business news

European markets edge higher as investors assess Munich Security Conference
World

European markets edge higher as investors assess Munich Security Conference

European markets opened higher on Monday, as investors digest the key points from this year’s Munich Security Conference. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up 0.2% at 8:45 a.m. in London (3:45 a.m. ET), with major bourses and most sectors in the region in positive territory. Geopolitics and defense returned to the spotlight as investors focused […]

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Cuba suspends annual cigar festival as U.S. oil blockade deepens energy crisis
Politics

Cuba suspends annual cigar festival as U.S. oil blockade deepens energy crisis

A female worker operates a machine during the rolling process at the mechanized cigar factory in Havana on May 8, 2025. Adalberto Roque | Afp | Getty Images An annual cigar festival in Cuba’s capital city of Havana, which had been due to take place over five days in late February, has been suspended until […]

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CNBC Daily Open: Rubio reassures Europe while U.S. CPI calms investors
World

CNBC Daily Open: Rubio reassures Europe while U.S. CPI calms investors

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio gives a thumbs up as he departs Munich International Airport in Munich, southern Germany, on February 15, 2026, after attending the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Alex Brandon | Afp | Getty Images U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided comforting words for Europe on Saturday at the Munich Security […]

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ByteDance says it will add safeguards to Seedance 2.0 following Hollywood backlash
Technology

ByteDance says it will add safeguards to Seedance 2.0 following Hollywood backlash

Signage at a ByteDance offices in Beijing, China, on June 30, 2023.  Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Chinese tech giant ByteDance has said it will strengthen safeguards on a new artificial intelligence video-making tool, following complaints of copyright theft from entertainment giants.  The tool, Seedance 2.0, enables users to create realistic videos based on […]

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Deutsche Bank warns AI risks in U.S. equities is undermining dollar’s safe haven status
World

Deutsche Bank warns AI risks in U.S. equities is undermining dollar’s safe haven status

The dollar’s traditional safe-haven status is being challenged by high exposure to AI in U.S. equities, according to Deutsche Bank. Investors typically take flight to the dollar when stocks are falling, but that’s no longer the case, said George Saravelos, global head of FX research at the German bank. “It is often taken as fact […]

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Crypto is playing a growing role in human trafficking networks, report shows
World

Crypto is playing a growing role in human trafficking networks, report shows

Andrew Paterson | Photographer’s Choice RF | Getty Images Cryptocurrency payments to suspected human trafficking syndicates surged 85% in 2025, with hundreds of millions of transactions traced on public blockchains, according to a new report by Chainalysis. The U.S.-based blockchain analytics firm said most of the activity was linked to an expanding criminal ecosystem in […]

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Much ado about nothing? TikTok’s U.S. usership steadies after turbulent start
Technology

Much ado about nothing? TikTok’s U.S. usership steadies after turbulent start

The TikTok Inc. sign in front of the building on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 in Culver City, CA. Kayla Bartkowski | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images TikTok’s U.S. joint venture seems to have survived a turbulent rollout with minimal change in usership, as early narratives of a mass user exodus prompted by service outages […]

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Here’s how much athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics get for winning medals
World

Here’s how much athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics get for winning medals

Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics – Preview – Livigno, Italy – February 2, 2026 General view of the Olympic rings ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Marko Djurica | Reuters For athletes at the ongoing 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, a podium finish can mean more than glory and a medal. In some countries, […]

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Japan’s economy avoids technical recession, but fourth-quarter rebound misses expectations
World

Japan’s economy avoids technical recession, but fourth-quarter rebound misses expectations

Pedestrians stand in front of an electronic quotation board displaying the numbers of the Nikkei Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on Feb. 3, 2026. Kazuhiro Nogi | Afp | Getty Images Japan’s economy grew 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with the previous three months, narrowly avoiding a technical […]

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Australia’s Qube Holdings’ shares jump to record high on Macquarie-led .3 billion takeover deal
World

Australia’s Qube Holdings’ shares jump to record high on Macquarie-led $8.3 billion takeover deal

The Macquarie Group Ltd. logo is displayed on the facade of the Macquarie Group Building in Sydney, Australia, on Friday, April 27, 2012. Ian Waldie | Bloomberg via Getty Images Shares of Australia’s Qube Holdings jumped to a record high Monday after the ports and logistics company agreed to be taken over by a consortium […]

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