Month: March 2026
Iran conflict looms large over Takaichi’s upcoming summit with Trump, experts say
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) hold up signed documents for a critical minerals/rare earth deal with Japan during a meeting at Akasaka Palace on October 28, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. Trump is on a visit to Asia that takes in the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, followed by a […]
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France ready to help U.S. secure Strait of Hormuz — but not while ships are under attack
Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. Stringer | Reuters French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told CNBC that France is willing to support the U.S. in […]
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China’s ‘AI tigers’ see shares surge after Nvidia CEO touts OpenClaw as ‘next ChatGPT’
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang gestures during the NVIDIA GTC global AI conference in San Jose, California, U.S. March 17, 2026. Carlos Barria | Reuters Chinese artificial intelligence stocks surged Wednesday following upbeat comments from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on the promise of AI agents and OpenClaw. Huang on Tuesday said that OpenClaw was “definitely the […]
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Meta’s Manus launches desktop app to bring its AI agent onto personal devices amid OpenClaw craze
The Manus logo is displayed on a smartphone screen, with the Meta logo visible in the background. Cheng Xin | Getty Images News | Getty Images Artificial intelligence start-up Manus, recently acquired by Meta, launched a new desktop application Monday that brings its AI agent directly onto personal laptops. The company’s general agent — which […]
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Global hedge funds suffer worst losses since ‘liberation day’ on Iran war turmoil
A monitor displays stock market information on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on April 4, 2025. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Hedge funds are getting battered by the fallout from the escalating conflict with Iran, as a sharp spike in oil prices and a broad market selloff unravel crowded trades. […]
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Illinois Lt Gov Stratton wins Senate Democratic primary for Dick Durbin’s seat
Juliana Stratton, lieutenant governor of Illinois and Democratic US Senate candidate, speaks during a primary election night event in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton on Tuesday won the Democratic Party primary to replace retiring U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, U.S. media projected, putting her in position to win the November election in […]
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Oil slips as rising U.S. crude inventories offset attacks on UAE energy infrastructure
A pump jack is seen on March 17, 2026 in Stanton, Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty Images Oil prices slipped on Wednesday despite escalating attacks on the United Arab Emirates’ energy infrastructure, as rising U.S. crude inventories helped offset rising geopolitical risk premiums. Prices of Brent, the international benchmark, declined 1.17% to $102.19 per barrel. […]
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Japan’s Mitsui OSK shares soar to record highs as activist investor Elliott builds ‘significant’ stake
A Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) container ship at a shipping terminal in Tokyo on Oct. 31, 2016. Akio Kon – Bloomberg – Getty Images Shares of Japanese shipping firm Mitsui OSK Lines surged more than 11% Wednesday to a record high after activist investor Elliott Investment Management said it had established a “significant” stake in the […]
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Iran launches retaliatory strikes on Israel and U.S. assets after security chief Larijani is killed
A smoke plume rise from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 16, 2026. – | Afp | Getty Images Iran intensified attacks against U.S. assets in the Middle East and Israel on Wednesday in apparent retaliation against the killing of the country’s security chief Ali Larijani overnight, as the weeks-long […]
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CNBC Daily Open: Trump goes alone in the Iran war — as allies spurn requests to join
U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One on March 11, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. President Trump is traveling to Ohio and Kentucky today to highlight two local businesses. Andrew Harnik | Getty Images News | Getty Images Hello, this is Hui Jie writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of […]
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