Will OPEC bankrupt US shale producers?
he OPEC's contentious decision to keep its production target, leaving the market with a supply glut, could trigger a wave of debt defaults by U.S. shale oil producers, warn analysts. The 12-member oil cartel on Thursday said it would stick to its output target of 30 million barrels a day, triggering a sharp decline in oil prices, with U.S. crude futures tumbling nearly $6 to $67.75 on Friday - the lowest since May 2010.
Israel slams Ankara: This is no way for a NATO state to act
Israeli officials used diplomatic language on Thursday when responding to revelations that the Hamas cell uncovered in the West Bank received orders and training from operatives in Turkey, but this belied anger that Hamas has apparently moved the center of its overseas operations from Syria to Turkey.
Japan’s Two-Year Note Yield Declines Below Zero for First Time
Japan’s two-year note yields dropped below zero for the first time as investors prepared for an auction of the securities today. The Ministry of Finance is scheduled to sell 2.7 trillion yen ($23 billion) of debt maturing in December 2016. Two-year yields reached zero on Nov. 19 after the Bank of Japan decided last month to expand the annual pace of its bond buying to 80 trillion yen. Yields at a sale of three-month treasury bills fell below zero for the first time on Oct. 23.
Six killed in Kabul suicide attack on UK Embassy vehicle
Gunfire and explosions rocked Kabul as Taliban militants attacked a central district that houses several embassies and foreign compounds, hours after a suicide bomber targeted a British Embassy vehicle, killing six people. Attacks across Kabul have increased in recent weeks as US-led Nato forces prepare to wrap up their 13-year combat mission against the Taliban insurgents at the end of this year.
Oil prices plummet as OPEC decides against output cut
Crude prices plunged Thursday after the powerful Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said it wouldn't cut production levels to stem the collapse in oil prices that have fallen 40% since June.
"Panicking" Ukrainians Face Soaring Prices, Warn "Inflation Is War"
With Ukraine, according to President Poroshenko, on the verge of World War III, it appears the people of the divided nation face another all too familiar war... on their living standards. As Hyrvnia continues to collapse to record-er lows, Ukraine's Central Bank warns of further stress and FX (think US Dollar or EUR) demand because the "population is in panic."
ECB's Draghi: Euro monetary union 'incomplete'
European Central Bank head Mario Draghi says the euro currency union remains "incomplete" and needs to be strengthened with better oversight of member countries' economic policies to avoid future crises.