Month: January 2026

China fourth-quarter growth slows to 4.5%, weakest in nearly three years as consumption misses forecasts
World

China fourth-quarter growth slows to 4.5%, weakest in nearly three years as consumption misses forecasts

Pedestrians in the Huaqiangbei electronics market area in Shenzhen, China, on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images China’s economic growth slowed to its weakest pace in nearly three years in the fourth quarter as domestic demand softened, though full-year growth matched Beijing’s target despite growing trade frictions with the U.S. […]

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What the U.S.-Taiwan deal means for the island’s ‘silicon shield’
World

What the U.S.-Taiwan deal means for the island’s ‘silicon shield’

HSINCHU, TAIWAN – APRIL 16: The entrance to a factory of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which is a Taiwanese multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company, in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on April 16, 2025. Daniel Ceng | Anadolu | Getty Images The U.S.-Taiwan deal aimed at expanding chip production capacity in the U.S. is […]

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CNBC Daily Open: Trump’s Greenland tariffs draw the EU into the fray
World

CNBC Daily Open: Trump’s Greenland tariffs draw the EU into the fray

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2025. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters If economic sanctions are designed to apply pressure without firing a shot, then U.S. President Donald Trump has aimed directly at […]

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Asia-Pacific markets mostly slip as investors assess Greenland developments, await key China data
World

Asia-Pacific markets mostly slip as investors assess Greenland developments, await key China data

People celebrate the New Year at a ceremony at the Juyongguan Great Wall section, also known as Juyong Pass, in Beijing, China, January 1, 2026. Maxim Shemetov | Reuters Asia-Pacific markets mostly slipped Monday, as investors assessed threats from the Trump administration toward Greenland over the weekend and looked toward key economic data from China. […]

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Billionaires have ‘outsized’ political influence — and they’re richer than ever, says Oxfam
World

Billionaires have ‘outsized’ political influence — and they’re richer than ever, says Oxfam

Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. Hamad I Mohammed | Reuters Billionaires’ wealth has risen sharply to a record high of $18.3 trillion — with the super-rich seeking power “for their own gain,” according to a report by the global charity Oxfam released Monday. The […]

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He worked four blue-collar jobs in his teens to stay afloat. Today, his fintech startup is worth  billion
World

He worked four blue-collar jobs in his teens to stay afloat. Today, his fintech startup is worth $8 billion

Jack Zhang is the co-founder and CEO of Airwallex. Courtesy of Jack Zhang The word “burnout” isn’t in the dictionary of Jack Zhang, co-founder and CEO of fintech company Airwallex. “I never understand that terminology to be honest. I’ve worked 100 hours a week from [the] age of 16 for 20 plus years,” Zhang told […]

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Why South Korean noodle companies are betting on an overseas appetite for growth
World

Why South Korean noodle companies are betting on an overseas appetite for growth

Shin Ramyun instant noodles on the production line at the NongShim Co. factory in Gumi, South Korea, on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. South Korea is scheduled to announce its gross domestic product (GDP) figures on April 24. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Fancy some cheese-flavored spicy noodles? Judging […]

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Democrat Khanna refloats bill to block investors from buying up homes after Trump proposal
Politics

Democrat Khanna refloats bill to block investors from buying up homes after Trump proposal

U.S. Representative Ro Khanna speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 18, 2025. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna on Friday reintroduced a bill that would curb institutional investors from buying up housing,  leveraging a similar call made recently by President Donald Trump. Trump said […]

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Trump wants nations to pay  billion for permanent Board of Peace seats
World

Trump wants nations to pay $1 billion for permanent Board of Peace seats

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks to the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City on September 23, 2025. Timothy A. Clary | Afp | Getty Images The Trump administration wants nations to pay $1 billion to remain on the Board of Peace, Bloomberg first reported on Saturday night, citing […]

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Bessent: Unlikely Supreme Court will overrule tariffs, Trump’s ‘signature economic policy’
Politics

Bessent: Unlikely Supreme Court will overrule tariffs, Trump’s ‘signature economic policy’

Scott Bessent, US treasury secretary, during an Economic Club of Minnesota event in Golden Valley, Minnesota, US, on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. Ben Brewer | Bloomberg | Getty Images Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday said it’s “very unlikely” that the Supreme Court will overturn President Donald Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose tariffs, […]

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