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International Relations News 3 January 2026 - 10 January 2026

U.S. pulls Australia, India into G7 critical minerals talks as rare-earth supply jitters rise

U.S. pulls Australia, India into G7 critical minerals talks as rare-earth supply jitters rise

SAVAGE, Minnesota, Jan 10, 2026, 14:26 (CST) The United States has invited Australia and India to join a G7 finance ministers meeting in Washington on Monday focused on critical minerals, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. He said several other countries were also invited, without naming them. (Reuters) Critical minerals are metals such as lithium and rare earths used in batteries, wind turbines, semiconductors and weapons. For the G7, they have become a live supply-chain risk as China keeps a tight hold on refining. Japan has signalled it will take the issue to Washington after Beijing’s latest export moves. Finance
10 January 2026
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Chevron stock jumps after hours as Venezuela licence talks put CVX back in play

Chevron stock jumps after hours as Venezuela licence talks put CVX back in play

NEW YORK, Jan 8, 2026, 19:28 EST — After-hours Chevron Corp shares rose 2.6% in after-hours trading on Thursday after a Reuters report said the oil major is in talks with Washington to expand its Venezuela licence, which could let it ship more crude to its refineries and sell to other buyers. The stock was at $159.25. Tighter terms imposed in July cut the company’s Venezuelan exports to about 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) in December from 250,000 earlier this year, sources said. Reuters The talks land as the Trump administration pushes to take tighter control of Venezuela’s oil sales
9 January 2026
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Trump’s Venezuela oil plan starts now: 30–50 million barrels headed for U.S.

Trump’s Venezuela oil plan starts now: 30–50 million barrels headed for U.S.

CARACAS, Jan 7, 2026, 13:54 (VET) The Trump administration will start moving Venezuelan crude to the United States immediately, shipping an initial 30 million to 50 million barrels and keeping sales running indefinitely, a senior Trump administration official said on Wednesday. The official said Washington would selectively ease sanctions to help keep Venezuelan crude and refined products flowing to global markets. Reuters Energy Secretary Chris Wright framed the oil as leverage after U.S. forces seized President Nicolas Maduro at the weekend. “We need to have that leverage and that control of those oil sales,” he told a Goldman Sachs energy conference
7 January 2026
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Trump’s Venezuela Oil Move Sends Chevron, Refiners Jumping as Crude Holds Steady

Trump’s Venezuela Oil Move Sends Chevron, Refiners Jumping as Crude Holds Steady

NEW YORK, Jan 5, 2026, 09:25 (EST) U.S. energy shares surged in pre-market trading on Monday after President Donald Trump pledged to unlock Venezuela’s oil reserves following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Chevron was up about 7%, while Exxon Mobil and Halliburton also climbed. The Guardian Oil prices, however, barely moved as traders focused on what changes now versus what might take years. Brent crude futures were up 37 cents to $61.12 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 41 cents to $57.73, with the U.S. embargo on Venezuelan oil still in place and OPEC+ holding
5 January 2026
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Lockheed Martin stock near $500 premarket as Venezuela shock and space-deal chatter refocus defense trade

Lockheed Martin stock near $500 premarket as Venezuela shock and space-deal chatter refocus defense trade

NEW YORK, Jan 5, 2026, 05:43 ET — Premarket Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) shares were little changed at $497.07 in premarket trading on Monday, holding near last session’s close after the stock rose about 2.8% on Friday. Defense names drew fresh attention after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after strikes over the weekend, a flashpoint investors said could reshape how markets price geopolitical risk. “We’re being reminded that geopolitical risks are much larger than some number cast on imports,” said Vishnu Varathan, head of macro research for Asia ex-Japan at Mizuho Securities in
5 January 2026
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Exxon Mobil stock faces Monday test as Trump pitches Venezuela oil rebuild for U.S. giants

Exxon Mobil stock faces Monday test as Trump pitches Venezuela oil rebuild for U.S. giants

NEW YORK, Jan 5, 2026, 03:46 ET — Market closed Exxon Mobil (XOM) shares are in focus ahead of Monday’s session after President Donald Trump said U.S. oil companies would spend “billions of dollars” to restore Venezuela’s “badly broken” oil infrastructure, hours after Nicolás Maduro was captured and removed by U.S. forces. Analysts cautioned that the effort would run into years of repairs and a U.S. embargo that Trump said remains in place. “It will take tens of billions of dollars to turn that industry around,” said Peter McNally, global head of sector analysts at Third Bridge. Reuters The news
5 January 2026
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Exxon Mobil stock (XOM) in focus as U.S. presses oil majors on Venezuela ahead of Monday open

Exxon Mobil stock (XOM) in focus as U.S. presses oil majors on Venezuela ahead of Monday open

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 18:21 ET — Market closed U.S. officials have urged American oil executives to move quickly back into Venezuela and commit significant capital if they want to recover compensation tied to assets expropriated two decades ago, according to two people familiar with the outreach. Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), which exited Venezuela and later pursued arbitration, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters The timing matters because crude markets reopen on Sunday with Venezuela back at the center of supply risk after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Washington maintained an embargo
5 January 2026
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U.S. seizes Venezuela’s Maduro after strikes, setting up oil and diplomacy fallout

U.S. seizes Venezuela’s Maduro after strikes, setting up oil and diplomacy fallout

WASHINGTON, Jan 4, 2026, 12:38 ET Venezuela’s ruling bloc said it remained unified behind President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday, a day after the United States attacked Venezuela and took Maduro and his wife into custody. With Maduro held in a New York detention center awaiting a court appearance on Monday on drug charges, ministers in Caracas said the detentions were a kidnapping and kept running the state as some residents cautiously stocked up on essentials. The seizure has injected fresh geopolitical risk into markets set to reopen on Monday, and raised questions about whether Washington can stabilise an oil producer
4 January 2026
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Maduro captured in U.S. strike: what happens next for Venezuela’s oil, politics and markets

Maduro captured in U.S. strike: what happens next for Venezuela’s oil, politics and markets

WASHINGTON, January 4, 2026, 12:47 ET Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA has asked several joint ventures to curb crude production as exports grind to a halt under a U.S. tanker blockade, three people close to the decision said on Sunday. The move adds pressure to an interim administration in Caracas after U.S. forces captured President Nicolas Maduro and flew him to New York to face drug charges, U.S. officials said.  Reuters Oil exports are Venezuela’s main source of hard currency, and PDVSA’s partners include Chevron and China’s CNPC, turning the disruption into a test of whether Washington can translate Saturday’s
4 January 2026
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Chip stocks brace for Monday after U.S. strikes Venezuela — three scenarios to watch

Chip stocks brace for Monday after U.S. strikes Venezuela — three scenarios to watch

NEW YORK, Jan 3, 2026, 17:31 ET U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States struck Venezuela overnight and captured President Nicolas Maduro, a shock event that investors are now mapping onto the next trading session for semiconductor stocks.  Reuters Chip shares entered the weekend with momentum. The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index, a widely watched gauge of U.S. chipmakers, rose 4% on Friday as Nvidia and Intel helped lift the Dow.  Reuters Why it matters now is less about Caracas buying chips and more about what happens to oil and interest rates. Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group,
4 January 2026
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US strikes Venezuela, captures Maduro: what it could mean for Woodside and Santos when ASX reopens

US strikes Venezuela, captures Maduro: what it could mean for Woodside and Santos when ASX reopens

SYDNEY, Jan 3, 2026, 17:26 ET U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States struck Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro in an overnight operation, jolting geopolitics and putting Australia’s oil-linked shares in focus for Monday trade.  Reuters The most direct channel to the Australian market is crude prices. Woodside Energy and Santos are among the ASX’s biggest oil-and-gas producers, and their valuations tend to move with expectations for oil-linked cash flows. The timing matters because it lands on a weekend, when liquidity is thin and headlines can reset pricing before Asia opens. A big gap move in crude when
4 January 2026
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U.S. attack on Venezuela: Gas prices, inflation and the U.S. economy

U.S. attack on Venezuela: Gas prices, inflation and the U.S. economy

NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 12:38 ET U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that U.S. forces attacked Venezuela overnight and captured President Nicolas Maduro, in Washington’s most direct intervention in Latin America since the 1989 Panama invasion. The surprise operation has put the economic spotlight on oil, a key input for U.S. gasoline prices and inflation.  Reuters Oil prices matter for the U.S. economy because they feed into fuel bills for drivers and businesses, and can move inflation data watched by the Federal Reserve. Brent crude, the global benchmark, settled at $60.75 a barrel on Friday and U.S. West
3 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

Wall Street Feels the Heat (and Thrill): Fed Cuts, Tariffs & Mega-Mergers Set NYSE Buzz

Stock Market Today 07.02.2026

7 February 2026
LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: February 7, 2026, 12:00 AM ESTUpdated: February 7, 2026, 12:55 AM EST Crude Oil Prices Rise on Dollar Weakness, Geopolitical Tensions February 7, 2026, 12:52 AM EST. Crude oil prices edged higher on Friday, supported by a weaker U.S. dollar and escalating geopolitical risks in the Middle East. March WTI crude gained 0.41%, rebounding from early losses, while gasoline prices rose 1.38%. Doubts over a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal loom after reports of Iran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment, raising the risk of military action and potential disruption of vital shipping routes. Additionally, a surge in U.S. consumer
Seagate (STX) stock jumps nearly 6% as Citi hikes target — what to watch next week

Seagate (STX) stock jumps nearly 6% as Citi hikes target — what to watch next week

7 February 2026
Seagate shares rose 5.9% to $429.32 Friday after Citigroup raised its price target to $480 and reiterated a buy rating. The gain ended a two-day slide but left the stock 6.6% below its Feb. 3 high. CEO Dave Mosley sold 20,000 shares on Feb. 2 under a pre-arranged plan, SEC filings show. U.S. jobs and inflation data next week are seen as key tests for tech stocks.
Cummins (CMI) stock price rebounds after earnings whipsaw as investors eye data-center power demand

Cummins (CMI) stock price rebounds after earnings whipsaw as investors eye data-center power demand

7 February 2026
Cummins shares jumped 6.8% to $577.73 Friday, recovering from a nearly 9% post-earnings drop the day before. The company reported Q4 revenue up 1% to $8.54 billion, took a $218 million charge tied to its hydrogen business, and guided for 2026 EBITDA of 17–18% of sales. Demand for data center generators offset weakness in North American truck markets. Analyst reaction was mixed; Truist raised its price target.
Corning stock hits first record close since 2000 as jobs, CPI data loom

Corning stock hits first record close since 2000 as jobs, CPI data loom

7 February 2026
Corning shares surged 8.3% to $122.16 Friday, their highest close since the dot-com era, after Meta agreed to buy up to $6 billion in fiber-optic cables. The stock is up 40% since late 2025, fueled by strong first-quarter guidance and AI data-center demand. Insiders sold shares following the rally, SEC filings show. Investors await next week’s U.S. jobs and inflation data for rate signals.
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