{"id":667541,"date":"2026-09-15T08:13:05","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T06:13:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=667541"},"modified":"2026-09-15T08:17:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T06:17:47","slug":"us-deploys-weapons-in-space-and-an-upgrade-for-google-maps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/trending\/667541-us-deploys-weapons-in-space-and-an-upgrade-for-google-maps.html","title":{"rendered":"US deploys weapons in space, and an upgrade for Google Maps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink has confirmed that the US has deployed “space control weapons” in orbit, but wouldn’t provide details about the weapons, when they were deployed, or their testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google has rolled out an upgrade for Maps on Android Auto, enabling it to display live speed, speed limits, traffic signals, and stop signs even when not navigating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In global markets, treasuries edged lower, and Asian bonds followed as a rally in oil prices fueled inflation concerns and strengthened bets on a Federal Reserve interest-rate hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dollar extended its gains. Yields on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose as high as three basis points to 5.02%, the highest level since 2007.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Weighing on sentiment, Brent climbed 1.6% to about $107.30 a barrel as traders weighed risks to Middle East supplies, with a critical Saudi Arabian pipeline still offline after attacks. Rising oil prices and the selloff in Treasuries sent Asian bonds lower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elsewhere, Asian stocks slipped 0.6% after chip shares declined globally on Monday, following warnings from leading artificial intelligence companies. US equity-index futures dipped 0.2%, while Europe was set for a tepid open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Widening fiscal deficits, heavy debt issuance and financing for AI investment are prompting investors to demand greater compensation for holding longer-dated debt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The recent rout in the bond market has increased the stakes for Fed Chair Kevin Warsh going into the Fed’s policy announcement on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After Warsh lowered the bar for a rate hike at Jackson Hole and the FOMC made this decision data-point dependent, not hiking on Wednesday would risk institutional credibility and a further increase in long-end yields, Xiao Cui, a senior economist at Pictet Wealth Management, wrote in a note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Therefore, we expect a hawkish tone from Chair Warsh’s press conference \u2014 not to outhawk market expectations of rate hikes, which already price in another hike by December and almost two more by October 2027, but to reinforce the Fed’s commitment to delivering price stability and anchoring long-end yields.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Higher bond returns may also lure investors away from stocks, challenging a rally powered by strong AI profits and a resilient economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If you saw bond yields move to the 5% or 5.25% level, I think that’s where you will see some indigestion from the equity market,” said Grace Peters, global head of investment strategy at JPMorgan Chase Private Bank. “5% psychologically has an impact.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other corners of the market, gold held its losses to trade around $4,300 an ounce, after falling more than 1% the previous session to a five-week low. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Higher rates typically diminish the appeal of the non-yielding metal. A Bloomberg gauge of the dollar edged up 0.1% after posting its biggest jump in more than two months in the prior session. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stocks in mainland China advanced even as consumer spending and investment languished in August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Investors are also assessing the outlook for technology shares after global equities retreated Monday following calls from leading AI developers for a slower pace of advances in the field in order to prevent AI slipping beyond human control and inflicting catastrophic harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
US President Donald Trump attacked Anthropic’s chief for urging a slowdown in AI development, intensifying his opposition to new guardrails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There’s already quite a bit of nervousness in the market and if you’ve got some of the major players now saying: hang on, we need to slow down a little bit, that adds to uncertainty,” said Chris Armstrong, a strategist at Berenberg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regarding cryptocurrency movements, Bitcoin fell 1.9% to $77,584.98 (R1,265,235.59), while Ether fell 3.1% to $2,491.97 (R40,638.40). [Bloomberg<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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