AFP

Most Asian equities rose Thursday after US Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell suggested any increase in consumer prices caused by tariffs would likely be short-lived, even as the central bank slashed its growth outlook and hiked inflation expectations.Markets have been seized by volatility recently as US President Donald Trump embarks on his hardball trade policy …

Most Asian markets track Wall St rally after Fed rate signals Read More »

To sow or not to sow? Canola farmers in Canada’s vast western Prairies region have found themselves in the crossfire of trade wars with both the United States and China.”We have two economic superpowers of the world having a trade war with us at the same time,” Rick White, head of the Canadian Canola Growers …

Canada canola farmers squeezed by trade wars on two fronts Read More »

Nvidia boss Jensen Huang expressed confidence Wednesday that the artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant can handle US President Donald Trump’s trade war.”We have a really agile network of suppliers; they are not just in Taiwan or Mexico or Vietnam,” Huang said while meeting with journalists at Nvidia’s annual developers conference in San Jose, California.”If we …

Nvidia chief confident chip maker can weather US tariffs Read More »

US stocks jumped while European indexes were mixed Wednesday as the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady after a policy meeting — and gold hit a new record as geopolitical concerns returned to the fore.The US central bank’s rate decision was widely expected, although it also cut its growth forecast for 2025 and hiked its …

US stocks climb after Fed decision, gold hits fresh high Read More »

Chinese internet and gaming giant Tencent said on Wednesday that profits in the fourth quarter of 2024 surged 90 percent as the firm accelerates a push into artificial intelligence (AI).The publication of quarterly and annual results came after weeks of robust investor confidence in Chinese technology stocks, and in AI in particular, following January’s shock …

China’s Tencent sees profits surge as AI drive accelerates Read More »

Distraught Myanmar relief camp dwellers received final handouts from the World Food Programme on Wednesday as the UN agency begins halting aid to a million people in the country because funding has dried up.President Donald Trump’s slashing of the US aid budget has contributed to “critical funding shortfalls” for WFP, forcing it to make sweeping …

Myanmar relief camps receive last WFP aid as cuts begin Read More »

The Bank of Japan left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday and warned about the economic outlook amid global uncertainty fuelled by Donald Trump’s trade war.Officials began lifting borrowing costs last year after nearly two decades of ultra-loose monetary policies aimed at kickstarting torpid growth in the world’s number four economy.But since coming to office …

Bank of Japan holds rates and warns of trade uncertainty Read More »

Malaysia is making great strides in its effort to become a major player in the global semiconductor industry as it looks to capitalise on a surge in demand driven by the AI explosion but analysts warn it faces headwinds.Malaysia’s signing of a major deal with British chip giant Arm this month was the latest step …

Malaysia’s Silicon Valley ambitions face tough challenges Read More »

The Bank of Japan left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday in a widely expected move given the global economic uncertainty fuelled by US trade tariffs.Following a two-day policy meeting, the central bank said it was keeping its key interest rate at around 0.5 percent.”There remain high uncertainties surrounding Japan’s economic activity and prices, including …

Bank of Japan holds rates, warning of trade uncertainty Read More »