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Mon, Apr 20, 2026 12:52 PM All times are UTC

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China Holds Benchmark Loan Prime Rate Steady for Tenth Consecutive Month

Mar 20, 2026 02:17 am UTC| Economy Central Banks

Chinas central bank kept its benchmark lending rates unchanged on Friday, marking the tenth straight month without an adjustment as policymakers weigh additional measures to strengthen the countrys economic momentum. The...

ECB Holds Rates at 2.00% as Middle East Energy Shocks Cloud Inflation Outlook

Mar 19, 2026 16:03 pm UTC| Central Banks Insights & Views

At its March 19, 2026 meeting, the European Central Bank chose to hold all key interest rates steady, maintaining the deposit facility at 2.00%, the main refinancing rate at 2.15%, and the marginal lending facility at...

BoE Holds Rates at 3.75% as Middle East Energy Shocks Stall Disinflation

Mar 19, 2026 15:14 pm UTC| Central Banks Insights & Views

At its March 19, 2026, policy meeting, the Bank of England (BoE) maintained its restrictive monetary attitude, choosing to keep the Bank Rate at 3.75% in a move consistent with overwhelming market expectations. The...

ECB Holds Rates Steady at 2.00% as Middle East Energy Shocks Cloud Inflation Outlook

Mar 19, 2026 11:56 am UTC| Central Banks Insights & Views

At its March 19, 2026, policy meeting, the European Central Bank (ECB) kept its wait-and-see attitude by opting not to change any of the main interest rates. In a move reflecting a neutral attitude against a complicated...

SNB Holds at 0% and Flags FX Intervention to Curb Franc Strength

Mar 19, 2026 11:04 am UTC| Central Banks Insights & Views

At its March 19, 2026, policy meeting, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) stayed course and maintained the headline policy rate at 0.00%. Consistent with market expectations, the central bank maintained its sight deposit...

Fed Holds Steady at 3.75% as Middle East Tensions Fuel Inflation Caution

Mar 19, 2026 04:44 am UTC| Central Banks Insights & Views

Maintaining the federal funds target range at 3.50% to 3.75%, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) finished its March 2026 meeting a decision motivated by ongoing inflation and increased worldwide instability. The...

BOJ Holds Interest Rates Steady Amid Middle East Uncertainty

Mar 19, 2026 03:01 am UTC| Economy Central Banks

Japans central bank maintained its benchmark interest rate at 0.75% following a two-day policy meeting that concluded on Thursday, a decision that aligned with broad market expectations. The Bank of Japans move comes at a...

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Economy

Rising U.S.-Iran Conflict Fuels Oil Market Volatility and Ceasefire Uncertainty

Uncertainty continues to cloud the future of the temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran, as geopolitical tensions intensify following the U.S. seizure of an Iranian-flagged vessel. The two-week pause in...

U.S. Stock Futures Fall as Iran Tensions Rise, Oil Prices Surge

U.S. stock futures moved lower on Monday as renewed geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran unsettled global markets and raised concerns about the future of a fragile ceasefire expected to expire later...

Oil Prices Surge Amid U.S.-Iran Tensions and Strait of Hormuz Disruptions

Oil prices climbed sharply on Monday as geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran intensified, raising fresh concerns about global energy supply. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, rose 4.9% to...

Oil Prices Surge Amid Middle East Tensions as Global Markets React Cautiously

Oil prices climbed sharply on Monday while global stock futures dipped, as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupted shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint. Brent...

Japan Inflation Expectations Rise as BOJ Rate Hike Timing Faces Uncertainty

Most Japanese households expect inflation to continue rising in the coming years, according to a recent Bank of Japan (BOJ) quarterly survey, reinforcing pressure on policymakers to pursue further interest rate hikes....

Politics

China Expands Global Influence Amid Taiwan Tensions and Gulf Crisis

China is intensifying its role on the global stage as geopolitical tensions rise in both the Middle East and East Asia. Following unsuccessful U.S.-led peace efforts in Pakistan and escalating conflict in the Strait of...

Israel Expands Southern Lebanon Buffer Zone Despite Fragile Ceasefire with Hezbollah

Israel has warned residents of southern Lebanon to avoid returning to a wide stretch of territory along the border, reinforcing its military presence despite an ongoing ceasefire with Hezbollah. The advisory includes areas...

Rumen Radev Wins Bulgaria Election in Landslide, Signals Potential Shift in EU Relations

Rumen Radev has secured a decisive victory in Bulgarias parliamentary election, marking a major shift in the countrys political landscape and raising questions about its future relationship with the European Union and...

Pakistan Halts $1.5 Billion Sudan Arms Deal After Saudi Arabia Withdraws Support

Pakistan has reportedly put a $1.5 billion arms deal with Sudan on hold after Saudi Arabia requested the agreement be terminated and declined to finance the purchase. According to Pakistani security and diplomatic sources,...

Maria Corina Machado Pushes for Free Elections in Venezuela

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says she expects to return to Venezuela before the end of 2026 and is calling for faster action toward free and fair elections, according to an interview with Reuters....

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

Tesla Q1 Earnings Preview: Robotaxi Delays and SpaceX Merger Speculation Grow

Teslas upcoming first-quarter earnings report, expected Wednesday, may do little to ease investor concerns about the companys long-promised robotaxi strategy. According to analysts at Jefferies, the widening gap between...

Elon Musk Faces French Probe Over X and Grok Amid Rising U.S.-EU Tensions

Tech billionaire Elon Musk is expected to face questioning by French prosecutors as part of an ongoing investigation into his social media platform X and its AI chatbot Grok, a case that could intensify tensions between...

Chinese Robotics Stocks React as Humanoid Robot Marathon Sparks Competition Concerns

Chinese robotics stocks showed mixed performance on Monday after a high-profile humanoid robot half-marathon in Beijing highlighted rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics technology. The event drew...

Huawei Expands Vietnam Presence Through Strategic Partnership with SHB Bank

Vietnams Saigon-Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB) has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Chinas Huawei Technologies Group, marking a significant step in the tech giants expansion within Vietnams growing...

SK Hynix Launches 192GB SOCAMM2 Memory for Nvidia’s Next-Gen AI Chips

SK Hynix Inc (KS:000660) has announced the mass production of its latest high-performance memory module, the 192GB SOCAMM2, specifically designed to support Nvidias upcoming Vera Rubin artificial intelligence platform....