After experiencing a bonanza year in 2025 – outperforming the S&P 500 Index - Asian equities look set to extend their winning streak in 2026, after climbing 7.5% in January alone. As of mid-February, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index has surged more than 12% year-to-date - its best start to the year this century. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ 100 are down 0.52% and 1.22%, respectively, over t
A second round of indirect nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran concluded in Geneva on Monday without a concrete breakthrough. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led Tehran’s delegation, meeting United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, for more than three hours at the Omani embassy in Geneva. The talks wer
The United States Federal Reserve signalled deep divisions over the future direction of interest rates at its January policy meeting, with officials broadly agreeing to hold rates steady but split over what should come next. Minutes from the 27–28 January meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) showed policymakers were united in keeping the benchmark rate unchanged, but differed sha
New numbers show that the unemployment rate in Australia has remained steady at 4.1%. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) report for January found that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was steady for the month of January, with very little change. Youth underemployment was up by one percentage point to 14.8%, underemployment and underutilisation both rose slightly by 0.2 percen
While strong United States corporate bond issuance and demand show no signs of letting up, with calendar year-to-date issuance of around US$309 billion - up almost 30% on the same time last year – U.S. investment grade spreads have tightened to near record levels at 75 basis points (0.75%). New issue concessions, where additional spread is provided to make sure the raise is successful, have fal
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Ford is set to launch a new tech system in its electric vehicles, following in the footsteps of Tesla's Cybertruck. First commercialised by Tesla in 2023, the new 48-volt electrical architecture would be a major upgrade for a new generation of Ford EVs, which currently run on a 12-volt system. The new rollout will start with a pickup truck in 2027, with a US$30,000 (A$42,417.90) price tag, w
Design software company Figma delivered a stronger-than-expected fourth quarter, though a 20% after-hours pop on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) has a lot of ground to make up against a punishing post-IPO slide. Revenue came in at US$303.8 million for Q4, up 40% year-on-year and clear of Wall Street's $293.15 million consensus estimate. Figma has surrendered around 80% of its stock value since lis
National Australia Bank (NAB) profits surged last quarter amid solid growth in both loans and deposits, with shares reaching record highs today. Unaudited cash earnings rose 16% year-over-year to A$2.02 billion in the December quarter. Underlying profit was up 11% to $3.1 billion, and statutory net profit spiked 30% to $2.2 billion. “We have started FY26 strongly. Underlying profit rose 12%
A massive clean up operation is underway in Gaza, of a huge waste dump in a historic market space. With waste collection stopped by Israel's war on Gaza, the garbage mound has taken over what was once home to the historic Firas market. The market space served as a cultural and economic hub for nearly 600,000 residents pre-war. Head of the UNDP Gaza Office, Alessandro Mrakic, said that the
Unemployment in the United Kingdom has reached its highest rate in around five years at the end of 2025. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, the unemployment rate rose to 5.2% in the three months to December from 5.1% in the three months to November. Young people are bearing the brunt, with unemployment among those aged 16 to 24 rising to 16.1%, the highest in 10 years
Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
New Zealand
1 day
Enjoy a scenic helicopter flight to Hobbiton Movie Set and explore Middle-earth’s Shire.
Heletranz Exclusive | Heli-Fishing
New Zealand
1 day
Enjoy a scenic helicopter flight and fishing adventure over Auckland’s stunning Hauraki Gulf.
