Used electric vehicle sales surge globally as fuel costs rise
Rising fuel prices linked to the Iran conflict are accelerating a global shift toward electric vehicles, with the used EV market emerging as a key beneficiary. Since the الحرب began on February 28, oil prices have climbed about 35 percent, with Brent crude holding near $100 per barrel despite a fragile ceasefire. Higher costs at the......
Iran admits it cannot locate all mines in Strait of Hormuz
Iran has acknowledged it cannot locate or remove all naval mines laid in the Strait of Hormuz during its conflict with the United States, U.S. officials said Friday. The admission adds a major risk to an already fragile ceasefire and to high-stakes talks scheduled in Islamabad. The disclosure, first reported by The New York Times, undermines......
JPMorgan bullish S&P 500 call tested as Iran ceasefire wavers
JPMorgan adopted a tactical bullish stance on U.S. equities this week after a two-week ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, forecasting a potential 6 percent rally in the S&P 500 as market sentiment improves. The outlook followed a strong market rebound on April 8. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose about 1,325 points,......
Andreessen calls AI the killer app driving crypto demand
Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, said artificial intelligence is becoming the defining use case for cryptocurrency, arguing that autonomous AI agents will drive demand for blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Speaking on the Latent Space podcast, Andreessen described what he called a “great unification”......
Alibaba shifts Qwen AI strategy from open source to paid models
Alibaba is moving away from its open-source approach for Qwen, its flagship AI model family, and shifting toward paid, proprietary systems as it seeks stronger revenue growth. The change, first reported by the Financial Times, marks a major strategic pivot that could disrupt a large global developer community built around free access to Qwen......
Software stocks fall as Anthropic withholds powerful AI model
U.S. software and cybersecurity stocks dropped الخميس after Anthropic chose not to release its new AI model, Claude Mythos, citing its ability to detect and exploit software vulnerabilities. The decision heightened investor concerns about the growing threat artificial intelligence poses to traditional software companies. Anthropic introduced......
Brain study shows shared neural code between vision and imagination
When people picture a familiar face or recall a place, the brain activates many of the same neurons involved in seeing it. A study published on April 9 in Science by researchers at Cedars-Sinai provides detailed evidence at the single-neuron level that visual perception and mental imagery rely on a shared neural code in the human brain. The......
Morgan Stanley questions gold’s safe haven role amid market shifts
Morgan Stanley has challenged a long-held belief in global markets that gold reliably protects portfolios during crises, arguing that recent price movements resemble those of a risk asset rather than a traditional safe haven. In a note released this week, the bank’s strategists pointed to stronger fundamentals in silver and aluminum. Since......
JPMorgan sees gold mining stocks slump as buying opportunity
JPMorgan Chase said the recent selloff in gold mining stocks presents a buying opportunity, arguing that the sector’s decline since the start of the US Iran conflict has created attractive entry points for investors. The bank maintained its gold price target of $6,300 per ounce by the end of 2026, implying a gain of about 35% from current......
Artemis II crew faces toilet issues during return from lunar flyby
The NASA Artemis II mission encountered repeated malfunctions in its onboard toilet system as the crew returns from a historic lunar flyby, highlighting ongoing technical challenges aboard the Orion spacecraft. The issues began shortly after launch from the Kennedy Space Center on April 1, when astronauts reported a priming problem with the......
US and Iran hold Islamabad talks as Hormuz Strait remains disrupted
Delegations from the United States and Iran are meeting in Islamabad as a fragile two week ceasefire fails to restore normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, where more than 800 vessels remain stranded. The truce, brokered by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and announced by Donald Trump, triggered a sharp rally in global markets......
Asian Development Bank unveils $6 billion plan to boost ASEAN capital markets
The Asian Development Bank has announced a plan to mobilize up to $6 billion by 2030 to strengthen capital markets across Southeast Asia, aiming to reinforce the region’s financial resilience amid rising global risks. The initiative was presented alongside the release of the April 2026 Asian Development Outlook, which forecasts slower......
Super El Niño threat compounds Iran war risks to global food supply
The growing probability of a powerful El Niño event later this year is adding pressure to an already fragile global food system, as conflict in Iran continues to disrupt fertilizer supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. Economists and climate scientists warn that the combination of supply chain disruptions and extreme weather could......
Aletheia lifts TSMC price target to record $600 on AI demand
Aletheia Capital has raised its price target on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to $600 from $500, marking the highest forecast on Wall Street while maintaining a buy rating on the stock. The firm also increased its target for Taipei listed shares to 3,000 TWD, applying forward price to earnings multiples of 25 times for US listed......
European defense stocks fall as Ukraine peace hopes lift builders
European defense stocks dropped sharply on Friday after Ukraine’s chief negotiator signaled progress toward a potential peace deal with Russia, prompting investors to shift toward construction and materials companies expected to benefit from postwar rebuilding. Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview reported by Bloomberg that talks with......