Southeast Asia Geopolitics

Business

ManpowerGroup Sees 'Stabilization' in Q4 as Demand Firms, Cost Cuts Take Hold

ManpowerGroup reported a return to modest organic growth in its fourth quarter, with executives citing improving demand and the benefits of ongoing cost optimization. While stopping short of declaring a broad recovery, the staffing giant highlighted sequential improvements in key markets and pointed to AI-driven productivity tools as a key differentiator.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Australia Vows to Press Ahead with Critical Minerals Strategy Despite U.S. Policy Shift

Australia reaffirms its commitment to building resilient critical mineral supply chains and a strategic reserve, undeterred by the U.S. stepping back from plans to guarantee minimum prices for such projects.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Visa Posts Strong Q1 2026 Results, Fueled by Payment Volume and Strategic Services Growth

Visa Inc. reported a 15% surge in net revenue for its first fiscal quarter of 2026, citing robust payments volume and significant gains in its value-added services and commercial solutions.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Mastercard Caps Off 'Very Strong' 2025, Eyes Growth in Services and New Tech for 2026

Mastercard reported robust Q4 and full-year 2025 results, driven by double-digit revenue growth and surging value-added services. Executives expressed confidence for 2026, highlighting strategic wins, investments in digital assets like stablecoins, and a focus on 'agentic commerce,' even as they plan a restructuring affecting 4% of staff.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Norwegian Cruise Line Stock Surges 10% as Industry Optimism Rises

Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) soared over 10% Thursday, buoyed by robust industry-wide demand and positive spillover from a rival's record earnings, signaling a potential turnaround for the cruise sector.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Bitcoin Tumbles to $82K Amid Policy Jitters, Triggering $1.7B in Market Liquidations

Bitcoin plunged to a nine-month low as a confluence of political uncertainty and geopolitical tensions sparked a broad market sell-off, forcing over $1.6 billion in leveraged positions to close.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Blackstone Explores Sale of Interplex's ICT Unit in Potential $1 Billion-Plus Deal

Blackstone Inc. is weighing a sale of Interplex's information and communications technology business, with early-stage talks suggesting a valuation exceeding $1 billion, sources familiar with the matter said.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Trump Poised to Name New Fed Chair on Friday, With Kevin Warsh Tipped as Front-Runner

President Donald Trump is set to announce his nominee for Federal Reserve Chair on Friday, with multiple reports indicating former Fed governor Kevin Warsh is the leading candidate to succeed Jerome Powell, a move already rippling through currency markets.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Blackstone in Advanced Talks for Major Stake in Hong Kong's New World Development

Shares and bonds of New World Development surged after reports that Blackstone is in advanced talks to become its largest shareholder, a potential lifeline for the embattled Hong Kong property giant and a signal of shifting sentiment in the city's real estate market.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

U.S. Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions, Opens Door for American Firms to Revive Crude Sector

The Trump administration has issued a broad license allowing U.S. entities to engage in key oil activities in Venezuela, a major sanctions relief step aimed at jumpstarting the nation's crippled energy industry under its new U.S.-backed leadership.

Jan 30, 2026

World

Trump's Tariff Ultimatum Forces South Korea Back to Negotiating Table

Amid renewed threats of steep US tariffs, South Korean officials are scrambling to salvage a key trade deal, with high-level talks in Washington failing to yield an immediate breakthrough.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Gold's Resilience, Bitcoin's Stumble: A Stress Test for 'Digital Gold'

In a turbulent session driven by geopolitical fears, gold staged a historic V-shaped recovery while Bitcoin languished, raising fresh questions about the cryptocurrency's viability as a modern safe haven.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Dollar on Track for Weekly Loss Amid Escalating Global Tensions

The U.S. dollar extended its weekly decline as fresh geopolitical risks, including new tariff threats over Cuba and potential military action against Iran, dampened appetite for American assets, despite domestic political relief.

Jan 30, 2026

World

Lake Maracaibo's Rusting Legacy: Can a U.S.-Led Oil Revival Rescue Venezuela's Heartland?

Once the engine of Venezuela's wealth, the communities around Lake Maracaibo now stand as decaying monuments to the nation's oil collapse. As a controversial U.S. plan promises a $100 billion investment, residents of the ghostly 'oil camps' are caught between desperate hope and deep-seated skepticism.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

MaxLinear Declares 2025 an 'Inflection Year' as Infrastructure and Optical Tech Drive Record Growth

Chip designer MaxLinear capped off a transformative 2025 with a strong fourth quarter, reporting 30% full-year revenue growth and positive cash flow ahead of schedule. CEO Kishore Seendripu pointed to surging demand in data center optical interconnects and wireless infrastructure as key catalysts, positioning the company for even faster growth in 2026.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Gold Rebounds as Geopolitical Tensions and Fed Speculation Fuel Record Rally

Gold prices resumed their upward trajectory Friday, shaking off a volatile session as threats to global stability and expectations of a dovish Federal Reserve pivot continue to drive the historic surge in bullion.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

U.S. Bets Big on Homegrown Rare Earths, Challenging Lynas Amid Leadership Shift

Major U.S. federal investment to build a domestic rare earth supply chain emerges as a direct competitive threat to Lynas Rare Earths, coinciding with the planned retirement of its long-serving CEO Amanda Lacaze. The developments test the Australian miner's strategic position in a market defined by geopolitical tensions and supply security concerns.

Jan 30, 2026

Business

Dollar's Four-Year Low Raises Questions About Its Global Dominance

The U.S. dollar's recent plunge to multi-year lows has unsettled markets, fueling debate over the currency's future and the economic policies driving its decline.

Jan 30, 2026