Skip to main content

Featured

Six Days Adrift: Tragedy Strikes Migrant Boat off Greek Coast

  Twenty-two migrants lost their lives off the coast of Greece after spending six harrowing days at sea in a rubber boat that had departed from Tobruk, Libya. According to survivor accounts and Greek coastguard reports, the passengers became disoriented during the journey and were left without food or water, leading to fatal exhaustion.  Rescue teams recovered 26 survivors, including a woman and a minor, near the island of Crete. Several survivors reported that the bodies of those who died were thrown overboard on the orders of smugglers accompanying the group. Greek authorities have since arrested two South Sudanese men, aged 19 and 22, suspected of human trafficking and negligent homicide.  The tragedy highlights the ongoing dangers faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean, a route that continues to claim lives despite increased border controls and international attention. Poor weather, overcrowded vessels, and lack of supplies remain persis...

article

US Stock Futures Retreat After Intel’s Gloomy Outlook

 

:

US stock futures retreated on Friday after Intel’s first-quarter outlook fell well short of Wall Street expectations, somewhat denting the AI-fueled hopes that have helped lift stocks to record highs. 

Intel shares fell over 10% in premarket trading, with peers AMD and Nvidia also taking a slight knock. The S&P 500 futures dropped 0.2% after a winning Thursday saw the benchmark close at another record high. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures also lost around 0.2%, while those on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 sank nearly 0.5%. Techs led the way lower after a gloomy outlook from Intel, as investors awaited a key inflation reading seen as influential in the timing of an interest rate cut.

The release of the PCE index for December painted a rosy inflation picture for investors, however. “Core” PCE, the inflation gauge commonly known as the Fed’s preferred measure, fell below 3% on an annual basis, the slowest rate of growth since March 2021. That number, combined with a hotter-than-expected early estimate on fourth quarter US GDP, could further the notion that the US economy is headed for a “soft landing.”

The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE) is a measure of the prices that people living in the United States pay for goods and services. It is released each month in the Personal Income and Outlays report and is used to calculate the GDP and inflation . The PCE index is known for capturing inflation (or deflation) across a wide range of consumer expenses and reflecting changes in consumer behavior. The latest release of the PCE index for December 2023 shows that the “core” PCE, the inflation gauge commonly known as the Fed’s preferred measure, fell below 3% on an annual basis, the slowest rate of growth since March 2021.


Comments