The Hang Seng Index reversed its downward trend in Hong Kong on Thursday (February 12th), weakening by around 0.9% to around 27,000 after a strong session earlier. This decline halted the momentum of the short term rally, as investors began to reduce risk in large cap stocks. Among the index's contributors, Tencent was a major drag, with its shares falling by around 2.3%, putting pressure on the technology sector, which has recently been a driving force behind market gains. Weakness in large cap companies like this typically quickly impacts sentiment due to their significant weighting in...
The world community must make clear that U.S. intervention in Venezuela is a violation of international law that makes the world less safe, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday. U.S. forces ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a surprise operation at the weekend. He faces four criminal charges in the U.S., including narco-terrorism, and Maduro's vice president has been sworn in as interim president. "It is clear that the operation undermined a fundamental principle of international law, that states must not threaten or use force against...
US President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to come to the aid of protesters in Iran if security forces open fire on them, days after unrest that has killed several people and posed the biggest internal threat to Iranian authorities in years. "We are ready and prepared to act," he said in a social media post. The United States attacked Iran's nuclear facilities in June, joining an Israeli air campaign targeting Tehran's atomic program and military leadership. Top Iranian official Ali Larijani responded to Trump's comments, warning that US interference in Iran's domestic affairs would...
Global markets in 2026 are expected to remain uncertain, with the primary focus being on the direction of interest rates and global economic conditions. Major central banks such as the Fed, the ECB, and the Bank of England (BoE) are expected to begin loosening their monetary policies after inflationary pressures subside, although their actions will tend to be cautious. The global economic slowdown is still felt, particularly in Europe and China, but has not yet led to a major crisis. In financial markets, the US dollar has the potential to weaken further if interest rate cuts are actually...
Iran warns of a strong response to new threats of attack from US President Donald Trump, who has expressed readiness to support attacks on Iran if it rebuilds its nuclear or missile programs. Iran has said it will respond "severely" if attacked again.The president also issued a stern warning to Iran and Hamas after his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, signaling strong US support for military action if Iran continues to instigate conflict. Israel's Concerns Israel is now on alert for a possible attack from Iran and is ready to take tactical action in case of a...
Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of attacking civilians during New Year's celebrations. Moscow said a Ukrainian drone strike hit hotels and cafes in the Russian-controlled Kherson region of southern Ukraine, killing many people. Meanwhile, Kyiv said Russia launched a massive attack that damaged power supplies and critical infrastructure across Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that Russia deliberately escalated attacks during the holidays. He claimed that more than 200 attack drones were launched by Russia on New Year's Eve, targeting energy infrastructure in...