The Swiss franc, which has been in a steep incline against the dollar of late, may be being used as a proxy for gold, according to Goldman Sachs. Gold has rallied in recent weeks following the spiking of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, instigated by the U.S. killing of top Iranian military commander Qasem […] Read more
Investors are worried about possible attacks on oil facilities in Southern Iraq that could affect crude supplies into Asia, an analyst told Sirius Energy. Iraq is the second-largest oil producer in OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. A disruption to its output level could make it hard for the oil cartel to replace […] Read more
The latest passport power rankings have come out and Asian countries have emerged as the winners. European passports, on the other hand, have shuffled down in the ranking. Japan and Singapore have firmly established their lead on the passport power ranking, overtaking countries such as Germany and Finland. The Henley Passport Index measures which passports […] Read more
For Iranians whose icons since the Islamic Revolution have been hardline clerics, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani widely represented a figure of national resilience in the face of four decades of U.S. pressure. For the U.S. and Israel, he was a shadowy figure in command of Iran’s proxy forces, responsible for fighters in Syria backing President […] Read more
Global stock markets have been on a torrid run in 2019, adding more than $17 trillion in total value, according to Deutsche Bank calculations. The value of global equities began the year just under $70 trillion but has now surpassed $85 trillion, according to a chart from Deutsche Bank’s Torsten Slok. Data provided by Deutsche […] Read more
Emaar Properties is selling the observation decks of the world’s tallest skyscraper the Burj Khalifa, four sources told Reuters, potentially raising $1 billion for Dubai’s biggest developer amid a real estate downturn. Two of the sources said Emaar had appointed Standard Chartered to advise it on the sale of the popular “At The Top” tourist […] Read more
Facebook’s sharing of data on its European users with the U.S. is legal and provides sufficient protections, the legal advisor to the EU’s top court said Thursday. In a symbolic win for the social network, Henrik Saugmandsgaard Oe, advocate general to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), said the use of so-called […] Read more
At the Dead Sea, travelers slather thick, mineral-rich mud onto their bodies and bake under the sun. In India, hot stones are strategically placed along the spine. From Iceland to New Zealand, people luxuriate in steaming natural hot springs. And in Morocco? Travelers are buried alive in sweltering hot sand in the name of health […] Read more
Thousands of people have marched through Madrid to demand more action be taken against climate change. It comes as the COP25 climate change conference continues in the Spanish capital on Friday. Greta Thunberg also joined the protest as it got underway after she spoke on a panel earlier in the day. The Swedish teenager said […] Read more
BEIJING — China’s official spokespeople are keeping quiet on trade talks with the U.S. amid growing uncertainty on when even a phase-one agreement can be reached. “China believes if both sides reach a phase-one agreement, relevant tariffs must be lowered,” Gao Feng, Ministry of Commerce spokesman, said Thursday, according to a CNBC translation of his […] Read more
