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China’s state statistics agency has introduced a new data series on “service robots” in its monthly industrial output report, in addition to the existing “industrial robots” category, offering a clearer view of the country’s growing robotics industry.While China is already the world’s leading industrial robot market, accounting for over half of global installations, the country’s service robot sector – including professional, consumer, and medical robots – is also rapidly expanding, fuelled by the rise of start-ups such as Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics and Shenzhen-based UBTech Robotics.According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday, the output of…

As a growing trade surplus highlights the need for China to boost its domestic demand, scholars at a Peking University seminar suggested enhancing the country’s social safety net and increasing investment in public service to build a foundation for higher consumption.Beijing has unveiled several initiatives to encourage demand, including a 30-point plan published on Sunday, to counteract tariffs and export restrictions levied by the US to correct the surplus its president and other officials have labelled as unfair.To address the imbalance in trade, “the ultimate solution is to boost domestic demand and consumption,” said Lu Feng, a professor of economics…

International benchmark Brent rallied in European trade on Monday to two-week highs, expanding gains for the second session after the US launched air strikes on the Houthi group in Yemen.   Sources said the operation against Houthis could carry on for weeks, which could impact navigation through the Red Sea.   Prices   Brent rose 1.8% today to $71.76 a barrel, the highest since March 3, with a session-low at $70.51.   Brent rose 0.6% on Friday, the third profit in four days away from four-year lows at $68.37.   Global oil prices rose 0.25% last week, the first weekly…

China’s economy is set to slow further as a result of new tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, with global repercussions, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said on Monday.According to the OECD’s latest outlook, the Chinese economy will likely grow by 4.8 per cent this year before slowing to a 4.4 per cent clip in 2026. The organisation attributed part of the deceleration to the 20-percentage-point increase in tariffs imposed by the US on Chinese imports, which has triggered retaliatory action by Beijing.Escalating tensions between the world’s two largest economies have elicited global concerns, with several experts…

Pakistan’s Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER), a measure of the value of a currency against a weighted average of several foreign currencies, dropped to 102.27 in February 2025, down from 104.06 (revised) in January 2025, data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday showed. A REER above 100 means the country’s exports are uncompetitive, while imports are cheaper. The situation reverses when REER is below 100 on the index. As per SBP’s latest data, the REER depreciated 1.72% month-on-month (MoM) in February 2025. When compared with February 2024, the REER value increased by 0.07%, when it stood…

Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. Market moves: The S & P 500 was higher Monday. That would put the broad market index on track for its first back-to-back positive sessions since Feb. 18 and 19, the latter of which was the last time it closed at an all-time high. The bounce Monday comes despite weakness across the “Magnificent Seven.” Five of the seven constituents were lower, with Tesla leading to the downside. Microsoft and Apple were in…

The United States is facing a critical shortage of skilled workers, particularly in STEM fields. The country is expected to need around 1 million additional STEM professionals between 2023 and 2033, with tech job growth outpacing the overall workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. To fill this gap, the H-1B visa program, established in 1990, has been pivotal, allowing U.S. businesses to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialized fields. Employers and immigration attorneys petition for the visas on behalf of the foreign workers. Congress set a cap on the program of 65,000 visas annually, plus 20,000 additional visas for…

The US dollar fell in European trade on Monday against a basket of major rivals, extending losses for the second straight session and about to hit five-month lows following weak US data.    It comes ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting this week to discuss monetary policy developments and provide clues on the path ahead for interest rates.   The Index   The dollar index fell 0.3% today to 103.46, with a session-high at 103.80.   On Friday, the index lost 0.1%, resuming losses and rebounding from a five-month low at 103.2.   The index lost 0.2% last week,…

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a “Morning Meeting” livestream at 10:20 a.m. ET. Here’s a recap of Monday’s key moments. 1. U.S. stocks were mixed Monday. Friday’s bounce-back rally was not enough to prevent the S & P 500 from dropping for a fourth straight week on tariff concerns. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he’s not worried, calling market corrections healthy on Sunday during NBC’s “Meet The Press.” Jim Cramer on Monday begged to differ, saying corrections are just painful. Club stock Nvidia resumed its slide Monday after last week’s nearly 8% gain ahead of…

The Japanese yen fell in Asian trade on Monday against major rivals, moving in a negative zone for the second straight day against the dollar and approaching multi-week lows on speculation about the Bank of Japan’s policy meeting this week.   The BOJ is expected to maintain interest rates unchanged amid growing concerns about outside economic risks, with traders awaiting more clues on the path of policy tightening this year.   The Price   The USD/JPY rose 0.3% today to 149.06 yen per dollar, with a session-low at 148.46.   The yen fell 0.55% on Friday against the dollar, marking…