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Oil Markets Steady as Investors Weigh Banking Crisis, Russia

Oil prices stabilised in Asian trade on Monday as investors sought cues from broader financial markets, while comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin over the weekend ratcheted up geopolitical tensions in Europe. Brent crude futures held unchanged at $74.99 a barrel at 0357 GMT after hitting a session high of $75.64. U.S. West Texas Intermediate […]

China’s Industrial Profits Slump Deepens on Soft Demand, High Costs

The slump in Chinese industrial firms’ profits deepened in the first two months of 2023, weighed by lacklustre demand and stubbornly high costs as the world’s second-largest economy struggled to fully shake the long-term effects of COVID. The sharp 22.9% contraction followed a 4.0% fall in industrial profits for the whole of 2022, data from […]

Explainer - What Are Tactical Nuclear Weapons and What Is Russia's Policy?

Russia has a deal to station tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of neighbouring Belarus, President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday, adding this will not violate non-proliferation agreements. What are these weapons and what is Russia’s policy on them: WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS The United States has said the world faces the gravest nuclear danger […]

US House Speaker Says Lawmakers to Move Forward with TikTok Bill

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Sunday lawmakers will move forward with legislation to address national security worries about TikTok, alleging China’s government had access to the short video app’s user data. In the United States, there are growing calls to ban TikTok, owned by China-based company ByteDance, or to pass bipartisan […]

US Vice President Harris Promises Greater Investment for Africa

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said on Sunday that the United States will increase investment in Africa and help spur economic growth as she began a week long tour of the continent aimed at offering a counter to the influence of rival China. China has invested heavily in Africa in recent decades, including in infrastructure […]

Deutsche Bank, Ubs Hit as Bank Fears Spark Stress Signals

European banking stocks fell sharply on Friday, with Deutsche Bank and UBS knocked by worries that actions by regulators and central banks have not yet contained the worst problems to face the sector since the 2008 global financial crisis. Financial market stress indicators were also again flashing warning signs more widely, with the euro falling […]

Ongoing Banking Worries Mean No Respite for World Stocks

Global stocks came under pressure on Friday from lingering concerns about the stability of the banking system, while safe-haven buying supported government bonds. The MSCI World share index traded 0.6% lower and Europe’s STOXX 600 index was down 1.6%. A STOXX sub-index of bank shares, which has swung wildly as traders debated if a forced […]

TikTok Attacked for China Ties as Us Lawmakers Push for Ban

U.S. lawmakers on Thursday battered TikTok’s CEO about potential Chinese influence over the platform and said its short videos were damaging children’s mental health, reflecting bipartisan concerns about the app’s power over Americans. CEO Shou Zi Chew’s testimony before Congress did little to assuage U.S. worries over TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance and added fresh […]

China’s Catl to Start Mass Output of m3p Batteries This Year

Chinese battery giant CATL plans this year to start mass production and delivery of batteries based on a new materials technology, M3P, which will perform better and cost less than nickel and cobalt-based batteries, its chairman said. M3P batteries will have greater energy density and perform better than lithium-ion phosphate batteries, a market CATL dominates. […]