The Business Desk covers markets, the economy and the companies shaping it. Its articles are researched and drafted with AI assistance, and every one is reviewed by a named editor before publication.
Edited by Lasse Pedersen
VitalFluid, a spin-out from Eindhoven University of Technology, has closed a €17.2 million Series A round to expand plasma-activated water technology as a residue-free alternative to chemical fungicides.
Nvidia issued its first-ever year-ahead forecast, predicting revenue growth far outpacing analyst expectations, while defending its financing arrangements with AI customers against accusations of circular dealing.
Meta Platforms has settled with a coalition of 29 US states midway through a federal trial in California, agreeing to pay billions and change how Instagram and Facebook treat young users.
Beijing says it will defend Chinese companies after Washington sanctioned nearly 60 entities tied to Iran's oil trade, including firms in Hong Kong and mainland China.
Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller has publicly attacked his former protégé, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, over a plan to buy back more long-term government bonds, calling it an attempt to manage prices rather than markets.
The fast-fashion retailer will list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 1 September, at a valuation far below the $100bn it once commanded, after repeated failed attempts to go public in New York and London.
Economists expected Donald Trump's 2025 tariffs to shrink world trade. Instead, the World Trade Organization has repeatedly revised its growth forecast upward, as businesses rerouted shipments rather than abandoned them.
Both Iberian countries are building far fewer homes than their growing populations need, driving up prices and rents and fuelling street protests. Immigration-led population growth, planning bureaucracy and high construction costs are all cited as causes.
Apple has replaced its controversial per-install fee with a flat 5% commission for apps sold outside its App Store, in a move it says resolves its dispute with EU regulators over the Digital Markets Act.
China's record crude reserves and falling oil demand helped steady prices after the Strait of Hormuz was closed, according to US government estimates. Analysts say the episode revealed a deeper shift toward energy self-sufficiency and electrification.
The London-based fintech, known for banking without branches, is opening a branded lounge at Copenhagen Airport in 2027, the first in a planned European network.
An investigation by the Guardian has found Microsoft has far fewer advanced AI chips installed than its public statements imply. The company disputes the newspaper's figures but has not said which numbers are wrong.
Fraudsters are using publicly available AI image-analysis tools to work out where holiday photos were taken, then send convincing fake bank alerts referencing that location. Security researchers say the technique is now accurate enough to fool even cautious travellers.
A new Financial Times poll finds most American voters feel worse off financially under Donald Trump, with Democrats now leading Republicans on the economy just months before November's midterm elections.
Ten years after abandoning its once-iconic handsets, the Canadian company has turned itself into a supplier of car software and cybersecurity tools, with customers including automakers, NATO and European governments.
After Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz in February 2026, Beijing leaned harder into clean energy while Washington doubled down on oil and gas. The split is reshaping the global energy map.
Anthropic has published technical detail on the invisible watermark now embedded in text and code generated by its Claude chatbot, a measure driven by the EU AI Act. The company says the mark can survive light editing but does not alter the substance of what Claude produces.
Shipping companies are paying more than $1 million, and in some cases up to $4 million, to jump the queue at the Panama Canal. The surge follows the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a new El Niño-driven drought.
The US Treasury sold $25bn of 30-year bonds at a yield of 5.216%, the most expensive long-term borrowing since 2001, as investors demand greater compensation for persistent inflation and a widening deficit.
From this week, French companies can no longer cold-call consumers without permission. Violations carry fines of up to €375,000 for firms.
The US State Department has concluded a settlement with the British defence company's US subsidiary over breaches of arms export rules. Half the penalty will be suspended if BAE strengthens its compliance programme.
Bengaluru-based Yulu has secured $93 million to grow its rental fleet fourfold to 200,000 electric two-wheelers, as India's rapid grocery and parcel delivery apps push demand for gig-worker transport.
River AI, founded by former xAI co-founder Igor Babuschkin, has raised $1.1 billion in seed and Series A funding barely four months after incorporation. The Palo Alto startup wants companies and eventually individuals to train and own custom AI models rather than rent general-purpose ones.
Greenland's government has told Greenland Energy, a Texas company with ties to Donald Trump, that it cannot obtain drilling permits in time for its planned start date. The decision pushes back a project the US president's envoy had said could produce oil within a year.