BUSINESS
Alphabet to buy data center partner Intersect for $4.75 billion
Google took a minority stake in the energy provider last year by entering a partnership with Intersect to build big energy plants next to data center campuses
BUSINESS
Uber, Lyft team up with Baidu to start robotaxi trials in UK
Global robotaxi rollouts are accelerating, with Chinese companies such as Baidu and Weride Inc., and Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo leading the charge
BUSINESS
Copper heads toward $12,000 a ton as banks predict further gains
The metal that’s crucial for the energy transition has powered higher in recent months as growing concerns about tightening global supply have outweighed a slowdown in demand.
BUSINESS
China hits EU dairy imports with hefty duties after probe
French dairy firm Fromarsac is facing levies of 30%, while some companies under Dutch cheesemaker FrieslandCampina have been hit with 43% levies, it said in a separate statement.
BUSINESS
Gold rises to record high on rate-cut bets and Venezuela tension
Bullion climbed more than 1.5% to surpass the previous record of $4,381 an ounce set in October.
BUSINESS
Silver hits record high on rate-cut bets and geopolitical strife
Silver has been buoyed by speculative inflows and lingering supply tightness after a historic short squeeze in October.
BUSINESS
Asian stocks gain as hopes for year-end rally grow
MSCI Inc.’s gauge of Asia Pacific shares rose 0.5%, with the tech sector leading gains. The measure capped a 1.9% weekly decline on Friday, its first in four weeks.
WORLD
San Francisco crippled by widespread power outages on busy holiday shopping weekend
Pacific Gas and Electric Company said in a statement on X that it was working with first responders and city officials on a power failure affecting about 130,000 customers.
WORLD
US says it intercepted second tanker in Venezuela blockade
The Centuries supertanker laden with up to 2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude was flying a Panamanian flag, according to people familiar with the matter.
BUSINESS
World’s calmest stock market challenges options traders in India
Despite geopolitical flare ups and a recent global selloff in risk assets, the NSE Nifty 50 Index has barely budged for months as domestic money overwhelms foreign flows and derivatives trading curbs choke off volatility.
CRYPTOCURRENCY
Trump-fueled crypto boom fizzles in brutal year for retail traders
Retail traders around the world are contending with similar realities as 2025 draws to a close
BUSINESS
Ex-Nvidia billionaire unveils new AI chips after China IPO debut
Zhang founded his own company in 2020 after spending 14 years at Nvidia. Chips based on the new architecture will be named Huashan and be positioned to compete with Nvidia’s Hopper and Blackwell products, he added.
BUSINESS
Health-tech firm Practo said to seek banks for 2026 IPO
Practo’s holding company in Singapore is planning to shift its legal base back to India to facilitate its listing and the process is expected to be completed by February, the people said.
BUSINESS
India’s big-bang financial reforms target foreign money
The drive to attract foreign capital has gained urgency after US President Donald Trump slapped tariffs of 50% on Indian goods in August, one of the highest rates in the world.
WORLD
Big year for old school Wall Street trades gets lost in AI hype
Capital has continued to migrate toward concentrated Big Tech exposure, thematic trades from nuclear power to quant computing, and blunt hedges such as gold.
BUSINESS
Boeing asks FAA to waive emissions rule for 777 freighter
In filing with the US regulator on Friday, Boeing asked for approval to make an additional 35 of its classic 777 freighter models starting in 2028 until a newer model is ready to enter the market.
BUSINESS
Musk 2018 Tesla pay plan reinstated after 7-year legal fight
When Tesla directors first authorized the payout, it was the biggest ever for a US executive. It’s since been eclipsed by a separate plan that could be worth an additional $1 trillion for the Tesla chief executive officer if he hits future performance targets.
WORLD
China’s rare-earth magnet exports to US decline in November
Shipments to the US totaled about 582 tons, compared with 656 tons in October, according to Chinese customs data published on Saturday.
INDIA
PM Modi fast-tracks reforms to shield economy from US tariffs
After a sluggish start to the year, the Modi government has moved decisively over the past four months, cutting consumption taxes and implementing overhauled labor codes — policy changes that businesses have long sought.
BUSINESS
Sanctioned tanker Hyperion to test Trump’s blockade of Venezuela
The US says it is part of a fleet of so-called ghost vessels used to prop up Russia’s energy sector by moving crude and petroleum products in ships that sail undetected because they often turn off and spoof transponder signals.
BUSINESS
Nvidia discount to chip index at historic levels, Bernstein says
Relative to the chip index, Nvidia “currently trades at a ~13% discount, in the first percentile,” wrote analyst Stacy Rasgon.
BUSINESS
TikTok owner ByteDance on track for $50 billion profit in 2025
ByteDance is now close to finalizing a plan to hive off the video service in the US, which will ensure the platform survives while loosening the Chinese company’s control.
BUSINESS
Two ex-bankers convicted over €45 million in Fortis tax fraud deals
ABN Amro NV, which later took over the part of Fortis that carried out the trades, has returned the illicit proceeds to German tax authorities.
BUSINESS
Bitcoin volatility rises ahead of $23 billion options expiry
Bitcoin’s overall market value saw price swings of over $130 billion within an hour during US trading on Wednesday, triggering a cascade of both long and short liquidations.
