Hi everyone. This week, the people behind a world-famous band are trying to make a world-famous video game, but first... This week’s top gaming news: Microsoft Corp. is preparing to lower the prices of Xbox Game Pass, new Xbox head Asha Sharma hinted in a memo this week The PlayStation 5 had its best week of the year in early April as buyers stocked up ahead of a hefty price increase A Long Shot D...
Hi everyone. This week, the people behind a world-famous band are trying to make a world-famous video game, but first... This week’s top gaming news: Microsoft Corp. is preparing to lower the prices of Xbox Game Pass, new Xbox head Asha Sharma hinted in a memo this week The PlayStation 5 had its best week of the year in early April as buyers stocked up ahead of a hefty price increase A Long Shot Dan Reynolds has already conquered near-impossible odds in pursuit of his dreams. Two decades ago, he started Imagine Dragons, which would go on to become one of the most successful rock bands in the world, touring stadiums and selling more than 75 million albums. Now he’s trying to do the one thing that might be even less plausible: launching a hit video game in the year 2026. Five years ago, Dan and his brother, Mac Reynolds, founded a video-game studio called Night Street Games. This week, they put out their first title: Last Flag , a capture-the-flag shooter game featuring colorful, Fortnite -like aesthetics and a cast of varied heroes. Unfortunately, they’re launching Last Flag into one of the most oversaturated video-game markets in history, where they’ll compete not just with the plethora of new games released every year, but with all of the online shooters that have kept people hooked for decades, from Counter-Strike to Overwatch . Since releasing on Tuesday, Last Flag has peaked at just over 550 concurrent players on Steam. A spokesperson for Night Street wouldn’t comment on whether they considered the sales numbers successful but said the company was happy with the critical reception and that they hope to “build a sustainable community and nurture and grow it over time.” The fear is that they might recreate the trajectory of Highguard , another online shooter that launched into the crowded market earlier this year. It lost its funding and shut down just weeks after it came out . “I hope people will give the game a shot,” Mac Reynolds told me in an interview a few w...
MicroStockHub/iStock via Getty Images By Elior Manier USD/JPY was once again the main target for US dollar bulls amid the ongoing major US-Iran War, which began on February 27 (with a positive twist in the past week and a half). Energy commodity prices have more than doubled since the imposition of ceaseless supply restrictions from Iran's capture of the Strait of Hormuz. WTI and Brent Crude price...
MicroStockHub/iStock via Getty Images By Elior Manier USD/JPY was once again the main target for US dollar bulls amid the ongoing major US-Iran War, which began on February 27 (with a positive twist in the past week and a half). Energy commodity prices have more than doubled since the imposition of ceaseless supply restrictions from Iran's capture of the Strait of Hormuz. WTI and Brent Crude prices have at some point risen by more than 100% and are remaining about 35% higher than they were just at the beginning of February. A significant portion of Asian crude oil imports depends on this region. As a result, prices for both physical crude and refined products have soared. This was seen as a particular strain on the Eastern continent, and the clearest evidence is in the change in jet fuel prices. Jet Fuel Prices Averages in Asia and Europe – Source: IATA. April 17, 2026 For such a populous region, particularly dependent on fossil fuels for electricity production and manufacturing, this has proven quite damaging. Luckily for Japan, it has held the largest proven strategic oil reserves in the world, but this hasn't helped Forex hawks severely punish the JPY against the dominant US dollar. A victim of its own confused monetary policy, with largely expected rate hikes progressively fading out due to slower inflation reports and contradicting policymakers, the Land of the Rising Sun was the target of a large FX repricing. Luckily for the yen, the conflict is now priced to end soon. The Strait of Hormuz was announced reopened this morning , with statements from both the US and Iran, and the Administration pushing for it to move forward with the negotiations. USD/JPY and WTI Correlation. April 17, 2026 – Source: TradingView USD/JPY has now entered a corrective phase, which could extend if the conflict were to end. With a head and shoulders pattern forming, it will be important to see whether this move indeed has legs, pointing to longer-term bearish positioning in the pair....
FIFA Rebukes NJ's Lefty Governor In Transportation Dispute Authored by Luis Cornelio via Headline USA , Leaders behind the 2026 FIFA World Cup rebuked New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill after she launched what appeared to be a social media campaign complaining that the state would be stuck footing the bill for public transportation tied to the event. The 2026 World Cup is set to span multiple days, in...
FIFA Rebukes NJ's Lefty Governor In Transportation Dispute Authored by Luis Cornelio via Headline USA , Leaders behind the 2026 FIFA World Cup rebuked New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill after she launched what appeared to be a social media campaign complaining that the state would be stuck footing the bill for public transportation tied to the event. The 2026 World Cup is set to span multiple days, including eight matches at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium in June. Estimates suggest the games could generate over $3 billion in economic impact for the region. However, the state is expected to expand public transportation services, as has been typical for previous World Cup host sites. The agreement between FIFA and New Jersey was signed under Sherrill’s predecessor, former Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who left office in January. “We inherited an agreement where FIFA is providing $0 for transportation to the World Cup,” Sherrill wrote on X, adding that New Jersey is expected to cover roughly $48 million in transportation costs . “I’m not going to stick New Jersey commuters with that tab for years to come. FIFA should pay for the rides. But if they don’t – I’m not going to let New Jersey get taken for one,” she added. FIFA pushed back, saying it was “quite surprised” by Sherrill’s remarks, as quoted by several media outlets. “FIFA worked for years with host cities on transportation and mobility plans, including advocating for millions of dollars in federal funding to support host cities for transportation,” the organization said. FIFA also pointed to the lack of precedent for such demands, noting that previous major events at MetLife Stadium did not require organizers to cover fan transportation costs. FIFA have responded to this - and strongly. “We are quite surprised by the NJ Governor’s approach today on fan transportation. The original FIFA World Cup 2026 Host City Agreements signed in 2018 required free transportation for fans to all matches. Recognizing the financial… ht...
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is set to meet with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles on Friday, according to reports. The meeting comes amid concerns its artificial intelligence model, Mythos, could increase cybersecurity risks. Bloomberg’s Mike Shepard breaks joins Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.” (Source: Bloomberg)
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is set to meet with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles on Friday, according to reports. The meeting comes amid concerns its artificial intelligence model, Mythos, could increase cybersecurity risks. Bloomberg’s Mike Shepard breaks joins Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.” (Source: Bloomberg)
fadfebrian/iStock via Getty Images Shares of Kailera Therapeutics ( KLRA ) jumped more than 50% on Friday after the GLP-1 drug developer priced its upsized initial public offering at $16 per share to raise roughly $625M in gross proceeds. Shares of the Waltham, Massachusetts-based biotech opened for trading at $26 per share at about 1:20 PM ET, implying a gain of about 63%. The stock quickly retra...
fadfebrian/iStock via Getty Images Shares of Kailera Therapeutics ( KLRA ) jumped more than 50% on Friday after the GLP-1 drug developer priced its upsized initial public offering at $16 per share to raise roughly $625M in gross proceeds. Shares of the Waltham, Massachusetts-based biotech opened for trading at $26 per share at about 1:20 PM ET, implying a gain of about 63%. The stock quickly retraced initial gains to reach $24.90 about 30 minutes later, indicating a rise of nearly 56% and a market capitalization of approximately $3.1B. Earlier in the day, the company priced the offering of approximately 39.0M shares of its common stock, upsized from its initial plans to sell roughly 33.3M shares. Founded in 2024, Kailera has four GLP-1 candidates in the pipeline. Its lead asset, a GLP-1/GIP receptor dual agonist known as ribupatide, developed with Chinese pharma Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals ( JHPCY ) ( JNGHF ), is undergoing three late-stage clinical trials for weight management, with top-line data expected in 2028. More on Kailera Therapeutics, Inc. Kailera Therapeutics Pursues IPO On Promising GLP-1 Trial Results GLP-1 developer Kailera prices IPO at $16 per share to raise $625M GLP-1 developer Kailera, proteomics firm Alamar file for U.S. IPOs Financial information for Kailera Therapeutics, Inc.
Kintarapong/iStock via Getty Images The last time I spoke about Definium Therapeutics, Inc. ( DFTX ) it was with a Seeking Alpha article entitled "Mind Medicine: Two Pathways Created From One Pipeline Clinical Candidate." In that article, I mentioned two specific programs that I went over, which were the use of MM-120 [now known as DT120] for the treatment of patients with generalized anxiety diso...
Kintarapong/iStock via Getty Images The last time I spoke about Definium Therapeutics, Inc. ( DFTX ) it was with a Seeking Alpha article entitled "Mind Medicine: Two Pathways Created From One Pipeline Clinical Candidate." In that article, I mentioned two specific programs that I went over, which were the use of MM-120 [now known as DT120] for the treatment of patients with generalized anxiety disorder [GAD] and major depressive disorder [MDD]. Before going further, it is important to state that at the beginning of this year, the company had decided to change its name from Mind Medicine over to be that of Definium Therapeutics . The reason for the name change was because of its focus on treating psychiatric disorders, plus its focus on the anticipation of three data readouts in 2026. Speaking of which, the last time I spoke about this company, I had given it a Strong Buy rating. With everything it has accomplished thus far, I believe that it is important to maintain this rating. Why is that? Well, that's because of the three expected data readouts that are rapidly approaching. With respect to DT120 ODT [lysergide tartrate] for the treatment of patients with GAD, it is running the ongoing phase 3 Voyage and Panorama studies. Top-line data from each of these studies are anticipated to be released in Q3 and the 2nd half of 2026, respectively. In terms of DT120 ODT for the treatment of patients with MDD, this program is in the process of running the phase 3 Emerge and Ascend studies. It's important to highlight that topline data from one of these two studies, Emerge, is what is set to be released in early Q2 of 2026. In terms of the other late-stage trial, Ascend, this is only expected to dose the first patient in early Q2 of 2026. Another positive to consider with respect to this rating is that the company is in the process of developing R(-)-MDMA DT402 for the treatment of adult patients with autism spectrum disorder [ASD] in an ongoing phase 2a study that was initiate...
Netflix shares tumbled the most in four years after the company gave a forecast for the second quarter that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw and Wedbush Securities Senior VP Alicia Reese discuss the "overhang" of the aborted Warner Bros. Discovery deal and more with Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.” (Source: Bloomberg)
Netflix shares tumbled the most in four years after the company gave a forecast for the second quarter that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw and Wedbush Securities Senior VP Alicia Reese discuss the "overhang" of the aborted Warner Bros. Discovery deal and more with Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.” (Source: Bloomberg)
(RTTNews) - After opening flat and then edging higher slowly till about a couple of hours past noon, Swiss stocks climbed up sharply on Friday as buying gathered momentum after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz completely open to commercial traffic.
(RTTNews) - After opening flat and then edging higher slowly till about a couple of hours past noon, Swiss stocks climbed up sharply on Friday as buying gathered momentum after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz completely open to commercial traffic.
Brazil’s government sees room to grow its share of foreign-exchange-linked debt even further following this year’s planned expansion, Treasury Secretary Daniel Leal said in an interview. The nation’s economic fundamentals and stock of international reserves reduced vulnerabilities that once constrained such a strategy, Leal said on the sidelines of International Monetary Fund-World Bank meetings i...
Brazil’s government sees room to grow its share of foreign-exchange-linked debt even further following this year’s planned expansion, Treasury Secretary Daniel Leal said in an interview. The nation’s economic fundamentals and stock of international reserves reduced vulnerabilities that once constrained such a strategy, Leal said on the sidelines of International Monetary Fund-World Bank meetings in Washington. Foreign-exchange-linked debt now stands at 4% of the total, a level that Leal called “very small” and sees as eventually able to surpass this year’s target of 7%. Brazil sold €5 billion ($5.9 billion) of bonds this week, the country’s biggest-ever transaction in global debt markets and its first euro bond sale in more than 10 years. The move came as the nation’s Treasury actively pursues diversification across markets. As part of that effort, officials are even mulling so-called panda bonds — debt issued in China’s domestic market. Read More: Brazil Taps Markets With Record €5 Billion Bond Sale Still, tapping alternative markets does not signal any retreat from the US, Leal said. “Panda bonds have a longer operational process, and while we aim to issue them this year, we won’t miss a dollar window if it opens first,” he said. Investor Confidence The shift also reflects an improved domestic economy, he said, pointing to relatively low inflation, ongoing economic growth and the government’s fiscal framework as proof of resilience. The latest budget guidelines bill establishes a path toward stabilizing debt by 2030, a signal which reinforces credibility among international investors, he said. Brazil’s $368-billion stock of international reserves provides a cushion against currency shocks. External borrowing costs remain relatively low, allowing the government to extend maturities, the treasury secretary said. Increasing foreign exchange exposure would broaden Brazil’s investor base, create pricing benchmarks for private-sector issuers and support trade relationsh...
Reports of alleged crime led to protests in the Surrey town this week, after claims woman in her 20s attacked Police investigating a rape incident in Epsom have said they have “not found any evidence” of the offence as reported. The reports prompted protests in the Surrey town this week. Sarah Grahame, assistant chief constable at Surrey police, said the force was continuing to investigate a repor...
Reports of alleged crime led to protests in the Surrey town this week, after claims woman in her 20s attacked Police investigating a rape incident in Epsom have said they have “not found any evidence” of the offence as reported. The reports prompted protests in the Surrey town this week. Sarah Grahame, assistant chief constable at Surrey police, said the force was continuing to investigate a report that a woman in her 20s had been raped by a group of men on 11 April in Epsom after she left the Labyrinth Epsom nightclub. The alleged attack is said to have happened between 2am and 4am outside a Methodist church. Continue reading...
A security researcher published details of three security vulnerabilities in Windows Defender, and the code used to exploit them. Now, hackers are taking advantage of the vulnerabilities in real life attacks, according to a cybersecurity firm.
A security researcher published details of three security vulnerabilities in Windows Defender, and the code used to exploit them. Now, hackers are taking advantage of the vulnerabilities in real life attacks, according to a cybersecurity firm.