U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng concluded high-level talks on Sunday on a potential artificial-intelligence safety notification mechanism focused on national-security threats, according to the Investing.com report. The proposal is expected to be considered by President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a summit scheduled for later this week.
Trump also announced via social media that he plans to name a new adviser to create an "AI force," emphasizing that policies must allow the United States to stay ahead of China without stifling industry growth. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told CBS News there is a "0% chance" humanity will go extinct by 2030 due to AI, calling such warnings "unnecessary" and "irresponsible."
In the Middle East, intense fighting erupted on Sunday in southwest Yemen's mountainous terrain between Iran-backed Houthi militants and Saudi-aligned forces vying for control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia had turned to the route as an alternative after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis said they launched missiles and drones at Riyadh and targeted oil facilities in retaliation for Saudi air strikes inside Yemen.
The escalating conflict came as Saudi Arabia's oil exports rebounded to just over 4 million barrels per day in September, up from 2.4 million bpd in August, Kpler shipping-analytics data showed. Brent crude futures fell 2.1% to $101.66 a barrel, having briefly traded near $110 the prior week. U.S.-Iran tensions also widened: Trump threatened to wipe out Iran's leadership unless Tehran pursued a deal, while Iran's military warned it would retaliate against renewed attacks.
On Wall Street, index futures rose in early Monday trading. As of 02:58 ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures climbed 239 points, or 0.5%; the S&P 500 futures gained 39 points, or 0.5%; and the Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 218 points, or 0.7%. Main U.S. averages closed mixed on Friday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite gaining while the Dow edged lower. Treasury yields ticked up across the curve as markets maintained steady expectations for Federal Reserve interest-rate hikes through the remainder of 2026.
Vital Knowledge analysts noted in ProPicks AI commentary that its Energy Elite strategy has outperformed its benchmark by 37% year-to-date, the Mid Cap Movers strategy by 21%, and the Tech Titans strategy has beaten the S&P 500 by 112% since launch nearly three years ago.
