In the European Parliament on Wednesday, a majority of the Members of the European Parliament (MEP) ratified the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement by 621 votes to 49 after an emotional debate in the chamber. Others, such as lifelong Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, a familiar antagonist in the European Parliament who once led the U.K. Independence Party (whose popularity was a factor behind holding an EU referendum in 2016) told the Parliament: “I know you’re going to miss us.” The bloc agreed to exten

European stocks traded slightly higher on Friday as investors look for signals that China has managed to contain the rapidly spreading coronavirus which has roiled global markets throughout the week. The pan-European Stoxx 600 added 0.3% early in the session, with travel and leisure stocks rising 0.8% to lead gains as most sectors entered positive territory. The coronavirus death toll has now hit 213 with confirmed cases rising to 9,692, according to Chinese health officials, while the World Hea

U.S. Treasury yields rose on Friday morning as traders continued to digest comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and monitor the outbreak of the coronavirus. ET, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to price, was higher at around 1.5837%, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was higher at 2.0465%. TreasurysChina’s National Health Commission confirmed on Friday that there have been 9,692 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 213 deaths.

WASHINGTON — Two key Republican senators announced their positions on the inclusion of additional witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said he would vote against any proposals for further witnesses. Therefore, I will vote in support of the motion to allow witnesses and documents to be subpoenaed,” Collins said in a statement. That vote, which is expected to occur Friday, marks a pivotal moment in the impeachment proceedings that

House Democrats and defense lawyers made final arguments Thursday for more than nine hours on the eve of Friday’s crucial vote on additional evidence and witnesses. They were the ones swirling around a small group of moderate Republican senators who are still undecided on whether to vote for additional witnesses and documents in the trial. On balance, Alexander’s no vote may have dealt a mortal blow to Democrats’ hopes of calling additional witnesses in Trump’s trial. It’s highly unlikely that t

U.S. stock index futures were mixed Friday morning. ET, Dow futures dipped 9 points, indicating a negative open of more than 23 points. China’s National Health Commission confirmed on Friday that there have been 9,692 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 213 deaths. WHO’s designation was made to help the United Nations health agency mobilize financial and political support to contain the outbreak. ET, marking one of the biggest political and economic shifts in modern Europe.

The country now has 14 confirmed cases. 9:20 am: Italy discovers first coronavirus casesThe first two coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Italy, according to the country’s health ministry, adding that they are Chinese tourists. 8 am: China says death toll hits 213, cases rise to 9,692China’s National Health Commission said there have been an additional 43 deaths and 1,982 new confirmed cases, as of the end of Thursday. That brings the country’s total to 213 deaths and 9,692 confirmed cases,

Asia markets were set to rise at the open as investors await the release of Chinese official manufacturing data for January amid coronavirus fears. The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency over the the coronavirus outbreak that has killed at least 200 in China. Futures pointed to a higher open for Japanese stocks. The Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was last at 23,160 while its counterpart in Osaka was at 23,080. Shares in Australia rose in early trade, with the S&

Those higher insurance costs are contributing to a bigger spending issue. Understanding your auto insurance bill and how it’s calculated may be the key to keeping your costs under control. What’s driving up auto insurance ratesOverall, cars are more expensive than they were, say, 10 years ago, both to buy and maintain. “The cost to repair vehicles has grown,” says Raymond Farmer, president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. 5 ways to lower your car insurance costs

I took out $23,000 in student loans for my undergraduate education and an additional $58,000 when I went to grad school, for a total of $81,000. When my grace period ended, I was hit with the reality that living in New York City and paying down debt at $900 per month just didn’t make sense. A good job, which would let me pay back my debt, felt out of reach. My student loans were growing by the day and I felt crushed by anxiety. My life looked like nothing I had imagined, except I had a lot more

Dunlap, then 22, thought to herself, “I might be able to do one better and hit $100,000 saved by the time I’m 25.” At her first job out of college, when she was making $55,000 and paying $750 in rent, she saved 25% of her income. Then she officially launched Her First 100K, a brand built around the mission of her saving $100,000 by age 25. “My dad called me in the summer of last year, and was like, ‘So what if you don’t hit it,’ and I was like, ‘Honestly I’ve built a really supportive community

Sterling gained on Thursday after the Bank of England held interest rates at 0.75%, defying money markets that had seen a 50% probability of a cut to help the economy. Following the move, interest rate futures moved to almost price out a rate cut at the March meeting as well, reinforcing the pound’s gains. Money markets are still pricing in a quarter-point reduction by September, however. Money markets had factored in a 50% probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut. The BoE decision prompted mone

Gold will continue to shine amid a weak dollar, says author and gold pro Jim Rickards. Gold held onto gains on Thursday, supported by concerns over the potential impact on global economic growth of a fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak in China which has killed 170 people. Spot gold was up 0.35% to $1,582.615 per ounce after rising 0.7% on Wednesday, while U.S. gold futures were 0.7% higher at $1,587.3 per ounce. The World Health Organisation (WHO) will reconvene on Thursday to decide whether th

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell $1.19, or 2.2%, to settle at $52.14 per barrel. Prices have steadied in recent days at three-month lows as investors tried to assess what economic damage the virus might inflict and to demand for crude oil and its products. The only thing that can change the current trend is an emergency OPEC meeting,” said Olivier Jakob of consultancy Petromatrix. Algeria’s energy minister Mohamed Arkab said on Wednesday it was very possible that an OPEC meeting could be

That deal, according to NFL.com , is worth a maximum $39.15 million with a $3 million signing bonus guaranteed up front. Richard Sherman is a star cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers who is in his ninth season in the league. Hey, I can get this $20 million guaranteed and be in Detroit and lose football games. “In a sport where contracts aren’t fully guaranteed, money in hand is better than anything,” he wrote. Don’t miss: How NFL star Richard Sherman negotiated his $39 million contract withou

Coronavirus outbreak causes surgical masks to fly off shelves across the worldThe coronavirus outbreak in China has caused sales of surgical masks to surge all over the world The outbreak began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. It’s killed more than 170 people and infected thousands. Across China, residents wait in long lines to buy face masks. However, in places like the United States, surgical masks are flying off shelves.

Bernie Sanders has jumped into a virtual tie with Joe Biden nationally just before the first nominating contests in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Friday. The Vermont senator has the support of 27% of Democratic primary voters, a 6 percentage point jump from December, the survey found. Sanders’ 1 percentage point edge falls well within the poll’s plus-or-minus 4.7 percentage point margin of error. About a quarter, or 24%, of D

It is too early to determine the economic consequences of the coronavirus, Jim Cramer saysIt’s too early to determine if the deadly coronavirus spreading around the world could cause a global recession, CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Thursday.

CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Thursday that Tesla’s success reminds him of what has been accomplished by Amazon and Netflix, companies that overcame early doubters to upend industries. In all, Tesla’s stock is up more than 150% in the last four months and more than 50% in the new year. To really understand Tesla’s current situation, Cramer said, it is best to look back at the rise of Amazon and Netflix. They may have been losing money, Cramer said, but “Wall Street will gladly raise money for a talente

It’s too early to determine the long-term economic consequences of the deadly coronavirus, CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Thursday. On Thursday the World Health Organization deemed the coronavirus a global health emergency. More than 8,200 people across the world have become ill with the coronavirus, with at least 171 deaths in China. The stock market is also painting a conflicting picture, Cramer said. If coronavirus leads to a death in the U.S. — “heaven forbid,” he said — it is likely the stock marke