Author: Jack Mulligan

U.S. filings for unemployment benefits dipped slightly last week, signaling that layoffs remain contained even as broader labor market indicators point to a slower pace of hiring. Initial jobless claims for the week ended March 7 fell by 1,000 to 213,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by FactSet had expected 215,000. Weekly claims are closely watched as a near real-time gauge of layoffs. The latest reading keeps claims near the lower end of the range seen over the last few years, when filings have largely held between 200,000 and 250,000. Layoffs Stay Low, But Cuts Keep Making Headlines…

Beijing has enacted a nationwide “ethnic unity” law that rewires how the state manages language, schooling, and community life for minority groups, prompting warnings from researchers and rights advocates that the measure formalizes a sharper turn toward assimilation. The legislation cleared the National People’s Congress on Thursday at the close of China’s annual parliamentary session, a forum that almost never rejects items placed before it. The law is presented by the government as a modernization tool for a multi-ethnic country with 56 officially recognized groups, dominated demographically by Han Chinese, who make up more than 90% of China’s population. Officials…

Minister cites security fears after U.S. strikes Iran’s sports and youth minister said it is “not possible” for the country to take part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup following the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel. In remarks aired on Iranian state television, Sports and Youth Minister Ahmad Donyamali said Iran’s national team players would not be safe in the United States. The comments were published in a video clip posted Tuesday. Match schedule in the U.S. now in question Iran is scheduled to play New Zealand…

Arrow Lake gets a mid-cycle boost Intel is updating its Core Ultra 200S desktop lineup with new “Plus” models, a refresh of the Arrow Lake chips that first arrived in late 2024. The move targets a key weakness in the current generation: while the processors improved power efficiency and thermals versus Intel’s 13th and 14th Gen Core parts, they have not consistently matched those older chips in gaming performance. They have also faced stiff competition from AMD Ryzen X3D processors, which use extra L3 cache that can deliver outsized gains in games. Intel says the combined changes in the refreshed…

White House Signals Quick Finish After Oil Spike U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday the war against Iran will end “very soon” and argued that oil prices will fall, despite crude briefly surging above $100 per barrel over the weekend and rattling global markets. Speaking at Trump National Doral near Miami, the president pointed to battlefield momentum nine days after the U.S. joined Israel in launching strikes on Feb. 28. He did not lay out a detailed end state, but said the campaign is making “major strides” toward its objectives. Claims of Major Damage, With More Targets Unhit Trump said…

Kyiv says 11 countries sought help countering drones Ukraine has received 11 requests for assistance in shooting down drones fired by Iran, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Monday, as the Middle East conflict entered its second week. Zelenskiy said the approaches came from countries neighboring Iran as well as from the United States and Europe, reflecting growing demand for air-defense know-how as regional attacks spread. In a statement posted after a national security meeting, Zelenskiy said Ukraine’s experience protecting civilians and infrastructure has become a practical export of expertise, spanning interceptor drones, electronic warfare capabilities and training. Ukraine aims to turn…

Consumer inflation posts sharpest rise since 2023 China’s consumer inflation accelerated sharply in February as an extended Lunar New Year holiday lifted spending on services, while deflation in factory-gate prices eased. Official data released Monday showed the consumer price index rose 1.3% from a year earlier, above market expectations of a 0.8% increase. The reading followed a 0.2% gain in January and marked the strongest year-on-year rise since early 2023. On a month-on-month basis, consumer prices climbed 1%, also stronger than forecasts. The data add to signs that short-term demand can firm when households travel and spend around major holidays,…

Battery shortages raise risk of DNS for both cars Aston Martin’s new works partnership with Honda has opened the season under acute stress after early running in Australia exposed reliability and safety concerns tied to the hybrid power unit. After the first day of practice at the opening round, the team said it was operating with only one usable battery per car for the rest of the weekend, leaving little margin for error ahead of Sunday’s 58 lap grand prix. The immediate risk is procedural and blunt: another battery failure during final practice, qualifying or the race could leave a…

Microsoft teases a console built around broader access Microsoft has drawn a new outline for the next phase of Xbox by confirming development of a console known internally as Project Helix. The company has not shown the device or shared specifications, but it has attached a clear strategic message: the next Xbox is being designed to deliver top-tier performance while running games from both the Xbox and PC ecosystems. That combination matters because it arrives after a period in which Microsoft widened its publishing footprint beyond its own hardware. The decision to release some previously exclusive titles on competing platforms…

Parliament speech highlights closer ties between middle powers Australia and Canada said on Thursday they signed new agreements on critical minerals as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a major address to the Australian parliament, a signal of closer coordination between what both leaders described as middle powers. Carney is traveling across the Asia-Pacific with stops that also include Japan and India, and his appearance in Canberra marked the first time a Canadian leader has addressed Australia’s parliament since 2007. Carney cast the relationship as a strategic response to growing geopolitical competition. “In a world of great power rivalry, middle…