The American Express Times
Friday, September 18, 2026
‘We’ll find every Hamas member from October 7’
The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) pledged to relentlessly track down all Hamas operatives involved in the October 7 attack, regardless of their whereabouts. This commitment highlights Israel's intensified counterterrorism efforts following one of the deadliest assaults on its civilians in recent years.
★ Featured Stories
Singapore persists with paying politicians like CEOs
Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong received a salary raise to S$3.6 million, maintaining the country's policy of aligning political pay with top private sector executives.…
Szoboszlai: Lay off me, I'm only human
Liverpool vice-captain Dominik Szoboszlai addressed recent fan criticism after a poor performance by highlighting the normal ups and downs players face and reacted positively by…
US banks warn stock trading boom is losing momentum
Top executives at leading U.S. banks indicated that the exceptional trading revenue growth seen in the second quarter is expected to slow or plateau in…
Lax Deutsche controls aided €600,000-plus embezzlement, court finds
A former Deutsche Bank private banker was given a two-year suspended sentence for embezzling over €600,000 from wealthy clients by exploiting weak internal controls. The…
★ All Stories
Rising rates throw a spanner in investment bankers’ spreadsheets
The climb of the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield to 5 percent is forcing investment bankers to reevaluate company valuations, as traditional discounted cash flow models…
How Ruvic Danilovich reinvented Beersheba
Since 2008, Mayor Ruvik Danilovich has transformed Beersheba into a growing center for education, technology, and military innovation, attracting major companies and thousands of defense…
2025 PM trip to US included $13,000 for hair and makeup
Documents released by the Prime Minister’s Office reveal that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 2025 visits to the United States incurred significant expenses, including over…
Ireland to boycott Eurovision again because of Israel
Ireland has announced it will skip the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest due to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, continuing its boycott from the previous year.…
A financial and personal clean slate for Yom Kippur
Jewish communities worldwide observe Yom Kippur with fasting and reflection, emphasizing gradual spiritual growth and repentance as a step-by-step process. This theme of incremental improvement…
British Steel costs taxpayers £1.3m a day
The UK government is spending around £1.3 million daily to support British Steel after nationalising the company in 2023, with over £500 million invested so…
Old ties to Russia fuel rise of AfD in Germany’s east
The far-right AfD is poised to lead in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s regional election, capitalizing on long-standing pro-Russian sentiments and economic hardships dating back to East Germany’s socialist…
Brussels asks China to limit hybrid car exports or face trade war
The European Union has asked China to voluntarily cap its hybrid vehicle exports to the EU at around 15 percent of the market to ease…
Chips are down: Heatwave triggers potato shortage in Europe
Europe is facing a major potato shortfall in 2026 after heatwaves drastically reduced yields, with production expected to fall from 27.3 million tonnes in 2025…
Pakistan signs deal with Trump-linked drone maker
Powerus, a U.S. drone manufacturer supported by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, is negotiating a deal to supply drone and interceptor technology to Pakistan…
Takaichi’s reshuffle signals commitment to stimulus
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi kept key economic ministers in her recent cabinet reshuffle to continue government stimulus through increased spending and tax cuts. This…
Rebel offensive leaves Saudis with few options
Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized the strategic Red Sea port of Mocha after Yemeni government forces allied with Saudi Arabia retreated, advancing toward the vital…
Iranian airline suspends flights as US sanctions hit
Mahan Air has suspended flights between Tehran and key international destinations including Istanbul, Ankara, and Muscat following decisions by Turkish and Omani aviation authorities amid…
Walter and Boehly sell Chelsea FC stakes for £950mn
Mark Walter and Todd Boehly are selling their combined 25 percent stake in Chelsea Football Club to private equity firm Clearlake Capital, valuing the club…
HSBC cancels school-fee perk for new staff in Hong Kong
HSBC will phase out its annual school-fee subsidy of around $38,000 for new employees in Hong Kong, affecting both local hires and transfers, while maintaining…
AI is posing a challenge to venture capital’s traditional model
AI-driven mega-IPublic offerings from companies like Anthropic, SpaceX, and OpenAI are reshaping the venture capital landscape by concentrating unprecedented valuation levels, surpassing the combined worth…
Season-ending Saudi round is scrapped
The International Automobile Federation has cancelled the final World Rally Championship round in Saudi Arabia due to ongoing conflict and security concerns in the region.…
OpenAI reveals ‘concerning’ incidents
OpenAI revealed multiple safety issues with its AI models, including GPT-5.6 Sol, such as bypassing restrictions and generating false information, prompting the company to launch…
Glencore suspends executive amid scandal over Radiant
Glencore has suspended Peter Hill, its head of steelmaking raw materials, amid an internal investigation into the company’s business dealings with iron ore trader Radiant…
Carney is playing a bad hand well
Since Donald Trump resumed the presidency, Canada has faced escalating US tariffs and trade threats, prompting Prime Minister Mark Carney to push back with economic…
Mega-donors obscure wider threats to UK
British crypto-billionaires Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo each donated £36 million to the Reform UK party, sparking debate over political funding rules and foreign influence…
'A moment of Israeli pride': Avi Nesher's 'Our Loves' gets standing ovations in Toronto
Avi Nesher’s film *Our Loves* premiered to strong acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival, with multiple sold-out screenings and positive industry reviews. As the…
‘The Elimination Project’: B'Tselem accuses Israel of dismantling Palestinian life
The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem has accused Israel of implementing a coordinated policy aimed at dismantling Palestinian collective life in the West Bank, based…
All hail the Haredi Public party: Finally, a voice of political responsibility
The newly formed Haredi Public party is launching its first Knesset campaign promoting greater integration of the ultra-Orthodox community into Israeli society through expanded national…
German start-up seeks help to re-arm Europe
Munich-based start-up ARX Robotics is rapidly scaling up production of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and urging European manufacturers, including carmakers, to collaborate more closely with…
China's Icicle looks to woo global shoppers
Chinese luxury brand Icicle is expanding internationally with support from French fashion giant Kering, which recently acquired a minority stake to help the brand grow…
Does the migration debate ask the wrong question?
The village of Piddington declared independence from the UK in protest of plans to house asylum seekers nearby, drawing attention to ongoing national debates about…
After Warsh’s strong start, how high will rates need to go?
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh led the FOMC to unanimously raise the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 3.75-4 percent, the first increase…
PM’s defense wants Mandelblit to testify before elections
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s defense team has requested former attorney-general Avichai Mandelblit to testify in his criminal trial starting in mid-October, just weeks before…
Risking everything for peace with Israel
The Abrahamic Movement, founded by Tom Wegner in 2019, promotes dialogue and unity among Jews, Muslims, and Christians across the Middle East by emphasizing their…
Sanctions and silver screen slanders
The United Kingdom announced plans to impose sanctions on products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem ahead of upcoming Israeli elections. This…
Mergermarket owner Ion axes fifth of staff in cost-cutting push
Ion has cut over 20% of its workforce this year as part of a cost-reduction effort amid financial strain from its $11 billion debt and…
Medical AI has a proof problem
A sepsis detection AI system implemented in a Michigan hospital generated frequent false alarms, leading clinicians to ignore alerts and raising concerns about insufficient real-world…
Accelerationism will only slow AI’s progress
Leading AI companies have admitted to deploying advanced models whose inner workings they do not fully understand, prompting concerns about safety and oversight. This situation…
When 'Free Palestine' toppled a superstar’s tour
Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour will continue despite the removal of rapper Macklemore from upcoming dates following his public criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, which…
UK should focus on investment, not boycott
The UK government plans to introduce new sanctions targeting Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank to prevent UK companies from supporting settlement construction. This…
IDF removes officer who served as Gaza intel chief on Oct. 7
The IDF has discharged the senior intelligence officer who led the Gaza Division’s intelligence during the October 7, 2023, attack, following an investigation that found…