Central banks around the world are accelerating their accumulation of gold at a pace unseen in decades, signaling a strategic pivot in reserve management that reflects changing economic and geopolitical realities. After years of record purchases, reserve managers are expanding their gold holdings...

A vast and covert supply chain has emerged to funnel millions of unauthorized e-cigarette devices from China into the United States, exploiting regulatory gaps, mislabeling tactics and a web of middlemen that operates largely in plain sight. Despite heightened enforcement efforts by the U.S. Food...

U.S. business activity showed a notable slowdown in June as firms grappled with a convergence of cost pressures, supply chain adjustments and shifting demand patterns. While the economy continued to expand modestly—with composite PMI readings remaining above the 50-point growth threshold—several...

China’s leading manufacturers of bitcoin mining machines—Bitmain, Canaan and MicroBT—are rapidly establishing production footprints in the United States. This strategic pivot reflects a confluence of trade-policy pressures, security concerns and burgeoning North American demand for cryptocurrency...

Senior Israeli and U.S. officials have hinted that sustained military pressure could catalyze a collapse of Iran’s current leadership, raising alarms across global energy markets. As Tehran’s political stability hangs in the balance, traders and governments alike are reassessing oil supply...

A range of private‑sector and international forecasters have warned that the US economy is set to decelerate sharply over the coming year, pointing to faltering consumer spending, weakening industrial activity and the lingering effects of high interest rates. After a stretch of above–trend growth...

Africa’s financial landscape is experiencing a quiet revolution as countries across the continent roll out local currency payment systems that bypass the U.S. dollar. Spurred by soaring transaction costs, currency risks and shifting geopolitical currents, African leaders and regional institutions...

Investor anxiety has surged in recent weeks as a string of unexpected policy moves and external shocks throw long‑standing monetary roadmaps into disarray. From surprise rate cuts in Europe to sudden spikes in geopolitical tension, central bankers find themselves reacting in real time to events...

President Donald Trump’s grand declaration at his January inauguration—that “the golden age of America begins right now”—has met a sobering dose of central-bank pragmatism this week. With policymakers at the Federal Reserve opting to hold interest rates steady rather than deliver the deep cuts Mr....