BREAKING: Gold prices rise to over $2370 an ounce, a new record high.

JUST IN: Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says that 'the world needs the US to continue playing this pivotal role in the affairs of nations'

BREAKING: Reuters reports that Iran has signaled to the US that it will respond to consulate attack in a way that 'aims to avoid major escalation and it will not act hastily'

BREAKING: 🇺🇸 US credit card delinquency rates were the highest on record in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

BREAKING: Israel's defense minister says a 'direct Iranian attack on Israeli territory will compel Israel to respond in an appropriate way against Iran'

Weapons sales in 2022.

🇺🇸 Lockheed Martin: $59.3 billion
🇺🇸 RTX: $39.5 billion
🇺🇸 Northrop Grumman: $32.3 billion
🇺🇸 Boeing: $29.3 billion
🇺🇸 General Dynamics: $28.3 billion
🇬🇧 BAE: $26.9 billion
🇨🇳 Norinco: $22 billion
🇨🇳 AVIC: $20.6 billion
🇨🇳 CASC: $19.5 billion

(SIPRI)

🇲🇽 Mexico top export destinations, 2021.

🇺🇸 US: 76%
🇨🇳 China: 2%
🇹🇼 Taiwan: 1.7%
🇩🇪 Germany: 1.6%

🇺🇸 United States government debt

1st of January, 2000: $5.6 trillion

1st of January, 2010: $12.3 trillion

Now: $34.59 trillion

World's largest banks in 2023.

1. 🇨🇳 ICBC
2. 🇨🇳 China Construction Bank
3. 🇨🇳 Agricultural Bank of China
4. 🇨🇳 Bank of China
5. 🇺🇸 Bank of America
6. 🇺🇸 JPMorgan Chase
7. 🇯🇵 Mitsubishi
8. 🇬🇧 HSBC
9. 🇫🇷 BNP
10. 🇫🇷 Crédit Agricole

(S&P Global Market Intelligence)

🇨🇳 China foreign exchange reserves

1990: $7 billion

Now: $3.24 trillion

Government debt as share of GDP

2000

🇮🇩 Indonesia: 87%
🇧🇷 Brazil: 65%

2024

🇮🇩 Indonesia: 38%
🇧🇷 Brazil: 90%

Average annual GDP growth, between 2013-2023.

🇮🇩 Indonesia: 4.3%
🇲🇾 Malaysia: 4.1%
🇸🇬 Singapore: 3.1%
🇹🇭 Thailand: 1.9%
🇧🇳 Brunei: -0.4%

BREAKING: The 🇮🇱 IDF says number of humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza is set to reach 500 per day

BREAKING: South Korea's Prime Minister offers resignation after his party was defeated in elections

JUST IN: North Korea leader Kim Jong Un says that given the 'complicated international situation', now is 'the time to be more thoroughly prepared for a war than ever before'.

JUST IN: 🇨🇳 China reports annual inflation of just 0.1% in March

JUST IN: CBS News reports bird flu has been detected among birds in New York City parks

UNITED STATES: 🇺🇲 Transportation costs in the country are now up 34% over the past three years, according to official inflation data.

🇺🇸 US Presidential Election poll

Biden: 41%
Trump: 37%

(Reuters/Ipsos)

UPDATE: Planes are continuing to land in Tehran airport despite initial reports of the country shutting airspace over its capital for 'military drills'.