Japan will begin testing deep-sea mining for rare earth elements this month, moving into uncharted territory as supply security concerns intensify amid China’s tightening grip on critical minerals. The government-backed trial, scheduled to run from January 11 to February 14, will take place in waters around Minamitori Island, roughly 1,900…
The gold price started off the new year on a strong note, approaching the US$4,500 per ounce level midway through the week and breaking through it on Friday (January 9). As is often the case, silver put on a bumpier performance, trading within about a US$10 range. It recorded lows…
Statistics Canada released December jobs figures on Friday (January 9). The data shows that 8,200 new jobs were added during the month, while the unemployment rate rose to 6.8 percent, up 0.3 percentage points from November. The agency attributes the gain to more Canadians actively seeking work. Analysts had expected…
US government-backed deals to export Venezuelan crude from the beleaguered South American country have attracted interest from some of the world’s biggest majors and international trading houses, ramping up the importance of the country’s energy reserves in the wake of political changes.Oil major Chevron Corp and the global trading houses…
China’s consumer inflation accelerated in December to its fastest pace in nearly three years, driven by a seasonal pickup in spending ahead of the Lunar New Year, while persistent factory-gate deflation underscored continued weakness in underlying demand.Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Friday showed that consumer…
Vodafone Idea shares surged as much as 8% on January 9 after the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) granted relief to the telecom operator in its long-running adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dispute, significantly easing near-term cash flow pressure. The stock hit an intraday high of ₹12.52 and was trading 3.6% higher…
Geopolitical instability and burgeoning global debt are forecast to drive gold prices to a staggering $5,050 per ounce in the first half of 2026, though this historic peak may be followed by a sharp correction later in the year, according to a recent analysis from HSBC.“We see a wide range…
Asian markets traded mixed on Friday as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of a key US jobs report and a potentially market-moving Supreme Court ruling on the legality of President Donald Trump’s global tariffs. At the same time, developments around Venezuela’s oil sector, fresh data on China’s inflation, and…
The FTSE 100 Index soared to a record high of £10,153 earlier this week and then pulled back to the current £10,000. It remains 33% above its lowest level in April last year. BAE Systems, Babcock, and Rolls-Royce are leading the rallyCompanies in the defense industry have continued the bull run…
The United States has just crossed a historic line: deploying its military into Venezuela to capture the sitting president of a sovereign nation.Whatever one thinks of Nicolás Maduro, the message was unmistakable. Power, not protocol, is shaping the new politics of the Western Hemisphere—and the world is watching.Precedents travel fast.…