RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Australian Household Spending Dips in December as RBA Tightens Policy 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
Gold Hits Record High as Investors Eye Fed Chair Powell’s Speech on Tariffs 
Nikkei 225 Hits Record High Above 56,000 After Japan Election Boosts Market Confidence 
[Editorial Cartoon] “Tariff Chicken Game” – U.S. and China Speed Toward Economic Catastrophe 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
South Africa Eyes ECB Repo Lines as Inflation Eases and Rate Cuts Loom 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Middle East Tensions 
Asian Markets React to Tariff Reports and Fed Policy Shifts 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
Jerome Powell Attends Supreme Court Hearing on Trump Effort to Fire Fed Governor, Calling It Historic 
Tech Stocks Resilient Amid Bond Market Pressure and AI Boom 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
The yen experienced volatile trading after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) raised interest rates by 25 basis points at its policy meeting, aligning with market expectations. The currency settled at 156 per dollar, with investors awaiting BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda's briefing for further guidance on rate hikes.
Other currencies saw notable movements, with the euro inching up 0.08% to 162.71 yen and the pound gaining 0.17% to 192.99 yen. Japan's core consumer prices rose 3.0% year-on-year in December, the fastest pace in 16 months, adding inflationary pressure.
The Australian and New Zealand dollars surged following U.S. President Donald Trump's softer stance on China tariffs, revealed during a Fox News interview. The Aussie climbed to $0.6321, while the kiwi reached $0.5708, both hitting five-week highs. These currencies, proxies for the Chinese yuan, benefited alongside the yuan itself, which hit its strongest levels since December at 7.2450 per dollar onshore and 7.2519 offshore.
Trump’s comments also triggered a broad decline in the U.S. dollar, which fell 0.23% to 107.89 against a basket of currencies, marking its worst weekly loss in two months. The euro rose 0.24% to $1.0441, and sterling advanced 0.32% to $1.2391, with both on track for strong weekly gains. Market sentiment shifted as investors priced out tariff risk premiums from the dollar.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin climbed 0.51% to $103,648.55, and Ether gained 1.75% to $3,305.51, as Trump announced a cryptocurrency task force to regulate digital assets and explore a national crypto stockpile, signaling a significant policy shift.
