The U.S. economy added 143,000 jobs in January—slightly below expectations—while the unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to 4.0%, signaling labor market resilience. Federal Reserve officials, including Neel Kashkari and Austan Goolsbee, have expressed concerns about policy uncertainty, making it difficult to predict inflation trends. Traders are closely watching Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s upcoming congressional testimony and

CNN  —  As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns from a week-long trip to Washington, toting a fantastical and radical Gaza plan from the American president, he finds a country at a crossroads. Will Israel return to war in Gaza? Or will the ceasefire hold, and more Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners see freedom? US

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuador will choose its next president in a runoff election after conservative incumbent Daniel Noboa and leftist lawyer Luisa González garnered enough votes Sunday to beat 14 other candidates. The contest, set for April 13, will be a repeat of the October 2023 snap election that earned Noboa a 16-month presidency.

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The Australian Dollar faces challenges as Trump announces plans to impose a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports. The AUD faced challenges as China’s retaliatory tariffs on certain US exports have come into effect. The US Dollar received support as January’s job report reinforced the cautious mood surrounding the Fed’s policy outlook. The