Business daily

Both Meta Platforms and Microsoft shared their latest quarterly results on Wednesday and showed they are still planning on sustained spending on artificial intelligence. Similarly, Telsa posted a drop in annual revenue for the first time in its history and announced a shift away from electric vehicles and towards AI and robotics. Meanwhile, hardware providers like Samsung Electronics are fuelling the boom in AI, and reaping the benefits.

The US Federal Reserve has defied pressure from President Donald Trump by holding interest rates steady. The policy announcement was partly overshadowed by ongoing tensions with the administration. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell – who is facing a criminal probe he describes as politically motivated – insisted the US central bank would maintain its independence. Also in the show: the US dollar slides to its lowest level in four years, and Paris Fashion Week deals with the rise of ultra-fast fashion. 

The US dollar weakened to its lowest level in four years on Tuesday after President Donald Trump responded to a question about the currency's fall by saying he thought it was "great". In this edition, we try to understand why Trump favours a lower currency and the factors that have been weighing on the greenback. Also in the headlines, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer heads to China with a delegation of 60 business executives.

The EU and India have hailed their new free trade agreement as "the mother of all deals". While the pact eliminates or significantly reduces tariffs on a vast majority of goods traded between the two sides, it excludes politically sensitive farming products. We take a closer look. Also in the segment, some Cypriot fishermen have taken their battle against invasive fish to the dinner table. 

After the presidents of the EU Commission and EU Council signed a free trade deal in New Delhi with India's Prime Minister this Tuesday, we take a look at what the pact actually entails. Tariffs will be reduced on a large number of goods going both ways, but some sectors will remain protected. Both sides are looking to further diversify their trade relationships as Donald Trump's global tariff war upends commercial flows.

India has rolled out the red carpet, hosting top EU leaders as guests of honour at its Republic Day parade, a day before the two sides are expected to sign a free trade agreement at an EU-India summit. Negotiations had started long before US President Donald Trump started imposing new tariffs on the rest of the world, but have taken on a sense of renewed urgency amid rising geopolitical and trade tensions. 

The price of an ounce of gold surged past $5,100 on Monday as investors flock to precious metals and away from currency and treasury markets. The trend underlines growing global uncertainty fuelled by debt concerns, US President Donald Trump's attacks on the Federal Reserve and general geopolitical uncertainty. Also in this edition, Canadian PM Mark Carney says he has "no intention" of pursuing a free trade agreement with China. Finally, a plush toy horse with a frown could be the star of the upcoming Lunar New Year.

Just hours after doubling down on his claim that the US should "get Greenland", Donald Trump made an abrupt U-turn on the tariffs he had threatened to slap on European nations that opposed his bid.  Announcing the news on his Truth Social platform, the US president said he and NATO chief Mark Rutte had reached a "framework of a future deal" on Greenland and that in light of that, he would not be imposing the 10 percent import duties that were slated to go into effect on February 1. 

A new report by professional social media platform LinkedIn shows that while jobseekers currently outpace job openings, a "new-collar" era of work is opening, focused on AI-related skills. In this edition, we speak to LinkedIn's EMEA Managing Director Sue Duke from the World Economic Forum in Davos about her insights on new labour market trends and how to navigate geopolitical uncertainty.

French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken out against Donald Trump's latest tariff threat, describing the US president's approach to trade deals as bullying and an attempt to weaken and subordinate Europe. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the French leader called on the EU to be ready to activate its powerful anti-coercion mechanism, colloquially known as the "trade bazooka". We take a closer look.

It's been one year since Donald Trump started his second term as US president, and he's pointing to the country's strong GDP growth rate and stock market performances to paint a glowing picture of the economy. But a closer look shows that while activity is booming, it's mostly benefitting the country's wealthier households. Also in this edition, we see how Trump's tariffs have pushed German winemakers to look to China for their exports.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has announced he will invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution to pass the 2026 budget bill into law without parliamentary approval. He admitted that resorting to this tool represented a "partial failure", as he had promised not to use it. But after a host of concessions the government has made, he is betting he now has enough political support, notably from the Socialists, to survive even if no-confidence motions are tabled. 

US President Donald Trump's latest threat of tariffs on eight European nations if Greenland is not sold to the US has EU leaders in crisis mode. Meanwhile, Trump will be a marquee guest at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week amid a rapid increase in global wealth inequality.

In his New Year's address to the armed forces, French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a plan to add €36 billion to the country's multi-year defence budget in its next update, as he said France needed to be more powerful in order to be feared amid rising geopolitical tensions. We take a closer look.

Elon Musk's xAI says its Grok AI chatbot will be restricted from generating sexualised images of real people after it was used to create pictures of women and children in varying states of undress. Also in this edition: France's traditional Epiphany cake gets subsidised for Celiac disease sufferers.

Tourists visiting France from outside the European Union now have to pay significantly higher entrance fees at some of the most popular sites in the country: €10 more at the Louvre museum and €3 more at the Palace of Versailles. This after a recent daytime heist at the Louvre exposed shortcomings in its maintenance and security systems. Plus, Ryanair's CEO has blasted what he called "stupid" passenger taxes in Brussels and said the company would reduce its flights to the city by 10 percent this year. 

China's customs administration unveiled its latest trade data this Wednesday and announced that the country saw a record trade surplus last year, topping $1.19 trillion, which is about 20 percent higher than in 2024. Exports continued to surge, showing the Chinese economy's reliance on supplying external markets as domestic consumption fails to pick up. Also in this edition, iconic New York department store brand Saks Global files for bankruptcy.

US President Donald Trump says inflation in the country is low enough for Fed chair Jerome Powell to deliver "a big, beautiful cut" to interest rates. US consumer prices rose 2.7% in December, still significantly above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Meanwhile, the heads of global central banks come together in support of Powell, after the Justice Department's criminal investigation against him raised concerns over the Fed's independence. 

US President Donald Trump ramped up economic pressure on the Iranian regime on Monday by announcing he was imposing import duties on the goods of any country that trades with Tehran. The move could further disrupt US trade relationships with global economies like China and India. Also in this edition, we look at the global ramifications of any perceived attacks on the independence of the US Federal Reserve, as the Trump administration launches a criminal probe into Fed chair Jerome Powell. 

Criticism has been pouring in from Republican and Democratic lawmakers, former Fed chairs and top officials after the US Justice Department launched a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell. After Powell described the move as retaliation against the Fed for not lowering interest rates as quickly as US President Donald Trump wanted, concern over the central bank's independence pushed prices of safe-haven assets like gold and silver higher.  

US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell is under criminal investigation by the Justice Department, a probe he calls a "pretext" amid a pressure campaign by President Donald Trump to cut interest rates. Also in this edition: Germany's chancellor travels to India to boost trade ties as exports to China slump.

The EU is set to pass a trade deal with South American trade bloc Mercosur after Brussels unveiled new concessions this week. Also in this edition: HSBC has agreed to pay nearly €268 million to the French treasury to settle a case over fraud on dividend tax payments. Plus, a protest from hundreds of UK pubs over higher business rates seems to have been successful.

US President Donald Trump has called for the US military budget to reach $1.5 trillion in 2027, more than half of the allocated spending for this year, in a bid to build a "dream military" in "troubled and dangerous times". He also vowed to crack down on US defence firms who privilege payouts to shareholders and executives instead of investing in building new manufacturing plants. Plus, China's AI startup sector gets its litmus test with a string of stock market launches this week. 

Warner Brothers Discovery has rejected the latest takeover bid from Paramount Skydance, saying it's still inferior to a rival offer from Netflix. Despite a $40 billion guarantee from billionaire Larry Ellison, WBD's board says the plan is a risky leveraged buyout, financed by debt. But first, the United States says it's "selectively" removing sanctions to bring Venezuelan oil back into international markets, starting with the sale of up to 50 million barrels to the US. 

In a Truth Social post late on Tuesday night, US President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela would be "turning over" between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil to the US, where it will then be sold at market prices. In this edition, we explore what impact this move could have for the US as well as for China, which was the top buyer of Venezuelan oil before a US-imposed blockade last month. Elsewhere, Japan reacts angrily to China's decision to ban exports of "dual-use" items.

A severe cold snap has gripped Europe, causing deadly accidents and travel chaos.  In the German capital Berlin, freezing temperatures have made the situation even worse for tens of thousands of households that have been affected by a widespread power outage since Saturday.  A suspected arson attack claimed by a left-wing group is thought to have knocked electricity offline, sparking questions over the vulnerability of Germany's wider infrastructure. 

French farmers are continuing their protests across the country this Tuesday, in a bid to raise awareness about the difficult financial situation they face and the threat posed by the EU-Mercosur trade pact. This as Italy has reportedly planned to support the deal when EU ambassadors vote on the measure on January 9. Also in this edition: automaker Hyundai showcases its new humanoid Atlas robot at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, saying the robots will be rolled out in production sites in 2028.

The Trump administration is reportedly planning to meet executives of top US oil companies to discuss Venezuela this week, after the administration declared it would "run" the country and US Big Oil firms would revive the oil industry. As Washington accuses Venezuela of "stealing American oil", we take a look back at its long history of involvement in the Latin American country's vital sector. 

US President Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire for American firms to take control of Venezuela's massive oil reserves. But the dilapidated state of the country's petroleum infrastructure will make exploiting those reserves difficult and expensive. Meanwhile, China is facing the loss of one of its key suppliers of sour, heavy crude. We take a closer look in this edition.

The European Union's controversial new rules on polluting industrial imports went into effect on January 1st, following a two-year transition period. Heavy goods such as steel, aluminium and cement are now subject to a new fee levied according to the amount of CO2 emitted during their production. China issued a statement slamming the measure as unfairly targeting Chinese goods.   

As Bulgaria formally adopts the euro currency this January 1st, residents in the capital Sofia queued up in front of ATMs just after midnight to withdraw new banknotes. Also in this edition, the world's 500 richest people added a record $2.2 trillion to their fortunes in 2025. And on the occasion of Netflix's 'Stranger Things' finale, we see how the show became a cash machine for the streaming giant over the past ten years.

It's only been three years since ChatGPT leaped onto the world stage, but artificial intelligence is now becoming an integral part of daily life. The technology has been integrated into search engines, social media apps and online shopping sites, but also shaken financial markets. Here's a look back at how AI moved the world in 2025.  But first, as Bulgaria remains divided on the eve of joining the euro, we take a look at possible implications of switching to the single currency. 

Bulgaria will formally adopt the euro as its currency starting on January 1, leaving behind the lev, which it has used since the late 19th century. The move is unpopular with almost half the country's population over fears it could spark higher inflation, something that mistrusted authorities have been trying to downplay. Also in this edition: a central district of Budapest bans short-term rentals starting this January in a bid to fix a housing crisis.

It's the end of an era for the Danish post office. Citing a 90 percent drop in letter-sending over the past quarter-century, PostNord has ended delivering paper letters in the country, a service first started in 1624. Plus, France is set to issue €310 billion in new sovereign bonds next year, a move that's set to complicate its effort to reduce its debt pile, which already stands at over 117 percent of GDP. 

China's cyberspace administration has issued new draft rules aiming to regulate how AI chatbots can affect users' emotional wellbeing. The proposed measures come amid a surge in new AI chatbots in the country and concerns over how they can affect minors' mental health. Also in this edition: Australians buy metal detectors in droves in the hope of prospecting gold. Plus, Beyoncé joins Forbes' billionaire club.

Iran's state TV says the country's central bank chief Mohammad Reza Farzin has stepped down, as the country faces growing protests over the high cost of living. The move comes after the Iranian rial plummeted to a record low against the dollar on Sunday. The central bank has been accused of printing too much money in an effort to shore up the currency, but instead pushing the nation on the verge of hyperinflation. Also in the segment: the price of silver briefly hits a record high. 

Over a month after announcing a massive data breach affecting 34 million of its users, South Korean e-commerce company Coupang announced this Monday it would offer 1.69 trillion won in compensation (around €1 billion) to customers in the form of vouchers. Also in this edition, former EU digital chief Thierry Breton gives his first interview since being sanctioned by the US. Plus, Nokia's archived mobile design plans are now open to the public.

London-based energy giant BP announced on Wednesday it was appointing Meg O'Neill as CEO starting on April 1. The executive, who has been at the head of Australian group Woodside Energy for the past four years, is expected to focus her efforts on the company's core oil and gas activities in a bid to catch up with rivals. Also in this edition: YouTube gains the rights to broadcast the Oscars ceremony starting in 2029, underlining streaming's increasing power in Hollywood. 

Warner Brothers Discovery has rejected Paramount Skydance's hostile takeover bid, saying it carries many risks and is inferior to Netflix's offer. The company's board said the Ellison family that controls Paramount "consistently misled" them about guarantees as it urged shareholders not to sell their stocks. Plus, as oil prices rise following US President Donald Trump's order to blockade oil tankers in and out of Venezuela, we take a look at just how central oil is to the South American country's economy. 

Crude benchmarks were rising on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said the US would put a stop to any traffic of sanctioned oil tankers in and out of Venezuela. The country's oil revenue is a lifeline for the Maduro government, which now mainly sells its barrels to China. Also in this edition: Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly telling its shareholders to reject a takeover bid from Paramount Skydance. Plus: FIFA offers $60 tickets for the 2026 World Cup amid criticism over high prices.

The European Union has proposed changes to a 2023 law that effectively banned the sale of new internal combustion engine cars from 2035. Instead of cutting CO2 emissions by 100 percent from 2021 levels, carmakers would be required to reduce them by 90 percent, meaning small-scale production of petrol or hybrid cars could continue. The auto industry and some member states had been lobbying hard to get the rules relaxed in the face of slow market growth for EVs. 

Ford is abandoning top EV models like the F-150 Lightning as weak demand and hostile policies from the Trump administration weigh on sales. We take a closer look. Also in this edition: the EU prepares to water down its own upcoming ban on sales of new internal combustion vehicles, while France tries to support its own EV battery sector.