Asian Currencies Trade Mixed as Yen Hovers Near 40-Year Low, Dollar Holds Firm on Fed Outlook 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
Gold Price Falls as Fed Rate Hike Fears and U.S.-Iran Tensions Weigh on Bullion 
SpaceX Eyes Starlink Mobile Phone Service to Challenge Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile 
World Bank Approves $1.1 Billion Emergency Funding for Bangladesh Amid Food and Energy Price Pressures 
Morgan Stanley Sees Chinese Auto Market Recovery Gaining Momentum in Late Summer 
Oil Prices Rise as US-Iran Tensions Threaten Strait of Hormuz Oil Shipments 
Bank Regulation Rollbacks in the U.S. and UK Could Increase Financial Risks, Study Warns 
S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges 
Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms 
Japan Targets 1%+ Real Economic Growth With ¥370 Trillion Investment Plan 
Gold Price Ends Lower for Fourth Week Despite Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Strengthen 
Asian Stocks Slip as US-Iran Ceasefire Hopes Lift Oil, Dollar Strength Persists 
China Sets 1.25% Overnight Reverse Repo Rate Below Market Expectations 
Trump Confirms Haley and Pompeo Excluded from 2025 Administration
President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday that former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will not join his upcoming administration. Trump, currently preparing his cabinet ahead of the January 20 inauguration, stated on social media, “I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to join the Trump Administration, which is currently in formation. I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously and would like to thank them for their service to our country.”
Trump’s decision comes as he considers other candidates for top roles, including Scott Bessent, a prominent investor under consideration for U.S. Treasury Secretary, according to Reuters.
Haley, previously the South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, endorsed Trump’s 2024 candidacy despite their past political disagreements. Pompeo, a former CIA director and Secretary of State under Trump has been mentioned in media discussions as a potential defense secretary, though he declared in 2023 that he would not pursue the Republican presidential nomination.
Trump Taps Inaugural Co-Chairs
Trump also named real estate investor Steve Witkoff and former Senator Kelly Loeffler as co-chairs for his 2025 presidential inauguration. The announcement underscores his administration’s continued reliance on experienced campaign allies as he prepares for his second term.
