Finance news

1 killed, ‘many buildings’ damaged after magnitude 7.8 quake strikes Philippines

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Monday, killing at least one person, collapsing buildings and sparking tsunami warnings across the region. Authorities in the Philippines and Indonesia urged residents in affected coastal regions to move to higher ground immediately, after the offshore quake hit at a depth of 35km (22 miles) about 24km west of Mindanao’s Sarangani province, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. It struck at 7.37am. Aftershocks up to 6.1 magnitude...

Trump storms out of tense NBC interview about Iran war strategy, election fraud claims

US President Donald Trump lasted through scrutinising questions about his Iran war strategy and repeated weather disruptions during an interview with US broadcaster NBC – but angrily stormed out when confronted over his unfounded claims of election fraud. “You’re a one-sided, crooked network. Sorry. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time,” Trump told Meet the Press host Kristen Welker before standing up and walking out of the interview that aired...

Best foreign domiciled ETF for S&P 500?

I'm not American and dont live in the US. However, my wife is American, (but not a US resident). I recently learned that upon my passing, all of my US domiciled equity holdings in VOO will be subject to US estate taxes before they are given to my wife! I'm annoyed I didnt know this already, but glad I found out before its too late! It seems I can bypass this liability by moving into non-US domiciled etfs, such as VUAA. I also learned that i can lower my dividend taxes from 30% to 15% in non-US d

Trump considers buying Chagos Islands from Mauritius, Telegraph reports

⁠The White House ⁠is considering a plan to buy the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, the Telegraph reported on Sunday. US officials have drawn up ‌a proposal to bypass the UK and make their own deal to take control of Diego Garcia, the report said. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. The White House ⁠and the UK Foreign Office did not immediately ‌respond to a request for comment. The plan is among several options being ‌drafted by the White House, in a paper ⁠aimed ⁠at providing...

Iran threatens US interests and Israel after strike on Beirut

Iran’s chief negotiator warned on Sunday that an Israeli strike on south Beirut and the continuing US blockade of Iranian ports would trigger retaliation. Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs without warning on Sunday, days after a ceasefire agreement in Washington went into effect and despite a US request not to attack Lebanon’s capital. Lebanon’s state-run national news agency said two people were killed and 11 wounded in a preliminary count. Iran had warned that an attack on Beirut would..

This week: May CPI inflation will break above 4% and ECB will hike on Thurday

For those wondering if markets have more room to fall.. On Wednesday US CPI data for the month of May will be released and having looked at the latest estimates from major firms, it's almost certain headline CPI will break above 4% again for the first time since April 2023. Estimates are 4.1 to 4.2% which will bring Fed hikes back into focus. Core CPI is also expected to edge up to a seven-month high of 2.9%, which is more concerning since this strips out oil from the headline data. For the mont

US Federal Reserve: Trump: Doesn't want to exert influence on new Fed chief

According to his own words, US President Trump trusts the decisions of the new Fed Chairman Warsh. When it comes to interest rates, he still makes a clear recommendation.

US to send third-country deportees to Central African Republic

Central African Republic has agreed to take in migrants from other countries deported by the United States, two sources with knowledge of the matter said, the latest example of the Trump administration striking deals with African states to accelerate removals. Washington has sent so-called third-country deportees to African countries including Democratic Republic ‌of Congo, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea, under opaque deals that Senate Democrats say have cost tens of millions of...

Scammers posing as police cheat 42 mainland students in Hong Kong out of millions

More than 40 mainland students studying in Hong Kong fell victim to scammers impersonating Chinese law enforcement officers in the first quarter of this year, police said on Sunday, with the biggest case involving over HK$8 million (US$1.02 million). Among the 42 cases, one victim was tricked into staging her own “abduction” after being lured to Thailand, despite having attended anti-scam courses at her university. Hong Kong police said students from across the border accounted for a quarter of.

+++ Iran War +++: USA demands Iran give the IAEA access to nuclear facilities

Pakistan's interior minister travels to Tehran +++ Iran warns neighbors against using their territory for US attacks +++ Lebanese army chief on the way to Pakistan +++ The news blog.

Does South Korea Take a Hard Left Turn Against America?

The phrase comes from a June 1, 2026, Wall Street Journal opinion piece co-authored by Nicholas Eberstadt and Lawrence Peck. The Core Arguments is that South Korea is turning against the US rest on several specific points raised by conservative critics. 1) Mid-South Middle East Stance: Observers point to ideological clashes, such as Seoul criticizing Israel's actions in Gaza, maintaining diplomatic outreach to Iran, and not fully aligning with US-led maritime efforts in the Middle East. 2) Dispu

Will ‘Trump-class’ battleship be a sitting duck for Chinese carrier-killer missiles?

A US congressional committee has cast doubt on Donald Trump’s “Golden Fleet” programme, warning it could overwhelm already strained nuclear-powered shipbuilding capacity and calling for a detailed review of its centrepiece battleship. One lawmaker also warned of the vulnerability of battleships in modern maritime warfare, citing the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army’s Dongfeng missile series, which includes the DF-21D ballistic missile – widely dubbed a “carrier killer”. The...

Can Mark Carney’s US-China juggling act keep Canada’s ‘primary relationship’ intact?

When China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Canada late last month to consolidate a new economic partnership, Prime Minister Mark Carney was in New York pitching for more than US$1 trillion in investment. “The timing was almost certainly deliberate,” said Alejandro Reyes, a professor of politics and a senior fellow at the Centre on Contemporary China and the World at the University of Hong Kong. “It signals to Washington that engagement with Beijing does not come at the expense of the...

On Taiwan, the Trump-Xi summit offered more than optics

The international media consensus following the Beijing summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump was predictable: grand on optics, short on substance. Dismissing it on those grounds misses the deeper story of how the summit marked a turning point in how Washington and Beijing manage their rivalry, particularly over Taiwan. To understand where this relationship is going, a brief historical detour is in order. In April 2001, then US president George W. Bush...

Pakistan’s mediators in Iran as US downs drones, Lebanon looks for peace

Pakistan’s interior minister was in Tehran on Sunday in a fresh bid to restart negotiations between Iran and the US, as the American military said it shot down two more Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz that threatened international maritime traffic. The latest action came as the Washington presses for Iran to make a deal to end the war in the Middle East, which has strained the global economy and threatened a hunger crisis in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries. The heaviest...

North Korea says its nuclear programme is ‘irreversible’ ahead of Chinese leader’s visit

North Korea said on Sunday that its nuclear weapons programme was “irreversible”, challenging the US push for denuclearisation a day before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit. After Donald Trump’s meeting with Xi last month, the United States said the two leaders shared the goal of denuclearising the Korean peninsula, although the Chinese statement did not mention the issue. But Kim Yo-jong, the sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, described the comments as “false information”, and..

Which company could become the Chinese Pfizer? Here are analysts’ top picks

A handful of Chinese biotechnology companies are expected to bring medications to consumers in Europe and the US under their own brand names within the next 10 to 15 years, according to policy and industry analysts. Amid China’s early-stage drug outlicensing boom, discussions have arisen among investor and analyst circles as to when – and which – Chinese biotechnology companies will start selling their own drugs internationally. Outlicensing agreements typically refer to a company granting...

US law society's Hong Kong conference plan meets scholar resistance

Shortseller: This jury verdict from the USA should worry investors

In a US court, a jury found a prominent short seller guilty of securities fraud. Not a good sign – also with a view to the SpaceX IPO. A comment.

What happens if you adjust the stock market for ALL the money printed by the Top 10 economies?

We all know the stock market has been on an absolute tear over the last two decades. But how much of that is actual, productive company growth, and how much is just central banks firing up the money printers worldwide? If we treat the total expansion of the global money supply as our baseline for "zero percent growth," the real returns of our portfolios look entirely different. Instead of just looking at the US and Europe, let's look at the top 10 economies. Because the stock market is a global

IPO: US low-cost airline Breeze Airways is targeting an IPO in 2027

Breeze had previously considered an IPO but postponed it due to the difficult market environment. It is now scheduled to be implemented next year.

Chinese medical team arrives in DR Congo to help fight Ebola, filling US void

A Chinese team of medical experts has arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a three-month frontline mission to contain an expanding Ebola outbreak across a mining region dense with Beijing-backed mineral investments. The five-member team of specialists in epidemiology, clinical medicine, research and traditional Chinese medicine arrived in the capital Kinshasa on Tuesday. According to China’s National Health Commission, the experts will work with local authorities to strengthen Ebola..

Migration: Hegseth speaks of “invasion” on Europe’s coasts during the D-Day speech

During a speech to commemorate the Allied landings in Normandy, US Defense Secretary Hegseth draws a wide range - and joins in criticism from US Vice President J.D. Vance.

Iran War: US Military: Two Iranian drones shot down

Are Iranian drones threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz area? At least that's how the US military presents it - and acts.

Aviation: US low-cost airline Breeze Airways is targeting an IPO in 2027

Breeze Airways is positioning itself in the USA as a provider of alternative flight routes beyond the major hubs. JetBlue founder David Neeleman is behind the airline.

Trump to meet AI leaders to discuss US investment in their companies

US President Donald Trump is planning to meet the bosses of some of the country's most notable artificial intelligence (AI) companies to discuss the government taking a financial stake in their future. Speaking on Air Force One, Trump said the goal of the US government investing in AI companies was to "create almost a partnership with the American public". He expects to meet leaders of major AI companies at the White House - likely next week. Although the president did not name specific companie

Missing US student found dead in Japan

An ⁠American student ⁠who disappeared while on ⁠a family holiday in Japan was found dead outside Kyoto, his mother wrote in a social media post on Saturday. The body of James ‌Higginbotham, 20, was discovered in a mountainous area by a volunteer search-and-rescue group, Nancy Higginbotham wrote. A cause of death and further details were not immediately available. “Our family is heartbroken,” she said. “The grief we feel is ⁠impossible to put into words.” Higginbotham, an Alabama resident ‌and an

World Cup: Where are the football tourists?

FIFA is hailing the upcoming World Cup as an economic blessing for the host countries. However, the hotel industry has so far been disillusioned - and blames the US President for this.

Subaru weighs selling US-made Ascent SUV in Japan

US strikes Iranian sites after Iran launches drones, in latest Gulf flare-up

U.S. forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites on Saturday after shooting down drones launched by Iran toward the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military said.