The U.S. labor market faced its toughest year since the pandemic in 2025, with layoffs soaring to 1.2 million. Economists warn of an 'uncomfortably slow' rebound in 2026, leaving job seekers navigating a landscape of fierce competition and hiring freezes.
The Trump administration's AI Action Plan sets a strategic direction, but analysts argue its success hinges on aggressive private sector investment in workforce training to avoid leaving millions of workers behind in the coming technological shift.
U.S. producer prices rose more than anticipated in December, driven primarily by increasing costs in the services sector. The data suggests businesses are beginning to pass on tariff-related expenses to consumers, potentially signaling a reacceleration of inflationary pressures.
Producer prices rose 0.5% last month, exceeding forecasts and marking the quickest pace in three months, as a sharp jump in services costs offset stable goods prices, signaling persistent inflationary pressures in the pipeline.
A blistering rally in gold and silver came to an abrupt halt Friday, with prices tumbling sharply as market volatility surged and analysts warned the historic run may be entering a precarious phase.
Millions of sole traders and landlords face a fundamental change in how late tax submissions are penalized, as HMRC prepares to replace automatic fines with a points-based regime starting in 2026.
The Eurozone economy expanded by 1.5% in 2025, outpacing forecasts despite ongoing trade tensions with the US, as a recovery in Germany and robust growth in Spain helped offset a slowdown in France.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during a visit to Istanbul, stated Tehran is open to dialogue in principle but has no current plans for negotiations with Washington. The announcement comes amid heightened regional tensions and a Turkish offer to facilitate talks.
As Southeast Asian foreign ministers gather in Cebu, ASEAN reaffirms its commitment to a stalled five-point peace consensus for Myanmar. While acknowledging the plan's failure to halt the civil war, Thai diplomats suggest recent elections—though widely criticized—could offer a new avenue for dialogue and humanitarian access.
After a three-year suspension due to insurgent violence, TotalEnergies and Mozambique have agreed to restart one of Africa's largest natural gas developments, raising hopes for economic transformation amid lingering risks.
Damascus residents face electricity bills exceeding their monthly incomes after a massive government price hike, sparking rare public protests and deepening the crisis for a war-weary population.
Intel's contract chipmaking division is reportedly in advanced discussions with tech giants Nvidia and Apple to manufacture key components starting in 2028, a potential game-changer for the semiconductor industry's supply chain.
Dutch payments giant Adyen is forging ahead with two key partnerships—enabling SNAP EBT payments in the U.S. with Forage and launching embedded solutions in Asia-Pacific with Raptor—as it seeks to reignite growth while its shares languish well below historic highs.
Medtronic secures a key European regulatory nod for its latest pulsed field ablation catheter while deepening its collaboration with Mindray, signaling a strategic push into high-growth areas of cardiac care and ambulatory surgery.
Electro Optic Systems (EOS), the Australian firm behind a landmark high-energy laser contract, is planning a strategic move of its headquarters and listing to Europe within the year, its CEO reveals, aiming to embed itself at the heart of the continent's urgent defence modernisation drive.
A landmark trade agreement secured during Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Beijing will see Chinese import duties on Scotch whisky cut from 10% to 5%, effective immediately. The move, hailed by industry leaders, is projected to inject £250 million into the UK economy and boost competitiveness in a key growth market.
Iran has announced plans to designate the armed forces of European Union member states as terrorist organizations, a direct response to the EU's blacklisting of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The escalation marks a new low in diplomatic relations and raises fears of further regional instability.
In a significant departure from its longstanding position, an Israeli military official has acknowledged a death toll in Gaza close to 70,000, aligning with figures long maintained by Palestinian health authorities. This admission follows over two years of war and persistent international scrutiny over casualty counts.
A campaign-trail proposal to temporarily cap credit card interest at 10% could offer significant savings for millions of borrowers, but experts warn of potential unintended consequences for credit access and long-term financial health.
South Africa has ordered Israel's deputy ambassador to leave the country, declaring him persona non grata in a significant diplomatic escalation reflecting Pretoria's strong stance on the war in Gaza.
