BUSINESS
HSBC agrees to pay €300 million to end French tax dividend probes
HSBC said in court on Thursday that the bank acknowledges the underlying facts, which involved transactions carried out by traders in Paris between 2014 and 2019
INDIA
Germany and India on verge of $8 billion submarine agreement
The agreement, negotiated ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to the South Asian nation next week, would for the first time include technology transfer for submarine production,
WORLD
US unveils strategy on Venezuelan oil, spurring sudden rush for access
The return of Venezuelan barrels to US buyers could mark one of the most significant shifts in global energy markets in recent years
WORLD
No room for another superpower: Trump opens new front against China with Maduro arrest
The US military’s raid on Venezuela marked an audacious debut of what Trump has called the 'Donroe Doctrine'
BUSINESS
Ford hints at robotaxis with plans for eyes-off-road technology
Ford said Wednesday it will launch so-called Level 3 autonomy in 2028 on its Blue Cruise driver-assist feature that currently allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel, but requires them to keep their eyes on the road
WORLD
Patients gain weight faster coming off obesity drugs than after a diet
People return to their original weight in less than two years after stopping weight-loss treatments as they regain about 0.4 kilos (0.9 pounds) on average each month
BUSINESS
US Justice dept digs in on the dueling takeover bids for Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. on Wednesday again rejected Paramount’s bid as insufficient, opting to stick with Netflix’ offer
WORLD
Asia stocks fall as optimism fades, US bonds hold gains
Stocks opened lower in Japan and South Korea. A gauge of global stocks and the S&P 500 Index both posted their first declines of 2026 on Wednesday
BUSINESS
Jefferies takes $30 million hit on First Brands as profit drops
Net earnings for the fiscal fourth quarter declined 7.2% from a year earlier to $191 million, Jefferies said in a statement Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Samsung posts record profit after AI supercharges memory market
South Korea’s largest company reported a preliminary operating profit of 20 trillion won ($13.8 billion) in the December quarter, compared with the average analyst estimate for 17.8 trillion won.
BUSINESS
De Beers bets on India’s rich to boost natural diamond demand
India is now the firm’s second-largest market after the US. Long a hub for cutting and polishing rough stones, the country is increasingly central to its consumer-driven growth strategy.
WORLD
Asian stocks set to fall as 2026 momentum fades
Global affairs remained in focus as US forces seized two more sanctioned oil tankers as part of its energy quarantine of Venezuela. European leaders closed ranks behind Denmark as President Donald Trump amplified threats to seize Greenland.
BUSINESS
Trump says Venezuela to purchase US goods with oil deal revenue
Trump has been pressuring Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, to increase economic ties with the US after last weekend’s operation to capture strongman Nicolas Maduro.
BUSINESS
Exxon says oil slump cut $1 billion from fourth-quarter results
Exxon is the first of the oil supermajors to report quarterly guidance just weeks before the reporting season is scheduled to kick off.
WORLD
World’s worst bond market faces another big supply shock
The nation’s sovereign debt - the worst performer among the world’s biggest markets last year - faces an 8% rise in net supply to about ¥65 trillion ($415 billion) in the fiscal year starting in April.
WORLD
US pushes ahead with plans to reopen embassy in Venezuela
No official date has been set to reopen the embassy, according to people involved, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. The State Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
WORLD
US blue-chip bond sales hit $88 billion, busiest week since 2020
Bond issuance has also been remarkably strong overseas. In Europe, issuers raised a record amount of funds through bond sales on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Blackstone, housing shares sink as Trump targets big investors
The S&P 1500 Homebuilding Index slid as much as 2.3%, with 15 of 18 members trading lower. Builders KB Home and DR Horton Inc. were among the worst performers. Building-materials supplier Louisiana-Pacific Corp. declined more than 5%.
WORLD
Trump demands defense companies stop buybacks and dividends
BUSINESS
BNP Paribas loses bid to throw out $21 million Sudan verdict
BUSINESS
Gold, silver miners sell stock at fastest pace in over a decade
Last year, more than $6.2 billion was raised by companies listed on exchanges in the US and Canada, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That’s the highest volume in at least the last 12 years, the data show.
WORLD
US says it will control Venezuela oil exports indefinitely
President Donald Trump said Tuesday evening that Venezuela would relinquish as much as 50 million barrels of its oil to the US, valued at about $2.8 billion at current market prices.
WORLD
US seizes Russia-flagged tanker after chase from Venezuela
The US Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security “today announced the seizure of the M/V Bella 1 for violations of US sanctions,” the command said in a social media post.
BUSINESS
OpenAI challengers test appetite for China AI with twin IPOs
Zhipu and Minimax begin trading Thursday and Friday, respectively, in a litmus test of whether investors believe China’s fledgling AI industry can compete on a global stage.
