Firms

• Secondo le proposte dell'ente regolatore dell'aviazione, aziende concorrenti potrebbero presentare offerte per progettare e costruire parti dell'espansione aeroportuale • Heathrow potrebbe essere costretto a consentire ad altre società di progettare e costruire la sua terza pista e un nuovo terminal, dopo che l'ente regolatore dell'aviazione del Regno Unito ha sostenuto che le gare d'appalto potrebbero contenere i costi di costruzione. • Una revisione attesa da tempo della Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) propone modifiche al modello normativo che disciplina come Heathrow gestisce e copre i propri costi. Continua a leggere...

• Il Senato ha confermato Kevin Warsh come presidente della Federal Reserve, risolvendo uno stallo di settimane riguardante le richieste dei Repubblicani di indagare sulla condotta dell'uscente Jerome Powell. • La conferma di Warsh rappresenta un cambiamento significativo nella leadership della Federal Reserve, mentre l'amministrazione dà priorità a una nuova direzione politica economica in mezzo alle crescenti preoccupazioni per l'inflazione. • La conferma elimina un importante collo di bottiglia partitico che aveva ritardato le decisioni sulla leadership della banca centrale durante un periodo di elevati costi aziendali e pressioni sui prezzi al consumo.

Warsh ricoprirà il mandato quadriennale da presidente, assumendo l'incarico in un contesto di inflazione crescente e pressioni da parte di Trump per abbassare i tassi.

• Il Segretario all'Energia Chris Wright ha dichiarato a 'Face the Nation' che l'esercito statunitense ha sospeso l'operazione di scorta navale nello Stretto di Hormuz dopo che l'Iran ha richiesto un arresto per perseguire i colloqui di pace. • Il Presidente Trump ha annunciato l'operazione la scorsa settimana in mezzo al blocco dell'Iran, ma l'ha sospesa due giorni dopo in seguito al segnale di Teheran di 'concludere un accordo'. • La sospensione sostiene un fragile cessate il fuoco, con gli Stati Uniti che ora sgomberano lo stretto senza scorte attive, mirando a ridurre le tensioni.

• Chinese semiconductor equipment makers CCtech and Nextool Technology are deepening presence in SEA's OSAT centers as Malaysia and Singapore emerge as packaging and testing hubs. • Expansion driven by global supply chain shifts, southbound strategies, surging AI demand, and power electronics growth. • The moves signal a new upcycle for test and packaging equipment amid regional semiconductor boom.

Iran war is driving up prices for fuel and raw materials, says survey Business live – latest updatesConstruction companies in the UK are experiencing some of the sharpest cost rises in nearly 30 years as the war in Iran drives up prices for fuel and raw materials, according to a closely watched survey.The poll of UK construction companies found that input cost inflation – which accounts for expenses such as raw materials, energy and labour – rose last month to the highest level since June 2022 when there was a spike in commodity prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

• India announced it will continue banning bilateral sports events with Pakistan while permitting Pakistani athletes to compete in multilateral tournaments hosted in India. • The policy shift aims to position New Delhi as a global sports hub, as stated in an official release from New Delhi on Thursday. • This comes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, balancing diplomacy with national security concerns in sports diplomacy.

Partnership between top startup DeepL and Amazon comes amid concern about Silicon Valley’s monopoly over digital infrastructureAI companies in Europe risk losing their world-leading status in the field of machine translation, industry figures have said, after the decision by one of the continent’s leading startups to partner with Amazon’s cloud computing division provoked alarm.While businesses in the EU have generally lagged behind the US and China in AI adoption, a small group of European companies have cornered the global market for high-quality machine translations for professional use. Continue reading...

• Spyware detections against Singapore organisations more than doubled in 2025, marking the sharpest increase in the region amid escalating cyber threats. • Southeast Asia recorded an 18% rise in spyware attacks during the same period, indicating a broader regional vulnerability trend. • The surge underscores growing cybersecurity risks for businesses across the region and highlights the need for enhanced defensive measures and threat intelligence.

FCA focuses on marketing, misleading ads, unfair exit fees and people being signed up without their permissionThe City regulator has launched a review of claims management companies amid concerns that firms are misleading victims of financial scandals, such as car finance, about their compensation.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said some companies were pursuing “aggressive marketing, misleading advertising and unfair exit fees”. Continue reading...

• Indian cybersecurity companies are deploying in-house AI agents built on large language models to combat threats. • These AI agents reduce software vulnerability detection and remediation times from days to hours. • The acceleration matches attackers' machine-speed operations, where human response windows shrink to near zero.

• Moody's has identified India as one of the most resilient economies globally, demonstrating strong market stability through recent international financial disruptions without significant capital market access constraints. • The rating agency noted that India maintained limited and short-lived movements in sovereign credit spreads, contained currency depreciation, and stable bond yield volatility during episodes of global stress. • India's central bank and institutional framework successfully anchored investor confidence and smoothed currency volatility, setting it apart from weaker peer economies facing similar external pressures.

Agreements with Microsoft, Google DeepMind and xAI focus largely on recognizing cybersecurity, biosecurity and chemical weapons risksThe US government has struck deals with Google DeepMind, Microsoft and xAI to review early versions of their new AI models before they are released to the public.The Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), part of the US Department of Commerce, announced the agreements on Tuesday, saying the review process would be key to understanding the capabilities of new and powerful AI models as well as to protecting US national security. These collaborations will help the federal government “scale (its) work in the public interest at a critical moment”, the agency said in a press release. Continue reading...

• Indian companies have invested $16.4 billion in the United States, supporting 70,800 jobs, demonstrating India's growing role as a source of foreign direct investment. • The investment figures were highlighted at the SelectUSA Investment Summit, where additional Indian deals are expected to be announced, reflecting continued expansion of India Inc. into US markets. • These investments span technology, manufacturing, and services sectors, strengthening bilateral economic ties and positioning Indian firms as significant employers in North America.

President says US navy will ‘guide’ stranded ships out of waterway but report says warship was hit by IranMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe world’s shipping industry has questioned if vessels will be able to travel safely to and from the Gulf after Donald Trump announced his latest plan to open the strait of Hormuz.The US president wrote on Monday that the navy would “guide” stranded ships out of the waterway, writing on his social media site Truth Social that the operation, “Project Freedom”, would be a humanitarian gesture “on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran”. Continue reading...

• Singaporean semiconductor and electronics firms are accelerating plans to open or expand manufacturing and R&D facilities in the United States, driven by surging global demand for AI chips and US incentives to onshore critical supply chains. • Reports indicate that several Singapore‑listed chip‑assembly and test companies are evaluating sites in Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico, where state and federal subsidies could cover up to 40% of capital expenditure under the US CHIPS Act framework. • Industry executives told local media that geopolitical pressure on Taiwan and China is prompting customers to diversify production away from high‑risk hubs, turning Singapore‑based firms into key intermediaries in global AI hardware networks.

• India's top 10 most valued companies added a combined Rs 2.20 lakh crore in market capitalisation during a holiday-shortened week, with the BSE Sensex climbing 249.29 points or 0.32 per cent. • Reliance Industries emerged as the biggest gainer, adding Rs 1,39,655.8 crore to reach Rs 19,36,303.30 crore, while Bharti Airtel surged Rs 43,503.51 crore to Rs 11,49,222.13 crore and TCS gained Rs 27,569.83 crore. • Six of the top-10 firms faced a combined valuation erosion of Rs 1.24 lakh crore, with HDFC Bank, SBI, ICICI Bank, L&T, HUL, and LIC all declining during the volatile trading environment.

Exclusive: Brainchild of Dominic Cummings, Aria is aimed at funding ‘crazy’ scientific projects to benefit the UKBritain’s “invention agency” has pledged £50m of UK taxpayer money to US tech companies and venture capital projects.Dreamed up by Dominic Cummings to fund “crazy” ideas, the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) is meant to “restore Britain’s place as a scientific superpower”. Continue reading...

• Mainland Chinese companies surged to second-largest investors in Singapore's fixed assets in 2025, capturing 21% of S$14.16 billion (US$11.07 billion) total, up from 2.5% the prior year amid the city-state's safe-haven appeal. • Key deals included CNQC Realty (Prime), Forsea Residence, and Jianan Realty Investments buying a 145,500 sq ft Dover Drive site for S$951 million in Q1 2026, projected to yield 625 residential units. • Europe held top spot at 25% while US share dropped to 17.3% from 55.5%; other transactions featured SingHaiyi Group and Haiyi Holdings acquiring Bayshore Road parcel for S$658.9 million (515 units) and Qingjian Realty group's S$315 million Media Circle buy (345 flats).

Insolvency firm points to tax rises, staff costs and shaky consumer confidence after number increases to 62,193The number of UK businesses in “critical financial distress” has risen by more than a third over the past year, according to insolvency practitioners, as companies contend with a “slew of increased taxes” and the impact of the Middle East conflict.Hospitality and leisure firms have been faring particularly badly because of shaky consumer confidence, and rising taxes and staff costs, according to research by the restructuring company Begbies Traynor. Continue reading...

Utility bills are up as much as 40% in some regions, and companies shut off power to customers 13m times in 2025The US’s top utilities’ CEOs enjoyed a 16% pay raise last year – to an average of $12.3m – even as consumers shoulder the pain from high bills spurred by continuing inflation, the Iran war and datacenter growth, a new review of industry financial documents shows.Utility bills are up as much as 40% in some regions since 2021, and, nationwide, utilities shut off power to customers 13m times last year, federal data shows. Continue reading...

Climate group calls for urgent windfall tax on excess fossil fuel profits, as delegates tell Colombia conference their nations are sufferingThe Middle East oil and gas crunch will impose as much as a trillion dollars of additional costs on the global economy while petroleum companies rake in spectacular profits from elevated fuel prices, analysis has revealed.The uneven distribution of risk and reward comes amid rising concern that the US-Israeli attack on Iran is worsening inequality, poverty and hunger across a world that has become dangerously dependent on fossil fuels. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration pledges a crackdown on Chinese companies exploiting American-made AI models, focusing on national security risks. • Officials singled out China for foreign tech firms' unauthorized use of US AI technologies, vowing stricter enforcement measures. • The initiative aims to protect US intellectual property and prevent adversarial nations from leveraging American innovations in AI development.

• An undisclosed major corporation reported a significant top and bottom line beat, demonstrating stronger-than-expected financial performance in its latest earnings announcement. • The company reaffirmed its full-year earnings forecast and reiterated long-term growth targets of 9% annual growth through 2027, followed by growth from 2027 through 2030. • The earnings beat and maintained guidance suggest management confidence in sustained profitability and operational execution.

Britain’s cybersecurity agency says companies must step up vigilance to prevent espionage attacksBusiness live – latest updatesBritish businesses are being urged to step up their vigilance against a China-linked hacking ploy that uses everyday devices for espionage.The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and agencies in nine other countries have warned of persistent attempts by Beijing-backed groups to hack equipment such as wifi routers to launch cyber-attacks. Continue reading...

The campaign, fronted by a CGI squirrel, is part of government initiative to boost financial risk taking, amid fears UK growth is being stymiedNils Pratley: the ‘Savvy Squirrel looks a hit too tame’City firms are pinning their hopes on a government-endorsed advertising blitz fronted by a finance “savvy” CGI squirrel to encourage cautious British savers to shift out of cash and start investing.The long-awaited retail investment campaign, which will cost up to £50m, is part of the chancellor Rachel Reeves’ nationwide push to encourage more financial risk taking, amid fears risk-averse consumers are losing out and ultimately stymying UK growth. Continue reading...

News follows Guardian report on licence given to British firm exporting machinery to Armenian firm linked to Russian war effortBritish firms will face “much tougher” controls to prevent their goods from reaching Russia via other countries, undermining sanctions and aiding Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine.Under plans to be unveiled on Wednesday, the government will be able to require UK manufacturers to obtain a licence if they want to export to a country suspected of acting as a staging post for exports ultimately destined for Russia. Continue reading...

Campaigners say banks and web platforms are being told to collect data on customers visiting blocked sitesMajor Russian companies have been conscripted into a “witch-hunt” against users trying to circumvent online controls, researchers have said, as the Kremlin continues trying to cut its citizens off from the global internet.Banks and web platforms are collecting data on users of virtual private networks (VPN) tools, which obscure an individual’s real location and allow them to access sites blocked in Russia, according to an investigation by RKS global, an advocacy group for internet freedoms. Continue reading...