Stephanie NebehayGENEVA (Reuters) - North Korea said on Tuesday it had a “powerful and reliable” nuclear deterrent to thwart any attack and accused the United States of deploying military assets nearby under the pretext of ensuring security at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.FILE PHOTO: North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations Han Tae Song attends an interview with Reuters at the...Read More

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday sought a way forward on an immigration deal including protection for “Dreamer” immigrants and border security before federal funding runs out again next month.On Monday, the Republican-led Congress passed a measure signed into law by President Donald Trump to fund the federal government through Feb. 8 following a three-day shutdown. But...Read More

WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted to limit debate on the nomination of Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell to lead the central bank, setting the clock ticking toward a final confirming vote in the evening.The Republican-controlled Senate voted 84-12 to move toward a final vote, which it agreed to hold at 5 p.m. (2200 GMT).Powell, 64, was nominated by President Dona...Read More

By Geert De ClercqPARIS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - French uranium mining and nuclear fuel group Areva rebranded itself as Orano on Tuesday, closing the book on a years-long restructuring but still facing an uncertain future, with uranium prices at decade lows and the nuclear industry in the doldrums.Chief Executive Philippe Knoche said a new name and logo were necessary to start another chapter in the hi...Read More

By Geert De ClercqPARIS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - French uranium mining and nuclear fuel group Areva rebranded itself as Orano on Tuesday, closing the book on a years-long restructuring but still facing an uncertain future, with uranium prices at decade lows and the nuclear industry in the doldrums.Chief Executive Philippe Knoche said a new name and logo were necessary to start another chapter in the hi...Read More

BERLIN, Jan 23 (Reuters) - German arms exports dropped by nine percent to 6.24 billion euros last year, ARD television reported on Tuesday, following a pledge by the co-governing Social Democrats (SPD) to restrict weapons sales to non-allied countries.Germany is the world's third-biggest arms exporter, but weapons sales remain a domestically sensitive issue given the country's World War Two histor...Read More

CARACAS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Venezuela's "petro" cryptocurrency will initially be offered in a pre-sale in hard currency and other cryptocurrencies, the government said on Tuesday, and not initially available in the country's collapsing bolivar currency.Leftist President Nicolas Maduro is hoping to capitalize on the success of cryptocurrencies by creating one for Venezuela as the bolivar...Read More

   •  US bond yields halt the bearish slide and exert some pressure.    •  Global risk-on trade dampens safe-haven appeal. Gold finally broke down of its Asian/European session consolidation phase and refreshed session lows in the last minute. As the NA session got underway, the precious metal surrendered all of its early gains to $1339 area, 4-day tops...Read More

Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) turned in a solid earnings report last week, and the stock has finished higher nine out of the last ten sessions as a result. The financial institution could have even more left in the tank, a sentiment echoed by some financial analysts. After earlier touching a nine-year high of $32.13, BAC stock was last seen trading at $31.94, and the shares may have just flashe...Read More

SAO PAULO, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Brazilian toy retailer Ri Happy Brinquedos SA filed on Tuesday for an initial public offering on the Sao Paulo stock exchange, according to documents filed with Brazil's securities regulator. According to the filing, the company will issue new shares and shareholders such as buyout firm Carlyle Group LP , which controls Ri Happy, will also sell shares. The company sai...Read More

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Board nominee Marvin Goodfriend said on Tuesday he felt current policy was “more or less” correct and should allow the central bank to hit its inflation target in a year or so.Goodfriend, peppered by questions from Senate Banking Committee Democrats about his earlier warnings that low interest rates risked a breakout of inflation, said that he now...Read More

David Ljunggren, Anthony EspositoMONTREAL (Reuters) - U.S., Canadian and Mexican negotiators opened a key week-long round of talks to modernize NAFTA on Tuesday amid persistent concerns the Trump administration is preparing to walk away from the trade deal, a move that could roil financial markets.Time is running out for Canada and Mexico to address U.S. demands for major changes to the North Amer...Read More

BUENOS AIRES, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Argentina posted an $847 million trade deficit in December, government statistics agency Indec said on Tuesday, compared with a deficit of $1.5 billion in November and a surplus of $33 million in December 2016. For full-year 2017, Latin America's No. 3 economy posted an $8.5 billion trade deficit, compared with a $2 billion surplus in 2016. Total imports grew 19.7...Read More

(Kitco News) - Gold prices ended the U.S. day session moderately higher Tuesday, as some mid-morning selling pressure was quickly pounced on by bulls looking to buy the brief dip in prices.There has been no fresh, major fundamental news to drive the safe-haven metal higher early this week. However, the gold charts continue to look bullish, which is inviting technically related buyers. February Com...Read More

(Kitco News) - Gold prices ended the U.S. day session moderately higher Tuesday, as somemid-morning selling pressure was quickly pounced on by bulls looking to buy thebrief dip in prices.Therehas been no fresh, major fundamental news to drive the safe-haven metal higherearly this week. However, the gold charts continue to look bullish, which isinviting technically related buyers. February Comex go...Read More

* Dollar index falls to fresh three-year low* Platinum off highest in more than four months (Recasts; updates prices, adds comment, NEW YORK to dateline)By Renita D. Young and Zandi ShabalalaNEW YORK/LONDON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Gold prices rose on Tuesday as the U.S. dollar fell to fresh three-year lows, but an end to uncertainty created by a three-day U.S. government shutdown capped gains.Spot gol...Read More

By Jemima Kelly and Tommy WilkesLONDON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - One of the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchanges said on Tuesday it did not fear a regulatory clampdown would squeeze the market, and instead was targeting millions of new customers in Europe with a fresh expansion.Japan-based exchange bitFlyer, which matches buyers and sellers of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, is launching a Europ...Read More

MEXICO CITY, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Mexico's peso pared sharp losses on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) were going well.The peso, which had shed as much as 1 percent earlier in the session on concerns over potential U.S. protectionism, traded nearly flat after Trump's comments.A sixth round of talks to overhaul the NAF...Read More

By Jennifer Ablan and Michael ConnorJan 23 (Reuters) - Guggenheim Partners chief investment officer Scott Minerd said Tuesday that extreme optimism about the global economy among political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland is a "valuable contra-indicator" for investors and turning him cautious. Minerd, who helps oversee more than $260 billion, said in...Read More

Shares of ResMed Inc. (NYSE:RMD) -- a medical device company specializing in sleep apnea -- are exploding higher today, thanks to well-received fiscal second-quarter earnings and a subsequent round of bullish analyst attention. RMD stock was last seen trading 15.6% higher at $101.67, earlier topping out at a record peak of $104.78 and coming in as the top S&P 500 Index (SPX) performer today. Furth...Read More