A UK financial trader dubbed the ringleader of an interest rate manipulation scandal loses an appeal

LONDON — A British financial trader, who has been described as the ringleader in the manipulation of a key interest rate before and after the global financial crisis, lost his appeal Wednesday to have his conviction quashed. Tom Hayes, 44, who was a former trader at U.S. bank Citigroup and Switzerland’s UBS, became in 2015 … Read more

Rationed food kept Cubans fed during the Cold War. Today an economic crisis has them hungry

HAVANA — Like millions of other Cubans, María de los Ángeles Pozo thinks back fondly to when a government ration book fed her family everything from hamburgers, fish and milk to chocolate and beer. People would even get cakes for birthdays and weddings. The “libreta,” as Cubans know it, was launched in July 1963 and … Read more

British governing party announces tax cuts that it hopes can lift ailing election fortunes

LONDON — British Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt is seeking to bolster spirits within his Conservative Party ranks with a series of tax cuts that he hopes can turn the political dial ahead of a general election this year. Even though the British economy has hit one definition of recession and public finances will remain stretched … Read more

Bank of England says UK recession is modest in historical terms

Bank of England Gov. Andrew Bailey said Tuesday that the U.K.’s economic recession that was confirmed last week is modest by historical standards and is probably over. In testimony to lawmakers, Bailey said the two successive quarters of negative growth recorded in the second half of 2023 — the standard by which the U.K. measures … Read more

Nigeria’s currency has fallen to a record low as inflation surges. How did things get so bad?

ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigerians are facing one of the West African nation’s worst economic crises in years triggered by surging inflation, the result of monetary policies that have pushed the currency to an all-time low against the dollar. The situation has provoked anger and protests across the country. The latest government statistics released Thursday showed … Read more

Nvidia rally fueling FOMO in overall market: Evercore’s Julian Emanuel

Evercore ISI’s Julian Emanuel thinks Nvidia’s monster rally is fueling a fear of missing out in the market. He finds clients, including many who traded through the dot-com boom and subsequent collapse, are more worried about being underinvested than overexposed right now. “That’s the first time that’s happened since 2021 for us,” the firm’s senior … Read more

Crisis-ridden Sri Lanka’s economic reforms are yielding results, but challenges remain, IMF says

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Debt-stricken Sri Lanka’s economic reform program is yielding the first signs of recovery, but the improvements still need to translate into improved living conditions for its people, the International Monetary Fund said Friday. Sri Lanka has been struggling with an economic crisis since declaring bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than … Read more

Sri Lanka declares moratorium on research ships for a year amid Indian concerns over Chinese vessels

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka has declared a moratorium on foreign research ships entering its waters for a year amid concerns from India over Chinese research vessels docking in its neighborhood. Though the moratorium comes ostensibly for capacity building it is seen as a reaction to growing concerns in India. Foreign Ministry spokesman Niluka … Read more

Big Short’s Steve Eisman worries investors are too bullish in 2024

Investor Steve Eisman of “The Big Short” fame is questioning the level of bullishness on Wall Street — even with the market’s tepid start to the year. From enthusiasm surrounding the “Magnificent Seven” technology stocks to expectations for multiple interest rate cuts this year, Eisman believes there’s little tolerance for things going wrong. “Long term, … Read more

The U.S. avoided a recession in 2023. What’s the outlook for 2024?

Grocery items are offered for sale at a supermarket on August 09, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.  Scott Olson | Getty Images Heading into 2023, the predictions were nearly unanimous: a recession was coming. As the year comes to a close, the forecasted economic downturn did not arrive. So what’s in store for 2024? An economic … Read more