Foreign borrowers are pouring into once-niche Asia-Pacific bond markets, showing that amid rising uncertainty and record borrowing, Big Tech is not the only sector seeking funding wherever it can.
R
ReutersOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-17 04:50
A morning look at the day ahead in European and global markets, focusing on whether consumers could keep the Federal Reserve on hold while Japan raises rates.
RReutersOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-17 04:40
Gold edged higher on Monday as a weaker dollar and recent soft economic data lowered expectations for a U.S. interest-rate hike next month.
RReutersOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-17 04:30
A 20-metric-ton shipment of Gala apples left Weining County for Vietnam on Saturday by cold-chain transport, reaching the border within 24 hours. Since early August, over 200 metric tons have gone to Vietnam and Thailand, with 2,000 metric tons pre-ordered. High sugar content, bright color, crisp texture and strong transport durability are boosting the apples’ competitiveness in Southeast Asia.
C
China News ServiceOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-17 03:20
The 2026 Zhanjiang Fishing Season Launch Ceremony and “Zhanpin” brand exhibition opened Sunday, with 5.05 billion yuan in agreements signed across the marine fishery industry chain. Zhanjiang’s marine fishery chain output exceeds 100 billion yuan, and the city has 40 marine ranching projects in reserve.
CChina News ServiceOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-17 03:14
China’s railways recorded 2.8 billion passenger trips in the first seven months of 2026, up 4.1% year on year, according to China State Railway Group. The network ran an average of 11,462 passenger trains daily, while cross-border travel and rail trips by foreign nationals also increased significantly.
CChina News ServiceOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-17 02:33
Government data showed Japan’s economy grew more slowly than expected in April-June. Weak household spending and business investment partly offset the boost from strong exports.
RReutersOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-17 02:20
Japan’s economy grew at an annualised 1.1% rate in the April-June quarter, government data showed, falling short of the 2.0% median market forecast.
British employers remain hesitant to recruit, while confidence is close to its weakest level outside the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Monday survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
RReutersOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-17 01:40
Asian shares moved sideways on Monday as investors watched oil prices, which posted sizeable gains last week. With little progress toward ending the Iran war, inflation risks remained tilted upward.
RReutersOriginal★★★★☆2026-08-17 01:30
Experts from the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade said US-designed air-defense systems used by Arabian Peninsula countries create a huge cost imbalance when countering Iranian drones. A Shahed-136 costs $20,000-$50,000, compared with $4 million for a PAC-3 missile and $3 million for an AMRAAM-ER.
Burgers are surging in popularity in China as budget-conscious diners and smaller households make the sandwich a hot fast-food battleground. Global restaurant chains, hotpot operators and coffee brands are all competing for a share.
RReutersOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-17 00:30
Only about a quarter of women in the UK invest, yet Fidelity International found female individual investors achieved a 50% cumulative return over three years, compared with 47% for men. Analysts point to women trading less, showing greater risk awareness, diversifying more and linking investments to practical life goals.
B
BBC ChineseOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-17 00:05
New Zealand’s a2 Milk said on Monday that its full-year profit fell 44%, weighed down by lower revenue from its key China-label infant formula product. Temporary supply-chain disruptions had restricted the product’s availability.
RReutersOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-16 21:10
Andrei Klepach, chief economist at Kremlin-controlled state bank VEB.RF, was reportedly dismissed on Aug. 16, a day after Russian media circulated his warnings that Russia was losing its economic and technological competition with the West. He said Russia would not collapse but was almost certain to face a social crisis. The Kyiv Independent could not immediately verify the claims.
TThe Kyiv IndependentOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-16 21:00
VEB.RF’s press service says Andrei Klepach has left his post as chief economist and that a successor has already been chosen, with an appointment expected soon. Klepach had held the position since 2014 while also serving as the corporation’s deputy chairman.
Western sanctions have increased business representatives’ interest in networking at major international events in Russia, Kremlin aide and Eastern Economic Forum organizing committee executive secretary Anton Kobyakov said. He said executives and company representatives from more than 100 countries can meet counterparts at industry events. The 2026 forum is scheduled for September 1–4 in Vladivostok.
T
TASSOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-16 18:04
Lithium is vital to the global clean-energy transition and is generating millions of dollars in investment and export earnings for countries including Argentina. Abundant deposits high in the Andes help power phones, computers and vehicles.
C
CGTNOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-16 15:27
The White House reportedly used Iraqi Kurdistan leader Nechirvan Barzani as an intermediary with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Washington wanted him to arrange closed-door bilateral talks in Erbil, but Tehran raised security concerns linked to Israeli intelligence and the meeting never took place.
TTASSOriginal★★★★☆2026-08-16 14:50
Millions of Iranians are struggling to survive as the months-long war with the United States and its naval blockade of Iranian ports drive up prices and reduce job opportunities. Food inflation has exceeded 128 percent, youth unemployment reached 23.4 percent, and many workers face low pay, long hours and no insurance.
Trump pledged Friday to impose severe economic pain on Iran. A day earlier, Treasury chief Scott Bessent had stated that Washington would introduce previously unseen measures against Tehran, starting as soon as next week.
Yiwu International Trade Market in Zhejiang has drawn growing numbers of overseas buyers and tourists this summer. In the first half of 2026, it averaged 294,000 visits a day, including 12,000 overseas visitors. Robots, AI products and innovative consumer goods highlight the city’s fast-moving manufacturing and ability to respond to global demand.
CCGTNOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-16 13:01
Authorities have lifted a US security alert that had halted avocado exports from Michoacán, Mexico’s main producing state. Avocado pickers welcome the resumption of shipments to the United States, though security fears persist.
T
The Associated PressOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-16 13:00
While investors debate whether and when the Federal Reserve might raise interest rates, expectations of further tightening are growing worldwide, creating mounting trouble for bonds.
B
Bloomberg NewsOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-16 12:30
Russian presidential aide Anton Kobyakov said Western companies’ return to Russia should involve pragmatic partnerships and transfers of technologies the country needs. He cited joint ventures, concessions, specialist recruitment and equal, mutually beneficial cooperation in research and complex processing as possible models.
TTASSOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-16 10:10
About half of Europe’s land is experiencing drought, with water levels falling from the Danube to the Rhine. The Global Drought Observatory says conditions have worsened across Central and Western Europe since summer began, while the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre reports record-low levels in the Loire, Po, Rhine and Danube. Satellite imagery shows wider exposed riverbeds, declining soil moisture and yellowing urban green spaces.
AAl JazeeraOriginal★★★★☆2026-08-16 07:46
Europe’s heatwaves are highlighting a shortfall in insurance coverage as business losses grow. For more than a century, cafes in Padua, Italy, have served aperitivo in the early evening, inviting customers to sit outdoors and socialise before dinner.
German companies sharply reduced their investments in the United States to a three-year low in the first half of 2026, as policies from the Trump administration fueled uncertainty between the transatlantic trading partners.
RReutersOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-16 07:35
An SEC disclosure lists a new 1% Vista holding for Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel. Vista is among the largest oil companies operating in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale formation.
RReutersOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-16 06:50
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella called on US President Donald Trump on Saturday to suspend tariffs on Colombia as the country continues to cope with a deadly earthquake. The quake devastated the western cities of Cali and Pereira and killed at least 300 people.
FFrance 24Original★★★★☆2026-08-16 05:39
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has asked Donald Trump to temporarily suspend US tariffs on Colombian goods to provide relief for businesses. The request comes after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed at least 294 people; reconstruction is expected to cost about $6.4bn, while tariffs recently rose to 12.5%.
Facing the aftermath of a devastating quake that has left nearly 300 people dead, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella urged US President Donald Trump to temporarily suspend tariffs on Colombian goods.
Five days after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, rescuers recovered more bodies from collapsed buildings. With hundreds dead or missing, hopes of finding survivors are fading.
Berkshire Hathaway increased its stake in Google parent Alphabet during the second quarter and also expanded its holdings in homebuilders.
TThe Associated PressOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-16 03:00
TASS calculations put Ukraine’s export-revenue losses from sea-port downtime since July 22 at about $1.75 billion. No large foreign merchant vessels entered the three largest commercial ports—Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. Farm exports fell roughly 60%, while iron ore and metals shipments almost stopped.
TTASSOriginal★★★★☆2026-08-16 02:34
Riders in Gombe, Nigeria, are increasingly switching to electric motorcycles to reduce fuel and maintenance costs after petrol prices surged. Although the bikes cost about 1 million naira, early adopters report substantial savings. Unreliable electricity, however, remains a major barrier to wider adoption.
AAl JazeeraOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-16 01:43
The China-Europe Arctic container express route has begun weekly summer operations. The Dubai Tower departed Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, traveling through the Northeast Arctic Passage toward ports in Britain, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland. Seasonal service is expected to run mainly from July to October, with at least eight voyages planned this year.
CCGTNOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-16 00:18
Quebec is open to changing dairy quotas that have angered Donald Trump. The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board also posted its best quarter since 2015.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-15 21:00
US utilities are struggling to connect a flood of new energy storage projects as grid upgrades fall behind demand.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-15 20:30
Energy storage projects are flooding the interconnection queue, while the costly grid upgrades required to bring them online are extending the wait.
Anton Kobyakov, an adviser to the Russian president and executive secretary of the Eastern Economic Forum’s organizing committee, said delegations from China, India, Japan, the UAE, Bangladesh and other countries have confirmed attendance. The forum will take place in Vladivostok on September 1-4.
TTASSOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-15 19:45
Rhine shipping is nearing collapse after water at a key gauge fell to a record-low 6 cm. Near Kaub, levels are too low even for lightly loaded vessels. Reduced precipitation has also lowered other European rivers, and experts estimate Germany could lose 0.1-0.2% of third-quarter GDP as a result.
TTASSOriginal★★★★☆2026-08-15 19:08
Anton Kobyakov, an adviser to the Russian president and executive secretary of the Eastern Economic Forum’s organizing committee, says interest remains high among Asia-Pacific participants, including some countries classified as unfriendly, as well as European businesses and executives. The forum is scheduled for September 1–4 in Vladivostok.
TTASSOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-15 15:24
ETFs are already known for their tax efficiency, but this popular part of the market is taking those benefits further than ever through the 351 conversion ETF.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-15 15:00
Many workers cannot afford to set money aside in a 401(k). The man who popularized the retirement accounts says he has a better idea.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-15 13:00
US mortgage rates slipped slightly for the first time in six weeks after new data showed the labor market cooling and suggested the Iran war may have had a more muted effect on inflation last month.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-15 12:30
The US will begin collecting tariffs Saturday on imported quartz slabs used in countertops, backsplashes and bathroom tiles. The measure has divided the industry between critics who foresee greater pressure on consumers and supporters who say protection will generate jobs.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-15 11:30
Extreme heat and unreliable water supplies are putting asset valuations at risk across a growing range of sectors, Moody’s says, with effects including reduced labor productivity and higher energy costs.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-15 08:30
Hours after the Trump administration launched its latest tariff scheme on July 24, the same small businesses that had defeated earlier White House tariff measures, including at the Supreme Court, sued the government again. The companies are emerging as the public face of small-business resistance to tariffs.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-15 08:00
Drone makers and suppliers, including two companies tied to the Trump family, rallied Friday after the White House announced tariffs on imports of unmanned aircraft systems and their components.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-15 07:00
Canada’s chief trade negotiator told a government advisory group that substantial work remains before the two sides can reach an agreement to avert a new round of US tariffs next week.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★★★☆2026-08-15 06:00
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Canada must scrap its retaliatory trade measures against US products to avoid new White House tariffs scheduled to take effect next week.
Chinese companies used facilities in Indonesia and Africa to obscure the origins of their products, helping them stay ahead of Trump’s tariffs and continue supplying solar panels to the US.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-15 05:00
Thailand has asked Russia to support launching negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, its Foreign Ministry said after the ninth Russian-Thai commission meeting. The sides also discussed trade and investment, energy and food security, transport links, tourism and other areas of cooperation.
TTASSOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-15 04:53
Harvard Management Co. disclosed a $2.2 billion stake in SpaceX, showing that the university’s endowment has profited from an early investment in Elon Musk’s giant rocket company.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-15 04:30
Fitch on Friday raised the Republic of Congo’s long-term local-currency rating to “CCC+” from “CCC” while affirming its foreign-currency rating. The agency cited better regional financing conditions and a smoother debt repayment profile, which reduced refinancing risks.
RReutersOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-15 02:40
Rising prices are provoking a backlash against the government, while also pointing to a new period of economic dynamism after years of deflation.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-15 01:30
Europe has endured five heat waves this summer. Persistent hot, dry conditions are fueling deadly wildfires, disrupting energy supplies, destroying crops and draining reservoirs and rivers. Triodos Bank estimates the fallout could wipe out nearly all of the EU’s expected 1.1% GDP growth this year.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★★★☆2026-08-15 01:00
Anthropic is preparing for what could be one of the largest IPOs on record. Sources say Wall Street is valuing the AI company unusually far ahead, basing its assessment on a forecast that its 2028 revenue could reach $190 billion to $200 billion.
RReutersOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-15 00:30
Home prices across the US continue to soar, increasing frustration among buyers and renters. Bloomberg News is asking people with similar experiences to share their stories.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-15 00:00
Berkshire Hathaway said on Friday that it increased its Alphabet investment by 83% in the second quarter, making Google and YouTube’s parent company its third-largest stock holding.
RReutersOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-14 23:30
A sharp stock decline and a series of setbacks have brought new scrutiny to billionaire Mat Ishbia’s mortgage company, prompting him to respond directly to his critics.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-14 23:30
The Justice Department and a US financial regulator are investigating transactions involving private firm Radiant World, which has rapidly become one of the world’s largest iron ore traders, people familiar with the matter said.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-14 23:00
Jane Street lost $15 billion in July because of its exposure to Situational Awareness, an AI-focused hedge fund, according to two people familiar with the matter.
RReutersOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-14 22:01
Goldman Sachs, Blackstone and Apollo Global Management spent months working on debt deals intended to help artificial-intelligence system developers pay for Nvidia chips.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★★★☆2026-08-14 22:00
US retail sales dropped in July by the largest amount in more than a year as consumers cut back on purchases from online stores and auto dealers.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-14 21:00
U.S. retail sales fell in July for the first time in nine months as the boost from large tax refunds faded, pointing to a marked slowdown in consumer spending at the start of the third quarter.
The Commerce Department said Friday that US retail sales dropped 0.6% in July from the previous month, marking the sharpest decline since May 2025.
US shoppers unexpectedly reduced spending in July as the lift from government tax refunds weakened. Commerce Department data showed retail sales fell 0.6% last month, the largest decline since May 2025, after a revised 0.2% gain.
Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said recent easing in inflation is encouraging, but he wants to see the trend continue in the coming months before concluding that price growth is returning to the central bank’s 2% target.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-14 20:30
A national US banking regulator on Friday conditionally approved a bank charter application tied to President Donald Trump and his family’s crypto venture, World Liberty Financial, effectively clearing the way for it to expand its stablecoin operations.
RReutersOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-14 20:15
Analysts and investors said on Friday that Silver Lake’s potential acquisition of Workday could lift battered software valuations by signaling continued private-equity confidence in the industry’s prospects despite fears that artificial intelligence could disrupt it.
RReutersOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-14 19:40
U.S. business inventories were flat in June, as higher wholesale stocks were offset by a decline at retailers, pointing to strong domestic demand in the second quarter.
RReutersOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-14 19:35
A regulatory filing showed that Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital held about $215 million worth of Amazon shares at the end of June, adding to the venture capital firm’s technology and artificial intelligence investments.
RReutersOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-14 19:15
Inter RAO, Russia’s sole electricity export-import operator, supplied Kazakhstan with 1.68 billion kWh in January-June, up 20.3% year on year and representing 53% of its total exports. Overall exports rose 4% to 3.2 billion kWh, while imports fell 5.3% to 1.2 billion kWh.
TTASSOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-14 18:52
Inter RAO, Russia’s sole electricity import-export operator, reported that electricity exports rose 4% year-on-year to 3.2 billion kWh in January-June 2026. Imports fell 5.3% to 1.2 billion kWh, with the company attributing export growth to favorable market conditions and economically efficient supplies to key destinations.
Ukraine’s iron ore exports dropped 27.3% year on year to 13.9 million tons in January-July, according to calculations by industry publication GMK Center using Ukrainian customs data. Export revenue declined to $1.08 billion, including $148 million in July. China remained the largest buyer, with shipments down 36% to 6.42 million tons.
TTASSOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-14 18:49
Ukraine’s Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Taras Vysotsky says the suspension of the Black Sea corridor since late July has cut grain exports by 70%. Ukraine exported 590,000 tons from August 1 to 12, about 30% of demand. Rail and Danube ports could provide a partial boost, but without Black Sea port operations exports would cover no more than half of demand.
TTASSOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-14 18:33
The AFL-CIO says the average S&P 500 CEO earned 312 times the median worker’s pay in 2025, up from 285 times in 2024. Elon Musk received $158bn from Tesla—2.5 million times the company’s average employee pay—even as Tesla’s revenue fell 3 percent and sales declined about 9 percent.
AAl JazeeraOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-14 18:28
Fuel supplies remain strained in several Russian regions. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak ordered oil companies and agencies to boost deliveries to the most affected areas and monitor prices for agricultural producers and at gas stations. The government said farms have enough fuel, while the antimonopoly service opened cases over several alleged price-gouging incidents.
TTASSOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-14 18:14
Russia’s stock market closed lower on Friday, with the ruble-denominated MOEX Index down 4.29% at 2,136.35 points and the dollar-denominated RTS Index falling 5.13% to 796.02 points. Analysts said the MOEX correction could pause near 2,100-2,120 points, while the ruble may begin recovering next week.
TTASSOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-14 18:03
As young people seek financial security, some are abandoning the corporate ladder to launch businesses of their own and build several income streams.
BBloomberg NewsOriginal★☆☆☆☆2026-08-14 17:01
As summer ends and children prepare to return to school, pressure to wear footwear that stands out or fits in is colliding with rising prices, squeezing families.
TThe Associated PressOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-14 17:00
Trade between Russia and Thailand rose nearly 23% in the first five months of 2026, Minister Alexey Chekunkov said. He recalled that turnover reached $1.7 billion in 2025 and called for expanded Russian exports of energy, fertilizers and agricultural goods, alongside more industrial imports.
TTASSOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-14 16:51
Hungary’s purchases of Russian pipeline gas fell 12.5% in value terms in the first half of 2026, but the country remained the largest buyer among EU members, according to Eurostat data and TASS calculations. The EU imported €542 million worth of the gas in June, with Hungary accounting for €218 million.
TTASSOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-14 16:37
Russia’s current account surplus climbed to $21 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up from $2 billion a year earlier and $13 billion in the first quarter, Central Bank documents show. The increase was driven mainly by higher goods exports, lifting the foreign trade surplus to $38 billion. Service-export growth reflected transport services for non-residents and spending by foreign visitors.
TTASSOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-14 16:22
Russia ranked second behind the United States in the value of LNG supplied to the EU in June, holding a 24.1% share. The bloc bought about €809 million of Russian LNG, up 57% year-on-year, while its total purchases of Russian gas in the first half fell 3.4% to €7.4 billion.
TTASSOriginal★★★★☆2026-08-14 16:20
Russia’s external debt stood at $313.3 billion on July 1, 2026, up $6.5 billion, or 2.1%, from the start of the year, according to the Bank of Russia. External liabilities in other sectors and the banking system grew most significantly. The figure was $324.05 billion a year earlier.
TTASSOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-14 16:06
Businesses from countries that take an unfriendly political stance toward Russia are showing interest in investment and transport opportunities in the Russian Arctic, Minister Alexey Chekunkov says. He believes long-term investment cooperation could help harmonize Russia’s relations with several East Asian states.
TTASSOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-08-14 16:02
Freight turnover between Russian and Chinese ports along the Northern Sea Route totals 5.4 million tons annually, or nearly 15% of the route’s overall cargo traffic, Rosatom official Azamat Khochuev said. Total NSR cargo has surpassed 37 million tons, while India and other Asia-Pacific countries are also showing interest in using the route.
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