Group 1: Citigroup's Expansion in Saudi Arabia - Citigroup Inc. has opened its regional headquarters in Riyadh, enhancing its operations in Saudi Arabia and aligning with the kingdom's economic diversification efforts led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [2][8] - The establishment of the regional headquarters is influenced by new Saudi regulations requiring foreign firms to have a local base with at least 15 employees, which has attracted over 500 global companies to relocate to Riyadh [3][8] - Other major financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, Lazard, and JPMorgan, have also established a presence in Riyadh, indicating the growing appeal of the region for global finance [3][8] Group 2: Federal Reserve's Interest Rate Decisions - The Federal Reserve is expected to implement a second consecutive interest-rate cut, reducing the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a range of 3.75% to 4% [4][8] - This decision is driven by a weakening U.S. labor market and aims to lower borrowing costs to stimulate hiring, although inflation remains a concern at 3% [5][8] - Financial markets are pricing in a high probability of further rate cuts into 2026, but some officials express caution regarding the risks of reigniting inflationary pressures [5][8] Group 3: ASEAN-India Trade Agreement Progress - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced significant progress in the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), with a commitment to conclude the revised agreement by the end of 2025 [6][8] - The review was initiated by India due to a widening trade deficit with ASEAN, which increased from US$7.5 billion in 2011 to approximately US$44 billion in 2023 [7][8] - Bilateral trade between ASEAN and India reached USD 106.83 billion in 2024, reflecting a growth from USD 100.72 billion in 2023, highlighting the importance of this trade pact for regional stability and economic cooperation [7][9]

The world's gambling capital trying to make a comeback and we're not talking about Vegas. Our Contessa Brewer joins us from the other side of the world in Macau and has a story. Hey Contessa.Or maybe we are a little bit because Macau has Vegas dreams. Let me explain. It's booming.It's bustling this week with a combination of visitors for the 8-day holiday known as Golden Week and the NBA China Games tomorrow. It's like the world's gambling capital finally is getting its groove back after the pandemic. And t ...

Saudi Arabia is accelerating plans to transform itself into a hub for gamers with its blockbuster deal to take Electronic Arts Inc. private. In addition to an existing $5 billion equity stake it is rolling over into the new entity, the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund is providing more fresh capital than partners Silver Lake Management and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners to buy out the other public investors, according to people familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg That’s made it the lar ...