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Fri, Jan 02, 2026 04:25 AM All times are UTC

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Dollar Gains on Safe-Haven Demand Amid Middle East Tensions and Fed Caution

| Economy

The U.S. dollar strengthened on Thursday, driven by safe-haven demand as fears of an escalating Middle East conflict intensified. Reports that Washington is preparing for a potential strike on Iran pushed investors toward...

Is the UK’s energy storage growing fast enough?

| Insights & Views Economy

Britains booming green energy generation has a costly side-effect: the national electricity system operator has had to compensate wind turbine operators that could have produced more clean electricity than the grid could...

RBI Cuts Repo Rate by 50bps Amid Slowing Inflation, Signals Neutral Stance

| Economy Central Banks

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) slashed its key repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.50% on Friday, delivering a larger-than-expected cut in a continued effort to stimulate economic growth. This marks the third straight rate...

Trump Hints at Possible Deadline Extension for Trade Talks Amid Ongoing Negotiations

| Politics Economy

U.S. President Donald Trump signaled flexibility on a July 8 deadline for finalizing trade deals, saying on Wednesday he might extend the timeline if necessary, although he does not expect it will be needed. Speaking at...

Asian Currencies Gain Slightly as Dollar Weakens Amid U.S. Debt Worries

| Economy

Asian currencies edged higher on Thursday, supported by a weaker U.S. dollar as investor concerns grew over mounting U.S. debt and fiscal instability. The U.S. Dollar Index slipped 0.1%, marking its fourth consecutive day...

Asian Tech Stocks Rise Amid U.S. Trade Worries and AI Demand

| Economy

Asian stock markets mostly advanced on Tuesday, led by gains in regional tech shares that mirrored strength in U.S. counterparts. Optimism was tempered, however, by lingering concerns over U.S.-China trade tensions and...

Indonesia Markets Rattle as Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Removed Amid Fiscal Concerns

| Politics Economy

Indonesias financial markets were shaken after President Prabowo Subianto abruptly removed Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, raising fears over the nations fiscal stability. Investors have long regarded Mulyaniwho...

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Economy

Asian Stock Markets Start New Year Higher as Tech and AI Shares Drive Gains

Asian stock markets opened the new year on a positive note on Friday, with technology and semiconductor stocks leading gains across the region, despite subdued trading volumes caused by holiday closures in major markets....

Oil Prices Stabilize at Start of 2026 as OPEC+ Policy and Geopolitical Risks Shape Market Outlook

Oil prices edged slightly higher on Friday, marking a steadier start to 2026 after suffering their steepest annual decline since 2020. Investors are cautiously balancing renewed geopolitical tensions with expectations that...

Asia Manufacturing PMI Rebounds as Exports and Tech Demand Drive Growth into 2026

Asias major manufacturing economies ended 2025 on a stronger note, as factory activity rebounded across several key markets, supported by rising export orders, renewed global demand, and new product launches. Purchasing...

Singapore GDP Growth Surges in 2025 but Outlook Remains Cautious Amid Global Trade Risks

Singapores economy delivered stronger-than-expected performance in late 2025, according to preliminary government data, although policymakers have warned that sustaining such momentum in 2026 will be challenging. Advance...

Citi Forecasts a Volatile but Ongoing Bull Market for S&P 500 in 2026

Citi expects the post-pandemic bull market in U.S. equities to extend into 2026, though investors should brace for increased volatility along the way. In its latest outlook, the Wall Street bank characterizes the market...

Politics

Zohran Mamdani Sworn In as New York City Mayor, Pledges Bold Progressive Agenda

Democrat Zohran Mamdani was officially sworn in as New York Citys mayor on Thursday, marking the beginning of a new political era focused on affordability, social equity, and progressive reform in the nations largest city....

Xi Jinping to Host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung as China Seeks to Strengthen Seoul Ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on a state visit beginning Sunday, highlighting Beijings strategic push to strengthen relations with Seoul amid heightened regional tensions...

Russia and Ukraine Trade Accusations Over New Year Attacks as Peace Talks Intensify

Russia and Ukraine accused each other of targeting civilians during New Year attacks, as the nearly four-year-old war continues amid renewed diplomatic efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump. The latest exchange of...

Venezuela Frees More Detainees After 2024 Election Protests Amid Rising U.S. Pressure

Venezuelas government has released 88 additional people who were detained following protests that erupted after the countrys disputed July 2024 presidential election, marking the second large-scale release of detainees in...

Bolsonaro Discharged From Hospital and Transferred to Prison After Medical Treatment

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was discharged from a hospital in Brasília on Thursday and transferred back into custody to continue serving his prison sentence, according to local media and Reuters...

Science

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Technology

Starlink Plans Satellite Orbit Reconfiguration in 2026 to Boost Space Safety

SpaceXs Starlink is preparing a major reconfiguration of its satellite constellation in an effort to improve space safety and reduce the risk of orbital collisions. According to Michael Nicolls, SpaceXs vice president of...

Samsung Signals Comeback With HBM4 Chips as AI Market Heats Up

Samsung Electronics is signaling a strong comeback in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market, as customers praise the competitiveness of its next-generation HBM4 chips. In a New Year address, co-CEO and head of the...

Google Accelerates AI Infrastructure With Ironwood TPU Expansion in 2026

Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is preparing for a major expansion of its AI infrastructure in 2026 as it moves its seventh-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), known as Ironwood, into mass deployment. This next phase marks a...

Trump Administration Lifts Sanctions on Three Intellexa-Linked Executives

The administration of President Donald Trump has lifted U.S. sanctions on three executives previously linked to the controversial spyware consortium Intellexa, according to a notice published on the U.S. Treasury...

Neuralink Plans Automated Brain Implant Surgeries and Mass Production by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface startup Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, with plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to fully automated surgical procedures in...