World Bank

Katie Zacharia left her role as White House press secretary less than five days after starting, the BBC confirmed, following a widely criticized first briefing that lasted under 15 minutes and took only three questions. She had faced scrutiny over her legal credentials and admitted Thursday she had not passed the bar exam, though she said she practiced international transaction law in China with appropriate credentials. President Donald Trump said he advised her she could reconsider the job, saying she had been treated "pretty nastily" by the media. Democrats seized on the departure ahead of November midterm elections.

32 reports · 6 sources · Updated Oct 16, 09:05 PM UTC

Despite the Federal Reserve's September 17 rate hike to 3.75%-4.00%, major Wall Street banks including Goldman Sachs, UBS, TD Securities, and Standard Chartered have reaffirmed bullish long-term gold price targets. Goldman Sachs maintains its $5,400 per ounce forecast by end-2027, while TD Securities targets $5,000 by 2027. Analysts cite structural central bank buying, geopolitical uncertainty, and shifting pricing logic away from interest rates as key drivers. Gold traded at $4,327-$4,377 per ounce following the rate decision.

26 reports · 14 sources · Updated Sep 24, 07:40 AM UTC

A surge in AI-driven data center construction is facing growing opposition from communities and regulators across the US, concerned about rising electricity costs, water consumption, and grid strain. A report from Data Center Watch found approximately 45 data center projects worth $68 billion were blocked or delayed in Q2 due to local resistance. Executives from Microsoft, Google, and Amazon addressed these concerns at a New York climate conference, outlining steps to isolate infrastructure costs from consumer bills and improve water efficiency. About 30 US states have introduced legislation on data center siting, power, and water use.

13 reports · 12 sources · Updated Sep 23, 10:31 PM UTC

On September 22, China’s NDRC stated that a super El Niño event is forecast for autumn and winter, peaking by year-end, with impacts lasting into next summer and creating significant uncertainty for global food production. Spokesperson Li Chao emphasized China’s agricultural sector is confident and capable of coping, citing over 1 billion mu of high-standard farmland, a 76.7% mechanization rate, and a record 2025 grain output of 1.43 trillion jin. The NDRC outlined four measures: strengthening disaster monitoring, upgrading irrigation infrastructure, boosting seed technology for cold and drought resistance, and improving market regulation, including activating minimum purchase price plans where conditions allow.

27 reports · 16 sources · Updated Sep 23, 04:10 PM UTC