What Happened on October 29 Just Won’t Go Away, PR or Not
Tanzania’s October 29, 2025 election has been condemned by all major African observer bodies as neither free nor fair, triggering international criticism and donor scrutiny. The government has hired the US‑based Ervin Graves Strategy Group at $45,000 per month to repair its tarnished image and is lobbying the US, AU and EU for diplomatic and economic support. A commission led by former Chief Justice Mohammed Chande Othman has faced backlash for curtailing public hearings on the death toll, while opposition leader Tundu Lissu remains in remand, alleging procedural abuse. These developments underscore a deepening political crisis that threatens Tanzania’s foreign aid and democratic credibility.
Barging Blindly Into Singapore’s Construction Boom Could Be a Bust for some Investors
Singapore’s construction sector has transformed into a high‑growth engine, propelled by a record S$53 billion contract pipeline and flagship projects like Changi Airport Terminal 5. The rally delivered construction‑related stocks returns exceeding 200 % in 2025, dwarfing the STI’s 22.7 % gain. Soilbuild Construction...
Singapore's Bunker Sales Rise on Strong Demand in Jan
Singapore’s bunker sales jumped 17% year‑on‑year to 5.23 million tonnes in January, driven by a 12% rise in vessel arrivals and strong demand for conventional marine fuels. High‑sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) reached a post‑2020 record of 2.16 million tonnes, while very‑low‑sulphur fuel...
Japan's Economy Barely Grows in Oct-Dec Quarter as Exports Slow
Japan’s economy grew a modest 0.2 percent annualised in the October‑December quarter, just enough to avoid a technical recession after a 0.7 percent contraction in the prior quarter. Private consumption rose 0.4 percent, but a 1.1 percent drop in exports dragged overall growth. The...
India's Wholesale Inflation Rises to 1.81% in January
India’s wholesale price index (WPI) accelerated to 1.81% year‑on‑year in January, up sharply from 0.53% in December. The rise was led by higher food prices, while falling fuel costs provided a modest offset. Although the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)...
Arqiva in Uncertainty over DTT Switch Off
Arqiva, the UK's sole national digital terrestrial TV and radio infrastructure provider, faces financial uncertainty as major shareholders reassess their stakes. Macquarie has divested its 26.5% holding, while Digital 9 Infrastructure (DGI9) is reviewing its 51.8% share and may write off...
India Can Lead Globally in AI: Ahead of Delhi Summit, CEA Nageswaran Explains How
Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran told the AI Impact Summit 2026 that India’s ascent to a global AI leadership position will not happen by accident. He emphasized that sustained political will, robust state capacity, and a national commitment are...
Non-Tariff Measures Costing Industry Billions: GA
Grains Australia’s new report quantifies non‑tariff measures (NTMs) as a 20.4% tariff‑equivalent on Australian grain exports, costing the sector about $4.6 billion in forgone revenue each year. The analysis, built on ABARES research and ANU‑led econometric modelling, is the most detailed...
Singapore Stocks End Almost Flat Before Chinese New Year; STI Inches up 0.02%
Singapore’s market closed almost flat on Monday ahead of the Chinese New Year break, with the Straits Times Index edging up 0.02% to 4,938.58 points. Export data showed non‑oil domestic exports rose 9.3% year‑on‑year in January, missing Bloomberg’s 12% forecast...
When Juntas Rise, Court Poets Bloom
The column warns that West Africa’s recent military coups, initially welcomed as a break from corrupt civilian rule, are evolving into authoritarian regimes. While street protests celebrated the juntas’ promises, African intellectuals have become “court poets,” praising the new leaders...
WA Grain Feeds Into Aurizon’s Record HY26 Bulk Earnings
Aurizon announced record bulk earnings for the half ending 31 December, driven primarily by a surge in Western Australian grain volumes. Bulk EBITDA reached $117 million, a 39 percent increase year‑on‑year, while total bulk rail volumes rose 4 percent to 28.4 Mt. The company also...
Saskatchewan’s Rook I Mine Could Make Canada the World’s Largest Uranium Exporter
Canada is on the brink of becoming the world’s largest uranium exporter as NexGen Energy’s Rook I mine in Saskatchewan moves toward final approval by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The project, located in the Athabasca Basin, is designed to...
Australian Firms Raise Gasoil Stocks to Meet Obligation
Australian fuel companies have boosted their gasoil inventories to satisfy the government‑mandated Minimum Stockholding Obligation (MSO). The MSO now requires importers to hold 32 days of gasoil and refiners 20 days, tightening the previous rules. All ten gasoil‑reporting firms met...
The End of the Boozy Chinese Banquet Hits Australia’s Largest Winemaker
Treasury Wine Estates’ push back into China has been derailed by a government crackdown on extravagant banquets and tighter grey‑market controls. The winemaker announced it will pull 400,000 cases from China and 500,000 from the United States to regain pricing...
Australia Exports 2.29Mt Wheat in Dec in New-Crop Surge
Australia’s wheat exports jumped to 2,288,487 tonnes in December 2025, more than double November’s volume and slightly above the 2.13 Mt shipped a year earlier. The surge reflects the arrival of new‑crop wheat from southern ports, marking the start of the...
Myanmar Junta Expels Timor-Leste’s Top Diplomat Over War Crimes Case
Myanmar's military junta expelled Timor‑Leste's top diplomat after Dili opened war‑crimes proceedings. The case, filed by the Chin Human Rights Organization, accuses senior general Min Aung Hlaing of rape, murder and attacks in Chin State. The junta called the move a breach...
Amova Bets on ‘New Singapore Sectors’ as MAS Expands EQDP
Amova Asset Management has been selected as one of six managers under Singapore’s expanded Equity Market Development Programme (EQDP), which grew to S$6.5 billion in the 2026 budget. The firm will roll out two new funds – the Singapore All Share...
Demutualizing IDX to Deepen Market Trust
The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) is moving to demutualize, converting from a member‑owned body to a shareholder‑owned company. The reform separates ownership from trading rights, aiming to reduce conflicts of interest and improve governance, transparency, and market liquidity. Concurrently, the...
AirAsia Chief Says Brand Unit Is Nearing Nasdaq Backdoor Listing
AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes announced that the airline’s branding unit is close to completing a Nasdaq backdoor listing, targeting a valuation of roughly US$1.5 billion. The merger with a US‑listed vehicle is expected to be announced within two months, with the...
Rio Tinto Pauses Simandou Iron Ore Mine in Guinea
Rio Tinto has suspended production at its Simandou iron ore mine in Guinea following the death of a contractor on February 14. The company announced a thorough investigation, though details on the cause remain undisclosed. Simandou, which began shipments in...
A Family Fights to Keep Control of 157-Year-Old Firm in Japan
Sixth‑generation brothers Hironori and Takanori Aoki are battling Aeon and activist fund Oasis for control of the 157‑year‑old drug‑store chain Kusuri no Aoki Holdings. They have called an emergency meeting to adopt a poison‑pill that would dilute any shareholder acquiring...
Blackstone Backs Neysa in up to $1.2B Financing as India Pushes to Build Domestic AI Infrastructure
Neysa, an Indian AI‑infrastructure startup, secured up to $600 million of primary equity from Blackstone, giving the private‑equity firm a majority stake, and plans an additional $600 million in debt to expand its GPU fleet. The capital will help the company grow...
Daily Market Wire 16 February 2026
US headline CPI rose 0.2% month‑over‑month, bringing annual inflation down to 2.4% year‑over‑year and bolstering expectations of further Federal Reserve rate cuts. Wheat futures slipped in Chicago, Kansas and European markets as record spread volumes forced an inverted curve, even...
Thai Prime Minister Announces Coalition Agreement With Pheu Thai Party
Thailand’s Bhumjaithai party, after winning roughly 193 of the 500 lower‑house seats in the February 8 election, announced a coalition agreement with the Pheu Thai party. The partnership, together with three smaller parties, gives Prime Minister Anutin’s bloc a clear parliamentary...
Tajikistan: Rahmon Resurfaces, Looking Relatively Fit
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon reappeared after a 17‑day disappearance, confirming he had traveled to China’s Hainan Island for medical treatment. The brief silence, during which only sparse updates appeared on his official website, fueled speculation about his health and the...
A Lot of Bull: As STI Breaches 5,000, What More Can We Call For?
The Straits Times Index broke the 5,000‑point barrier on Feb 12 as Finance Minister Lawrence Wong presented Budget 2026, confirming JPMorgan’s bullish target from last year. The milestone follows a series of equity‑market reforms, including a S$1.5 billion top‑up to the Financial Sector...
HOTEL INVESTMENT IN THE CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA KEEPS GROWING
Caribbean and Central America are experiencing a surge in luxury hotel investment in 2026, with a strong focus on sustainability and technology. The Dominican Republic leads the market, welcoming 11.6 million visitors and achieving over 70% hotel occupancy, which has attracted...
MEGA PROJECTS AND A CLEAR STRATEGY DRIVE EGYPT'S TOURISM BOOM
Egypt’s tourism rebounded dramatically in 2025, welcoming 19 million international visitors—a 21% year‑over‑year increase—and generating $18‑$24 billion in revenue. The surge is driven by flagship investments such as the Grand Egyptian Museum, which opened in November 2025, and ambitious Red Sea coastal...
Trump Administration Ends Credit for Start-Stop Feature in Cars
The EPA announced that the credit automakers receive for installing start‑stop systems is being eliminated, reversing a policy that helped meet vehicle emissions standards. The Trump administration rejected the scientific endangerment finding that justified the credit, arguing the feature damages...
India Has 100M Weekly Active ChatGPT Users, Sam Altman Says
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that India now has 100 million weekly active ChatGPT users, making it the company’s second‑largest market after the United States. The milestone was disclosed ahead of the five‑day India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where OpenAI...
Tesla Sales Down 55% in UK, 58% in Spain, 59% in Germany, 81% in Netherlands, 93% in Norway Vs. 2024
Tesla’s January 2026 registrations fell sharply across Europe, with sales in the UK down 55%, Germany 59%, the Netherlands 81% and Norway 93% versus 2024. Across 13 markets, total units were roughly 49.5% lower than two years earlier and 23%...
Eaton (ETN) Is Still Buyable, Says Jim Cramer
Eaton Corporation (ETN) posted strong fourth‑quarter earnings and a robust order backlog, prompting analysts to raise price targets. RBC lifted its target to $407 and kept an Outperform rating, while Morgan Stanley increased its target to $425 with an Overweight...
Is AMD Stock a Buy? Why Wall Street Sees 40% Upside From Here.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) saw its stock retreat about 28.8% from a recent $267 peak after a mixed quarterly earnings release, yet analysts remain optimistic. Revenue surged 34% YoY to $10.3 billion, driven by strong sales of EPYC server CPUs, Ryzen...
Salaries Delay Hit Eala Lawmakers and Staff
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has halted most operations because partner states have failed to remit their annual contributions, leaving the Assembly with only 38% of its budget. Salaries for MPs and staff have been unpaid since November, and...
Fox News’ Dana Perino’s Advice for Gen Z Graduates: Stop Waiting for the Perfect Job and Just Start Working
Gen Z is confronting one of the toughest job markets in recent memory, as AI‑driven cost cuts shrink traditional entry‑level positions. Fox News host Dana Perino, drawing on a non‑linear career that spans journalism, politics and media, advises graduates to...
India's Forex Reserves Drop $6.7 Billion to $717 Billion, Gold Reserves Dip, Reveals RBI Data
India's foreign exchange reserves slipped by $6.7 billion to $717.064 billion in the week ending 6 February, after a record high of $723.774 billion the week before. The decline was driven mainly by a $14.208 billion drop in gold reserves, which fell to $123.476 billion, while...
Ukraine’s Political and Military Presence in Africa
Ukraine is rapidly expanding its political and military footprint across Africa, building on decades of UN peacekeeping deployments and a post‑Soviet non‑aligned foreign policy. After Russia’s full‑scale invasion, Kyiv announced plans for roughly twenty new embassies and a Ukraine‑Africa summit...
Trump, Netanyahu Back Plan for US Pressure on Iran to Cut Oil Sales to China, Agree to Go ‘Full Force’...
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed to intensify economic pressure on Iran by targeting its oil exports to China, which account for more than 80% of Tehran’s sales. The coordinated effort is intended to force...
China Expanding Aid for Russia’s War, Western Officials Say
China has stepped up its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, expanding exports of dual‑use components and critical minerals that fuel Russian drone production. Western officials say Beijing’s assistance is now essential for Moscow to sustain its military effort, describing...
Elbridge Colby: ‘NATO Is Actually Stronger Than Ever.’
Elbridge Colby, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, told the Munich Security Conference that NATO is stronger than ever and is evolving into a "NATO 3.0" model that shifts conventional defense responsibility to Europe while the United States underwrites the...
Russia ‘Not Serious’ About Peace Deal, Lindsey Graham Says
Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters at the Munich Security Conference that Russia is not serious about a peace deal, contradicting President Donald Trump’s optimism. Graham argues Moscow believes it can win the Donbas militarily and will only negotiate after securing...
A U.S. ‘Debt Spiral’ Could Start Soon as the Interest Rate on Government Borrowing Is Poised to Exceed Economic Growth,...
The CBO projects publicly held U.S. debt will surpass 106% of GDP by 2030 and reach 120% by 2036. Average Treasury interest rates are expected to climb to 3.9% by the end of the forecast, outpacing nominal GDP growth that...
Cabinet Approves India’s First Underwater Road-Rail Tunnel Project in Assam
The Indian cabinet has approved the nation’s first underwater road‑rail tunnel, to be constructed in Assam across the Brahmaputra River. The project will link Assam with Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, streamlining freight movement and lowering logistics costs. Officials say the...
ECB Enhances Repo Facility for Central Banks
On 14 February 2026, the ECB’s Governing Council approved an overhaul of the Eurosystem repo facility for central banks (EUREP). The revised framework introduces standing access for a broad set of non‑euro‑area central banks, provided they meet anti‑money‑laundering and sanctions...
India Doubles Down on State-Backed Venture Capital, Approving $1.1B Fund
India has approved a $1.1 billion state‑backed venture capital fund aimed at deep‑tech and advanced manufacturing startups. The fund of funds will channel government capital through private VC firms, building on a 2016 program that invested over $2.8 billion in 1,370 startups....
Single by Choice: Valentine’s Day Is No Longer a Relationship Deadline
New data from Agile Data Solutions shows 68% of single Filipinos are single by choice, a trend the firm calls "Intentional Singlehood." Respondents cite personal, career, and financial goals as primary reasons, while Valentine’s Day elicits neutral feelings for two‑thirds...
Tsukuba Research Park Draws Attention at SEMICON Japan 2025
The Ibaraki Prefectural Government showcased Tsukuba’s Cutting‑edge Research Park at SEMICON Japan 2025, highlighting its role as a new hub for semiconductor R&D. The park hosts TSMC’s first overseas research and development facility within AIST and sits alongside 29 national...
VGMS: This New Low-Cost Active Bond ETF Is Growing
Vanguard launched the Multi‑Sector Income Bond ETF (VGMS) in June 2025, offering a 5.19% SEC yield and a low 0.30% expense ratio. Over the past eight months the actively managed fund outperformed the benchmark AGG by 93 basis points, delivering...
China to Continue Dominance of Global Ammonia Supply
China is projected to supply roughly one‑third of the world’s ammonia by 2030, cementing its role as the dominant producer and consumer. Strong agricultural demand for nitrogen‑based fertilizers and a broad industrial base, from steel to plastics, underpin this growth....
Saudi Arabia Appoints New Investment Minister
Saudi Arabia has appointed Fahad Al‑Saif as the new investment minister, replacing Khalid Al‑Falih who moves to a minister‑of‑state role. Al‑Saif previously led the Investment Strategy and Economic Insights Division at the Public Investment Fund, shaping long‑term capital allocation. The...