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Wall Street Steadies as Trump Softens China Rhetoric, Banks Rebound

U.S. stocks swung between losses and gains on Friday before finding some footing, as President Donald Trump dialed back threats of steep new tariffs on Chinese imports. His remarks helped ease investor concerns over an escalating trade conflict that had rattled markets earlier in the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged higher, while the S&P 500 hovered near the flatline. The Nasdaq Composite pared earlier declines, supported by a rebound in technology shares. Futures trading showed modest gains for the Dow and S&P 500, while Nasdaq contracts remained slightly negative. Regional bank stocks, which had been under pressure amid worries about loan quality and credit risks, also staged a recovery. Analysts noted that while investor sentiment remains fragile, Trump’s comments signaled a willingness to avoid measures that could further destabilize the global economy. Market watchers say volatility is likely to persist as Wall Street weighs trade policy uncertainty agai...

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NATO head pushes Canada to meet 2% defence spending target

 

Speaking in Ottawa on Wednesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged Canada to meet the target agreed upon by members of the military alliance: spending at least two percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense. 

While Canada has made commitments in this regard, Stoltenberg expects all allies to do more and follow through on their pledges. Notably, in 2023, there was an unprecedented 11% increase in defense spending across European Allies and Canada, with 18 Allies expected to meet the 2% GDP target in 2024—a significant rise since 2014 when only three Allies achieved it. 

Canada’s current forecasted defense spending is around 1.36% of GDP, projected to reach 1.43% by fiscal year 2024-25. 

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