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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that Washington is in talks with Argentina for a swap line allowing the country access to billions of dollars, as its right-wing leader Javier Milei seeks to calm markets ahead of midterm elections.After Bessent’s remarks, Argentina’s currency rose 2.4 percent to 1,333.90 pesos to the US dollar.”The Treasury is currently in negotiations with Argentine officials for a $20 billion swap line with the Central Bank,” Bessent said in a social media post, a day after he and President Donald Trump spoke with Milei.The United States is also ready to buy the country’s dollar bonds, Bessent added on X.Milei, a key Latin American ally of Trump, thanked the US president and Bessent for their “support and confidence.”Swap lines are transactions in which two central banks agree to swap their currencies at a set exchange rate for a specified period.Trump said Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York that although the United States would help Argentina, “I don’t think they need a bailout.”The Argentine peso had fallen sharply after Milei’s party was beaten by the center-left Peronist movement in a Buenos Aires provincial election on September 7.The vote was seen as a litmus test for national legislative elections scheduled for October 26.Bessent added Wednesday that the US Treasury “stands ready to purchase Argentina’s USD bonds and will do so as conditions warrant,” among other measures.”As President Trump has stated, we stand ready to do what is needed to support Argentina,” he wrote.He said that the South American country “has the tools to defeat speculators, including those who seek to destabilize Argentina’s markets for political objectives.”Trump earlier said he was giving Milei his “full endorsement,” while Bessent said at the start of the week that “all options for stabilization are on the table.”But the Trump administration’s plans have also raised questions domestically. Senator Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, wrote a letter dated Monday to Bessent seeking further information about a potential “bailout” of Argentina.”It is deeply troubling that the president intends to use significant emergency funds to inflate the value of a foreign government’s currency and bolster its financial markets,” she said.Bessent shot back at Warren’s criticism, saying she and others “failed to act when presented with a historic opportunity to stabilize Latin America economically and geopolitically during the Obama years.”Free-marketeer Milei’s election was cheered by investors in 2023 but he has begun to hemorrhage support after two years of biting austerity and a corruption scandal involving his sister.

Iranian officials at the UN summit this week won’t be able to shop in New York after the US government barred them from purchasing everything from bulk household goods to expensive watches.The restrictions on the visiting Iranians were described by a State Department spokesman as “maximum pressure.””We will not allow the Iranian regime to allow its clerical elites to have a shopping spree in New York while the Iranian people endure poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and dire shortages of water and electricity,” Thomas Pigott said.The move restricts Iranian diplomats and other officials from visiting popular stores such as Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale Club, according to a notice published in the Federal Register on Tuesday.The notice in the Federal Register also said Iranian officials would need to seek permission from the State Department to buy “luxury goods.”A range of items, including watches, electronics and fountain pens, were listed, with restrictions kicking in if they were valued at more than $1,000.Vehicles worth more than $60,000 were also listed as luxury goods.Iran’s economy has been hard hit by US sanctions, impacting imports of a range of goods and also Tehran’s ability to sell its oil and other exports abroad.US President Donald Trump has sought to cripple Iran’s nuclear program since taking office this year, ordering bomb and missile attacks on three nuclear sites in June.

TV host Jimmy Kimmel defended free speech when he returned to US screens on Tuesday, calling government pressure on his late-night talk show “anti-American” as critics decried his suspension as an attack on constitutional rights.In a lengthy opening monologue, an emotional Kimmel praised the public outrage — which came from both left and right — over his suspension, as President Donald Trump threatened to sue ABC, the TV network that carries the show.”A government threat to silence a comedian the president doesn’t like is anti-American,” Kimmel said to wild applause.”Our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television.”Kimmel, who frequently skewers Trump and his inner circle, raised the ire of conservatives last week when he said “the MAGA gang” was trying to exploit the college campus murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.On Tuesday he struck a conciliatory note. “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he said, his voice cracking.”Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual.”Kimmel’s suspension last week had sparked glee for Trump, who has long hated the mockery he suffers at the hands of late night comedians.Hours before the show’s reappearance, the 79-year-old took to social media to complain — and threaten ABC.”Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE?” he wrote.”I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative.”It was not immediately clear what legal grounds Trump might think he has.Previous suits against media firms — including the one against ABC — were largely viewed as meritless, but settled seemingly as a way to appease the often-vengeful president.Audience members who had watched the Hollywood taping told AFP Kimmel had struck the right tone.”It was great. It really was. He was humble, funny, and just very genuine. His delivery was on point, heartfelt… And it was very genuine,” said Dana Lotkowski, 62, who flew in from Philadelphia for the show.”He spoke really eloquently and he gave like a lot of love to everyone who’s been hurt,” said Katie Persico, 34.”I felt like I was part of history a little bit for free speech.”- Boycott -The latest bust-up between the Trump administration and critics in the media unfolded last week when Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr appeared to threaten the licenses of ABC affiliates broadcasting the show unless they demanded Kimmel’s removal.Two companies that own dozens of those affiliates — Nexstar and Sinclair — then announced they would be removing the show from their schedules, prompting Disney to suspend the show nationwide.Sinclair — which last week demanded Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family and make a donation to his right-wing activist group Turning Point USA — said Monday its affiliates would not be broadcasting the show when it resumed.On Tuesday, Nexstar followed suit.The show remained off the air in several of the largest US TV markets because of the boycott.Affected cities included Washington DC, New Orleans, Nashville and Seattle.Kimmel’s abrupt disappearance from the airwaves sparked fury in liberal circles, with opponents saying he had been targeted because he is critical of Trump.Opponents saw it as the latest step in creeping government control of free speech, which is a right enshrined in the country’s constitution.Some on the political right were also uneasy, including Trump allies such as conservative senator Ted Cruz and firebrand broadcaster Tucker Carlson.Trump often complains about negative coverage of him, going so far last week as to call it “illegal,” and has sued several media organizations.Disney, which owns ABC faced backlash after suspending Kimmel, with a rash of consumer cancellations and a wave of reproach from creators and Hollywood insiders over what many saw as a spineless response to government bullying.By Monday, Disney had backtracked, saying the suspension had been an effort to “avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country” and calling Kimmel’s comments “ill-timed and thus insensitive.”But it said it was bringing the show back after days of “thoughtful conversations with Jimmy.”

US President Donald Trump lashed out Tuesday hours before Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show was due to be back on the air in the United States, insulting the host, and threatening to “test ABC” over the move.Kimmel’s show returns Tuesday night after a week-long hiatus following government pressure on broadcasters that critics said amounted to a chill on free speech.However, two powerful companies that own dozens of ABC affiliates have said they will continue their boycott, giving viewers “other programming relevant to their respective markets.”Trump took to his Truth Social platform to insult Kimmel and accuse broadcaster ABC of “playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE.” The 79-year-old Republican added: “I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 million dollars.”ABC agreed in December to donate $15 million to Trump’s eventual presidential library to settle a defamation suit instead of fighting it out in court.A separate $16 million settlement was paid by CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, to settle a different lawsuit over an interview with former vice president Kamala Harris.All eyes will be on Kimmel’s popular opening monologue Tuesday night, in which the comedian is expected to address his suspension, which came after comments he made in the wake of the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.”I don’t want him to apologize as soon as he comes in,” 18-year-old Paul Dorner told AFP as he waited for a seat in the show’s audience.”I would love for him to just put up a fight and stand up for what he thinks.”Rogelio Nunez, 38, said he had traveled from San Diego for the taping in the heart of Hollywood.”We need to make sure that we’re not being censored,” he said.”So besides just coming for entertainment, I think it’s important to protect our rights.”- ‘The MAGA gang’ -Kimmel, who frequently skewers Trump and his inner circle, raised the ire of conservatives last week when he said “the MAGA gang” was trying to exploit Kirk’s college campus murder for their own political gain.Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr appeared to threaten the licenses of ABC affiliates broadcasting the show unless they demanded Kimmel’s removal — something Trump himself has frequently called for.Two companies that own dozens of those affiliates — Nexstar and Sinclair — then announced they would be removing the show from their schedules, prompting Disney to suspend the show nationwide.Sinclair — which last week demanded Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family and make a donation to his right-wing activist group Turning Point USA — said Monday its affiliates would not be broadcasting the show when it resumed.On Tuesday, Nexstar followed suit.”We made a decision last week to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’… We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve,” the company said.Kimmel’s abrupt disappearance from the airwaves sparked fury in liberal circles, with opponents saying he had been targeted because he is critical of Trump.Opponents saw it as the latest step in creeping government control of free speech, which is an article of faith for many Americans, as well as a right enshrined in the country’s constitution.Some on the political right were also uneasy, including those who regularly count themselves as Trump allies, like conservative senator Ted Cruz, and firebrand broadcaster Tucker Carlson.Trump often complains about negative coverage of him, going so far last week as to call it “illegal,” and has sued several media organizations.Disney’s ABC has already settled a lawsuit filed by the president, pledging a multi-million dollar sum in a move that observers said appeared to be an attempt to get the often-vengeful 79-year-old off its back.The company faced backlash after suspending Kimmel, with a rash of consumer cancellations and a wave of reproach from creators and Hollywood insiders over what many saw as a spineless response to government bullying.By Monday Disney had backtracked, saying the suspension had been an effort to “avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country” and calling Kimmel’s comments “ill-timed and thus insensitive.”But it said it was bringing the show back after days of “thoughtful conversations with Jimmy.”Actor Glen Powell and singer Sarah McLachlan were expected to appear on Tuesday night’s show.Kimmel has made no public comment about the episode, but on Tuesday posted a photo on Instagram of himself with late producer Norman Lear — who was known for his advocacy of free speech — with the caption: “Missing this guy today.”

On a bright September morning, employees stream through the turnstiles and vast lobby of Goldman Sachs’ headquarters in the sunlit Battery Park City neighborhood of Manhattan.More than 9,000 people work at the investment bank’s New York head office.And hundreds of them depend on the H-1B skilled worker visa, recently targeted by the Trump administration for a dramatic overhaul.A September 19 order by President Donald Trump mandates $100,000 payments from companies for every new hire through the program.Though the major impact will be on the tech sector — the largest source of H-1B hiring — financial companies like Goldman Sachs will also be forced to re-evaluate their practice of hiring from abroad.- Concentration in New YorkIn the first two quarters of 2025, Goldman Sachs was the biggest recipient of H-1B visas in New York City. The Big Apple was, in turn, the single location with the most H-1B recipients in all of the United States.Aggregated at the state level, California and Texas both attract more H-1B visa holders than the state of New York; but there is no one city or town in either of these states that boasts a higher number of H-1B holders than the east coast metropolis.This concentration of H-1B visas in New York is driven by hiring at Wall Street’s financial giants.Data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services analyzed by AFP shows that four of the top five H-1B visa recipients in New York City are financial services companies: the investment banks Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup, and financial data company Bloomberg. The other company in the top five is the consulting and professional services firm McKinsey.Further down the list, and outside of the finance sector, universities such as Columbia and NYU and medical institutions like the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weil Cornell Medical College also brought a number of H-1B hires to the city.- Negative impactsAccording to 2025 data, H-1B positions filled by the banks skewed towards the more technical side of the finance industry, with many visa holders working in software engineering, quantitative analytics, and data science.Goldman Sachs did not respond to emailed questions asking how a $100,000 price tag would impact their ability to hire for such roles in the future. Contacted by AFP with similar questions, Bloomberg and Citigroup declined to comment.In general, experts believe the fee will lead to a large reduction in applications for the visa scheme, which could have further negative impacts on the economy.”A visa fee of this scale is likely to drastically curtail the use of H-1B visas,” Ethan G. Lewis, Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College, told AFP.”It will lead to reduced hires of US workers and slower productivity growth, and, longer term, discourage people [from other countries] from going to college and beyond in the US, because many tend to rely on H-1B visas for their first job out of studies.”In the tech industry the announcement of the visa fee has caused consternation, with many entrepreneurs — among them Trump’s ally Elon Musk — warning that the US will not be able to fill highly skilled roles with only homegrown talent.Others have speculated that, rather than being offered to American workers, some jobs will simply be outsourced overseas.

The fires that tore through Los Angeles nine months ago didn’t destroy Karen Girard’s home. But the smokeleft her walls, floors and furniture infused with a toxic cocktail.Tests have found heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and zinc, as well as volatile organic compounds like cyanide and furfural that have left her home uninhabitable.When the flames razed neighboring houses in January during a terrifying firestorm in Altadena, Girard was astonished to learn her property was spared.”I thought I should go out and buy lottery tickets, because I never thought I would be this lucky again,” she told AFP.But even after only short visits Girard finds herself suffering from increasing asthma attacks.Tests revealed problems she couldn’t see — things she says mean the house is no longer safe.”I realized that even though the home was still standing, it might be lost to me,” the 58-year-old designer said.- Unseen disaster – The wildfires that ravaged the Los Angeles area in January killed 31 people directly, and razed more than 16,000 buildings, tearing a swathe through the working- and middle-class neighborhood of Altadena and the upmarket enclave of Pacific Palisades.Horrifying pictures of a burned out landscape were broadcast around the world, showing acres (hectares) of almost unimaginable devastation, in one of the most expensive natural disasters the world has ever seen.But among the embers smoldered another, less-visible disaster: the pollution released when homes, cars, televisions, household goods and batteries burned.Driven by gusts reaching 100 miles (160 kilometers) and hour, this poisonous soup seeped under neighbors’ doors and through vents. “The potential toxicity of the mixture that came off these fires is probably much greater than what we saw in other major fires we’ve experienced in the US, because those fires did not affect as many urban structures,” explained Michael Jerrett, a professor of environmental science at the University of California Los Angeles. His team tested the atmosphere in affected communities this spring and found abnormal levels of hexavalent chromium, a carcinogen.Nanoparticles could have been transported up to six miles, potentially affecting tens of thousands of people, he says.”They are so small that they’re capable of penetrating the indoor environment with high efficiency.””It’s really important that people trying to move back into their homes have them properly remediated.”But getting insurance companies to pay up has proven complicated.Girard says she is stuck in a battle between experts, with the damage restoration company she hired recommending replacing all her furniture, and even treating the frame of her house.The firm hired by her insurance company, however, insists that a vacuum cleaner equipped with a filter to capture fine particles will be enough to make the place habitable. – Insurers – To Girard it seems like the company is prioritizing profit over her wellbeing.”While it feels like business to them, it doesn’t feel like business to me,” she said.”This is my home. This is a place that I’ve lived for a couple of decades, and it is a place I desperately want to come home to.”Girard’s insurer, Farmers, told AFP: “We continue to work with our customer to resolve this claim and remain willing to review any additional information they may wish to provide.”The problem when dealing with insurance companies — a frequent topic of complaint in high-cost California, even without a major disaster — is that they appear to be a law unto themselves, says Jane Lawton, founder of the Eaton Fire Residents United association.”There are no clear standards on (smoke claims), so insurance companies can deny what they want,” she said.Her organization has mapped more than 200 tests conducted on homes in Altadena. All show varying degrees of contamination. “This is going to be like 9/11,” said Lawton, referencing the 2001 attack in New York where people in a wide area around the World Trade Center suffered from chronic respiratory illnesses and elevated rates of some cancers after the twin towers collapsed, releasing clouds of dust and debris. California’s largest insurer, State Farm, which has so far paid out $4.5 billion in relation to the fires, said it “evaluates each claim, including smoke claims, on a case-by-case basis.”But for Priscilla Munoz, they are dragging their feet.Munoz, who lives a mile from the disaster area, spent $10,000 on a study that found lead in her home and still doesn’t know if the insurer will pay to clean it up.”Lead… goes into things,” she says, worrying about her two young children and their plush toys. “I don’t want them snuggling up to a toxic stuffy.”

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show will be back on the air in the United States Tuesday after a week-long hiatus following government pressure on broadcasters that critics said amounted to a chill on free speech.But two powerful companies that own dozens of ABC affiliates have said they will continue their boycott, giving viewers “other programming relevant to their respective markets.”All eyes will be on the show’s popular opening monologue, in which the comedian is expected to address his suspension, which came after comments he made in the wake of the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.”I don’t want him to apologize as soon as he comes in,” 18-year-old Paul Dorner told AFP as he waited for a seat in the show’s audience.”I would love for him to just put up a fight and stand up for what he thinks.”Rogelio Nunez, 38, said he had traveled from San Diego for the taping in the heart of Hollywood.”We need to make sure that we’re not being censored,” he said.”So besides just coming for entertainment, I think it’s important to protect our rights.”- ‘The MAGA gang’ -Kimmel, who frequently skewers President Donald Trump and his inner circle, raised the ire of conservatives last week when he said “the MAGA gang” was trying to exploit Kirk’s college campus murder for their own political gain.Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr appeared to threaten the licenses of ABC affiliates broadcasting the show unless they demanded Kimmel’s removal — something Trump himself has frequently called for.Two companies that own dozens of those affiliates — Nexstar and Sinclair — then announced they would be removing the show from their stations’ schedules, prompting Disney to suspend the show nationwide.Sinclair — which last week demanded Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family and make a donation to his right-wing activist group Turning Point USA — said Monday its affiliates would not be broadcasting the show when it resumed.On Tuesday, Nexstar followed suit.”We made a decision last week to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’… We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve,” the company said.Kimmel’s abrupt disappearance from the airwaves sparked fury in liberal circles, with opponents saying he had been targeted because he is critical of Trump.Opponents saw it as the latest step in creeping government control of free speech, which is an article of faith for many Americans, as well as a right enshrined in the country’s constitution.Some on the political right were also uneasy, including those who regularly count themselves as Trump allies, like conservative senator Ted Cruz, and firebrand broadcaster Tucker Carlson.Trump often complains about negative coverage of him, going so far last week as to call it “illegal,” and has sued several media organizations.Disney’s ABC has already settled a lawsuit filed by the president, pledging a multi-million dollar sum in a move that observers said appeared to be an attempt to get the often-vengeful 79-year-old off its back.The company faced backlash after suspending Kimmel, with a rash of consumer cancellations and a wave of reproach from creators and Hollywood insiders over what many saw as a spineless response to government bullying.By Monday Disney had backtracked, saying the suspension had been an effort to “avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country” and calling Kimmel’s comments “ill-timed and thus insensitive.”But it said it was bringing the show back after days of “thoughtful conversations with Jimmy.”Actor Glen Powell and singer Sarah McLachlan were expected to appear on Tuesday night’s show.Kimmel has made no public comment about the episode, but on Tuesday posted a photo on Instagram of himself with late producer Norman Lear — who was known for his advocacy of free speech — with the caption: “Missing this guy today.”

YouTube is set to reinstate creators previously banned for promoting Covid-19 misinformation and false election-related content, according to a letter sent Tuesday by parent company Alphabet to a Republican lawmaker.The policy reversal marks a victory for the conservative allies of US President Donald Trump, who have long accused tech platforms and professional fact-checkers of a liberal bias and of using anti-misinformation policies as a pretext for censorship.”Reflecting the company’s commitment to free expression, YouTube will provide an opportunity for all creators to rejoin the platform if the company terminated their channels for repeated violations of Covid-19 and elections integrity policies that are no longer in effect,” Alphabet’s legal counsel said in the five-page letter to Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Committee.”YouTube values conservative voices on its platform and recognizes that these creators have extensive reach and play an important role in civic discourse.”The full impact of the policy reversal was yet to be determined, and it was not immediately clear which creators would be reinstated and when.In recent years, figures such as FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, White House counterterrorism chief Sebastian Gorka and podcast host Steve Bannon were among those previously banned from the platform, according to US media.Alphabet accused former president Joe Biden’s administration of pressuring the company to impose the bans.”Senior Biden Administration officials, including White House officials, conducted repeated and sustained outreach to Alphabet and pressed the company regarding certain user-generated content related to the COVID-19 pandemic that did not violate its policies,” the letter said. “While the company continued to develop and enforce its policies independently, Biden administration officials continued to press the Company to remove non-violative user-generated content,” it added.- Policy rollback -After Biden took office in 2021, his administration urged platforms to purge what it identified as harmful misinformation –- including content that encouraged people to inject bleach and other disinfectants to cure Covid-19, a suggestion once echoed by Trump.Jordan, who has spent years probing what Republicans have blasted as a coordinated effort by Biden’s administration to suppress conservative voices online, celebrated Alphabet’s announcement as a “victory in the fight against censorship” and a “massive win” for the American people.”To make amends to the American people, and because of our work, YouTube is rolling back its censorship policies on political speech, including topics such as Covid and elections,” Jordan wrote on X.”No more telling Americans what to believe and not believe,” he added.Alphabet’s letter stressed that “YouTube has not and will not empower fact-checkers to take action on or label content across the company’s services.”Instead, it allows users to add notes of context to user content, adopting a community-driven approach to combating online misinformation that was popularized by Elon Musk’s platform, X.The decision to reinstate previously banned users also mirrors Musk’s move to welcome back prominent purveyors of misinformation on Twitter, which he rebranded as X after acquiring it in 2022.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Ukraine could win back all of its territory from Russia, in an astonishing turnaround on the war after meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky.Trump’s suggestion that Kyiv could win, with financial support from EU and NATO, marks an extraordinary shift after months of saying Ukraine would likely have to cede land to its larger neighbor.Zelensky hailed Trump’s comments as a “big shift.”In a further jibe at Moscow, he also called for NATO countries to shoot down any Russian fighter jets violating their airspace, following a series of incidents that have rattled US allies in Eastern Europe.”I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump said in a Truth Social Post after meeting Zelensky at the United Nations.Trump added that on top of being able to take back the country in its original form, Kyiv could “maybe even go further than that!” — although he did not elaborate on what he meant.- ‘BIG economic trouble’ -The US leader’s comments mark the latest in a series of reversals on Ukraine, including a sudden pivot to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin early this year that stunned allies.Trump had also shown lukewarm support for Ukraine, telling Zelensky during a televised Oval Office bust-up in February that “you don’t have the cards” to beat Russia.But his new shift reflected his growing frustration with Putin since a summit in Alaska on August 15 failed to produce a breakthrough, and was instead followed by increased Russian attacks. Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he had counted on a bond with Putin to bring an end to the three-and-a-half-year-old war — but “unfortunately, that relationship didn’t mean anything.”In his post, Trump said he had changed his view on the war “after getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation and, after seeing the Economic trouble it is causing Russia.””Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act,” Trump said.He added that Russia was “fighting aimlessly” after more than three years of war and was now a “paper tiger” instead of a serious nuclear force.- ‘Good luck to all!’ -Amid astonishment in Europe about Trump’s sudden shift, there were concerns in some capitals that the US president’s message may not have been quite what it seemed.The references to EU and NATO, combined with his closing comment “Good luck to all!”, led to fears that he may be trying to wash his hands of a conflict that he blames on his predecessor Joe Biden.Trump, who has repeatedly pushed NATO to take more of the burden for supporting Ukraine, insisted Washington would continue to give NATO weapons “to do what they want with them.”Trump’s announcement came shortly after Zelensky briefed him on what he said were Ukraine’s recent military successes against Russia, despite Moscow’s grinding advances in the east of the country.”This post of Trump is a big shift,” Zelensky said in a press conference.Zelensky meanwhile, raised the alarm over Russia’s recent drone intrusions into NATO nations, saying Putin was probing the “weak places” in the alliance’s defenses.Trump said NATO forces would be within their rights to act.”Yes I do,” Trump said when a reporter asked if NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace.Recent incidents include NATO scrambling jets after three Russian fighters on Friday breached Estonian airspace, and Poland saying earlier this month that Russian drones had repeatedly crossed into its territory during an attack on Ukraine.

Wall Street’s bull run showed signs of fatigue Tuesday as major indices retreated from records on drops by Amazon, Nvidia and other tech giants.The pullback followed comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warning that cutting interest rates “too aggressively” could stoke inflation, while the central bank boss also emphasized the need to try to prevent the labor market from softening “unnecessarily.”All three major US indices have finished at records the last three days.”Today’s pullback after fresh record highs could reflect market participants giving credence to valuation concerns amid a historic run, particularly in the mega-cap space, though investors have repeatedly shown a willingness to buy dips throughout this rally,” said Briefing.com.The tech-rich Nasdaq led US indices lower, dropping one percent. Nvidia, which rallied on Monday after announcing a $100 billion investment in OpenAI to build infrastructure for next-generation artificial intelligence, retreated on Tuesday, losing 2.8 percent. While “leading tech companies are investing hundreds of billions in generative AI… some investors continue to question if this is money well spent,” said David Morrison, senior market analyst at Trade Nation.Earlier, London ended the day flat and Paris and Frankfurt added barely half of one percent as investors digested purchasing managers’ index (PMI) data — a closely watched gauge of economic health. The index showed eurozone business activity hit a 16-month high in September, partly driven by solid growth in Germany, while France weighed on performance.Britain’s reading came in below expectations, suggesting the economy is losing momentum, analysts noted, as inflation fears linger.With trade subdued by a holiday in Japan and an approaching typhoon in Hong Kong, Asian markets mostly drifted as Hong Kong and Shanghai both closed lower. Taipei jumped more than one percent, with chip titan TSMC soaring over three percent as it tracked US counterpart Nvidia, which announced a $100-billion investment in OpenAI for next-generation artificial intelligence.Oil prices rose after President Donald Trump called on Europe to completely halt oil imports from the country over the Ukraine war. The US president also threatened sanctions on Russia in a speech that tilted more heavily in support of Ukraine than earlier Trump stances.- Key figures at around 2050 GMT -New York – Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 46,292.78 (close)New York – S&P 500: DOWN 0.6 percent at 6,656.92 (close)New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 1.0 percent at 22,573.47 (close)London – FTSE 100: FLAT at 9,223.32 (close)Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.5 percent at 7,872.02 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.4 percent at 23,611.33 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.7 percent at 26,159.12 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 3,821.83 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: Closed for a holidayEuro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1816 from $1.1803 on MondayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3524 from $1.3514Dollar/yen: DOWN at 147.66 yen from 147.72 yenEuro/pound: UP at 87.37 pence from 87.34 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 1.8 percent at $63.41 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 1.6 percent at $67.63 per barrel