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Massive Russian Strikes Cripple Ukraine’s Power Grid Ahead of Peace Talks

An employee works at a thermal power plant damaged by multiple Russian missile strikes, in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. Russian forces launched a sweeping overnight assault on Ukraine’s energy network, striking multiple regions just hours before planned peace discussions. The barrage targeted major cities including Kyiv and Kharkiv, damaging power stations and transmission lines that millions rely on for heat and electricity during freezing winter conditions. Ukrainian officials reported widespread outages, with emergency crews working through the night to stabilize the grid. Residential areas were also hit, leaving civilians injured and prompting renewed concerns about the humanitarian toll of the conflict. The timing of the strikes has drawn sharp criticism from Ukrainian leaders, who argue the attacks are intended to undermine the upcoming negotiations and pressure Kyiv at the bargaining table. Despite the escalation, both sides are still expected to attend the talks, thou...

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Market Retreat: European Turmoil and Tesla’s Pay Package in Focus


US stock futures pulled back on Friday, signaling a retreat from all-time highs as European turmoil rattled nerves and Elon Musk’s pay package win put Tesla (TSLA) center stage. Here are the key points:

  • Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) futures sank about 0.7%, leading the declines.
  • S&P 500 (ES=F) futures shed 0.5%.
  • Contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) were roughly 0.2% lower.

Stocks have been losing steam after the benchmark S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite nailed record closes for the fourth day in a row, driven by strength in tech stocks. However, questions persist about the breadth of this year’s rally. Investors are closely watching the coming PCE inflation reading, which could impact the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decisions.

Meanwhile, Tesla shares were up around 1% in Friday’s premarket after shareholders re-approved CEO Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package. Despite opposition from some large investors, 77% of votes were cast in favor, the EV maker said.

Not helping spirits was a slump in European stocks, which were headed for their worst week since October. Investors are concerned about the fallout for markets if the far right makes gains or even wins France’s snap election. Another dose of worry came from the Bank of Japan’s decision to hold off from giving details of its bond-buying cuts until July, a surprise move interpreted as delaying a rate hike.

In individual movers, Adobe (ADBE) shares jumped 15% after an upbeat AI sales projection from the Photoshop maker. Investors are also eyeing political turmoil in France as uncertainty about rate cuts dogs the market.


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