Oat_Phawat/iStock via Getty Images By Krzysztof Kamiński Copper futures prices rose above USD 6.29 per pound, approaching the record levels seen at the end of January. The increase is driven by a combination of two factors: expectations of long-term demand growth and mounting concerns about disruptions in production and supply. Copper, as a metal essential to energy, industry, infrastructure and n...
Oat_Phawat/iStock via Getty Images By Krzysztof Kamiński Copper futures prices rose above USD 6.29 per pound, approaching the record levels seen at the end of January. The increase is driven by a combination of two factors: expectations of long-term demand growth and mounting concerns about disruptions in production and supply. Copper, as a metal essential to energy, industry, infrastructure and new technologies, remains one of the most important commodities in the global economic transformation. Demand supported by artificial intelligence, energy, and industrial transformation Investors assume that demand for copper will continue to grow for many years. Key sources of demand are expected to include investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure, modernization of power grids and the development of clean energy. The metal is essential in cables, installations, data centers, transmission systems, electric vehicles and many technologies linked to the electrification of the economy. Lower energy prices have provided additional support for the market, easing concerns about the condition of the global economy and demand for industrial metals. As a result, copper has gained importance as a commodity that connects investors' short-term expectations with long-term technological and infrastructure trends. Copper futures on COMEX, daily timeframe, source: TradingView Sulfuric acid problems increase supply-side risk The rise in copper prices is being driven not only by strong demand prospects, but also by concerns over the availability of raw materials needed for its processing. Particular market attention is focused on sulfuric acid, which is used in the copper refining process. The conflict in the Middle East has disrupted supplies of this component, while China has introduced an export ban from May until at least December. Beijing's decision could reduce the global seaborne sulfuric acid market by around 3 million tonnes. Chile, Indonesia and India are the most exposed...
Singapore’s corporate and public-sector added more women directors in 2025 from a year ago, underscoring the progress on diversity goals. Women hold 25.8% of board seats among the top 100 Singapore Exchange-listed companies, up from 25.1% a year earlier, according to a statement by the Council for Board Diversity on Friday. The public sector fared better with women occupying 36.1% of seats across ...
Singapore’s corporate and public-sector added more women directors in 2025 from a year ago, underscoring the progress on diversity goals. Women hold 25.8% of board seats among the top 100 Singapore Exchange-listed companies, up from 25.1% a year earlier, according to a statement by the Council for Board Diversity on Friday. The public sector fared better with women occupying 36.1% of seats across Singapore’s 65 statutory boards, while Institutions of a Public Character reached 35.6%, the statement showed. The findings covering more than 1,300 organizations come as Singapore intensifies efforts to broaden leadership representation across business and public institutions. Women board chairs at the top 100 listed firms rose to 10% in 2025 from 8% a year earlier, “signaling meaningful progress” beyond symbolic representation into leadership, the council said. Still, many Singapore boards have yet to fully embrace diversity more broadly as a strategy, according to a joint study by the council and leadership advisory firm Egon Zehnder. “To prevent complacency as quantitative targets are met, boards must elevate diversity as a continued strategic priority,” the study said, noting that one in five Singapore directors say it’s no longer a top focus. The diversity data also showed a growing pipeline of first-time directors. More than 1,200 individuals secured their first board appointments at SGX-listed companies between 2021 and 2025, including 181 in 2025 alone. The share of unique women directors among listed firms climbed steadily over the period, while average board workloads remained stable, suggesting companies are broadening recruitment instead of relying on a small pool of repeat appointees, the council said.
China’s gold output declined in the first quarter of 2026, weighed down by safety inspections and production suspensions, according to data from the China Gold Association. Total production from domestic and imported raw materials fell 3.27% from a year earlier to 136.23 tons, as mine output dropped 7.08%. Overseas production by major Chinese gold groups, however, surged, with output rising more t...
China’s gold output declined in the first quarter of 2026, weighed down by safety inspections and production suspensions, according to data from the China Gold Association. Total production from domestic and imported raw materials fell 3.27% from a year earlier to 136.23 tons, as mine output dropped 7.08%. Overseas production by major Chinese gold groups, however, surged, with output rising more than 30%. Gold consumption rose 4.41% from a year earlier to 303.29 tons, driven by strong investment demand. Purchases of bars and coins jumped 46.4%, while gold jewelry consumption slumped 37.1% amid high and volatile prices. China added 7.15 tons to its gold reserves in the quarter, bringing total holdings to 2,313.48 tons at the end of March and lifting the country to fifth place globally.
Elon Musk once called Anthropic's Claude AI "misanthropic and evil." Now he is leasing the company one of the largest pools of Nvidia Corp AI compute on Earth. Anthropic has reportedly secured access to SpaceX/xAI's Colossus 1 supercomputer in Memphis,...
Elon Musk once called Anthropic's Claude AI "misanthropic and evil." Now he is leasing the company one of the largest pools of Nvidia Corp AI compute on Earth. Anthropic has reportedly secured access to SpaceX/xAI's Colossus 1 supercomputer in Memphis,...
The Day Civilization Runs Out Of Bread Will Not Feel Like Fiction Authored by Madge Waggy, For nearly three decades, much of the modern world behaved as though the nuclear age had quietly expired sometime in the early 1990s. The collapse of the Soviet Union created the comforting illusion that humanity had stepped away from the edge permanently, as if the terrifying balance that defined the Cold W...
The Day Civilization Runs Out Of Bread Will Not Feel Like Fiction Authored by Madge Waggy, For nearly three decades, much of the modern world behaved as though the nuclear age had quietly expired sometime in the early 1990s. The collapse of the Soviet Union created the comforting illusion that humanity had stepped away from the edge permanently, as if the terrifying balance that defined the Cold War had dissolved together with old political maps. Younger generations grew up hearing about nuclear drills, fallout shelters, and atomic panic the same way they heard about trench warfare or medieval plagues: as distant historical experiences disconnected from ordinary life. Governments gradually shifted public attention toward terrorism, economic globalization, artificial intelligence, and climate policy, while nuclear annihilation faded into the background of public consciousness. Yet history has a dangerous habit of returning precisely when societies become convinced they have outgrown it. Throughout 2025 and the opening months of 2026, the international system entered one of its most unstable periods since the twentieth century. Military analysts began warning openly about simultaneous geopolitical flashpoints involving several nuclear powers at once. Russian officials intensified references to strategic deterrence during ongoing confrontations connected to Eastern Europe, while NATO expanded military exercises across regions Moscow considers existentially sensitive. At the same time, China accelerated modernization of its nuclear arsenal and long-range missile systems at a pace that alarmed Western intelligence agencies. North Korea continued demonstrating increasingly advanced delivery capabilities, and tensions surrounding Taiwan, cyber warfare, and contested maritime territories pushed diplomatic relations into progressively uncertain territory. Most citizens observed these developments from a psychological distance shaped by modern media exhaustion. Continuous exp...