Asian stock markets rose sharply on Wednesday following strong gains in U.S. markets and renewed hopes that the Iran war may be nearing an end. Major indexes across the region, including those in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Australia, and Taiwan, posted significant gains. The rally was fueled by comments from Donald Trump suggesting the U.S. could end its attacks on Iran within weeks. … Continue reading Asian stocks jump on renewed hopes of Iran war ending

U.S. gas prices have risen above an average of $4 per gallon for the first time since 2022, reaching about $4.02 nationally. The increase is driven largely by the ongoing war involving Iran, which has disrupted global oil supplies. Crude oil prices have surged past $100 per barrel as production and supply chains in the Middle East have been affected. The jump marks the largest … Continue reading Gas prices eclipse $4 a gallon in the US, the highest since 2022

Blackstone announced the close of its largest life sciences private fund, raising $6.3 billion through its Blackstone Life Sciences (BXLS) platform. The fund is significantly larger than its predecessor and is part of a platform that has grown to manage about $15 billion in assets since launching in 2018. Blackstone said its investments have helped support the development of 34 approved medicines and devices, with a … Continue reading Blackstone closes $6.3B fund for life sciences investing

The International Monetary Fund warned that an ongoing Middle East conflict disrupting oil, gas, and fertilizer supplies could lead to higher global prices and slower economic growth. It said rising energy and food costs would reduce living standards, strain businesses, and potentially force central banks to raise interest rates to control inflation. The IMF noted that heavily indebted countries may struggle to provide financial support to offset … Continue reading IMF warns Middle East conflict will lead to higher prices and slower global growth

About 12 tons of Nestlé KitKat chocolate bars—roughly 413,000 bars—were stolen after leaving a production site in Italyen route to Poland. The shipment disappeared while in transit, and the vehicle carrying it has not been found. The missing products were intended for distribution across Europe, raising concerns they could enter unofficial sales channels. Nestlé said the bars can be tracked using unique batch codes, allowing retailers and consumers to identify … Continue reading Over 400,000 KitKat candy bars stolen en route from Italy to Poland, Nestlé says

A federal judge in California temporarily halted the $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna after a legal challenge raised antitrust concerns. The ruling followed a lawsuit by DirecTV and a coalition of state attorneys general, who argued the merger could raise costs, reduce competition, and harm local news coverage. The judge issued a 14-day restraining order and scheduled a hearing to further consider the case. Although the merger had already … Continue reading Judge pauses blockbuster merger between TV station owners Nexstar and Tegna

Oil prices rose on Sunday as tensions escalated after Iran warned against a potential U.S. ground invasion, despite statements from Donald Trump that negotiations to end the conflict would continue. Brent crude and U.S. crude both posted gains as markets reacted to fears of supply disruptions in the Middle East. Iran’s parliament speaker said Iranian forces are prepared for the arrival of U.S. troops, further heightening concerns about direct confrontation. … Continue reading Oil prices climb after Iran warns against US ground invasion

Sony announced it will raise prices for its PlayStation 5 lineup in the U.S. for the second time in less than a year, citing global economic pressures and rising component costs. The standard PS5 disc and digital editions will each increase by $100, while the more powerful PlayStation 5 Pro will see a $150 price hike. The company pointed to surging memory prices and supply constraints, … Continue reading Sony hikes PS5 prices by $150 citing ‘pressures’ in global economy

The Transportation Security Administration announced that its officers, who have been working without pay during a partial government shutdown, are expected to begin receiving paychecks as early as Monday. The move comes amid ongoing congressional negotiations over funding for the Department of Homeland Security and related agencies. Donald Trump said the executive branch would take action to ensure TSA workers are paid despite the funding impasse. The Department of Homeland … Continue reading TSA officers will start getting paychecks as early as Monday, DHS says

U.S. markets fell sharply on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping into correction territory amid rising geopolitical tensions and energy supply concerns. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite also declined, extending recent weekly losses across major indices. Oil prices surged, with Brent crude topping $110 per barrel following disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz, intensifying fears about global energy supplies. Market sentiment was further pressured by uncertainty over U.S. … Continue reading Dow tumbles almost 800 points and enters correction

The U.S. Postal Service will introduce its first-ever fuel surcharge of 8% on packages starting April 26, affecting Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select shipments, lasting until January 17, 2027. The move comes as diesel prices in the U.S. have surged to $5.37 per gallon, partly due to recent geopolitical tensions and oil price spikes. USPS says the surcharge is lower than … Continue reading US Postal Service to introduce 8% fuel surcharge on packages

U.S. stocks rose Wednesday as investors reacted to a proposed 15-point peace plan aimed at ending the Donald Trumpadministration’s war with Iran, though markets remained volatile after reports of a negative Iranian response. The S&P 500 gained 0.4%, the Nasdaq rose 0.7%, and the Dow jumped 305 points, while U.S. crude fell 1.4% to about $90 per barrel amid oil supply concerns. Pakistan has offered to mediate talks, … Continue reading Stocks rally, oil prices fall amid talk of Iran ceasefire

A Los Angeles jury found Meta Platforms and YouTube negligent in the design and operation of their platforms, awarding K.G.M., a former minor, $3 million in compensatory and punitive damages for social media-related harm. Meta was found 70% responsible and YouTube 30%, with the jury concluding the companies failed to warn users about the addictive nature of Instagram and YouTube. The trial is the first in a wave of lawsuits, representing over … Continue reading Jury finds Meta and YouTube negligent in landmark lawsuit on social media safety

Precious metals saw sharp swings Monday as hopes of easing tensions in the Iran conflict briefly boosted investor sentiment. Spot gold fell over 5% to $4,262.50 before recovering to $4,482, while futures dropped around 1.5% after an earlier 10% plunge, extending losses that have totaled roughly 25% since January’s record high. Silver, platinum, and palladium also plunged, with silver hitting a year-to-date low of $63.76 … Continue reading Gold and silver losses ease as Trump postpones Iran energy strikes

Cryptocurrency markets surged Monday after President Donald Trump announced a five-day pause on U.S. strikes against Iranian power plants, easing fears of a broader conflict. However, Iran’s Fars news agency denied that any talks had occurred, fueling market uncertainty. Bitcoin briefly climbed above $71,000, Ether, Solana, Dogecoin, and Chainlink all rose up to 5%, and gold rebounded to $4,440 per ounce, though gains partially reversed … Continue reading Bitcoin surges above $71,000 as Trump postpones Iran strikes

U.S. stocks jumped Monday after President Donald Trump announced a five-day postponement of military strikes on Iranian power plants, signaling a potential diplomatic opening. Iranian media framed the pause as a U.S. “backdown,” while Trump said Iran had contacted the U.S. to discuss a resolution. The news triggered sharp market reactions: the S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures initially rose about 3%, the Dow gained roughly … Continue reading U.S. stocks rise, oil prices fall after Trump backs off threat to hit Iran’s power grid

SoftBank Group plans an unprecedented $500 billion AI-focused data center campus in Piketon, Ohio, which CEO Masayoshi Son claims will be the largest construction project in the U.S. The facility, on a former uranium enrichment site, is designed to reach 10 gigawatts of power—enough to rival the world’s largest data centers—and will initially deliver 800 megawatts by early 2028 at a cost of $30–40 billion. … Continue reading SoftBank’s Son Says Ohio Data Center to Be $500 Billion Project

US financial markets fell sharply as the war with Iran intensified, sending oil prices higher and gold to its worst weekly performance in four decades. The Russell 2000 entered correction territory, down 10.3% from its January peak, while the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all posted multi-month lows, erasing six months of gains. Treasury yields surged, with the 10-year hitting 4.39%, as investors sold bonds … Continue reading Stocks, bonds and gold slump while Iran war rages

A federal jury in California found that Elon Musk misled Twitter shareholders with two tweets in May 2022, causing the company’s share price to drop ahead of his $44 billion acquisition. The class-action verdict could result in Musk paying roughly $2.6 billion in damages, though jurors concluded he did not “scheme” to defraud investors. The trial included Musk’s in-person testimony, and the lawsuit was filed on behalf … Continue reading US jury finds Elon Musk misled investors during Twitter purchase

The Federal Reserve voted 11-1 to hold its benchmark interest rate at 3.5%-3.75%, citing mixed economic signals, persistent inflation, and uncertainty from the war in Iran. Fed officials projected slightly faster economic growth and higher inflation for 2026, while signaling one possible rate cut this year and another in 2027, though timing remains uncertain. Rising oil prices and energy disruptions from the Middle East conflict … Continue reading Fed votes to hold rates steady, notes ‘uncertain’ impacts from Iran war

Job creation in the U.S. has effectively stalled, with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell noting “zero net job creation” in the private sector over the past six months. Despite slightly higher economic growth projections, the Fed sees little change in the unemployment rate, which rose to 4.4% in February. Powell said the economy may not need as many new jobs due to low labor force … Continue reading Powell: Job creation is near zero

Hyundai Motor North America is halting sales of certain 2026 Palisade models and planning a recall of over 68,000 vehicles after a child died in a seat-related incident. The issue involves second- and third-row power seats that may not detect contact with a person or object when folding or sliding. The recall will cover 60,515 U.S.-produced vehicles and 7,967 in Canada, with repairs provided at … Continue reading Hyundai stops sales of some 2026 models and plans a recall after child’s death

Meta has signed a long-term deal to spend up to $27 billion on Dutch AI cloud provider Nebius, the company announced Monday. Over five years, Nebius will provide $12 billion in dedicated capacity, including deployments using Nvidia’s Vera Rubin AI chips, with Meta able to purchase up to $15 billion more in additional compute capacity. Nebius, founded in 2022 and listed in New York in … Continue reading Nebius jumps 14% after company inks $27 billion infrastructure deal with Meta

About 3,800 workers at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley, Colorado, went on strike Monday, marking the first walkout at a U.S. beef slaughterhouse in four decades. Strikers, many carrying signs in English and Spanish, protested outside the JBS USA-owned facility, citing alleged retaliation and unfair labor practices during contract negotiations. Union officials said workers face dangerous conditions, insufficient pay, and high costs for … Continue reading 3,800 workers are on strike at one of the largest meatpacking plants in the US

The Bank of England announced that future British banknotes will replace historical figures with images of wildlife, removing figures such as Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, J. M. W. Turner, and Alan Turing. The monarch will remain on the front of the notes, while the reverse will feature native animal species chosen through a public consultation. The decision follows a 2025 survey in which about 60% … Continue reading Churchill scrapped from banknotes. Bank of England says ‘overdue’