
Vietnam, U.S. Begin Key Trade Talks Amid Looming Tariff Threat
May 17, 2025 05:04 am UTC| Economy Politics
Vietnam and the United States held their first direct ministerial-level trade negotiations on Friday in Jeju, South Korea, following the APEC Ministerial Meeting. The discussions come ahead of a potentially crippling 46%...

GOP Infighting Blocks Trump Tax Bill Amid Moody’s U.S. Credit Downgrade
May 17, 2025 04:25 am UTC| Politics Economy
Hardline Republicans in the U.S. House blocked President Donald Trumps proposed tax bill on Friday, just hours before Moodys downgraded the U.S. governments credit rating due to surging debt. The bill, aimed at extending...

Wall Street Rallies for Fifth Day Amid Tariff Truce and Rate Cut Hopes
May 17, 2025 03:59 am UTC| Economy
Wall Street closed higher on Friday, marking its fifth consecutive day of gains, as investors reacted positively to easing U.S.-China trade tensions despite concerning economic data. The SP 500, Nasdaq, and Dow all posted...

Gold Slumps as US-China Trade Truce Dents Safe-Haven Demand
May 16, 2025 07:06 am UTC| Economy
Gold prices declined in Asian trading on Friday, with spot gold dropping 0.8% to $3,214.90 per ounce and June futures down 0.3% to $3,217.65. The precious metal is on track for its steepest weekly loss since November 2024,...

Japan to Release More Emergency Rice as Prices Soar Amid Heatwave and Tourism Boom
May 16, 2025 06:56 am UTC| Economy Governance
Japan will release an additional 300,000 metric tons of rice from its emergency stockpile by July to address a nationwide shortage and curb surging prices. This move follows the release of 310,000 tons since Marchthe first...

Malaysia’s Q1 2025 GDP Growth Slows to 4.4% Amid Global Trade Tensions
May 16, 2025 06:42 am UTC| Economy
Malaysias economy expanded by 4.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, slightly below Reuters forecast of 4.5%, but in line with government expectations, official data showed Friday. On a quarter-on-quarter...

New Zealand Inflation Expectations Climb Ahead of RBNZ Rate Decision
May 16, 2025 05:53 am UTC| Economy
New Zealands inflation expectations rose to a one-year high in the second quarter, according to a Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) survey released Friday. The data comes as markets anticipate a potential interest rate...