Air travel across the Persian Gulf remained largely frozen for a second straight day as Iran’s retaliatory strikes rippled through the region, forcing leading carriers to prolong flight suspensions and stranding tens of thousands of passengers, according to several media reports. Emirates, the world’s biggest long-haul international airline, said its operations were suspended until further notice....
Air travel across the Persian Gulf remained largely frozen for a second straight day as Iran’s retaliatory strikes rippled through the region, forcing leading carriers to prolong flight suspensions and stranding tens of thousands of passengers, according to several media reports. Emirates, the world’s biggest long-haul international airline, said its operations were suspended until further notice. Etihad Airways pushed its cancellations through 2 a.m. Monday, and Qatar Airways confirmed that its flights remained grounded, with an update expected later Monday morning. The United Arab Emirates’ civil aviation authority said it had assisted more than 20,000 travelers caught in the disruption. The Gulf’s aviation system, which typically connects distant cities with a single stopover, has effectively stalled, leaving large numbers of passengers unable to continue their journeys. Airports across the region reported damage after Iran launched missiles and drones following weekend strikes by Israeli and U.S. forces. In Abu Dhabi, authorities said one person was killed and several others injured after air defenses intercepted a drone overnight. Dubai International Airport, the busiest hub for international travel, reported damage to part of a concourse that left four employees hurt. Bahrain’s main airport sustained damage from a drone strike, while Kuwait’s airport was also hit, with several workers treated for minor injuries. While Middle Eastern airspace has faced intermittent restrictions in recent years, aviation analysts say a sweeping, multi-hour shutdown of this magnitude is without precedent. The halt underscores the broader risks stemming from escalating tensions between Iran, Israel and the United States, and the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in the energy-rich Gulf. The suspension has scrambled aircraft rotations and crew assignments worldwide. With planes and flight crews out of position, industry experts expect it could take days to restore schedules ...
85% Of Babies In 2026 Will Be Born In Asia And Africa In 2026, 85% of babies worldwide will be born in just two continents: Asia and Africa. Where someone is born can shape everything from access to education and healthcare to long-term economic opportunity. This map, via Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti, shows how global births are distributed across continents, based on population projections ...
85% Of Babies In 2026 Will Be Born In Asia And Africa In 2026, 85% of babies worldwide will be born in just two continents: Asia and Africa. Where someone is born can shape everything from access to education and healthcare to long-term economic opportunity. This map, via Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti, shows how global births are distributed across continents, based on population projections from the United Nations . Asia Accounts for Nearly Half of Global Births Asia is expected to see about 64.9 million births in 2026, accounting for roughly 49% of all births worldwide. Despite declining fertility rates in countries like China, Japan, and South Korea, Asia’s sheer population size keeps it at the center of global demographics. South and Southeast Asia, in particular, continue to contribute large numbers of births each year. As a result, nearly one in every two people born in 2026 will be born somewhere in Asia. Africa Makes Up More Than One-Third of Global Births Africa is projected to record 47.6 million births in 2026, representing 35.9% of the global total. This reflects the continent’s high fertility rates and young population structure. Many African countries are still early in their demographic transitions, with limited declines in birth rates so far. As population growth accelerates, Africa’s share of global births has been rising steadily and is projected to increase further later this century . Smaller Shares in the Rest of the World All other continents account for a relatively small share of global births. Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to see 9.3 million births, or 7% of the total, while Europe accounts for just 4.6%. North America’s share stands at 3%, reflecting lower fertility rates despite population growth driven by migration. Oceania contributes 0.5% of births, and Antarctica, with no permanent population, records no births at all. If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The World’s Safest (and Least Safe) Countries on Voronoi , ...
Wall Street has a famous habit of ignoring what just happened in favor of panicking about what might happen. On Feb. 25, 2026, the market offered a textbook example of this dynamic with retail giants The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE: HD) and Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW). Despite both companies reporting fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded analyst expectations, their stock prices slipped into the...
Wall Street has a famous habit of ignoring what just happened in favor of panicking about what might happen. On Feb. 25, 2026, the market offered a textbook example of this dynamic with retail giants The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE: HD) and Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW). Despite both companies reporting fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded analyst expectations, their stock prices slipped into the red shortly after. In the final trading days of February, Home Depot shares dropped approximately 2.3%, while Lowe's fell even harder, down nearly 5%. The culprit is not current performance, as both companies are executing well, but rather future caution. Management teams at both retailers cited a frozen housing market as the primary reason for conservative guidance in fiscal year 2026. The economic reality is simple but harsh: high mortgage rates have created a lock-in effect. Homeowners with low interest rates are refusing to move, pushing existing home sales to multi-decade lows. Without people moving, big-ticket discretionary renovation projects, like new kitchens and bathrooms, are being deferred. However, for long-term investors, the disconnect between strong operational execution and temporary macroeconomic fear represents a valuation reset. These companies are generating substantial revenue and profit in a worst-case housing environment. When the market inevitably thaws, they will likely be positioned for significant growth. Beating The Street in a Frozen Market If you look strictly at the financial scorecard for the fourth quarter of 2025, it is difficult to find the disaster implied by the stock price reaction. Both retailers cleared the hurdles set by Wall Street analysts, proving they can navigate a difficult environment. Home Depot Performance: Earnings Per Share (EPS): Reported $2.72, comfortably beating the consensus estimate of $2.52. Revenue: Came in at $38.2 billion, topping forecasts despite a 3.8% year-over-year decline. Came in at $38.2 billion, toppin...
Fighting intensified in the Middle East during the Olympic truce, in effect through March 15. Flights are being disrupted as athletes and families converge on Italy for the Winter Paralympics. (Image credit: Luca Bruno)
Fighting intensified in the Middle East during the Olympic truce, in effect through March 15. Flights are being disrupted as athletes and families converge on Italy for the Winter Paralympics. (Image credit: Luca Bruno)
bymuratdeniz/iStock via Getty Images Welcome to another installment of our CEF Market Weekly Review, where we discuss closed-end fund [CEF] market activity from both the bottom-up - highlighting individual fund news and events - as well as the top-down - providing an overview of the broader market. We also try to provide some historical context as well as the relevant themes that look to be drivin...
bymuratdeniz/iStock via Getty Images Welcome to another installment of our CEF Market Weekly Review, where we discuss closed-end fund [CEF] market activity from both the bottom-up - highlighting individual fund news and events - as well as the top-down - providing an overview of the broader market. We also try to provide some historical context as well as the relevant themes that look to be driving markets or that investors ought to be mindful of. This update covers the period through the third week of February. Be sure to check out our other weekly updates covering the business development company [BDC] as well as the preferreds/baby bond markets for perspectives across the broader income space. Market Action CEF sector NAVs were not much changed, with most price action driven by shifts in discounts. REIT and Multi-Sector funds outperformed, with Utility funds underperforming. Systematic Income Discounts continued to tighten and are relatively tight in the context of the last decade. Systematic Income Market Commentary CLO Equity CEF OXLC registered a 12% drop in the NAV over January. The background for sector underperformance over the past year is well known. Loan credit spreads (the assets on CLO Equity balance sheet) tightened faster than CLO Debt spreads (the liabilities in CLO Equity balance sheets) which drove a drop in income for the sector. Systematic Income CEF Tool Much of the demand for loans has been driven by captive funds where managers retain the CLO Equity portion for their own capital. Because these funds have a more favorable fee structure, they have become more popular and have driven strong demand for loans. On top of that, a handful of credit issues, such as First Brands, drove losses in the sector. And more recently, loan prices have fallen, particularly in the software sector, which makes up around 10-15% of CLO portfolios. This further weighed on CLO Equity prices. If there is a plus, it’s that the drop in loan prices increased the equity ar...
She was thrilled to become the first teacher from a government-sponsored school in India to get a Fulbright exchange award to learn from U.S. schools. People asked two questions that clouded her joy. (Image credit: tk)
She was thrilled to become the first teacher from a government-sponsored school in India to get a Fulbright exchange award to learn from U.S. schools. People asked two questions that clouded her joy. (Image credit: tk)
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is one of the Best Performing Foreign Stocks to Buy Now. On February 13, Reuters reported that Taiwan and the US have reached a trade agreement based on the January framework. The deal aims to balance the trade between the two countries amidst Taiwan’s surging exports of AI chips. According to the report, the United States has lowered...
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is one of the Best Performing Foreign Stocks to Buy Now. On February 13, Reuters reported that Taiwan and the US have reached a trade agreement based on the January framework. The deal aims to balance the trade between the two countries amidst Taiwan’s surging exports of AI chips. According to the report, the United States has lowered the tariff on Taiwanese imports from 20% to 15%, matching the rates of South Korea and Japan. This will protect the tech giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM), which exports chips to the US. In addition, the Taiwanese government also pledged to invest more than $250 billion in the US semiconductor, energy, and AI production, which includes the $100 billion investment by TSMC reported in January. Separately, on February 13, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) was initiated with a Buy rating by Gil Luria of D.A. Davidson and a $450 price target. The analyst likes the company’s competitive edge in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, particularly as the demand continues to surge. The firm highlighted the “compounding execution moat in leading-edge manufacturing” of TSMC, noting that it provides the company with “durable, self-reinforcing advantage.” Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE:TSM), together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, packages, tests, and sells ICs and other semiconductor devices in Taiwan, China, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Japan, the US, and internationally. While we acknowledge the potential of TSM as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy...