The post examines how the 10‑year US‑German bond yield spread correlates with the USD/EUR exchange rate, showing that higher US yields usually coincide with dollar appreciation. A notable exception occurred after April 2 2025, when a sharp US yield rise was followed by a dollar decline, reflecting a shift in long‑run expectations. The analysis ties these movements to uncovered interest parity (UIP), which posits that interest differentials should equal expected currency depreciation. It distinguishes between UIP’s validity over long horizons and its breakdown in the short run.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed reviving a stalled electricity transmission project with Siemens and the purchase of used German helicopters, highlighting deeper security and power cooperation. France’s audit office warned that the country must shift...
Robinhood Markets announced that Dr. Naomi Boyd, dean of the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business, will serve as its Chief Economic Advisor. Boyd will spearhead research on derivatives market structure, capital markets, and investment dynamics to inform product...
The U.S. Census Bureau has postponed the Advance Economic Indicators Report, originally slated for January 28, 2026, to February 19, 2026 due to a recent lapse in federal funding. The report, which provides forward‑looking data on international trade, retail inventories,...
The U.S. Census Bureau announced USA Trade Online: Reimagined, a modernized, login‑free platform that retains core trade data while offering a streamlined interface. A processing error in Exhibit 15 was corrected and the updated FT900 PDF and XLSX were posted on...
Pernod Ricard reported a first‑half sales decline across all five priority markets, with profits pressured by foreign‑exchange volatility and higher costs. The second quarter showed a modest rebound, helped by stronger demand in India and duty‑free channels. The group reaffirmed its...

China’s recent military purges of senior PLA officers, including CMC Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and member Liu Zhenli, are framed as anti‑corruption and ideological discipline measures. While the removals may temporarily affect command cohesion, the article argues they do not...
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule on President Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs,” but a 25% duty on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities will stay in force regardless. Small furniture retailers are feeling the squeeze, with several filing for...

Russia performed its first triple LNG ship‑to‑ship (STS) transfer in Arctic waters, linking two Arctic LNG 2 cargos and one Yamal LNG cargo to conventional tankers. The operation took place in the Murmansk region, using the Saam floating storage unit for two...
Kenya has abandoned its plan to privatise the Kenya Ports Authority, converting the agency into a publicly listed company under the Government Owned Enterprises (GOE) Act. The new law forces state‑owned entities with majority government ownership to operate on commercial,...
A former Ceva Logistics executive, often dubbed the "Ceva baron," is reportedly in advanced discussions with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) to head its freight‑forwarding division. The move comes as MSC seeks to broaden its logistics portfolio and challenge rivals such...

Bank Indonesia left its policy rate unchanged at 4.75% as the rupiah continued to weaken amid fiscal‑sustainability concerns and volatile investor sentiment. Moody’s downgraded Indonesia’s credit outlook to negative, reflecting uncertainty over policy direction and transparency. Real‑rate differentials with the...
New York City Council is poised to adopt the Delivery Protection Act, a licensing regime that would require final‑mile delivery operators, including Amazon’s third‑party partners, to obtain city permits and directly employ warehouse workers. The legislation follows a city comptroller...
Uganda attracted $30 million in venture capital in 2025, surpassing Rwanda ($12 million) and Tanzania ($5 million). The number of Ugandan deals doubled to 22, marking a seven‑fold increase from the previous year. Local financing from Uganda Development Bank and supportive tax incentives...
FTSE Russell reports that China’s economy remained robust in 2025, achieving its 5% GDP growth target despite a deceleration in the final quarter. Industrial activity continued to be a bright spot, offsetting persistent deflationary pressures. The slowdown to 4.5% growth...

New Zealand’s agricultural exports, especially fresh fruit, rely on unique climate conditions and rapid air‑freight logistics that preserve peak quality. Vietnam’s expanding middle class and growing health consciousness are turning the market into a strategic destination for premium NZ produce...

Gary Mar argues that Canada’s $150 billion agriculture sector, responsible for $92 billion in exports and roughly one‑in‑nine jobs, is hampered by fragmented infrastructure and the absence of a coordinated national strategy. He highlights bottlenecks such as rail bridges and interprovincial trade...
RBNZ Governor Anna Breman stressed that New Zealand’s monetary policy must be anchored in forward‑looking inflation forecasts rather than current price data, given the lag between rate changes and economic impact. She reaffirmed confidence that inflation will return to the 2 percent...

Malawi has signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S. trading firm Traxys North America to market graphite from the Kasiya rutile‑graphite project, aiming to supply up to 80,000 tonnes annually to the United States’ Project Vault strategic reserve. The deal,...

The September 2025 Gen Z uprising toppled Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and installed an interim government, prompting India, China and the United States to converge on a common goal: prompt, stable elections in Nepal. All three powers fear prolonged instability could...
President John Dramani Mahama announced Ghana's goal to cease exporting raw minerals within five years, shifting toward domestic refining and processing of oil, bauxite, manganese, and lithium. He highlighted the sector's $6.6 billion export revenue in 2023 but noted limited local...
The International Monetary Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook finds the Chinese yuan about 16 % below its equilibrium level. The IMF’s valuation combines a trade‑weighted basket of currencies with purchasing‑power‑parity calculations, reflecting China’s sizable trade surplus and capital‑control regime. It warns...
RAND’s Geopolitics of AGI initiative released a webinar on February 19, 2026, examining how advanced artificial intelligence, including potential artificial general intelligence, could reshape global politics and security. Speakers Jim Mitre and Joel Predd outlined the strategic implications of an...
Limited access to water and sanitation continues to hamper Africa’s development, with one‑third of the population lacking basic drinking water and two‑thirds without proper sanitation. The African Union estimates the WASH shortfall costs the region about 4.3 % of GDP each...

Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang warned that artificial intelligence will sharply reduce salaries across the workforce, affecting both white‑collar and service‑sector jobs. In a Substack post he cited examples from dry cleaning to coding, predicting millions of layoffs within 12‑18...
The war in Ukraine has dominated transatlantic policy for four years, prompting massive U.S. and European aid to Kyiv and severe sanctions on Moscow. Even if a cease‑fire is reached, the article warns that Russia will continue rearming while Europe...
The authors analyze the Bank of England’s 2012 Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) and find that central‑bank liquidity acts as a backstop that improves private wholesale funding conditions rather than merely substituting for them. By lowering banks’ wholesale funding costs,...

Kumba Iron Ore says it will wrap up contract negotiations with Chinese steelmakers this year, despite the ongoing dispute between China Minerals Resources Group and major miners. China now represents 56% of Kumba’s 2025 export sales, up from 54% in...

Denis Beau, representing Banque de France and ACPR, highlighted the strategic role of asset‑backed securities (ABS) in the euro‑area monetary‑policy framework, noting they account for roughly 30% of collateral despite representing less than 5% of eligible securities. He stressed that...

Axis Bank honored 100 employees as "Champions" for embodying five core values—customer centricity, ethics, teamwork, transparency, and ownership—highlighting culture as a strategic asset. The speech stressed that success hinges on how results are achieved, not just the results themselves. By...

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas trimmed its policy rate by 25 basis points to 4.25%, matching market expectations. However, the central bank softened its forward guidance, dropping language that it was nearing the end of easing and emphasizing lingering confidence...

Russia’s foreign ministry asserted that India has not altered its policy on buying Russian crude, emphasizing the mutual benefits of the trade. However, Indian import data for January 2026 shows a 40.5% drop in total merchandise from Russia, with crude...

Nasdaq Stockholm’s president warned that the exchange must act after Klarna chose a New York listing, a move that underscores growing competition from U.S. markets. Last year Nasdaq Stockholm and its Nordic peers captured 60% of Europe’s equity capital‑market activity,...

Turkey’s government has banned chicken exports and launched a nationwide crackdown on "exorbitant" food prices as Ramadan begins. Trade inspectors are sweeping markets for hoarding and misleading practices, with fines up to TL 1.8 million for violations. Food inflation is running at...
GrainCorp CEO Robert Spurway told shareholders that global wheat oversupply of 18 million tonnes is driving low prices and tighter margins for grain handlers. Growers are holding back grain, reducing market availability, but the company expects inventories to rebalance eventually, though...

South Korean golfers are flocking to Guangzhou, with bookings rising over 300% year‑over‑year after China introduced a 30‑day visa‑free travel policy. The surge is evident at venues like Holiday Islands Golf Club, where Korean visitors jumped 81% while Chinese traffic...

U.S. President Donald Trump convened the inaugural Board of Peace summit in Washington, pledging over $5 billion for Gaza reconstruction and positioning the forum as a potential rival to the United Nations. Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia attended, each pursuing distinct economic...
Australia’s wealthiest individuals added $11 billion in 2026, lifting the top‑five’s combined net worth to $94 billion – a 14 percent rise despite global uncertainty. Gina Rinehart stayed at the summit but saw her fortune dip 15 percent to $24.6 billion amid weaker iron‑ore prices....

Thailand’s leading capital‑market players – the Government Pension Fund, the Association of Investment Management Companies and the Stock Exchange of Thailand – have launched a coordinated strategy to align listed firms with the country’s nationally determined contributions under the Paris...
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Washington on February 18, signing a suite of agreements that lay the groundwork for systematic economic cooperation with the United States. The deals target expanded U.S. investment in Uzbek critical minerals, petrochemicals, energy, agriculture, water‑resource management...

The Atlantic Council’s 2026 strategic analysis warns that the United States must overhaul its commercial partnership model with African nations to counter China’s accelerating foothold in the continent’s space economy. China’s 2025 handover of a telemetry, tracking and command station...

U.K. banks, led by Barclays, are convening to fund a home‑grown payment network aimed at reducing reliance on Visa and Mastercard, which dominate 95% of the non‑cash market. Visa data shows the Milano‑Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics sparked a sharp surge...
Toyota Motor Corp's labor union lowered its annual bonus demand to 7.3 months' pay, a 0.3‑month reduction from last year’s record level, as the automaker faces higher U.S. tariffs. The union also called for wage hikes in the spring “shunto”...

The Nasdaq Composite posted the strongest advance among U.S. indexes, rising 0.8% as risk‑on sentiment persisted amid solid earnings and encouraging economic data. Federal Reserve officials remain divided on rates, while housing starts jumped 6.2% to a five‑month high and...
European investment‑grade credit remains resilient in early 2026 despite a 2% YoY dip in EBITDA growth and modest leverage creep. Interest‑coverage ratios have stabilised and rating upgrades in Spain and Italy bolster the sector’s outlook. Spreads have tightened to historic...
Canada and Mexico are drafting a joint action plan on critical minerals, infrastructure and supply chains, slated for release in the second half of 2026. The framework targets non‑geological bottlenecks such as permitting, transport corridors, power supply, processing capacity and...
Scope Ratings became the first European rating agency approved under the ECB's Eurosystem Credit Assessment Framework, allowing its ratings to be used as collateral in monetary‑policy operations. The firm differentiates itself by embedding the EU’s fragmented legal and market environments...
TC Energy projects North American natural‑gas demand will rise by 45 Bcf/d by 2035, a volume comparable to the entire European market. The surge is attributed to accelerating LNG exports, expanding power‑generation capacity, and heightened reliability requirements for distribution utilities. Midwest...
CMA CGM has placed an order with India’s Cochin Shipyard for six 1,700‑TEU dual‑fuel LNG container vessels. The deal was announced during a New Delhi visit that also included a pledge to recruit an additional 1,500 seafarers, bringing the total Indian crew...
Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon urging his public support for the Empowering States’ Rights to Protect Consumers Act, which would let states re‑impose credit‑card interest‑rate caps on national banks. The legislation seeks to restore the...