Author: OMN AI

A volatile start to 2026The year 2026 began amid intense political and economic tension. President Donald Trump threatened decisive action against Iran. The warning followed US forces capturing Venezuela’s leader. His administration opened a criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve chair. Officials also targeted key profit sources at banks and institutional investors. These developments sent shockwaves through global markets. Stocks hold steady despite turmoilInvestors expected a sharp equity selloff. That decline never happened. Traders largely ignored the political chaos. US stock indexes reached record highs early in the week. Prices later fell only slightly. Equity markets remained surprisingly resilient despite…

OpenAI has signed a major $10 billion AI infrastructure deal with chip maker Cerebras. The agreement gives OpenAI access to up to 750 MW of compute power over multiple years. The move is aimed at boosting the performance of OpenAI’s AI models and enhancing overall system capabilities. The deal is one of the largest AI hardware agreements to date. OpenAI will use the high-powered computing resources to train and run advanced AI models more efficiently. This will help the company deliver faster and more capable AI applications across research and commercial products. Cerebras, known for its specialized AI chips and wafer-scale engines,…

BP has warned it will write down between $4bn and $5bn from its green and low-carbon energy businesses as it refocuses on fossil fuels under new chair Albert Manifold. The writedown will mainly affect BP’s gas and transition divisions but is not expected to impact underlying profits when full-year results are published in February. The move reflects BP’s retreat from parts of its renewable strategy, including efforts to sell a stake in its solar arm Lightsource and the cancellation of hydrogen projects in the UK, Oman and Australia. BP shares dipped after the announcement, alongside news that oil trading weakened…

The US government has cleared Nvidia to sell high-performance artificial intelligence chips to China. The Department of Commerce announced the decision on Tuesday. Officials said they reviewed domestic supply levels before acting. The move eases previous export restrictions on critical technology. Washington had blocked the sales over national security concerns. Officials warned the chips could strengthen China’s technology sector and military. The new policy lifts some restrictions under strict conditions. Authorities described the change as careful and controlled. H200 processors cleared for export The approval applies to Nvidia’s H200 processors. The chip ranks as the company’s second-most-advanced AI product. Regulators…

Economic Clashes Take Center StageRising economic tensions between major powers, including sanctions and tariffs, are now considered the top threat to global stability, according to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Risks Report 2026. Released just days before the WEF’s annual meeting in Davos, the report draws on the views of more than 1,300 experts and leaders from business, government, academia, and civil society. The findings place geoeconomic confrontation above other major concerns, including misinformation, societal polarisation, extreme weather, and armed conflict. Half of those surveyed expect the world to face turbulent conditions over the next two years, up sharply…

AI Momentum Fuels Record GrowthAlphabet, the company behind Google, has joined an exclusive club of tech giants by surpassing a $4 trillion market valuation, following Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple. Investor enthusiasm around artificial intelligence has propelled tech stocks to new highs over the past year, with Alphabet seeing its shares rise roughly 75% in 12 months and nearly 7% since January. Apple’s recent announcement that it will incorporate Google’s Gemini AI into Siri added extra momentum, signaling strong confidence in Alphabet’s AI leadership. Battling for the AI EdgeThe AI arms race is heating up, and Google is fighting to maintain…

Diageo is reportedly considering selling its Chinese assets as part of a portfolio review under new chief executive Dave Lewis. The owner of Guinness and Johnnie Walker has enlisted Goldman Sachs and UBS to assess its operations in China, where sales have been declining, according to Bloomberg. Diageo’s holdings include a majority stake in Sichuan Swellfun, a Shanghai-listed producer and distributor of baijiu, whose shares have fallen sharply over the past year. Lewis, who took over on 1 January after leading turnarounds at Unilever and Tesco, is known for aggressive cost-cutting and asset sales. Diageo has already begun reshaping its…

Decision time in Washington President Trump faces a defining choice on Iran. Ten days ago, he warned the United States would step in to protect Iranian protesters if authorities used violence. He said American forces were locked, loaded, and ready to act. At that moment, the crackdown had not fully escalated. Now, reports reveal the full scale of repression. The world watches for Trump’s next move. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said only the president knows his plans. She added the world can keep guessing. Uncertainty now dominates Washington. Observers question how long patience can hold. Military options under…

Same-sex sexual behaviour among non-human primates may help reinforce social bonds and maintain group cohesion during environmental or social stress, according to new research. Writing in Nature Ecology & Evolution, scientists analysed documented cases across 59 primate species, including chimpanzees, Barbary macaques and mountain gorillas, finding the behaviour to be widespread rather than exceptional. The study, co-authored by Prof Vincent Savolainen of Imperial College London, suggests such behaviour is more common in species living in harsher environments, where food is scarce and predation risk is higher. It was also linked to longer lifespans, pronounced size differences between males and females,…

Germany is taking a leading role in advancing the EU’s trade agenda, supporting both the newly approved Mercosur deal with South America and a potential free trade agreement with India. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said this week that European leaders could sign the pact with New Delhi by the end of January, signaling a push to diversify trade ties beyond the US and China. Merz Champions Free Trade with India Speaking during a visit to India, Merz criticized rising protectionist policies worldwide, calling them a threat to “the principles of free trade and open markets.” He suggested that European Commission President…