Economics
EU leaders met in Antwerp to pursue a "Made in Europe" industrial strategy to boost competitiveness and strategic autonomy amid US and Chinese pressure, while the ECB urged eurobonds.
The U.S. economy added 130,000 jobs in January and the unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, beating economists’ forecasts, official data showed.
President Donald Trump said on U.S. television he raised tariffs on Swiss imports from 30% to 39% after a phone call in which he called Karin Keller-Sutter "very aggressive."
A majority in the U.S. House rejected Speaker Mike Johnson's attempt to block votes, clearing the way for lawmakers to vote to cancel President Trump's Canada tariffs.
AI-powered startups and autonomous agents drove sharp declines in European wealth-manager and broker stocks, rattling financial markets and fueling concern about job displacement and industry disruption.
The European Parliament approved a €90 billion loan to Ukraine to fund weapons purchases against Russia, while far-right MEP Jordan Bardella opposed it, citing excessive procurement exemptions and repayment assumptions.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni aligned and opposed French President Emmanuel Macron’s calls for joint EU borrowing and “preference européenne” ahead of an EU summit.
European heavy industries pressed EU leaders at an industry summit to secure discounts on climate-related CO2 costs, and the European Commission said it would consider revising the market.
German auto companies shifted production abroad, threatening domestic jobs as Paris urged tougher China protections while Berlin hesitated, industry groups and officials said.
On Equal Pay Day, Feb. 11, Austria’s government announced further steps to tackle a roughly 12% gender pay gap, while critics called the campaign largely symbolic.
Heineken announced it would cut up to 6,000 jobs globally over the next two years as falling beer demand prompted a companywide cost‑cutting drive.
Lufthansa called announced strikes in Germany a "completely unnecessary escalation" ahead of Thursday, saying its Swiss, Austrian, ITA, Brussels, Eurowings and Discover units likely would not be affected.
Germany recorded nearly 500 million overnight stays in 2025, a new record driven mainly by domestic travelers despite a decline in foreign guests.
Alphabet issued a rare 100-year bond on global markets to fund its AI expansion, drawing strong investor demand as it raised billions across multiple currencies.
Lufthansa pilots and flight attendants struck Thursday, grounding Lufthansa, Lufthansa CityLine and Cargo flights and disrupting services to Zurich, Basel and Geneva, citing disputes over pensions and working conditions.
Commerzbank raised its 2026 profit target to fend off UniCredit’s takeover bid after reporting near‑record 2025 results, CEO Bettina Orlopp said.
A new AI application surprised investors and sent shares of European asset managers and brokers sharply lower, market analysts said.
Bitcoin, gold and major technology stocks plunged across global markets, erasing a recent rally and rattling investors as steep losses wiped out gains and prompted further selling.
