Defence Funds Asia - QuikReader

U.S. Funding Dispute With World Anti-Doping Agency Boils Over

After the Biden administration withheld funding to the agency, saying it had lost confidence in its ability to police elite athletes, WADA removed the United States from its board.

The New York Times - Jan. 8

Taxpayer Advocate urges Congress to preserve IRS funding for service, technology

The National Taxpayer Advocate has urged Congress to preserve IRS funding for taxpayer service and technology amid Republican scrutiny.

CNBC - Jan. 8

World Anti-Doping Agency faces crisis after US government withholds funding

US Anti Doping Agency says move ‘protects athletes’ Wada retaliates by barring US from key committees The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) is facing a crisis after the US government defaulted on ...

The Guardian - Jan. 8

Trump's unpredictable streak puts Asia on edge

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of all U.S. naval forces in the Indo-Pacific, was tongue-tied. Addressing a conference of military and national security professionals in November, he stumbled and ...

The Hill - Jan. 8

Active mutual funds struggle to beat large-cap stock benchmarks — again

Professional stock pickers in the mutual-fund industry had a tough time in 2024 beating indexes that passively track U.S. large-cap equities, according to BofA Global Research.

MarketWatch - Jan. 8

AI Startup Anthropic Raising Funds Valuing It at $60 Billion

The Amazon-backed OpenAI rival was valued at $18 billion last year.

The Wall Street Journal - Jan. 7

Johnson says no cuts to Social Security and Medicare to fund Trump's agenda

House Speaker Mike Johnson said cuts to Social Security and Medicare won't be part of the legislative plan being worked out to fund President-elect Donald Trump's agenda.

ABC News - Jan. 7

Anthropic in talks to raise funding at $60 billion valuation

AI startup Anthropic is in late-stage talks to raise as much as $2 billion at a $60 billion valuation, according to a person familiar with the deal.

CNBC - Jan. 7

Hims & Hers donates $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Meta both announced $1 million donations, and Amazon and Apple CEO Tim Cook have also reportedly contributed.

CNBC - Jan. 7

This fund manager forecast a 20% S&P 500 gain last year. Now he says cash is king.

Dan Niles, founder of Niles Investment Management, says the S&P could swing much higher or lower in 2025, and investors need to protect themselves.

MarketWatch - Jan. 7

How Nato will hold European capitals to higher defence spending promises

Also in this newsletter: The countries breaking EU law by ignoring green deadlines

Financial Times - Jan. 7

Indian investors rush into highly valued defence stocks

Asset managers have launched specialist funds as push for domestic armaments sends share prices soaring

Financial Times - Jan. 7

Trump backtracks from 'one big, beautiful bill' to fund his agenda

After nearly derailing a spending bill last month, Trump continues to shake up business on Capitol Hill, shifting positions on how Republicans should fund his policies.

ABC News - Jan. 6

Target-date funds — the most popular 401(k) plan investment — don't work for everyone

Target-date funds are poised to capture about two-thirds of all 401(k) contributions by 2027. While they benefit many investors, others may see drawbacks.

CNBC - Jan. 6

Nicolas Sarkozy goes on trial accused of receiving illegal funding from Gaddafi

Former French president alleged to have received millions of euros from Libyan dictator’s regime to fund campaign. Nicolas Sarkozy has gone on trial over allegations he received millions of euros ...

The Guardian - Jan. 6

FirstFT: Private equity to lobby Trump as industry seeks to tap retirement funds

Also in today’s newsletter, China’s equity markets extend poor start to the year and accountancy’s Gen Z problem

Financial Times - Jan. 6

France's former President Sarkozy standing trial over alleged campaign funding by Libya's Gadhafi

France’s former President Nicolas Sarkozy goes on trial Monday over alleged illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by the government of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi

ABC News - Jan. 6

Private equity to lobby Trump for access to savers’ retirement funds

Industry hopes incoming administration will open long-restricted private investments to individual investors

Financial Times - Jan. 6

Report: Israeli Defence Minister warns Hezbollah ceasefire in danger

Yahoo News - Jan. 5

ATF head warns that the Trump administration's funding cut plans could risk lives

Steve Dettelbach, the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, warned that President-elect Donald Trump's plans to reduce funding for the agency could risk lives. Scott ...

CBS News - Jan. 4

100% stocks for retirement? A new study says dump the 60/40 portfolio and target-date funds.

An all-equity portfolio, with a focus on international stocks, could be the key to maximizing retirement wealth, research suggests.

MarketWatch - Jan. 4

Do stock holdings reflect individual risk preferences or the growing use of target-date funds?

I suspected most financial assets were in 401(k) plans and most 401(k) holdings were directed by target-date funds, but the data told a somewhat different story.

MarketWatch - Jan. 4

Lionesses approach Euro 2025 defence with more questions than answers

Wiegman’s England tread a very different road this year, with squad berths and even the side’s system up for debate. How do you prepare to scale Everest three years after reaching the summit? You ...

The Guardian - Jan. 4

Baerbock: EU will not fund the Islamization of Syria

Yahoo News - Jan. 4

Europe readies for scattergun defence-spend bonanza

Sickly economies and budgetary pressures likely to hit proposals and any increase will be thinly spread

Financial Times - Jan. 4

How filmmakers and actors in Asia and the Asian diaspora are expanding representation

It’s vastly different to work as an Asian actor in North American hubs such as Toronto, Los Angeles and New York — than in those in Asia, including Hong Kong and Taipei

ABC News - Jan. 3

Blinken heads to Asia, Europe on last expected trip as top US diplomat

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will embark on what is expected to be his final overseas trip in office this weekend, traveling to South Korea, Japan and France

ABC News - Jan. 3

Streeting to unveil extra funding for English hospitals that cut waiting times fastest

Health secretary’s move intended to push NHS leaders to achieve government’s 18-week non-urgent treatment ‘milestone’

Financial Times - Jan. 4

Helping boomers spend their retirement funds is harder than it sounds

Worries about running out of money makes people frugal and wary of taking any big pension decisions

Financial Times - Jan. 3

These tips for investing in mutual funds and ETFs can make 2025 a happy new year

Don’t miss these top money and investing features.

MarketWatch - Jan. 3

Ken Griffin's flagship hedge fund at Citadel climbs 15.1% in 2024

The billionaire investor's handful of hedge funds all posted double-digit returns in 2024, led by its tactical trading strategy.

CNBC - Jan. 2

Hedge funds Citadel and Millennium gain 15% in 2024

Ken Griffin and Izzy Englander’s funds likely to have outperformed wider hedge fund industry

Financial Times - Jan. 2

China stocks lead losses in Asia as manufacturing slows; Singapore annual GDP growth rises to 4%

China's Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers' index for December fell to 50.5, missing economists' estimates of 51.7 in a Reuters poll.