Finance news

Iran-USA agreement: International Energy Agency expects oil glut from 2027

If the agreement between Iran and the USA holds, a lot of oil will flow onto the world market, predicts the IEA. But it will take months for things to return to normal.

Malaysia deports 2 suspected Indian separatists over rail explosion in Punjab

Malaysian police have deported two nationals from India wanted over an explosion on a railway line in Punjab, in a case Indian media have linked to an alleged militant plot tied to the Khalistan separatist movement seeking an independent Sikh homeland. The Royal Malaysia Police said the duo were sent back to India on Wednesday after Indian authorities requested help locating and arresting them. M. Kumar S. Muthuvelu, director of the police’s criminal investigation department, said the two were..

Hong Kong ranks No 2 in global competitiveness with best showing in 7 years

Hong Kong has ranked as the second-most globally competitive economy – its best performance in seven years – climbing one spot from last year to place behind Singapore. The ranking, released by the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD) on Thursday, put the city ahead of 68 other economies out of 70 surveyed. Hong Kong’s position was surpassed only by Singapore, but the city was ahead of Switzerland and Taiwan. The IMD noted Hong Kong’s rise to second place...

Saudi Aramco Eyes $7 Billion Sulfur Asset Sale as Demand Soars

Saudi Arabia’s energy major Aramco is considering selling a stake in its sulfur business, eyeing proceeds of up to $7 billion, Reuters has reported, citing unnamed sources. The value of Aramco’s infrastructure assets could be as high as $50 billion, one of the Reuters sources told the publication. This gives Aramco a pretty comfortable asset sale base—and sulfur right now is very hot, after the Middle East war disrupted a solid chunk of global supply for a vital commodity with multiple applicati

Japanese men picking up World Cup trash get mocked over double standards

Japanese football fans have gone viral once again for tidying up the stadium after their team’s World Cup match against the Netherlands this week, only to prompt a meme criticising the country’s men for not applying the same standards of behaviour while at home. A spoof of a train etiquette poster contrasts an image of a football fan cleaning a stadium with a domestic scene where a woman washes dishes while a man clad in the national team’s Samurai Blue kit lounges on a sofa behind her. The...

Cafe caught in red tape despite winning ballot for dog-friendly venue licence

Homeowners in a Hong Kong subsidised housing estate will need to amend a legal land-use document to permit a cafe on the premises to allow dogs, after the venue was disqualified from a pet-friendly licence scheme despite winning an application ballot. The Housing Department said on Thursday that the owners of Kai Yan Court in Kai Tak must consent to amending the deed of mutual covenant (DMC) under the Land Registry, which currently bans dogs on the premises, for Marz Menu to become a...

Alliance defense: Hegseth urges NATO partners to provide more defense

How far are the European NATO states in increasing their defense spending? The US government makes it clear that it wants to take a close look at individual countries.

Fund selection for company pension schemes

Hi! My employer works with Allianz at BAV and I have now had an offer drawn up for me - the concept with a mix of shares (called InvestFlex) seemed to me to be the most suitable due to various constraints. Now the only question that arises is the specific choice of fund. (List here: https://www.allianz.de/service/fondsreport-digital/) Should you keep things simple and just use the iShares MSCI ACWI? Or would you rather divide it into several people (if so, what?

LNG Reprices Global Energy Flows as Markets Digest Fed and European Policy Signals

Key Takeaways • LNG markets are shifting from geopolitical repricing toward storage rebuilding and supply-allocation dynamics. • The post-Fed environment leaves growth expectations, industrial demand and financing conditions as secondary macro layers for natural-gas positioning. • European LNG flows remain solid, with total EU flow at 427.96 mcm and the Top 5 terminals accounting for 43.3% of flows. • Dutch TTF has fallen sharply over five sessions, reflecting the unwinding of geopolitical risk

Getting into ETF after big stock gains

Hi, started investing one year ago and grew my stock portfolio to 50k mainly with big tech. Probably over 50% returns this year. I know it’s been a bull market for tech stocks, basically impossible to lose money. But how do I even settle for the common recommendation of an ETF yielding 10% per year, after tasting those nice high returns? Can someone talk some sense into me and tell me I’ll go broke with my entire portfolio made of Nvidia, Google and Amazon? submitted by /u/90towest [link] [comme

Portrait of the Minister of Economic Affairs: Is the new heating law really better, Ms. Reiche?

The Minister of Economic Affairs is confident of the necessary energy reforms. But support for her course is often lost because she is not an easy character. She can be quite charming though.

Housing construction: Hope in housing construction – strong increase in permits

The number of building permits is increasing. What is crucial is that construction begins now. However, this is not a sure-fire success.

Chip production: According to Trump, Apple and Intel agree on chip production in the USA

According to the US President, Apple will produce its chips in the USA at Intel in the future. The US government would also be involved.

Location comparison: The German economy is losing competitiveness

Germany is falling behind again in the international location competition. This is also due to the high taxes. Because of Trump's tariffs and high costs, Switzerland is losing its top position to Singapore.

How DeepSeek’s landmark funding secures Liang Wenfeng’s grip as China’s AI rivalry heats up

Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek closed its first-ever external fundraising in an unusual and high-stakes deal that could not only reshape the country’s AI landscape but also offer a rare glimpse into how one of China’s most valuable AI start-ups will navigate its next phase of growth, sources and analysts said. Hangzhou-based DeepSeek now has a post-investment value of about 400 billion yuan (US$59.2 billion) after raising around 50 billion yuan in a Series A round, one source.

Starmer’s future on the line as Britain holds closely watched vote

Keir Starmer is not on the ballot, but the UK prime minister’s future is on the line in a special election on Thursday. Voters in the Makerfield district of northwest England were electing a new lawmaker, and the leading contender is Andy Burnham of the governing Labour Party, the current mayor of Greater Manchester and oddsmakers’ favourite to be the next prime minister. If Burnham defeats a candidate from the anti-immigration party Reform UK and wins the seat for Labour, he is almost certain..

Alliance defense: Rutte: US strike plans come into force immediately

After US plans to cut NATO commitments, the NATO Secretary General warns: Europe must become stronger when it comes to military replacements. He wants to dispel worries.

Malaysia and Asean tap Russia for energy security, defying Western ‘prejudices’

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited Russia’s Kazan with a message about Asean centrality and a more urgent national problem behind it – keeping fuel supply secure as global energy uncertainties linger. The two-day Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit has turned into a small but telling test of Washington’s influence in Southeast Asia, according to analysts, with Anwar and other regional leaders meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin even as Western governments seek to tighten pressure.

+++ Iran War +++: Germany sends mine-clearing boats into the Strait of Hormuz

USA and Iran sign declaration of intent +++ Mediator Pakistan: USA-Iran agreement comes into force immediately +++ Trump – Israeli attacks on Beirut are “unfair” +++ The news blog.

German economy: Economists are more pessimistic about the economy because of the war

The Iran war is weakening the economy. IMK researchers expect weaker growth for 2027. Which risks are crucial now.

Interview: Are we heading for a technology apocalypse, Mr. Kramer?

New technologies are unleashing forces that are fundamentally changing the world, and not just for the better. In an interview, Shlomo Kramer, who once built the first commercial firewall, explains what needs to be done to mitigate these risks.

Singaporean man faces jail for pranking ex-PM Lee with fake Marina Bay Sands fire photo

A Singaporean man is facing jail time for sending an edited photo of Marina Bay Sands (MBS) on fire to Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Facebook page while mentioning a “bomb”. Andie Tan Kok Yong, a 35-year-old Singaporean, pleaded guilty on Thursday to one charge of knowingly sending a false message under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act. A second charge of obstructing the course of justice by performing a factory reset of his phone will be considered in...

Insurer: Unicredit could increase its shares in Generali

According to a report, the major Italian bank is said to be interested in taking over additional shares in the insurance company. But the offer was initially rejected.

Oman trade pact gives India alternative energy gateway

Bangladesh rolls out EV incentives, boosting BYD

India's regional aviation ambitions stall on Iran war disruption

Malaysian gold retailers squeezed on capital to acquire precious metal

EU summit: The EU no longer wants to leave peace in Ukraine just to Trump and Putin

After the G7 summit, Brussels wants to discuss its own strategy for Ukraine and find ways to combat China's export glut. It's also about money.

7% MSCI World realistic?

In a nutshell: This calculator here: https://einfachberechner.de/sparplan/?start=0&rate=1500&jahre=32 shows that if I invest €1,500 a month for 32 years, that would be €2,142,616, i.e. just over €2 million. Is that correct? I am aware that the stock market is of course not always a guarantee of clear returns, but the calculator takes it into account

China urged to strengthen navy escorts and find other routes to secure energy supply

The Middle East conflict has shaken up the global energy supply chain and Beijing needs to do more to protect shipments – such as finding alternative routes and boosting escort capabilities, according to industry analysts. Lu Ruquan, president of the China National Petroleum Corporation Economics and Technology Research Institute, said the country should “strengthen escort capabilities, emergency responses and safety guarantees at critical nodes”. Writing in the journal International Petroleum..