Europe

A new study looking at human DNA reveals that early humans may have interbred with a  mysterious ‘alien species’ over 30,000 years ago.  According to scientists, updated genome sequences from two relatives of modern humans reveal that these groups interbred with several human-like species, one of which was “not human”. 3tags.org reports: The ancient genomes, one from a Neanderthal and one from a member of an archaic human group called the Denisovans, were presented at a meeting on ancient DNA at the Royal Society in London.

In today's trifecta of after hours earnings results, all three behemoths representing different key parts of the US economy, stumbled after either missing expectations, or guiding lower.

First, it was Mondelez, which missed on the top and bottom line, reporting Q4 EPS of $0.47 below the $0.49 expected, on disappointing revenue of $6.77BN, below the $6.87BN expected. The company also missed on margin reporting Q4 adj. gross margin 39.0%, below the est. 40.1%. Some other details:

As part of continued a NATO build-up and US efforts to counter an alleged Russian threat, US military hardware, including M1A2 Abrams battle tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles have arrived in the northern Estonian town of Tapa, shortly after similar deployments were made to other Eastern European nations including Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and Germany.

Just day after President Trump suggests Germany is a currency manipulator, and as Merkel looks set to lose her Chancellorship, Europe's powerhouse economy just collapsed in December. Industrial production plunged 3.0% MoM in December - the biggest drop since Jan 2009 and over 8 standard deviations below expectations.

President Donald Trump’s executive order to ban citizens of seven Muslim-majority states from entering the US for 90 days, and temporarily freeze all refugee arrivals (including Syrians indefinitely), has been interpreted widely as an attempt to curtail the inward migration of Muslims, which Trump and his supporters argue pose a threat to national security. It has also been challenged legally, and today a showdown between the DOJ and a San Francisco Court of Appeals is scheduled for 6pm, at which point the Trump order may be formally rejected, forcing Trump to engage the Supreme Court.