
EU Delays Mercosur Free Trade Agreement Signing Amid Ukraine War Funding Talks
Dec 19, 2025 10:15 am UTC| Economy Politics
The European Union has decided to delay the formal signing of its long-anticipated free trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc, as EU leaders convened in Brussels to prioritize discussions on funding Ukraines war effort....

Precious Metals Rally as Silver and Platinum Outperform on Rate Cut Bets
Dec 19, 2025 10:01 am UTC| Economy
Gold prices edged slightly lower in Asian trading on Friday but were still on track to post modest weekly gains, as strong safe-haven demand continued to support the precious metals market. At the same time, silver and...

Oil Prices Steady in Asia but Headed for Weekly Loss on Supply Glut Concerns
Dec 19, 2025 03:35 am UTC| Economy
Oil prices were mostly steady during Asian trading on Friday, but both major benchmarks were still on track to record a second consecutive weekly decline as persistent concerns over a global supply glut continued to...

New Zealand Business Confidence Hits 30-Year High as Economic Outlook Improves
Dec 19, 2025 01:28 am UTC| Economy
New Zealands business confidence surged sharply in December, reaching its highest level in three decades, according to the latest ANZ Bank Business Outlook survey released on Friday. The data highlights growing optimism...

BOJ Poised for Historic Rate Hike as Japan Signals Shift Toward Monetary Normalization
Dec 19, 2025 01:24 am UTC| Central Banks Economy
The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is widely expected to raise interest rates to a three-decade high, marking another milestone in its gradual exit from ultra-loose monetary policy. At the conclusion of its two-day meeting on Friday,...

Austan Goolsbee Signals Potential for More Fed Rate Cuts as Inflation Shows Improvement
Dec 19, 2025 01:14 am UTC| Central Banks Economy
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee said Thursday that recent inflation data has been encouraging, raising the possibility of additional interest rate cuts next year if current trends continue....

Japan Inflation Holds Firm in November as BOJ Nears Key Rate Hike Decision
Dec 19, 2025 01:11 am UTC| Economy
Japans consumer price inflation remained largely steady in November, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will proceed with a long-anticipated interest rate hike as it seeks to control persistent price...