Business

China announced it added Taiwan's interior minister Liu Shyh-fang and education minister Cheng Ying-yao to a blacklist, banning them from entering China, Hong Kong and Macau; Chinese officials described them as die-hard supporters of Taiwan independence and said unspecified punishments would follow.

The Bank of Thailand said it will take a medium-term view of monetary policy after cutting its benchmark rate by a cumulative 125 basis points to 1.25%; the next Monetary Policy Committee meeting is scheduled for Feb. 25.

The FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index's market capitalization climbed above $500 billion, supported by gains in precious metals and a rand that strengthened about 14% last year; the Johannesburg bourse rose 38% over the same period.

Newly released video shows a November crash on U.S. 87 near Dalhart that killed four Houston-area women; families have filed a civil lawsuit naming the truck driver, two trucking companies and H-E-B, and the incident is being investigated as criminally negligent homicide.

State-owned Indian refiners have continued purchases of Russian crude even as New Delhi seeks relief from U.S. secondary tariffs imposed over those imports; analysts say private buying fell in December while public sector firms offset part of the decline.

Gold jumped about 4% this week and silver rose more than 10% after Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro was reported captured and taken to face U.S. criminal charges; exchanges had recently raised margin requirements on metal futures.

A 17-person San Francisco Giants delegation traveled to Seoul to support outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and to meet Korean baseball and business leaders; the team has told Major League Baseball it would like to participate if future regular-season games are scheduled in Korea.

Six Flags is raising $1 billion in senior notes rated Caa1 to refinance debt due next April, and the article mentions shares edged higher as the company manages a recent loss, executive departures, and strategic shifts.

Michael Reagan, the eldest son of former President Ronald Reagan, died at 80, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute announced Jan. 6; Newsmax said he was a founding analyst and columnist, and a cause of death was not immediately provided.

Bitcoin has moved back above $90,000, yet derivatives and market metrics show muted longer-term demand and most open interest concentrated in front-month contracts.

British Columbia Premier David Eby said public funds considered for a new pipeline to B.C.'s coast would be better used to support a Canadian refinery, and his remarks followed the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Bank of Nova Scotia CEO Scott Thomson and National Bank CEO Laurent Ferreira said Canada's pipeline and nation‑building projects should be accelerated after the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, noting Venezuelan heavy crude may return to markets over the next five to 10 years.

Newly released 911 audio captures witnesses reporting a fire and an explosion after a private jet crashed near Statesville Regional Airport, and reports confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, their two children and three others were killed.

Saks skipped a December interest payment and could file for Chapter 11; some lenders have discussed a debt-in-possession loan and some vendors have stopped backing shipments.

An Israel Democracy Institute poll found about one-third of Arab respondents said it is safer for Arabs to live in Israel, while roughly three-quarters of Jewish respondents said it is safer for Jews to live in Israel.

Officials in Caracas and Washington are discussing exporting Venezuelan crude to U.S. refiners, five sources told Reuters, and Venezuela has millions of barrels stuck on tankers and in storage due to a U.S. blockade since mid-December.

Silver closed above $80 a troy ounce Tuesday, a record after a 177% rise since the start of 2025; the silver-to-gold ratio has fallen to about 55 as gold also closed at $4,482.20.

Heavy snow and icy conditions have been reported across parts of Europe; authorities say six people have died and hundreds of flights were cancelled, leaving many travellers stranded.

GasBuddy projects the 2026 annual average U.S. gasoline price at $2.97 per gallon, down from $3.10 in 2025; it also forecasts average household gas spending of $2,083 for the year.

Trump publicly endorsed Delcy Rodríguez and she was sworn in as acting president; U.S. officials said they will monitor her actions and referenced using an oil blockade as leverage.

ING Construction and Development announced a fortified project management structure to handle increasing residential renovations, additions, and ADU projects across Greater Los Angeles, while preserving a boutique, owner-led approach; the change adds clearer phases, checkpoints, and communication channels.

Senior Israeli and Syrian officials met in Paris under U.S. mediation, and the three governments said the sides agreed to create a joint communication cell to coordinate security and diplomacy.

The Buck Foundation announced a Bitcoin Dollar savings token that pays 7% annual rewards accruing by the minute and is tradable 24/7. The token’s treasury is funded in part by STRC, Strategy’s Bitcoin-backed perpetual preferred stock, and rewards are subject to governance and issuer approvals.

The Justice Department told a federal judge that more than 2 million documents potentially related to Jeffrey Epstein are still under review, and it has so far released about 12,285 documents (roughly 125,575 pages); the DOJ did not provide a new timeline for completing the review.

The Met Office warns disruptive snow, wind and rain will affect parts of England this week, with amber and yellow weather warnings in place and UK Health Security Agency cold-health alerts active until Friday.

Residents in Caracas and La Guaira recorded pre-dawn cellphone videos of strikes, and Venezuelan officials said the strikes targeted naval infrastructure and medical warehouses.

Shipping data shows Chevron was the only company loading crude for export from Venezuela on Jan. 6, while PDVSA's operations to load cargoes for Chinese buyers were paused for a fifth day.

Ski patrollers in Western U.S. resort towns have struck or unionized to press for higher wages as local housing costs rose sharply; the Telluride strike on Dec. 27 closed the resort during the holiday season.

Governor McKee and state lawmakers are debating a proposed surtax on second homes valued over $1 million as Rhode Island faces budget pressure from federal funding changes and delays to an offshore wind project.

Neumora reported that its oral drug NMRA-511 reduced agitation on the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory in a Phase Ib trial, with larger effects in a subgroup with elevated anxiety; the company plans further studies including a multiple ascending dose extension in 2026.