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Wed, Aug 19, 2026 10:14 AM All times are UTC

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Global Geopolitics Series

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When you throw pebbles in a pond, you get splashes and ripples, but drop a huge rock, you create a mini Tsunami. Similarly Geo-political turmoil, are potent enough to create tsunamis in financial markets, even if its for the short run. It has in the past, and it will in the future. De-stabilised Middle East, rise of new power in Saudi Arabia, aggressive China, Russia-US tensions, Turkey-Russia escalation, rise of autocratic but nationalists leaders such as Modi in India, Trump in United States, bin-Salman in Middle East, the Geo-Political unease hasn't been this tense in decades, so as a market participant you can never care less than ever.

Global Geopolitics Series

Iran was always going to close the Strait of Hormuz

Mar 27, 2026 05:04 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The five-day deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz handed to Iran by Donald Trump on Monday expires some time tomorrow and the Islamic Republic needs to get serious before it is too late or so the US president has...

Global Geopolitics Series

Will a new border deal with the US open a backdoor into Kiwis’ personal data?

Mar 27, 2026 05:02 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

Anyone who has recently travelled to the United States will be familiar with biometric checks facial and fingerprint scans used at the border. It is the same technology platform that is used in airports elsewhere in the...

Global Geopolitics Series

What does China’s host bid mean for the High Seas Treaty?

Mar 27, 2026 04:24 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Delegates are meeting in New York for the third session of the preparatory commission (PrepCom 3) on the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the High Seas...

Global Geopolitics Series

Gold is meant to be a ‘safe haven’ in uncertain times. Why is it crashing amid a war?

Mar 26, 2026 08:50 am UTC| Insights & Views Investing Economy

Gold has long enjoyed a reputation as a financial safe haven during stormy times. But over the past few months of geopolitical chaos and market panic, the precious metal has moved more like a roller coaster than a steady...

Global Geopolitics Series

After the Iran war, Persian Gulf nations face tough decisions on the US – a former diplomat explains

Mar 12, 2026 04:48 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

When the US-Israeli war on Iran finally ends, the Middle East will be even less predictable than it was before it started. The decision by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to go to...

Global Geopolitics Series

Nations will release an extra 400 million barrels of oil to the market. All we need to do now is not panic at the pump

Mar 12, 2026 04:46 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Despite being one of the worlds top exporters of fossil fuels (coal and gas), Australia has little left of its own oil. Neither does New Zealand. Both Australia and New Zealand sit at the end of a long supply chain for...

Global Geopolitics Series

Why did Iran bomb Dubai? A Middle East expert explains the regional alliances at play

Mar 02, 2026 07:03 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

US-Israeli joint strikes on Iran over the weekend have seen war break out in the region once again and the death of Irans supreme leader. Iran has retaliated with volleys of ballistic missiles and drones targeted at...

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Economy

Switzerland Industrial Production Jumps 5.5% in Q2 2026

Switzerlands industrial production rebounded strongly in the second quarter of 2026, rising 5.5% compared with the same period a year earlier, according to data released Wednesday by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office....

Trump Says Iran Talks Halted as Strait of Hormuz Dispute Fuels Oil Concerns

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Washington is not holding talks with Iran and maintained that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, directly challenging Tehrans claim that the crucial energy shipping route is...

Trump Pauses 50% Canada Tariffs for Three Days as U.S. Trade Deal Takes Shape

U.S. President Donald Trump has delayed new 50% tariffs on Canadian goods for three days after announcing that the United States and Canada had reached a preliminary trade agreement. The tariffs were scheduled to take...

Asian Chip Stocks Plunge as Bond Yields Fuel AI Valuation Fears

Asian technology and semiconductor stocks suffered steep losses on Wednesday as rising global bond yields intensified concerns over expensive AI-related valuations and higher financing costs across the technology sector....

China Set to Hold Benchmark Lending Rates Steady for 15th Month

China is expected to keep its benchmark lending rates unchanged in August for the 15th consecutive month, despite fresh economic data highlighting persistent weakness in domestic demand. A Reuters survey of 25 market...

Politics

Israeli Airstrike Kills Six Palestinians in Gaza as Trump Peace Plan Stalls

An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City killed at least six Palestinians and wounded 14 others on Tuesday, according to local health officials, as efforts to advance U.S. President Donald Trumps Gaza peace plan remained stalled....

US, South Korea Cut Joint Military Drills After Trump Orders Reduced Role

South Korea and the United States have shortened their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises from 11 days to five and reduced some field training after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a substantial cut in...

Angie Nixon Scores Florida Senate Primary Upset as Key Midterm Races Take Shape

Democratic socialist Angie Nixon delivered a major upset in Floridas Democratic U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday, defeating former national security official Alex Vindman as voters across several states selected candidates...

Israel Strikes Syrian Airbase Near Aleppo, Raising Tensions With Turkey

Israel launched eight airstrikes on Syrias Abu al-Duhur airbase near Aleppo on Tuesday, prompting condemnation from Turkey and concern from the United States over escalating regional tensions. Syrian state-run Ekhbariya...

Trump Says Iran Talks Halted as Hormuz Dispute Pushes Oil Higher

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that no negotiations with Iran were taking place and insisted the Strait of Hormuz remained open, contradicting Tehrans claim that the strategic waterway was still closed to...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

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...

Technology

OpenAI Revenue Rises 18% in Q2 as Losses Widen and Anthropic Surges Ahead

OpenAI reported an 18% increase in second-quarter revenue, but widening losses and rapid growth at rival Anthropic are adding pressure on the ChatGPT maker, according to The Wall Street Journal. OpenAI told investors that...

Unitree Robotics Shares Soar Over 600% in Shanghai Market Debut

Unitree Robotics shares skyrocketed in their Shanghai stock market debut on Wednesday, highlighting surging investor interest in Chinas robotics and artificial intelligence sectors. The Chinese humanoid robot maker saw its...

Goldman Sachs Names 9 Top Japanese Semiconductor and Electronics Stocks

Goldman Sachs has identified nine Japanese semiconductor and electronic components stocks it believes are well positioned for growth, particularly as artificial intelligence and data center demand accelerates. The bank...

Baidu Shares Sink to One-Year Low as Ad Weakness Overshadows AI Growth

Baidu shares plunged to a near one-year low on Wednesday after the Chinese technology giant reported weaker-than-expected second-quarter results, as declining advertising revenue overshadowed strong growth across its...

OpenAI Tightens AI Safety Monitoring After Security Incidents

OpenAI is strengthening oversight of its most advanced artificial intelligence models as the company works to prevent unexpected or potentially dangerous behavior from increasingly autonomous AI systems. The ChatGPT...