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Thu, Jan 01, 2026 02:29 AM All times are UTC

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South Africa's fiscal tightening headwind for the economy, SARB may cut rate to offset fiscal drag

Feb 28, 2017 15:09 pm UTC| Commentary Economy

South Africas private sector credit expanded at the fastest pace in three months in January, the South Africa Reserve Bank reported Tuesday. Private sector credit rose 5.56 percent y/y in January after rising 5.1 percent...

Japan's housing starts beat expectations, expand at a faster pace in January

Feb 28, 2017 14:54 pm UTC| Commentary

Data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism showed that Japans housing starts growth accelerated unexpectedly to 12.8 percent in January from 3.9 percent in the previous month. Data beat...

Japan’s industrial production misses forecasts in Jan, sees first fall in six months

Feb 28, 2017 14:41 pm UTC| Commentary

Japans Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on Tuesday said that industrial production in Japan was down 0.8 percent on month in January. Data widely missed analysts forecasts for an increase of 0.4 percent and...

Commodities snapshot (precious & industrial)

Feb 28, 2017 13:32 pm UTC| Commentary

Metal pack is up today. Performance this week at a glance in chart table - Gold: Gold is heading for a showdown around the key resistance around $1300. Today it is marginally higher on weaker dollar. Todays range...

Commodities snapshot (energy)

Feb 28, 2017 13:13 pm UTC| Commentary

Energy pack is mixed in todays trading. Weekly performance at a glance in chart table. Oil (WTI) WTI is down for this week, continuing consolidation. Todays range $53.8-54.2 With an OPEC and non-OPEC deal...

Currency snapshot (commodity pairs)

Feb 28, 2017 13:07 pm UTC| Commentary

Dollar index trading at 101.03 (-0.14%) Strength meter (today so far) Aussie +0.18%, Kiwi -0.11%, Loonie -0.23% Strength meter (since last week) Aussie +0.24%, Kiwi +0.03%, Loonie -0.80% AUD/USD Trading at...

Currency snapshot (major pairs)

Feb 28, 2017 12:54 pm UTC| Commentary

Dollar index trading at 101.02 (-0.15%) Strength meter (today so far) Euro +0.11%, Franc +0.46%, Yen +0.46%, GBP -0.12% Strength meter (since last week) Euro +0.35%, Franc +0.03%, Yen -0.25%, GBP -0.24% EUR/USD...

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Economy

U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Year-End Trading Turns Cautious

U.S. stock index futures edged lower on Tuesday evening as investors prepared for the final trading session of the year, with market sentiment dampened by thin liquidity, lingering Federal Reserve uncertainty, and fading...

Asian Markets End Year on AI Optimism as Precious Metals and Currencies Shine

Asian stocks edged lower on the final trading day of the year, capping a period in which investors largely looked past tariff-related uncertainty and instead focused on the powerful rally in artificial intelligence chip...

U.S. Dollar Slides Toward Biggest Annual Loss Since 2017 as 2026 Risks Loom

The U.S. dollar held steady in thin year-end trading but remained on track for its sharpest annual decline since 2017, as a mix of interest rate cuts, fiscal concerns, and uncertainty around U.S. trade policy weighed...

Oil Prices Slide in 2025 as Oversupply and Geopolitical Risks Shape Market Outlook

Global oil prices declined sharply in 2025, with Brent crude posting its longest stretch of annual losses on record as rising supply continued to outpace demand despite persistent geopolitical tensions. Brent crude futures...

China Manufacturing PMI Rebounds in December, Offering Boost to Economic Growth Outlook

Chinas manufacturing activity unexpectedly returned to expansion in December, ending eight consecutive months of contraction and providing policymakers with renewed confidence as they worked to achieve the countrys annual...

Politics

Philippines Challenges Chinese Research Vessel Spotted Near Cagayan Coast

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has deployed an aircraft to challenge a Chinese deep-sea research vessel spotted operating near the northern Philippines, underscoring rising maritime tensions in the West Philippine Sea...

Salvador Nasralla Challenges Honduras Election Results Amid Fraud Allegations

Honduran presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla has formally challenged the results of Honduras recent presidential election, intensifying political tensions following a narrowly decided and controversial vote. Nasralla,...

U.S. Appeals Court Allows Trump Administration to Enforce Medicaid Funding Ban on Planned Parenthood

A U.S. appeals court has ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing it to enforce a controversial Medicaid funding restriction targeting Planned Parenthood in several Democratic-led states. On Tuesday, a...

Zohran Mamdani Names Steve Banks as New York City Corporation Counsel Amid Clash With Trump

Incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced his pick for corporation counsel, selecting Steve Banks as the citys top lawyer in a move that underscores his administrations combative stance toward President...

U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Three Intellexa-Linked Executives Amid Spyware Controversy

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

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

SoftBank Completes $41 Billion OpenAI Investment in Historic AI Funding Round

SoftBank Group has officially completed a massive $41 billion investment in OpenAI, marking one of the largest private funding rounds in global technology history. The deal gives the Japanese conglomerate an estimated 11%...

Elon Musk’s xAI Expands Supercomputer Infrastructure With Third Data Center to Boost AI Training Power

Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that his artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has acquired a third building to further expand its computing infrastructure, signaling a major step in the companys effort to compete with...

ByteDance Plans Massive AI Chip Spending Boost as Nvidia Demand Grows in China

Chinas technology giant ByteDance is preparing to significantly ramp up its artificial intelligence investment, with plans to spend about 100 billion yuan (approximately $14 billion) on AI chips in 2026, according to a...

Samsung Electronics Secures Annual U.S. Licence for China Chip Equipment Imports in 2026

Samsung Electronics has obtained an annual licence from the United States government that allows the South Korean technology giant to import critical semiconductor manufacturing equipment into its China-based facilities...

Applied Digital Stock Rises on AI Cloud Spinoff Plan and ChronoScale Launch

Applied Digital (NASDAQ: APLD) shares climbed about 1.2% in after-hours trading on Monday after the company announced a proposed business combination designed to spin off its cloud computing operations into a new,...