdad, Islamic State

☆ White House Calls Talks on Hamas Hostage Deal Constructive, Promising
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Monday that talks to secure a new release of hostages held by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza were constructive and promising but there was still a lot of work to be done. "I think it's fair to describe them as constructive," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on CNN. That could really make a difference in terms of getting more hostages out, getting more aid in and actually getting the violence to come down." "But we feel pretty good about the discussions and where they're going and the promise of something potentially pretty significant. "Some 1,200 people were killed and 253 abducted in Hamas' cross-border rampage on Oct. 7, according to Israeli officials.

Persons: William Burns, Brett McGurk, John Kirby, Joe Biden, Burns, Kirby, We're, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, Mark Heinrich Organizations: WASHINGTON, Palestinian, Hamas, CIA, U.S . Middle East, House, CNN, Israel, Yemen's Locations: Gaza, U.S, Israel, East, Yemen's Iran, Red, Iran, Jordan, Syrian

☆ Safe-haven gold gains as Middle East worries mount
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold bars arranged at the Korea Gold Exchange store in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. Gold prices rose on Monday as escalating tensions in the Middle East lifted bullion's safe-haven appeal, while moves were limited as traders awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell's remarks this week for cues on interest rate trajectory. There is enough instability still in the Middle East to keep investors interested in gold as part of a safe-haven play, said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade. Traders are betting on six quarter-point rate cuts for 2024 in the U.S., up from five cuts a week ago, according to LSEG's interest rate probability app IRPR. Lower interest rates decrease the opportunity cost of holding bullion.

Persons: Jerome Powell's, Tim Waterer, Evergrande, Waterer, Powell Organizations: Korea Gold Exchange, U.S . Federal, KCM Trade, Investors, U.S, Fed, Traders Locations: Seoul, South Korea, U.S, Jordan, Syrian

Search resuls for: ". Service"

25 mentions found