World
Wholesale prices rose 0.7% in February, much more than expected and up 3.4% annually
Wholesale prices rose sharply in February, providing another sign that inflation continues to percolate even aside from rising energy prices. The producer price index, a measure of pipeline costs that producers receive for their products, increased a seasonally adjusted 0.7% on the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. Excluding volatile food and energy […]
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It’s not just oil: Aluminum prices have surged as Iran conflict chokes supply
View of the interior of a furnace in an aluminium foundry. Monty Rakusen | via Getty Images The U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran has upended the supply of aluminum in the Middle East, sending prices of the base metal skyrocketing. While aluminum may be the most abundant metal on earth, it is crucial to […]
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Treasury yields are little changed as attention turns to Fed rates decision
Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 17, 2026. Brendan McDermid | Reuters Treasury yields were little changed on Wednesday as investors await the Federal Reserve’s next policy decision on interest rates, due later in the session. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield was down by more […]
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Traffic is trickling through Strait of Hormuz: Who’s moving through and who’s still stranded or diverting
Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026. – | Afp | Getty Images Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has stoked fears of the gravest disruption to global oil supply in history, as the Middle East conflict stretches into its third week. The blockade has squeezed shipping traffic […]
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Cuba partially restores power as President Díaz-Canel vows ‘unyielding resistance’ to U.S. oil blockade
Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel gestures during the BRICS summit second plenary session in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6, 2025. Pablo Porciuncula | Afp | Getty Images Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Wednesday lashed out at the “almost daily” threats from the U.S. and pledged to meet the Trump administration’s move to choke off the […]
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Tencent’s 2025 revenue beats estimates as Chinese tech giant ramps up AI investment
Tencent on Wednesday reported full-year revenue that topped analyst predictions, as the Chinese tech giant continues to ramp up investments in AI. Here’s how Tencent did in its full-year earnings for 2025: Revenue: 751.8 billion Chinese yuan ($109 billion), surpassing the 750.7 billion Chinese yuan expected by analysts, according to data compiled by LSEG. “We […]
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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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