Month: December 2025
Trump says Zelenskyy ‘hasn’t read U.S. peace proposal’ as tensions mount
(L/R) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump stand for a family photo with other European leaders in the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images Tensions are mounting once again between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy […]
Read More
BlackRock bets on ‘pick and shovel’ trade, singling out clear winners in AI spending spree
Ben Powell, chief strategist for Middle East and Asia Pacific at BlackRock Investment Institute, at the Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) conference. Bloomberg | Getty Images The wave of capital pouring into artificial intelligence infrastructure is far from peaking, said Ben Powell, chief investment strategist for APAC at BlackRock, arguing the sector’s “picks and shovels” […]
Read More
Ray Dalio says Middle East is becoming a ‘Silicon Valley of capitalists’
Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater, speaking to CNBC at the Future Investment Institute 2025 summit in Riyadh on Oct. 28th, 2025. CNBC The Middle East is fast emerging as one of the world’s most powerful AI hubs, Bridgewater Associates’ founder Ray Dalio said Monday, comparing the region’s rise to Silicon Valley’s pull for all things […]
Read More
CNBC Daily Open: Playing now: Netflix-Warner Bros deal with a Trump twist
Netflix’s headquarters are pictured in Hollywood, California on December 5, 2025. Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty Images “Who’s watching?” Netflix asks whenever someone accesses its site. On Friday, it was probably everyone with an interest in business, markets and television. The key characters that had people hooked were Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, […]
Read More
European markets set for lackluster start to the new trading week as markets await Fed decision
A trader works, as a screen broadcasts a press conference by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell following the Fed rate cut announcement, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 29, 2025. Brendan McDermid | Reuters LONDON — European stocks are expected to start the week […]
Read More
Trump’s trade war shift away from Chinese manufacturing has reached tipping point
A container is offloaded from the Wanhai 175 cargo ship at the Tan Vu Terminal, operated by Vietnam Maritime Corp., at Haiphong Port in Haiphong, Vietnam, on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The proportion of volume from suppliers in China, Hong Kong, and Korea has declined from 90% to 50% over […]
Read More
Asia-Pacific markets trade mixed as investors parse China trade data
Shanghai Bund skyline panorama Yangna | E+ | Getty Images Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slid 0.14%, while the Topix added 0.25%. South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.35%, and the small-cap Kosdaq traded 0.45% higher. Revisions released by Tokyo on Monday show Japan’s economy shrank more sharply between July and September than first estimated. Official data showed that […]
Read More
China’s exports rebound in November, massively beating expectations after U.S. trade truce
A cargo ship loaded with containers departs from Qingdao Port in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China, on December 4, 2025. Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images China’s exports massively beat market expectations in November as manufacturers rushed to ship out inventory on the back of a trade deal with Washington, following a meeting between the […]
Read More
Thailand launches air strikes at Cambodia as border tensions reignite
Cambodian soldiers (C) ride their motorbike as local residents evacuate following clashes along the Cambodia-Thailand border in Preah Vihear province on Dec. 8, 2025. Str | Afp | Getty Images Thailand has launched air strikes along its disputed border with Cambodia, the Thai military said on Monday, after both countries accused the other of breaching a ceasefire agreement brokered […]
Read More
Hong Kong election turnout near record low amid anger over deadly fire
Election Committee Constituency candidates celebrate on stage after winning the Legislative Council General Election in Hong Kong, China, on Dec. 8, 2025. Leung Man Hei | Afp | Getty Images Hong Kong’s election on Sunday saw a near-record-low turnout after the city’s worst fire in nearly 80 years prompted anger against its China-backed authorities, but voter participation […]
Read More