Author: Money Mechanics

Kenya has invited expressions of interest in its prized deposit of rare earths at Mrima Hill, a test of whether the country can capitalise on intensifying interest in Africa’s mineral resources to become a strategic supplier of critical minerals.Kenyan authorities hope the launch of competitive bidding will draw intense competition from the US, China and Australia, as the Trump administration seeks to counter Beijing’s global dominance of rare earth metals used in high-performance magnets, defence and electronics industries and build its own supply chains.Hassan Ali Joho, cabinet secretary for mines, told the FT before the tender process was gazetted last…

Property catastrophe reinsurance rates-on-line continued to fall at the April 1st renewals and for the United States, broker Guy Carpenter’s index now shows that 2026 is experiencing the sharpest fall in US property cat pricing since 2014.The Guy Carpenter U.S. Property Catastrophe Rate on Line Index, which measures US property catastrophe reinsurance Rate-on-Line movements on brokered excess of loss placements, had fallen by 12% at the January 2026 renewals. Broad market softening had resulted in lower priced protection for ceding companies in the United States and those market conditions persisted through any US focused property catastrophe reinsurance renewals in April.…

(BOE Report) – Israel’s offshore Leviathan gas field will resume operations after a month-long war shutdown, the Israeli energy ministry said on Thursday. The field, operated by Chevron, has been shut down since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28. “Following situation assessments and a review of all relevant considerations, it has been decided at this stage to return the Leviathan platform to operation,” an energy ministry spokesperson said in a statement. “The supply of natural gas to the local market continues and will now be increased with the addition of another platform to the production system.”2…

A recommendation downgrade from an analyst at a prominent bank helped send Conagra (NYSE: CAG) stock down by more than 18% last month. Although this was part of a “package” downgrade of notable food industry stocks, it was small comfort to shareholders. The downgrading party was one of the “big four” U.S. lenders, Wells Fargo. The bank’s analyst Chris Carey downshifted his rating on Conagra, in addition to two other peer stocks, Campbell Soup and General Mills. He now feels all three rate an underweight (read: sell), where previously he flagged each as an equal weight (hold). Will AI create…

Screenshot by JackWallen/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysPrism Linux is an Arch-based distribution with plenty to offer.You can choose between different desktop environments/window managers.The Prism Linux installer is one of the best I’ve ever used.If you’ve followed me long enough, you’ll know that I’ve tried several Arch-based Linux distributions to find the holy grail of installers.I believe I’ve found it in Prism Linux.Also: How to install Arch Linux without losing your mindThis Arch-based Linux distribution claims to be the “a high-performance system built for stability.” What the developers should be calling it is “The…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Global Economy myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.US inflation data will give investors a snapshot of how the world’s biggest economy entered Donald Trump’s war in Iran and how price pressures changed during the first month of the conflict.February’s core personal consumption expenditures index — the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation metric, which strips out volatile food and energy prices — will be released on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters expect it to show a 0.4 per cent increase in the month, matching the rise in prices in January. The…

CUSIP 91282CCA7 had one of the ugliest TIPS auctions in history. And yet … it did well versus a nominal Treasury. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com Back in April 2021 I was out-of-my-mind frustrated by ultra-low real and nominal yields that offered little chance to surpass inflation. In those days, elite money market funds were yielding about 0.01% as the Federal Reserve held short-term interest rates near zero. So I was intrigued (more out of boredom than financial sense) by the Treasury’s auction on April 22, 2021 of a new 5-year Treasury Inflation-Protected Security, CUSIP 91282CCA7. At the time, I was…

The Iran war is a major factor pushing up mortgage rates. Some would-be buyers are backing off amid high costs and uncertainty stemming from the war.  The median U.S. monthly mortgage payment is $2,742, up 0.4% year over year. While that’s a small increase, it’s the first in nearly six months.  Housing payments are climbing because the Iran war and rising oil prices have pushed the weekly average mortgage rate up to a six-month high of 6.38%. Daily average mortgage rates rose as high as 6.64% at the end of last week. Home-sale prices are a factor, too; the median…

Physical AI is emerging as one of the next major industrial battlegrounds, with Japan’s push driven more by necessity than anything else. With workforces shrinking and pressure mounting to sustain productivity, companies are increasingly deploying AI-powered robots across factories, warehouses, and critical infrastructure. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in March 2026 that it aims to build a domestic physical AI sector and capture a 30% share of the global market by 2040. The country already holds a strong position in industrial robotics, with Japanese manufacturers accounting for about 70% of the global market in 2022, according to…

(Oil Price) – The price of Canada’s synthetic crude, which has rich diesel yield for refiners, has surged by nearly 200% since March 27 as the Middle East war cripples global diesel supply and sends diesel futures, cracks, and retail prices soaring. Gear with energy relative silhouettes. Design set of natural gas industry. Flag of the Canada. 3D rendering The synthetic crude made from processing of bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands is very low sulfur and its chemical content makes it highly suitable for processing into jet fuel and diesel—the most stressed barrels amid the worst disruption to supply in the…