Business

President Trump told Reuters he finds Reza Pahlavi 'very nice' but said he is unsure whether Iranians would accept him as a leader; protests are ongoing in Iran and no clear successor to the current leadership has emerged.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is meeting in Europe to build support for a new NBA-FIBA league, while the EuroLeague has warned it may take legal action over licensed clubs.

UBS says income investors should diversify income sources because it expects higher volatility and tight credit spreads; the firm highlights bonds, private credit and structured products as potential income sources.

Vintage photos trace a shift from early 1900s department stores that sold necessities like food and home goods to a modern retail landscape where many luxury chains are struggling; the article reports that Saks Global filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday.

Initial claims for state jobless benefits fell to 198,000 last week, below economists' expectations of 212,000, and the four-week moving average declined to 205,000.

A Forbes piece tours BMW UK's heritage fleet and highlights four cars — the 3.0 CSL 'Batmobile', M1, Z1 and E39 M5 — describing their histories, specifications and the author's driving impressions.

Mortgage rates fell to just above 6%, the lowest level in more than three years, after a White House-directed $200 billion mortgage bond purchase by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; home sales rose more than 5% in December.

Federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve's $2.5 billion headquarters renovation and the Justice Department subpoenaed the Fed; Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the move raised concerns about the central bank's independence.

Analysts hold mixed views on Ferrari — HSBC has downgraded the stock while UBS and Bernstein keep more positive stances — and investors are awaiting the company's 2025 results and guidance on February 10.

A court filing and Education Department figures show more than 800,000 federal student loan borrowers remain in a backlog for income-driven repayment transfers or Public Service Loan Forgiveness buyback decisions, with 734,221 and 83,370 cases pending at the end of December, respectively.

Goldman Sachs reported Q4 net income of $4.6 billion and Morgan Stanley reported Q4 net income of $4.4 billion, with both firms citing strong 2025 dealmaking and higher equity trading fees.

Fluence will supply its Gridstack Pro energy storage system for the Pioneer Clean Energy Center in Yuma County, Arizona, which pairs a 300 MW AC solar facility with a 300 MW / 1,200 MWh battery and is expected to begin commercial operation by April 2027.

Reports say lithium demand is accelerating in 2026 as electric vehicles and battery storage scale, while supply is tightening and analysts expect a shift toward deficit. US Critical Metals announced 2026 exploration plans at its McDermitt East project near the Thacker Pass district.

A Catapult Learning white paper reports that its high-impact tutoring model produced measurable gains in math and reading for participating K-12 students and that the program meets ESSA Level 2 evidence standards and has earned the NSSA Tutoring Program Design Badge.

Propanc Biopharma described its PRP proenzyme candidate and said it plans to begin Phase I/II clinical trials in 2026; the article notes the FDA granted PRP Orphan Drug Designation in 2017.

The Social Security Administration reports the average Social Security benefit at age 65 is $1,583 per month. Fidelity reports an average 401k balance of $252,800 for people ages 65 to 69, which the article notes would yield about $10,100 in a first-year withdrawal under a 4% rule.

Credit scores can vary because different bureaus and scoring models use different data and weight factors differently; the article recommends focusing on which score band you fall into (poor, good, very good, excellent) rather than the exact three-digit number.

BlackRock's fourth-quarter net income fell 33% to $1.13 billion, and assets under management topped $14 trillion for the first time.

An analysis from Trust & Will identifies ten U.S. metropolitan areas where job growth, wages and housing supply have moved more closely into balance, which can give millennials greater flexibility when weighing career and housing choices.

Kenya has started bilateral trade talks with China after being excluded from Beijing's duty- and quota-free list, and officials say a preliminary arrangement allows 98.2% zero-duty market access for Kenyan goods.

Bank Indonesia added Governor Perry Warjiyo as a signatory to an online statement supporting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, becoming the first Southeast Asian central bank reported to do so; other central banks including the ECB and Bank of England had expressed support earlier.

UK GDP grew 0.3% in November, helped by a rebound in industrial output after a Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack; car manufacturing rose about 26% month-on-month.

Top advertised CD yields on January 15, 2026 reached 4.94% for a jumbo six‑month CD, while average APYs across common terms remain notably lower and continue to track Federal Reserve policy.

The Indian Navy's hand-stitched wooden sailing vessel INSV Kaundinya reached Muscat after a 17-day voyage and received a water salute. The ship was built with traditional techniques using coir-stitched planks, has no engine, and sails under square canvas.

Gov. Josh Green appointed Jon Itomura to chair the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission; the appointment is immediate and is subject to state Senate confirmation with a public hearing.

The College Football Hall of Fame announced 22 new inductees — 18 former players and four coaches — including Marvin Harrison, Aaron Donald, Mark Ingram and Ndamukong Suh.

OpenAI announced a deal with Cerebras to provide 750 megawatts of computing power through 2028, reported to be worth over $10 billion; Cerebras previously withdrew an IPO prospectus and said it will refile with updated financials and strategy information.

President Trump said he had a "very good call" with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez in which they discussed oil, minerals, trade and national security; Rodriguez described the call as productive and plans to send an envoy to Washington while Trump is set to meet opposition leader María Corina Machado the following day.

Nick Taylor is back at Waialae Country Club to defend his Sony Open title, and players say planned schedule changes for 2027 could affect whether the Hawaii swing continues.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' December Consumer Price Index showed core goods were flat for the month while services continued to rise, and overall annual inflation was reported at 2.7 percent.