Empire State Expansion: New York Manufacturing Surges to +11.0 in Dramatic April Rebound
Apr 15, 2026 13:36 pm UTC| Insights & Views
The Empire State Manufacturing Index showed a surprisingly strong increase today, rising sharply to +11.0 for April 2026. Released at 8:30 AM ET by the New York Fed, these figures were much better than what analysts had...
The Goolsbee Gaze: Why Iran's Oil Shock Could Freeze Fed Rate Cuts Until 2027
Apr 15, 2026 10:16 am UTC| Central Banks Insights & Views
Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee has issued a startling warning that the current conflict involving Iran and the ensuing oil price increases might postpone U.S. interest rate reduction until 2027. This...
The Hormuz Hedge: Why Geopolitical Strife is Drowning the Yen
Apr 15, 2026 08:07 am UTC| Insights & Views
The Japanese yen (JPY) is currently caught in a strange market situation whereby rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz oppose its historical role as a worldwide safe-haven currency. Although geopolitical instability...

Food prices are already high in Canada. Will the Iran war make them worse?
Apr 14, 2026 01:58 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy
Food prices in Canada have been rising at a faster rate than overall inflation for the past several years. In fact, food prices are 30 per cent higher than they were a decade ago. In the face of this pressure, consumers...

Google promotes ‘teacher approved’ apps for kids. Here’s what parents should know
Apr 14, 2026 01:57 am UTC| Insights & Views Life Technology
As school holidays continue around Australia, many parents are looking for educational ways to keep their children entertained. If you own an Android device and have young children, you may find yourself browsing Google...

Apr 14, 2026 01:56 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, the U.S.-born head of the Catholic Church, had an unusual and acrimonious public exchange over the weekend. In a scathing attack on Truth Social, the social media platform he...

Strait of Hormuz blockade: the complex regional realities the US ignores at its peril
Apr 14, 2026 01:55 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
After the breakdown of ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran, President Donald Trump has now ordered a blockade of the pivotal Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. Its just the latest and most combustible...