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Fri, Jan 02, 2026 07:31 AM All times are UTC

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Czech National Bank stands pat, may hike rates in Q4 2017 – Danske Bank

May 04, 2017 23:13 pm UTC| Commentary Central Banks

On 4 May, the Czech National Bank unanimously decided to keep its policy rates on hold. The CNB does not appear to be in haste to hike rates at the moment. Also, it cut its three month PRIBOR forecast for 2018 from 1.1...

Recession in Brazil ending, exports driving rebound in economic activity

May 04, 2017 23:11 pm UTC| Commentary

President Temer has managed to change much more in Brazil than was envisaged when he took office less than one year ago. Last week, a labor market reform to increase flexibility was passed in the lower house of Congress...

Mexican gross fixed investment drops for second consecutive month in February

May 04, 2017 23:10 pm UTC| Commentary

Mexicos gross fixed investment fell for the second straight month in February. The figure fell 0.8 percent after falling 1.8 percent in January. This was the second straight month-on-month drop for the index and the fourth...

U.S. productivity growth slows considerably in Q1 2017

May 04, 2017 20:40 pm UTC| Commentary

The rate of productivity growth in the U.S. slowed considerably in the first quarter of this year, with nonfarm business output per hour falling 0.6 percent quarter-on-quarter. Slower output growth of 1 percent, mainly...

U.S. weekly initial jobless claims fall considerably, further employment gains likely in 2017

May 04, 2017 16:48 pm UTC| Commentary

Initial jobless claims in the U.S. dropped considerably in the week ended 29 April. Jobless claims dropped 19,000 to 238,000, reversing slight weakness that was seen emerging last week. The figure is below consensus...

U.S. factory orders rise below expectations in March, manufacturing activity to rebound modestly

May 04, 2017 16:18 pm UTC| Commentary

U.S. factory orders rose below consensus expectations in March. The factory orders were up 2 percent month-on-month, as compared with the consensus projection of 0.4 percent rise. Excluding transportation, factory orders...

Commodities snapshot (precious & industrial)

May 04, 2017 13:52 pm UTC| Commentary

The metal pack is down today. Performance this week at a glance in chart table - Gold: Gold has declined below key support around $1230 area. Todays range $1241-1225 We expect the gold price to reach $1390 per...

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Economy

Asian Currencies Trade Flat as Dollar Weakens in Thin New Year Trading

Most Asian currencies traded near flatline levels on Friday as the U.S. dollar edged lower in thin holiday trading at the start of the new year. Reduced market participation across the region kept trading volumes subdued,...

South Korean Won Slides Despite Government Efforts to Stabilize Currency Markets

South Koreas won weakened on the first trading day of the year, slipping against the U.S. dollar despite renewed commitments from monetary and fiscal authorities to stabilize foreign exchange markets. The move highlights...

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...

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

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

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

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...

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...