Asia Pacific
Forty Companies, Two Targets, One Message: Beijing Is Done Waiting
China blacklists 40 Japanese firms over Taiwan as Trump's 15% tariff takes effect. Section 301 probes and a suspended rare earth truce raise the stakes.
Europe
Copper Hit $14,527 a Tonne and Every Major Miner Is Scrambling to Ride the Next Leg
Copper hit a record $14,527/t in January as miners post blowout earnings. BHP, Glencore and KGHM ride the rally while a 16-year mine bottleneck looms.
Stocks
stc Posts Record SR77.8 Billion Revenue – but the Real Story Is What It’s Building Next
stc group posts record SR77.8B revenue and 12.5% adjusted profit growth as its $13B center3 data center bet targets 1GW capacity by 2030.
Economy
Britain’s Trade Deal With Trump Just Got a Lot More Expensive
Britain's trade deal with Trump faces its toughest test as a 15% global tariff takes effect after the Supreme Court struck down IEEPA duties 6-3.
Crypto
Crypto’s Cash Problem Just Got Real: USDT Is Shrinking, Bitcoin Crashed to $64,000, and Nobody’s Buying the Dip
Tether's USDT posts worst monthly contraction since FTX as Bitcoin crashes to $64,300 and Trump tariff escalation hammers weekend crypto liquidity.
Crypto
Bitcoin’s Triple Threat: $4.5 Billion in ETF Bleeding, Fading Network Activity, and the $60,000 Liquidation Cliff
Bitcoin faces $4.5B in ETF outflows, fading network activity, and a $60,000 liquidation cliff as leveraged positions risk cascading sell-offs in 2026.
Americas
Brent Hits Six-Month High on Hormuz Risk – but 70% of OPEC’s Spare Capacity Sits Behind the Chokepoint
Brent topped $72 on a $6/bbl risk premium as the US doubled its Gulf air power in three days. The problem: 5.8M bpd of OPEC spare capacity is stuck behind the same strait Iran just closed for live-fire drills.
Americas
Brazil’s Minimum Wage Has Outrun Its Economy by Six to One – and the Bill Is Coming Due
Real wages up 188% since the Plano Real, productivity up 30%. With debt heading for 95% of GDP and the Selic pinned at 15%, Brazil's social model is running out of room.
Americas
Argentina’s $18 Billion Copper Bet Starts From Zero
Vicuña's $18B copper-gold-silver PEA targets 395,000 tonnes of copper a year from San Juan — but Argentina hasn't mined a kilo since Alumbrera closed in 2018.
Stocks
Ford Took Its Biggest Write-Down Since 2008 and the Stock Rallied Anyway
Ford took a $19.5B EV write-down and posted its worst GAAP loss since 2008 — yet shares rallied on $8-10B EBIT guidance and a $30K electric pickup bet for 2027.
Economy
Argentina’s Steel Towns Brace for What Milei’s Labor Reform Won’t Fix
Milei's labor reform cleared the lower house 135-115 amid a general strike, but in Villa Constitución, Acindar's rotating suspensions show the limits of legislative fixes.
