The quiet rise of trading desks

An employee of Basra Oil Company, works at the Nahr Bin Umar Oil and Gas Field on the outskirts of the southern Iraqi city of Basra on April 29, 2026. Hussein Faleh | Afp | Getty Images Oil and gas giants benefited significantly from their trading desks through the first quarter, shining a light on…

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Can Starmer ‘keep calm and carry on?’

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, issues a statement regarding the Manchester Synagogue attack, at Downing Street on October 2, 2025 in London, England. Wpa Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images Hello, this is Katie Foley writing to you from London, where Downing Street is dominating the agenda. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a…

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Trump and Xi face a test over AI control

Hi, this is Evelyn, writing to you from Beijing. Welcome to the latest edition of The China Connection — a succinct snapshot of what I’m seeing and hearing from local businesses. Students and businesses alike are embracing AI in China, while the U.S. worries more about the negative impact. Will that encourage cooperation on AI…

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Kospi, Hang Seng Index, Nikkei 225

A pedestrian walks past monitors displaying a figure of the Nikkei 225 Stock Average outside a securities firm on May 07, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. Tomohiro Ohsumi | Getty Images News | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Tuesday as investors shrugged off fresh doubts over the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire after President Donald Trump warned…

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