Morning brief: Asia stocks rise, Trump unveils US refinery

On Wednesday, Oil prices fluctuated as policymakers discussed emergency measures to stabilize energy markets, while Asian equities rebounded after a brief retreat in crude prices. At the same time, US President Donald Trump announced plans for the first new American oil refinery in five decades, and disruptions to Qatar’s LNG exports raised concerns about tighter […]

Rubio designates Afghanistan as ‘state sponsor of wrongful detention’: ‘Despicable tactics’

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan as a ‘state sponsor of wrongful detention,’ accusing the Taliban of ‘unjustly’ detaining Americans and other foreign nationals. In his announcement on Monday, Rubio said the Taliban continues to use ‘terrorist tactics’ that he insisted ‘need to end.’ ‘I am designating Afghanistan as a State Sponsor of […]

Here’s why the ASX 200 Index and AUD/USD are rising this week

The Australian dollar, local bonds, and the ASX Composite are rising this month as the country becomes an unusual haven among investors.  The AUD/USD exchange rate jumped to its highest point since 2022, while the ten-year government bond yields dropped from this week’s high of 5% to the current 4.80%.  Similarly, the ASX 200 Index, […]

Trump says Reliance to back first new US oil refinery in 50 years

US President Donald Trump said the United States will see its first new oil refinery built in five decades, backed by investment linked to India’s Reliance Industries. Trump announced the project in a post on Truth Social, saying the refinery will be located in Brownsville, Texas, and developed by America First Refining. “I am proud […]

Oracle stock is offering its AI future for free today: find out more

D.A. Davidson’s senior analyst Gil Luria continues to see Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) as exceptionally cheap at about 25x forward earnings, despite an 8% rally after Q3 earnings late on Tuesday. Oracle came in handily above Street estimates in its third financial quarter and cited solid artificial intelligence (AI) tailwinds as it guided for a better-than-expected […]

Speaker Johnson touts Trump’s agenda as crucial blueprint ahead of midterms: ‘On the ballot’

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., signaled Tuesday that Republicans will continue to closely align themselves with President Donald Trump as the November midterms creep closer. ‘The American people are going to understand he is on the ballot, at least in a metaphorical sense, because if we were to lose the midterms, everybody knows the chaos […]

DOJ blasts ‘partisan’ DC Bar complaint against senior Trump official

A senior Trump administration official and former acting U.S. attorney for D.C. is under disciplinary review for his role in President Donald Trump’s anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative — sparking outrage from the Justice Department, which assailed alleged ethics violations against Ed Martin as a ‘partisan’ effort, and one that unfairly targets Trump and his […]

US strike on key Iran oil hub would fit Trump’s ‘energy dominance doctrine,’ expert says

Kharg Island, which handles the bulk of Iran’s crude exports and was once floated by President Donald Trump as a potential target could spark broader regional instability and attacks on energy infrastructure if struck by the U.S., a leading energy security expert has warned. Reports indicate the Trump administration is weighing options that could include […]

Putin caught executing enormous ‘semi-dark’ ship-to-ship oil transfer in Gulf of Oman

Russia has turned to its so-called ‘shadow fleet’ to carry out a roughly $29.3 million ‘semi-dark’ ship-to-ship oil transfer in the Gulf of Oman, deliberately sidestepping Western sanctions, according to reports. Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI reported on March 8 that the Russian-flagged tanker M/V TRUST, a vessel already blacklisted by the U.S., European Union […]