LONDON/SINGAPORE – Global equity markets hovered around record highs on Wednesday, as investors sought ways to justify optimism despite a complicated mix of economic, political, and geopolitical concerns. Meanwhile, the rally in precious metals and industrial commodities continued unabated, reflecting safe-haven demand and supply pressures. Traders navigated a complex backdrop, including U.S. corporate earnings reports,

Read more...

LONDON – British businesses turned their most pessimistic in three years at the end of 2025, and sentiment worsened after Finance Minister Rachel Reeves’ November budget, according to a survey published on Wednesday by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). The ICAEW’s business confidence gauge fell to -11.1 in the fourth

Read more...

BEIJING – China’s market regulator has launched an investigation into Trip.com Group Ltd, the country’s largest online travel agency, over suspected monopolistic practices, marking another step in Beijing’s intensified crackdown on alleged unfair competition in the tech sector. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said Trip.com is suspected of abusing its dominant market position,

Read more...

BEIJING – China imported more goods from Japan in December 2025 than at any point in the last three years, customs data revealed on Wednesday, signaling resilience in China-Japan trade relations despite rising geopolitical tensions over Taiwan. The world’s second-largest economy purchased $16.4 billion worth of goods from Japan last month, marking the highest monthly

Read more...

MUMBAI – The Indian rupee concluded a volatile trading session on Wednesday slightly weaker against the U.S. dollar, as a mix of corporate dollar demand and likely Reserve Bank of India (RBI) interventions tugged the currency in different directions. The rupee closed at ₹90.2950 per dollar, down modestly from ₹90.19 in the previous session. Early

Read more...

BRUSSELS – The European Union announced on Wednesday a major financial aid package for Ukraine, splitting the approved €90 billion ($104.89 billion) support into €30 billion for the country’s general budget and €60 billion earmarked for military supplies, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “We are taking a significant step in our

Read more...

BRASILIA – Brazil’s federal police carried out search and seizure operations on Wednesday targeting businessman Daniel Vorcaro, the controlling shareholder of Banco Master, in connection with an ongoing investigation into the lender, according to sources familiar with the case. Vorcaro, a prominent figure in Brazil’s banking sector, has been under investigation following allegations of involvement

Read more...

FRANKFURT — Any erosion of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s independence could trigger higher inflation and potentially jeopardize overall financial stability, according to Finnish central bank Governor Olli Rehn, who spoke on Wednesday about the importance of maintaining central bank autonomy. Rehn, a candidate for European Central Bank (ECB) vice president, expressed full support for Fed

Read more...

Pakistan has signed an agreement with SC Financial Technologies, an affiliate of U.S.-based World Liberty Financial, to explore the use of a dollar-backed stablecoin for cross-border payments, the government said on Wednesday. The Pakistan Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (PVARA) described the memorandum of understanding (MoU) as a step to enable “dialogue and technical understanding around

Read more...

Bank of England (BoE) policymaker Alan Taylor indicated on Wednesday that interest rates are expected to fall further as inflation is projected to align with the central bank’s 2% target by mid-2026. Taylor, speaking ahead of a lecture at the National University of Singapore, said the outlook for inflation has improved compared to earlier projections,

Read more...