Business

Employers announced 35,553 layoffs in December, the fewest monthly total since July 2024, while hiring plans for the month rose to 10,496, Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported.

Netflix screened the 'Stranger Things' finale in theaters and reportedly earned about $30 million over two days; the event has highlighted the company's changing approach to theatrical releases.

China has restricted exports of rare earths and rare-earth magnets to Japan, and Japan's vice foreign minister has formally asked China to withdraw the measures.

About 86% of Hang Seng Bank's minority shareholders voted to approve HSBC's $14 billion buyout, and the bank's Hong Kong listing is expected to be withdrawn at 4 p.m. local time on Jan. 27.

A U-Haul analysis placed California last on its 2025 Growth Index for the sixth consecutive year, and the company said the state's net loss in 2025 was smaller than in 2024.

Ford announced plans to introduce eyes-off driving technology on a roughly $30,000 all-electric vehicle in 2028 and says the system will be built on its upcoming Universal EV platform; a midsize pickup on that platform is planned for 2027.

President Trump said the US role in Venezuela could last "much longer" than a year, and Venezuelan officials reported about 100 people were killed during a US operation that removed President Nicolás Maduro, who was taken to New York to face charges.

Tesco reported a 3.3% rise in like-for-like sales in the UK and Ireland over the six weeks to January 3, and said its UK grocery market share reached 28.7% for the three months to December 28, rising to 29.4% in December.

JetBlue will operate seasonal nonstop service from Bradley to Los Angeles June–September, and Aer Lingus will resume nonstop flights to Dublin in March; Bradley added routes in 2025 and now lists more than 40 nonstop destinations.

Nineteen states raised their minimum wage this month, affecting an estimated 8.3 million workers. Some states and cities now set hourly rates well above the $7.25 federal minimum.

Associated British Foods warned it expects group adjusted operating profit and earnings per share to be lower than last year after Primark reported weak holiday sales and the food arm delivered mixed results.

Activist investor Boaz Weinstein's Saba Capital asked why Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust did not disclose an October sell-down of SpaceX holdings and whether the sale related to a proposed merger; a shareholder vote on board replacement is set for Jan. 20 and Saba has asked for answers by Jan. 9.

Absa's PMI fell to 40.5 in December from 42 in November, marking a near six-year low, while inventories and the employment gauge both declined amid weak domestic demand.

Anti-aircraft guns were fired at unidentified drones above the al-Maashiq presidential palace in Aden, and the city was reported calm afterward, security sources said; the episode took place amid tensions between UAE-backed separatists and Yemen's internationally recognized government.

A group of 14 bullion dealers will upgrade online systems within three to six months to allow dollar-denominated gold trading, and the Bank of Thailand has agreed to work with commercial banks to ease currency conversions as part of the plan.

A sharp fall in the rial and surging prices for basic goods prompted widespread protests beginning in late December, and officials have both ordered security actions and acknowledged governance failures. The government announced it will end foreign-exchange subsidies and increase subsidies for essential goods.

Rightmove recorded its busiest-ever Boxing Day for visits as enquiries to estate agents rose 67% in the five days after Christmas and new property listings increased 143% over the same period.

Halifax reports UK house prices fell 0.6% in December to £297,755 and annual growth slowed to 0.3%; the lender says mortgage costs easing and reduced tax uncertainty could support modest gains in 2026.

The FTSE 100 closed above 10,000 for the first time, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average reached about 49,221 as US and Asian markets also moved higher amid shifts in oil, copper and tech sectors.

Cambodian authorities say they arrested three Chinese nationals, including businessman Chen Zhi, and extradited them to China; Prince Bank, linked to his Prince Group, has been suspended and placed under liquidation while customers can still withdraw money and repay loans.

A federal law signed by President Trump shifts responsibilities and costs for Medicaid, SNAP and some tax rules to states, prompting budget decisions as legislatures convene in January. SNAP administrative costs move to states on Oct. 1, and some states may later be required to pay benefit costs if error rates exceed 6%.

Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser said the RBA is taking a one- to two-year view on inflation and that Australians have probably seen the final rate cut of the current easing cycle; the bank has held its benchmark rate at 3.60% since August.

U.S. forces removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a raid the White House frames as part of a revived Monroe policy dubbed the 'Donroe Doctrine', and the administration's National Security Strategy asserts a right to deny rival powers control of strategically vital assets.

EB Games has proposed closing all 38 New Zealand stores and its New Zealand distribution centre; the company told employees the proposal is not final and staff have until January 12 to respond.

Chagee is in early talks about a possible Hong Kong share sale that could raise several hundred million dollars, and the company already trades in the US after an April 2025 IPO.

A shooting at Loonie Zoonie Cannabis in Peña Blanca left a woman injured and owner Colin Dana Sandoval was arrested; a preliminary examination is scheduled for Feb. 11.

Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot and killed during an ICE enforcement operation in south Minneapolis on Jan. 7, 2026; federal and local officials have offered differing accounts and the incident is under investigation.

Cambodia arrested and extradited Prince Group chairman Chen Zhi to China at China’s request, and the U.S. Justice Department had earlier charged him with wire fraud and money laundering and said it seized bitcoin it identified as proceeds from scams.

South Korean prosecutors requested arrest warrants for Michael ByungJu Kim and three others in a probe linked to MBK Partners' acquisition and management of Homeplus, and the case was described as involving alleged violations of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act.

Jefferies' fourth-quarter net earnings fell 7.2% to $191 million, and the firm recorded a $30 million pre-tax loss linked to First Brands through its Point Bonita fund.