Breaking News Today – Wednesday 5 August 2025

Business & Tech News 

Indonesia Looks to Introduce Kangaroo Bonds

Indonesia is preparing to launch its debut Kangaroo bond—government debt issued in Australian dollars—this August, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati recently said. The government is currently holding meetings with potential investors in Australia to gauge interest, with the final decision depending on investor feedback and market conditions. The potential offering may include five- and ten-year notes, according to Bloomberg News, which cited UBS Group AG, one of the joint lead managers for the deal. The move is part of Indonesia’s broader strategy to diversify funding sources and strengthen financial ties with Australia. The plan follows a meeting between Sri Mulyani and Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers during the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in South Africa in April 2025.

US Index Hits New High

The US S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.5% to above 8,810 on Wednesday, extending the prior session’s record close to a new all-time high, as growing expectations of domestic and global rate cuts continued to boost the index. Rising bets on a US Fed cut in September—now seen as a 94% chance—have lifted global risk appetite, while Australian swaps show markets are fully pricing in a quarter-point RBA cut next week. Meanwhile, caution lingered after an overnight Wall Street selloff, as weak data revived stagflation fears and President Trump proposed steep tariffs on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.

However, he signaled a possible trade truce extension with China ahead of the August deadline, saying a deal is “very close”. On the corporate side, gold stocks led the charge, up 2.6% to a two-week high amid higher bullion, with Northern Star jumping 3.4% and Newmont 2.2%. Additionally, heavyweight financials rose 0.8%, led by top lender CBA (1.3%). Rate-sensitive real estate stocks also advanced 0.7%.

WhatsApp Moves Against Scam Accounts

WhatsApp has announced the launch of new safety features aimed at assisting users to identify potential scams on the messaging service. The company, which is a division of Meta, also said it has taken down over 6.8 million WhatsApp accounts linked to criminal scam centres targeting people around the world. The new features are designed to help detect scams in both group and individual chats on the Meta-owned platform. For group chats, WhatsApp is launching a safety overview feature that will be displayed when someone who isn’t in your contact list adds you to a new group that you may not recognize. The safety overview will include key information about the group, alongside tips to stay safe.

OPEC Announces Oil Price Forecast

The Oil Producers alliance OPEC has provided an update of expectations for oil prices. Oil supply growth from non-OPEC producers is expected to drop in early 2026, while global demand is anticipated to remain strong, according to BP Plc Chief Executive Officer Murray Auchincloss. He commented that “Non-OPEC supply we largely see going flat after February or March next year,” he said in a Bloomberg Television interview yesterday. “Supply will be relatively flat for the next 12-18 months after that” he stated. This constriction of supply may see a boost in oil prices however analysts currently are forecasting an ongoing surplus in the near term. Saudi Arabia will be looking to increase outputs again but is likely to only look to do so once the oil prices see an improvement.

Business, Tech & Market News Shorts: 

• Cognition, the AI coding startup that only weeks ago acquired rival company Windsurf, has laid off 30 employees last week and is reportedly offering buyouts to around 200 remaining employees on the team,  according to a report by The Information.
• Major AI video startup Runway that uses artificial intelligence to make videos for Hollywood studios are looking to raise big new rounds of funding. Runway, who has finalised subscription deals with Lionsgate and AMC Networks, is in talks with investors to raise around $500 million at a valuation of at least $5 billion
• Google DeepMind is rolling out Gemini 2.5 Deep Think, which, the company says, is its most advanced AI reasoning model, able to answer questions by exploring and considering multiple ideas simultaneously and then using those outputs to choose the best answer.
  

Markets by Numbers 

Currencies: 

Currency markets today indicate the US Dollar is currently trading against the Euro at 1.15738 and against the Pound at 1.32916. The Yen is currently trading at 147.65 to the dollar. The rand (ZAR)is currently at R17.85 to the US dollar.

Commodities:

• Gold futures prices are currently trading slightly lower this morning, and currently at $3371.37 per ounce.  
• Copper prices are trading marginally higher today, with prices currently at $4.3734 
• Silver futures prices are marginally lower today, and currently at $37.788
• Platinum futures are trading marginally higher this morning, and are currently trading at $1319.80 While Palladium prices are trading -0.65% lower this morning and currently at $1165.50
• Brent crude oil prices are currently at $68.25, with WTI trading at $65.25 
• Cocoa futures are trading more than 0.45% higherer today, and currently at $8400.63 per ton. 
• Coffee futures are currently at $298.07

Crypto Currencies:

• Bitcoin prices are trading level today, and currently at $114181
• Ether prices are trending around 0.5% higherer this morning and currently at $3634.50
• $Trumpcoin is currently trading around $8.75

(All prices quoted at approximately 09H40 Central African Time) 

Other Breaking News in Africa Today

Sudan Accuses UAE of Supporting Rebel Military

Sudan has thrown accusations of providing military assistance to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against the military in the ongoing civil war in Sudan.The Sudanese administration has said that the United Arab Emirates of sending Colombian mercenaries to fight alongside the paramilitary RSF group, who have been fighting the country’s national military forces in a long and bitter civil war. The foreign ministry said in a statement that the Sudanese government has “irrefutable evidence” confirming mercenaries from Colombia and some neighbouring African countries were sponsored and financed by the UAE, the statement failed to provide evidence or identify the neighbouring countries. “This unprecedented phenomenon poses a serious threat to peace and security in the region and across the continent,” the foreign ministry said, asserting that hundreds of thousands of mercenaries were hired from across the African continent.