China has pledged to help Myanmar’s new government to engage more with multilateral platforms and eradicate telecoms scam operations. Capping a five-day trip to Southeast Asia on the weekend, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s junta leader-turned-president, on Saturday that China “firmly supports Myanmar in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and territori...
China has pledged to help Myanmar’s new government to engage more with multilateral platforms and eradicate telecoms scam operations. Capping a five-day trip to Southeast Asia on the weekend, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s junta leader-turned-president, on Saturday that China “firmly supports Myanmar in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity”. “This year marks the first year of Myanmar’s new government. Both sides should seize...
From a statistical standpoint, Wall Street has loved having Donald Trump in the White House. Although the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) , S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) , and Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) usually rise under most presidents, the annualized returns under President Trump have been well above average . During his first term, the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite g...
From a statistical standpoint, Wall Street has loved having Donald Trump in the White House. Although the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) , S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) , and Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) usually rise under most presidents, the annualized returns under President Trump have been well above average . During his first term, the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite gained 57%, 70%, and 142%, respectively. Meanwhile, these major indexes are up by 14%, 19%, and 24%, respectively, in his second, non-consecutive term, as of this writing on April 20. President Trump speaking with the media. Image source: Official White House Photo by Molly Riley. Continue reading
Key PointsAnyone who will be 73 years old or older this year is now required to make regular annual withdrawals from most non-Roth retirement accounts.
Key PointsAnyone who will be 73 years old or older this year is now required to make regular annual withdrawals from most non-Roth retirement accounts.
If lawless aggression by ‘might is right’ nuclear-armed powers spreads unchecked, what other option do middle-ranking countries have? With every bomb dropped, ship seized and blood-curdling threat of annihilation, Donald Trump increases Iran’s incentive to reject his “grand bargain” peace deal and sprint instead to acquire nuclear weapons for future self-defence. Justifying his declaration of war ...
If lawless aggression by ‘might is right’ nuclear-armed powers spreads unchecked, what other option do middle-ranking countries have? With every bomb dropped, ship seized and blood-curdling threat of annihilation, Donald Trump increases Iran’s incentive to reject his “grand bargain” peace deal and sprint instead to acquire nuclear weapons for future self-defence. Justifying his declaration of war on 28 February, Trump claimed that Iran – and primarily its nuclear programme – posed an “imminent threat”. But Iran does not possess nukes. The US and Israel do. US intelligence chiefs and UN inspectors agree there’s no firm evidence that the regime, while developing its technical capabilities and keeping political options open, has built, or ever tried to build, a nuclear weapon since at least 2003 , when a covert scheme was exposed. But after Trump’s second unprovoked attack in a year, and his vow to bomb Iranian civilisation back to the “stone ages”, that is very likely to change. Simon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign affairs commentator Continue reading...
Investing.com -- The stock market’s recent climb to record highs is being powered by a narrow, AI-driven engine, masking a broader and deeper decline in the average equity.
Investing.com -- The stock market’s recent climb to record highs is being powered by a narrow, AI-driven engine, masking a broader and deeper decline in the average equity.
Labour’s immigration plans tear up the promise made to 300,000 people recruited for a sector in crisis “We are deflated, we are sad. We feel the government is trying to pull the rug from under our feet,” says David. “It is like we are being criticised for working in a sector which the government called for us to come help with.” David – not his real name – is a care worker for adults with learning...
Labour’s immigration plans tear up the promise made to 300,000 people recruited for a sector in crisis “We are deflated, we are sad. We feel the government is trying to pull the rug from under our feet,” says David. “It is like we are being criticised for working in a sector which the government called for us to come help with.” David – not his real name – is a care worker for adults with learning disabilities. He came to the east of England from Nigeria in 2022 with his wife as the Conservative government turned to migration to tackle the social care recruitment crisis. Continue reading...
China formalized its first comprehensive policy framework for “new employment groups,” including delivery riders and livestreamers, signaling a shift from ad-hoc regulation to normalization of the platform economy. The guidance calls for standardized contracts, fair pay and stronger labor protections, according to a mandate issued by the CPC Central Committee General Office and the State Council a...
China formalized its first comprehensive policy framework for “new employment groups,” including delivery riders and livestreamers, signaling a shift from ad-hoc regulation to normalization of the platform economy. The guidance calls for standardized contracts, fair pay and stronger labor protections, according to a mandate issued by the CPC Central Committee General Office and the State Council and reported by Xinhua News Agency on Sunday. It sets a target of broadly standardizing labor practices by 2027. Major tech players, including Meituan , Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. , JD.com Inc. and logistics operators, are required to align pay based on labor intensity, curb excessive commissions and improve working conditions. Platforms must also increase transparency, consult worker representatives, submit algorithms for review and tighten regulatory scrutiny over core operating models. In addition to labor protection, the guidance also seeks to strengthen oversight of algorithms used by internet platforms by enhancing transparency. It also encourages the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to optimize algorithmic systems.
mammuth/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Current market conditions in 2026 confirm our confidence in the effectiveness of defensive strategies, particularly those focused on utility assets. Considered funds Reaves Utility Income ( UTG ) and Cohen & Steers Infrastructure ( UTF ) are showing significant "alpha" relative to the broader market, supporting the need to continue investing in the...
mammuth/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Current market conditions in 2026 confirm our confidence in the effectiveness of defensive strategies, particularly those focused on utility assets. Considered funds Reaves Utility Income ( UTG ) and Cohen & Steers Infrastructure ( UTF ) are showing significant "alpha" relative to the broader market, supporting the need to continue investing in the utilities sector. Two pillars underpin the effectiveness of this strategy: an electricity generation renaissance to meet the needs of AI infrastructure data centers and a global shift toward protectionism. I conduct a comparative analysis of the fundamental concepts of the two funds, which I recommend as "Buy." Let's take a look at why UTG's concentration and UTF's global diversification create powerful synergy today. Taking into account the latter fund's P/NAV discount, it is my opinion that a 50/50 allocation between them is the most effective approach to capitalizing on current trends in the utilities sector. Previous Points Before, back in November 2025 , when I was trying to figure out which of the Utilities funds was better, I compared UTG and UTF. My pick was UTG, which turned out to be the right call, since this fund showed a higher return (14.03% vs. 10.93%). In February 2026 , though, changed my recommendation for UTF to "Buy." My main reason was the 6% P/NAV discount. Another big factor in this decision was my bet that interest rates would keep falling. Although the economic conditions of the markets have changed significantly since then, belief in defensive assets such as UTF and UTG has, in fact, grown. The reason for this, obviously, lies in their protection against a number of macroeconomic risks related to demand and inflation. Analysis of the Economic Environment in the Utilities Sector UTG and UTF have a common investment strategy based on investing in utilities assets. A competitive advantage of this sector is the inelastic demand for its services, enabl...