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Wall Street Futures Tick Higher as 2026 Trading Begins

U.S. stock futures moved higher early Friday, signaling a confident start to the first trading session of 2026. The gains follow a strong multi‑year run for equities and come as investors look ahead to a new year of economic and corporate developments. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures edged up, S&P 500 futures posted a modest rise, and Nasdaq futures led the early advance with a stronger uptick. The move reflects continued enthusiasm for technology and growth‑oriented sectors, which helped drive markets through much of the previous year. Despite bouts of volatility in late 2025, major indexes closed the year with solid performance, supported by resilient consumer spending, easing inflation pressures, and expectations of a more accommodative monetary environment. As 2026 begins, traders are watching several themes: the timing and pace of potential interest‑rate cuts, the durability of tech‑sector leadership, and whether gains will broaden across more industries. Early future...

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Hospitals in China Overwhelmed with Post-Covid Surge in Respiratory Illnesses Among Children

 


According to recent news reports, hospitals in Beijing and northern China are struggling to cope with a surge of children with respiratory illnesses as the country enters its first winter since relaxing stringent Covid-19 controls nearly one year ago.

The situation has become so dire that wait times to see doctors stretch for hours, with hundreds of patients queuing at some children’s hospitals in major cities across northern China . An official at the Beijing Children’s Hospital told state media that the current average of more than 7,000 daily patients “far exceeds the hospital’s capacity”.

he World Health Organization (WHO) has asked China to provide more information on an increase in respiratory illnesses and “reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children”. Health officials in Beijing and other major cities in northern China have said typical seasonal illnesses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as mycoplasma pneumonia – a bacterial infection that typically causes mild infection and commonly affects children – were driving causes .


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