EU to indefinitely freeze Russian assets
The European Union has announced plans to indefinitely freeze Russian assets held within the bloc, in a move aimed at ensuring up to $246 billion in R...
U.S. investors are bracing for further market turbulence as Monday’s trading open approaches following last week’s steep selloff triggered by President Donald Trump’s new tariff announcement.
The aggressive tariff measures sent shockwaves through Wall Street, with the S&P 500 index falling 10.5% over two days and wiping out approximately $5 trillion in market value – the largest two-day decline since March 2020.
The recent selloff, which saw the S&P 500 slide more than 17% from its February 19 all-time closing high, has pushed the benchmark index dangerously close to bear market territory, defined by a 20% decline. Futures are set to open at 1800 ET (2200 GMT) on Sunday, providing a preview of what could unfold in Monday’s session.
“The bull market is dead,” said Mark Malek, chief investment officer at Siebert Financial. “We might see some gains in the next few days, but for now they’re not going to be sustainable.” Malek’s caution comes as the tariffs coincide with the onset of the first-quarter earnings season, further dampening market sentiment.
Despite the grim outlook, some traders remain optimistic that the market could stage an up day at some point this week. “Sometime this week it’s probably inevitable that we will have an up day,” said Steve Sosnick, chief investment strategist at Interactive Brokers. However, Alex Morris, chief investment officer at F/m Investments, warned, “We may see a day this week where screens are green, but any lasting rally may not arrive for three or four weeks. At that point, people will start saying we’ve taken enough air out of the balloon.”
On Sunday morning talk shows, top economic advisers for President Trump attempted to frame the tariffs as a strategic repositioning move. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that there was “no reason” to anticipate a recession, even as market analysts expressed concerns that the tariffs could have far-reaching consequences for both the U.S. and global economies.
As global trading partners react and additional reciprocal tariffs come into play, investors are preparing for a period of heightened uncertainty. The coming week is expected to be critical for gauging whether the market can recover from the recent declines or if further volatility will set in.
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
Iran is preparing to host a multilateral regional meeting next week in a bid to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Kyiv has escalated its naval campaign against Moscow’s economic lifelines, claiming a successful strike on a vessel suspected of skirting international sanctions within the Black Sea.
An extratropical cyclone has caused widespread disruption across Brazil’s São Paulo state, with powerful winds toppling trees and power lines, blocking streets and leaving large parts of the region without electricity.
The European Union has announced plans to indefinitely freeze Russian assets held within the bloc, in a move aimed at ensuring up to $246 billion in Russian funds remain in EU jurisdictions, officials said on Friday.
Sudan is facing a record-breaking internal displacement crisis as fighting between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Friday.
Are Europe’s defence structures prepared to meet evolving threats from Russia? Recent remarks by NATO and intelligence officials have highlighted gaps that could shape European security over the next five years.
The Ashgabat forum in Turkmenistan brought together Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, raising questions about whether Russia remains connected to regional partners despite Western sanctions.
A bulk carrier owned by a Turkish company was struck during a Russian attack on Ukraine’s southern coast on Friday.
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