Skip to main content

Featured

Wall Street Rallies as Trade Hopes and Tech Surge Lift Futures to New Heights

U.S. stock futures surged Monday morning, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 climbing to record highs, buoyed by renewed optimism over international trade negotiations and a tech-led rally. The momentum followed Canada’s decision to scrap its digital services tax targeting American tech giants—an unexpected move that helped thaw stalled trade talks with the U.S. Shares of major technology firms including Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, and Apple rose between 0.6% and 1.7% in premarket trading. The broader market also found support from expectations of deeper interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, fueled by soft economic data and speculation that President Donald Trump may replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell with a more dovish successor. As of early trading, S&P 500 e-minis were up 0.39%, Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.6%, and Dow futures added 0.46%. Despite the record-setting highs, analysts note that the major indexes are still on track for their weakest first-half performance since 2022. ...

article

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Shoot Down US Reaper Drone: Aerial Clash Escalates Tensions

 

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for shooting down another of the U.S. military’s MQ-9 Reaper drones. The rebels released footage showing wreckage that corresponds to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft. According to the Houthis, they used a surface-to-air missile to down the Predator drone over their stronghold in the country’s Saada province. The video includes close-ups of parts with the logo of General Atomics, the manufacturer of the drone, and serial numbers matching known components made by the company.

This incident is part of a renewed series of assaults by the Houthis following a relative lull in their pressure campaign over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. While U.S. officials have not immediately commented on the Houthi footage, CBS News previously reported an anonymous U.S. military official acknowledging a drone crash in Yemen.

The MQ-9 Reaper drone, which costs around $30 million each, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and has an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land. Since the Houthis seized Yemen’s north and its capital of Sanaa in 2014, the U.S. military has lost at least five drones to the rebels, including this recent shootdown. The ongoing conflict in Yemen continues to escalate tensions in the region, with the Houthis also launching attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, demanding an end to the war in Gaza.

As the situation unfolds, both sides remain on high alert, and the international community closely monitors developments in this volatile region. The downing of the U.S. Reaper drone adds another layer of complexity to an already fraught conflict landscape.

Comments