China has overtaken the United States as Germany’s largest trading partner in 2025.Total trade between Germany and China reached €251bn, according to official figures.Trade with the US fell to €240bn after a 5% decline. Germany imported €170.6bn in goods from China but exported only €81.3bn.The growing imbalance highlights Berlin’s continued dependence on Chinese manufacturing. Friedrich Merz will travel to Beijing for his first visit since taking office.He is scheduled to meet Xi Jinping and Li Qiang for talks on trade, Ukraine and human rights. Germany’s car industry remains deeply tied to the Chinese market.Companies such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen…
Author: Andrew Rogers
Andrew Rogers
Andrew Rogers is a freelance journalist based in the USA, with over 10 years of experience covering Politics, World Affairs, Business, Health, Technology, Finance, Lifestyle, and Culture. He earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Florida. Throughout his career, he has contributed to outlets such as The New York Times, CNN, and Reuters. Known for his clear reporting and in-depth analysis, Andrew delivers accurate and timely news that keeps readers informed on both national and international developments.
OpenAI said it debated alerting the Royal Canadian Mounted Police months before a deadly school shooting in British Columbia.The company had flagged the ChatGPT account of Jesse Van Rootselaar in June for possible violent activity. After reviewing the case, OpenAI concluded the content did not show an imminent or credible threat.Its policy requires clear evidence of a near-term risk of serious harm before contacting law enforcement.The attack later left eight people dead in Tumbler Ridge, and the 18-year-old died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Following the shooting, OpenAI contacted the RCMP and shared information about the account.Police said the suspect…
Amazon’s cloud division suffered outages last year that were reportedly triggered by its own AI systems.One disruption in December lasted 13 hours after an AI agent deleted and recreated part of its environment. AWS said the incidents were limited and only one affected customer-facing services.The company described the problem as user error caused by misconfigured access controls, not AI failure. The outages have renewed concern about heavy reliance on a small number of cloud providers.AWS runs large parts of the internet and holds major public-sector contracts. The issue comes as Andy Jassy pushes efficiency measures and job cuts.Amazon announced 16,000…
Airbus has suggested splitting Europe’s next-generation fighter project into two separate aircraft.The proposal aims to break a long dispute with Dassault Aviation over leadership of the €100bn Future Combat Air System. The FCAS programme also includes drones and a combat data cloud.Airbus represents Germany and Spain, while Dassault leads the French side.Disagreements over design and control have repeatedly delayed progress. Chief executive Guillaume Faury said a dual-fighter approach could protect Europe’s defence ambitions.German chancellor Friedrich Merz recently questioned whether the planned nuclear-capable jet suits Germany’s needs. Partner nations must soon decide whether to continue with the fighter element.Airbus said the…
Leading alpine skiers have raised alarm over rapidly shrinking glaciers during the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo.Lindsey Vonn said many glaciers she trained on as a child have already disappeared.Mikaela Shiffrin called the changes a “front-row view” of climate impact on their sport. Scientists report that Italy has lost more than 200 square kilometres of glacier area since the late 1950s.Glaciers near Cortina have shrunk dramatically and some no longer meet the minimum size for monitoring projects.The Marmolada, the largest glacier in the Dolomites, has halved in 25 years and could mostly vanish by 2034 under current warming. Athletes say…
Senior UK bank executives will meet this week to begin creating a domestic payments network to rival Visa and Mastercard.The project aims to protect the economy if access to US-owned systems is disrupted. The talks will be chaired by Vim Maru of Barclays and funded by major City institutions.The government supports the plan, while the Bank of England is preparing the technical framework. About 95% of UK card payments currently run through Visa and Mastercard.Executives warn that losing those networks would force a return to a cash-based economy.Sanctions that cut Russia off from the systems highlighted the potential risk. The…
Volkswagen aims to cut costs by 20% by 2028 as part of a new restructuring plan.Plant closures are reportedly under consideration to secure long-term profitability. Chief executive Oliver Blume and finance chief Arno Antlitz outlined the savings drive to senior managers.The move responds to weak sales, high costs and the rapid expansion of Chinese carmakers in Europe. An earlier overhaul already included 35,000 job cuts by 2030 and a €10bn savings target.The company says previous measures have produced savings in the double-digit billions and helped absorb geopolitical pressures. EU data showing a growing trade deficit with China has intensified concern…
Drugmakers are racing to shift weight-loss treatment from injections to tablets.The change could expand access and push the market toward a projected $200bn value. Novo Nordisk recently launched the first daily oral version of Wegovy in the US.The pill mimics the same GLP-1 hormone targeted by popular injections.Early prescription numbers suggest strong demand.Patients cite convenience, lower cost and no need for refrigeration. Rival Eli Lilly is preparing to release its own pill, orforglipron.Competition between the two companies is intensifying as obesity rates climb globally.Analysts expect broader insurance coverage to further increase uptake. Injections still produce greater weight loss in trials.However,…
Driver unrest dominated Formula One’s second pre-season test in Bahrain.Several top drivers openly criticised the sweeping new regulations. Verstappen called the new Red Bull “anti-racing”.He said complex energy management makes the car “not fun to drive”.He compared it to “Formula E on steroids”.He suggested he could leave the sport if he stops enjoying racing. Lewis Hamilton echoed the concerns.He said the new systems are too complex for fans.He argued drivers need near-expert knowledge to manage the cars properly. The 2026 rules introduce new engines, chassis and tyres.Engines now split power almost evenly between combustion and electric systems.Drivers must carefully control…
US inflation fell to 2.4% in January after last year’s tariff-driven price swings. The consumer price index rose 0.2% for the month, while core inflation increased 0.3%. Economists had expected a slight decline to 2.5%. Inflation reached 2.3% last April, climbed to 3% in September, and ended the year at 2.7%. The White House said its policies continue to control prices and dismissed concerns about tariff-related spikes. Investors now watch the Federal Reserve for signals on interest rates ahead of its March meeting. Fed chair Jerome Powell expects tariff effects to cause a temporary rise in goods prices before stabilizing…