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Wed, Dec 17, 2025 06:17 AM All times are UTC

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Asian Stocks Slide as Central Bank Decisions and Key Data Keep Investors Cautious

Dec 15, 2025 01:56 am UTC| Economy

Asian stock markets opened the week lower as investors reduced risk exposure amid thin year-end liquidity, looming central bank decisions, and a packed schedule of delayed economic data releases. Early Monday trading saw...

China’s Small Bank Consolidation Struggles as Profits Fall and Risks Persist

Dec 15, 2025 01:45 am UTC| Economy

Chinas aggressive push to consolidate its vast network of small banks is facing mounting challenges, as many newly merged lenders report falling profits and weakening capital buffers, according to a Reuters review of...

South Korea Extends Bond Market Stabilization Measures Amid Rising Financial Risks

Dec 15, 2025 01:37 am UTC| Economy

South Korea has decided to extend its bond market stabilization programs through 2026, signaling a proactive effort to safeguard financial stability amid growing uncertainty in both domestic and global markets. The...

U.S. Stock Futures Mixed as Tech and AI Stocks Face Pressure Ahead of CPI Data

Dec 15, 2025 01:12 am UTC| Economy

U.S. stock index futures traded mixed on Sunday evening as investors remained cautious toward technology and artificial intelligence stocks following disappointing guidance from major tech players. Concerns around the...

Korea Zinc Plans $6.78 Billion U.S. Smelter Investment With Government Partnership

Dec 15, 2025 01:10 am UTC| Business Economy Politics

Korea Zincs board is set to convene on Monday to vote on a major overseas investment plan that could significantly strengthen the supply chain for critical minerals in the United States. According to a source familiar with...

Japan Business Sentiment Hits Four-Year High, Boosting Expectations of BOJ Rate Hike

Dec 15, 2025 01:05 am UTC| Economy

Business sentiment among major Japanese manufacturers climbed to a four-year high in the three months to December, signaling resilience in Japans economy despite pressure from higher U.S. tariffs. According to the Bank of...

ASX Shares Slide After ASIC Imposes A$150 Million Capital Requirement

Dec 15, 2025 01:01 am UTC| Economy

Shares in ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX) came under pressure on Monday after Australias corporate regulator announced a significant capital charge against the exchange operator, raising concerns among investors about governance, risk...

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Economy

Chinese Robotaxi Stocks Rally as Tesla Boosts Autonomous Driving Optimism

Chinese robotaxi stocks surged in Hong Kong trading on Wednesday, tracking strong overnight gains in Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) as investor optimism around autonomous driving and ride-hailing technology continued to build....

Asian Currencies Slip as Dollar Strengthens; Indian Rupee Rebounds on Intervention Hopes

Most Asian currencies edged lower on Wednesday as investors weighed the U.S. Federal Reserves future interest rate path following mixed signals from the latest U.S. labor market data. At the same time, the Indian rupee...

Gold and Silver Surge as Safe Haven Demand Rises on U.S. Economic Uncertainty

Gold prices climbed during Asian trading on Wednesday, while silver prices surged to a fresh all-time high, as growing concerns over the U.S. economy fueled strong demand for safe haven assets. Investors increasingly...

Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Oil Tankers, Raising Venezuela Tensions and Oil Prices

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, dramatically escalating Washingtons pressure on President Nicolas Maduros government and...

Asian Fund Managers Turn More Optimistic on Growth but Curb Equity Return Expectations: BofA Survey

Asian fund managers became more constructive on global and regional economic growth in December, while simultaneously tempering expectations for equity market returns, according to Bank of Americas latest fund manager...

Politics

NSW to Recall Parliament for Urgent Gun and Protest Law Reforms After Bondi Beach Shooting

The Australian state of New South Wales will recall parliament next week to pass sweeping reforms to gun ownership and protest laws following the countrys deadliest mass shooting in more than 30 years. The move comes just...

Pakistan’s Army Chief Faces Gaza Troop Dilemma Amid US Pressure

Pakistans most powerful military leader in decades, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is facing a critical test of his expanded authority as the United States presses Islamabad to contribute troops to a proposed Gaza stabilisation...

Trump Taps Former DHS Official Troy Edgar for U.S. Ambassador Role in El Salvador

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he intends to nominate Troy Edgar as the next United States ambassador to El Salvador, highlighting the administrations continued focus on strengthening diplomatic and...

Lukashenko Urges Swift Ukraine Peace Deal, Backs Trump’s Push for Rapid Resolution

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has called for urgent action to end the war in Ukraine, voicing support for U.S. President Donald Trumps push for a rapid resolution while Washington continues diplomatic efforts...

Trump Administration Moves to Keep TransAlta Coal Plant Running Amid Rising AI Power Demand

The U.S. Energy Secretary has signed an emergency order to keep a key coal-fired power unit at the TransAlta-owned Centralia Generating Station in Washington state operating through much of the winter, marking the latest...

Science

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...

Trump and Merck KGaA Partner to Slash IVF Drug Costs and Expand Fertility Coverage

U.S. President Donald Trump and German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA have announced a groundbreaking deal aimed at lowering the cost of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments while boosting access to fertility care in...

Technology

MetaX IPO Soars as China’s AI Chip Stocks Ignite Investor Frenzy

Shares of Chinese AI chipmaker MetaX Integrated Circuits delivered a stunning market debut, soaring more than 600% above their initial public offering price as domestic investors poured into local semiconductor stocks. The...

Apple Explores India for iPhone Chip Assembly as Manufacturing Push Accelerates

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is reportedly in early-stage discussions with Indian semiconductor companies to explore the assembly and packaging of iPhone components in India, marking a potential shift in the companys global...

Amazon in Talks to Invest $10 Billion in OpenAI as AI Firm Eyes $1 Trillion IPO Valuation

Amazon.com Inc is reportedly in discussions to make a major investment in OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, in a potential deal that could value the artificial intelligence company at more than $500 billion, according to a...

SUPERFORTUNE Launches AI-Powered Mobile App, Expanding Beyond Web3 Into $392 Billion Metaphysics Market

SUPERFORTUNE, a web3 AI application incubated by Manta Network, has launched its first mobile application, expanding beyond crypto-native users into the global consumer market. The SUPERFORTUNE mobile app delivers...

iRobot Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Amid Rising Competition and Tariff Pressures

iRobot, the company behind the popular Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States as it prepares to go private through an acquisition by Picea Robotics, its primary...