Today: 7 February 2026
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SWIFT’s Blockchain Breakthrough: Banks Race to Supercharge Global Payments

SWIFT’s Blockchain Breakthrough: Banks Race to Supercharge Global Payments

Key Facts: – SWIFT has launched a major effort with 30+ global banks and Consensys (Ethereum software firm) to build a blockchain-based shared ledger for cross-border payments reuters.com swift.com. Why SWIFT Is Overhauling Payments For decades, SWIFT (the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) has run the messaging “plumbing” behind bank transfers – a system connecting >11,000 institutions in 200+ countries, moving trillions daily. But traditional cross-border payments remain slow and costly, often taking days via multiple correspondent banks. Crypto advocates even called SWIFT “antiquated” reuters.com. Now, under pressure from crypto stablecoins and looming digital currencies, SWIFT is racing to
30 September 2025
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Gold Price Surges Past $3,800; Silver Nears 14-Year High on Fed-Cut and Shutdown Fears

Gold Price Surges Past $3,800; Silver Nears 14-Year High on Fed-Cut and Shutdown Fears

Gold and silver continue to ride a historic rally as investors seek safe assets amid uncertainty. By early Sept 30, spot gold hovered around $3,800/oz, having eased off record highs hit earlier in the week reuters.com reuters.com. U.S. gold futures (December delivery) traded near $3,828 reuters.com. The metal’s surge accelerated on Sept 29 – gold briefly spiked to $3,833.37/oz (a new all-time intraday high) reuters.com before a slight pullback. Silver also climbed sharply, reaching about $46.85/oz on Sept 29 (its strongest level in over 14 years) reuters.com and remaining near the mid-$40s the next day reuters.com. Platinum touched a 12-year
30 September 2025
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Georgia Power Taps the Bond Market with $1.5B Debt Sale – What It Means for Customers and Investors

Georgia Power Taps the Bond Market with $1.5B Debt Sale – What It Means for Customers and Investors

Deal Structure: Three New Bond Tranches Georgia Power’s SEC filing (Form 8-K) details the three offerings sec.gov. The Series 2025B “tap” adds $250M at 4.85% interest (due Mar 15, 2031) to the tranche originally issued in March 2025, bringing that series to $750M in total sec.gov. The new Series 2025D consists of $750M of 4.00% notes due Oct 1, 2028, and Series 2025E is $500M of 5.50% notes due Oct 1, 2055 sec.gov investing.com. All three are unsecured senior obligations, ranking pari passu with Georgia Power’s other bonds. The offerings were made via its shelf registration (No. 333-285111) for faster
30 September 2025
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Tata Stock Split Frenzy: Tata Investment Shares Soar 25% in Two Days, Record Date Set – What Investors Should Know

Tata Motors’ Big Demerger and Tata Investment’s 50% Stock Surge – What Investors Must Know

Tata Motors Demerger: Historic Split into Two Companies Tata Motors – India’s automotive giant – has executed a long-planned demerger to separate its commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles businesses. Effective October 1, 2025, Tata Motors is split into two distinct entities following approvals from the board, regulators, and the National Company Law Tribunal dynamitenews.com. The existing listed company, which will retain the passenger vehicle, electric vehicle (EV) and Jaguar Land Rover operations, is being renamed Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd., while the spun-off commercial vehicle arm will take on the name Tata Motors Ltd. and be listed as an independent
30 September 2025
UK’s Mandatory Digital ID Plan Sparks Uproar: Security Game-Changer or Privacy Nightmare?

UK’s Mandatory Digital ID Plan Sparks Uproar: Security Game-Changer or Privacy Nightmare?

UK Government’s Rationale: Tackling Illegal Work and Modernizing ID The push for digital identification in the UK comes against a backdrop of political pressure over immigration and a desire to modernize public services. Announcing the policy in late September, Prime Minister Keir Starmer framed it as a response to voter concerns about unauthorized migrants finding jobs. “I know working people are worried about the level of illegal migration… This will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure,” Starmer said Theguardian. By requiring every employee to hold a verified digital ID, the government says
30 September 2025
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Shrouded in CO₂ Fog – NASA’s SPHEREx Reveals a Cosmic Visitor’s Secrets

Massive Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Sparks Debate – Harvard Astronomer: ‘Could Be Alien Tech’

A Visitor From Beyond the Solar System Astronomers around the world are buzzing over the appearance of comet 3I/ATLAS, an object that entered our Solar System from interstellar space. This cosmic interloper – formally designated 3I/ATLAS (with “3I” signifying the third interstellar object ever recorded) – was first detected on July 1, 2025 by the NASA-funded ATLAS survey telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile reuters.com esa.int. Its discovery was quickly confirmed by observatories worldwide when its highly eccentric trajectory signaled an origin beyond our Solar System esa.int. Every other comet, asteroid, planet, and moon we’ve observed shares a common birth in
30 September 2025
Government Shutdown Showdown Rocks Markets as Stocks Rise and Gold Soars

Government Shutdown Showdown Rocks Markets as Stocks Rise and Gold Soars

Shutdown Stalemate in Washington The U.S. Capitol dome at sunset on Sept. 29, 2025, as Congress fails to reach a budget deal ahead of the deadline.As of Sept. 30, the federal government was hours from running out of funding amid a bitter political standoff. Lawmakers have been wrangling over a stopgap spending bill to extend funding into the new fiscal year (which begins Oct. 1) but failed to reach an agreement by Tuesday’s deadline reuters.com. In a high-profile White House meeting on Sept. 29, President Trump met with top Republicans and Democrats in a last-ditch effort to avert a shutdown
30 September 2025
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AI Stocks Soar as $100B Nvidia-OpenAI Deal Sparks Frenzy – But Investors Eye Bubble

AI Stocks Soar as $100B Nvidia-OpenAI Deal Sparks Frenzy – But Investors Eye Bubble

Key Facts: Tech Stocks Fuel an AI-Led Rally Wall Street’s late-Sept surge was led by big-tech on AI expectations. The Nasdaq rose ~0.5% on Sept. 29 as investors looked past US fiscal jitters and focused on growth. Nvidia was a standout: after Monday’s $100B OpenAI announcement reuters.com, NVDA shares reached all-time highs. The stock then pulled back slightly (down ~2.8% on Sept. 23) but rebounded +2% on Sept. 29 reuters.com reuters.com. Other “Magnificent Seven” names also rose: Microsoft gained +0.6% and Amazon +1.1% on the day michigansthumb.com reuters.com. (In the prior week all had dipped on Powell’s policy comments reuters.com,
30 September 2025
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Commodities Rollercoaster: Oil Dips as OPEC+ Plans Output Hike, Gold Rockets to Records, Grain Markets Slip (Sept 29–30, 2025)

Commodities Rollercoaster: Oil Dips as OPEC+ Plans Output Hike, Gold Rockets to Records, Grain Markets Slip (Sept 29–30, 2025)

Key analysts’ views & forecasts: A range of experts highlighted the mixed outlook. Jay Pelosky (TPW Advisory) argued on Sept 29 that traditional bearish oil forecasts are overstated – OPEC+ may under-deliver on planned hikes, Ukraine strikes have cut 25% of Russia’s refining capacity, and China’s crude stockpiling could soak up surplus reuters.com reuters.com. In metals, Goldman Sachs now predicts copper returning to long-term bull territory (~$10,750/t by 2027) after revising down 2025-26 supply reuters.com. Citi sees a 2026 copper deficit and even higher prices ($12,000+) if demand holds reuters.com. For oil, the U.S. EIA has cut its price outlook
30 September 2025
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Precious Metals Bonanza: Gold Soars to Record High as Silver & Platinum Rally Amid Global Uncertainty

Precious Metals Bonanza: Gold Soars to Record High as Silver & Platinum Rally Amid Global Uncertainty

Market Update: Gold and Other Metals Spike to Records Gold poured into the market in late Sep 2025, with bullion hitting record highs as investors sought safety. Precious metals markets exploded higher on Sep 29–30. Spot gold jumped about 2% on Monday to near $3,831/oz mining.com, eclipsing its prior peak by roughly $50. Gold futures on NYMEX climbed ~1.3% to $3,893.50 on Sep 29 armenpress.am. Traders cited a weaker U.S. dollar and safe-haven buying ahead of a federal funding deadline as key drivers mining.com sharecafe.com.au. Silver and platinum-group metals followed suit: silver futures moved to about $47.26/oz and platinum to
30 September 2025
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Asia Stocks Rally as Gold Smashes Record Highs and IPO Frenzy Grips Markets

Asia Stocks Rally as Gold Smashes Record Highs and IPO Frenzy Grips Markets

Photo: A bronze bull statue stands outside the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, symbolizing the local market. Asian stocks were broadly higher on Sept 30, led by Chinese and Hong Kong equities amid strong IPO activity reuters.com reuters.com. Markets Overview: Modest Gains With Sector Rotation Asian equities largely closed higher on Sept. 30, snapping small early losses. MSCI’s Asia ex-Japan index was up about +0.3% reuters.com. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 ticked up roughly +0.1% (ending near 44,960) after opening softer reuters.com. Shanghai and Shenzhen markets also edged higher (+0.3% and +0.4% respectively) as China returns to work after its Golden
30 September 2025
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European Stocks Climb Despite Shutdown Fears – Healthcare and Luxury Lead Gains

European Stocks Climb Despite Shutdown Fears – Healthcare and Luxury Lead Gains

Key Facts: Indices Performance European markets closed the first day of the week with small gains. The pan‑European STOXX 600 edged up 0.18% to 555.53 aa.com.tr. Germany’s DAX 40 barely budged (+0.02%) to 23,745.06 aa.com.tr, while Britain’s FTSE 100 added 0.16% to 9,299.84 aa.com.tr. France’s CAC 40 rose 0.13% to 7,880.87. By contrast, Italy’s FTSE MIB and Spain’s IBEX 35 both fell about 0.22% on the day aa.com.tr. Across the Atlantic, U.S. stock futures were little changed, reflecting caution ahead of key U.S. developments. On Tuesday Sept. 30, markets opened cautiously. Euro Stoxx 50 futures were slightly lower (off ~0.07%)
30 September 2025
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Crypto Rollercoaster: $162B Wiped Out, EU Banks’ Euro Coin & $400K NFT Heist (Sept 29–30, 2025)

Crypto Rollercoaster: $162B Wiped Out, EU Banks’ Euro Coin & $400K NFT Heist (Sept 29–30, 2025)

Key Facts: Major Crypto Price Movements (Sept 29–30, 2025) Bitcoin and Ethereum extended their late-September sell-off into a sharp dip. Reuters tallied that Bitcoin briefly fell to about $111,000 (before rebounding to ~$115K) and Ethereum to ~$4,000 economictimes.indiatimes.com. Many altcoins were hit even harder: meme and speculative tokens like Worldcoin, FLOKI and Dogecoin plunged over 9% on the week, while XRP and Solana fell 4–7% economictimes.indiatimes.com. In total, roughly $162 billion of crypto value was wiped out in late September as traders liquidated positions economictimes.indiatimes.com. Analysts reported over $1.7B in leveraged long positions liquidated in those days economictimes.indiatimes.com. This volatility
30 September 2025
Nasdaq Rally Amid Tech Frenzy: Markets Brush Off Shutdown Fears in Late September 2025

Nasdaq Rally Amid Tech Frenzy: Markets Brush Off Shutdown Fears in Late September 2025

Key Facts: Market Performance Overview On Monday Sept. 29, U.S. stocks closed solidly higher, with the Nasdaq Composite up ~0.48% to 22,591.15 and the S&P 500 +0.26% reuters.com reuters.com. Tech shares drove the rally: investors continued “to buy heavyweight technology stocks” reuters.com. The Dow Jones rose ~0.15% on the session reuters.com. Futures for Tuesday’s open were essentially flat, as traders awaited the government funding deadline and key data (Tuesday’s consumer confidence and JOLTS report) tipranks.com. Major Nasdaq stocks played a starring role. Nvidia shares led chip stocks, rising about 2% investopedia.com (continuing a recent record run on AI demand). Apple
30 September 2025
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Wall Street Surges: Tech Stocks Rally and Big Deals Outshine Shutdown Fears

Wall Street Surges: Tech Stocks Rally and Big Deals Outshine Shutdown Fears

Key Developments (Sept 29–30, 2025): Major U.S. stock indexes rallied into the last week of September, with the Nasdaq Composite +0.5%, S&P 500 +0.3% and Dow +0.15% on Monday reuters.com investopedia.com. Investors largely brushed off worries about a looming U.S. government shutdown (funding runs out Sept. 30), focusing instead on resilient economic data and a hoped-for Fed rate cut reuters.com reuters.com. Safe-havens like gold spiked to all-time highs (gold ≈$3,860/oz) investopedia.com, and the dollar and yields retreated as traders hedged into bonds investopedia.com reuters.com. Tech and growth sectors led gains (e.g. Nvidia +2%) investopedia.com, while blockbuster deals energized M&A sentiment:
30 September 2025
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Cosmic Skywatch Alert: Geomagnetic Storms, Shooting Stars & Comets Light Up Late Sep–Early Oct 2025

Cosmic Skywatch Alert: Geomagnetic Storms, Shooting Stars & Comets Light Up Late Sep–Early Oct 2025

Space Weather & Aurora Forecast NOAA forecasts a Strong (G3) geomagnetic storm on Sept 30, 2025. According to SWPC, “G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storming is expected through 30/1200 UTC due to CME influences” swpc.noaa.gov. This follows an M6.4-class solar flare on Sept 29 (from active Region 4232), which caused an R2-level radio blackout swpc.noaa.gov. Aurora experts note that such storms can power dazzling Northern Lights. The peak storming late Sept 30 (early Oct 1 UT) means northern skies may glow. “Quiet to active” conditions are forecast after the storm, so Sept 30 is the prime aurora night. (Skywatchers should watch real-time SWPC
30 September 2025
Falcon 9’s ‘Jellyfish’ Launch & Webb’s Moon-Forming Disk – Space News Roundup (Sept 29–30, 2025)

Falcon 9’s ‘Jellyfish’ Launch & Webb’s Moon-Forming Disk – Space News Roundup (Sept 29–30, 2025)

Key Facts SpaceX & Other Launch Highlights SpaceX capped September with a spectacular twilight launch. On Sept. 28 (local time), a Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg SFB carrying 28 Starlink v2 Mini satellites space.com. Reaching dusk, the rocket’s exhaust expanded into the upper atmosphere and caught the Sun’s rays, creating a brilliant “space jellyfish” effect visible from hundreds of miles. Space.com’s Brett Tingley, camping in Afton Canyon (Mojave), marveled, “I’ve seen plenty of Falcon 9 ‘jellyfish’ online but never in person. It was lit up gorgeously from below by the setting sun…” space.com. The booster landed on the drone ship “Of Course
30 September 2025
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Explosive Tech Blitz: AI Bubble Warning, Amazon’s Echo Refresh, Starlink Launch & More (Sept 29–30, 2025)

Explosive Tech Blitz: AI Bubble Warning, Amazon’s Echo Refresh, Starlink Launch & More (Sept 29–30, 2025)

Key Facts Artificial Intelligence AI headlines dominated the late-September news. A Technology Magazine analysis warns that the spectacular rally in AI-related stocks is concentrated in a few giants and “could unravel quickly” if top players falter technologymagazine.com. Carthage Capital’s Stephen Wu urges investors to “take profits, trim risk and avoid leverage” in this high-risk environment technologymagazine.com. At the same time, startups are exploring novel AI uses: ComplexChaos – founded by Tomy Lorsch – is prototyping an AI “consensus builder” to help negotiators find common ground. Lorsch told TechCrunch, “What if we use [AI] as a facilitator to help people understand
30 September 2025
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Sony WH-1000XM6 Arrives in India with Killer Noise-Cancellation – Can It Top Bose & Apple?

Sony WH-1000XM6 Arrives in India with Killer Noise-Cancellation – Can It Top Bose & Apple?

Launch and Availability Sony’s WH-1000XM6 are now available in India as the company’s 2025 flagship noise-cancelling headphones indiatoday.in. The launch price of ₹39,990 is slightly higher than the previous XM5 model, reflecting the upgrades included croma.com. Sales began September 29 through Sony’s own outlets, major retailers like Croma and Reliance Digital, and online on Amazon and ShopAtSC indiatoday.in gadgets360.com. The Indian packaging is made entirely of paper materials as part of Sony’s sustainability efforts indiatoday.in. Sony markets the XM6 as a “studio-grade sound” system co-developed with top recording studios (Sterling Sound, Battery Studios, Coast Mastering) business-standard.com. In simple terms, Sony
30 September 2025
Robinhood (HOOD) Explodes 12% to Fresh Highs — Here’s What Lit the Fuse and What Comes Next (Sept 29, 2025)

Robinhood (HOOD) Explodes 12% to Fresh Highs — Here’s What Lit the Fuse and What Comes Next (Sept 29, 2025)

Key facts (as of September 29, 2025) What happened today (Mon, Sept 29, 2025) Robinhood shares surged ~12% and set fresh highs after CEO Vlad Tenev publicized explosive growth in prediction‑market activity on Robinhood via its Kalshi partnership. The update pushed HOOD to the top of S&P 500 gainers; Bloomberg and Yahoo Finance credited the gains to the prediction‑contracts momentum. Bloomberg+1 Wall Street Journal’s live markets desk also flagged the “prediction‑market boost” as shares headed toward all‑time highs. The Wall Street Journal LSE/Reuters quote data captured the closing snapshot: price near $136, today’s range $123.78–$136.84, 52‑week range $22.05–$136.84, market cap
30 September 2025
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Stock Market Today

Costco stock price retakes $1,000 — what traders are watching before Monday

Costco stock price retakes $1,000 — what traders are watching before Monday

7 February 2026
Costco closed Friday up 1.2% at $1,001.16, regaining the $1,000 level as about 2.36 million shares changed hands. January net sales rose 9.3% to $21.33 billion, with comparable sales up 7.1% and online sales surging 34.4%. Wells Fargo raised its price target to $950, maintaining a neutral rating. The next earnings call is set for March 5.
Johnson & Johnson stock price: What to watch after talc-case law firm ouster and new AFib data

Johnson & Johnson stock price: What to watch after talc-case law firm ouster and new AFib data

7 February 2026
Johnson & Johnson shares rose 0.9% to $239.99 Friday after a New Jersey appeals court disqualified Beasley Allen from state talc cases, citing improper coordination with a former J&J attorney. The ruling affects about 3,600 state lawsuits, while a related federal motion is pending. J&J also reported early 12-month pilot data for its investigational AFib device at a cardiology meeting.
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