Breaking News Today – Tuesday 10 March 2026

Business News Today 

AMI Labs Raise $1billion In Funding

Yann Lecun’s new AI startup AMI Labs, has raised $1.03 billion in funding, setting a $3.5 billion pre-money valuation. AMI is working on AI world models, an AI training model that learns from visual reality, and not just from language logic as with LLM AI platforms.This category of AI development, has fewer players than generative AI, but this could be shifting rapidly. “My prediction is that ‘world models’ will be the next buzzword,” AMI Labs CEO Alexandre LeBrun stated to media Platform Techcrunch. “In six months, every company will call itself a world model to raise funding.” AMI’s main stated goal is to build intelligent systems that can understand the real world, will possess persistent memory, can reason and plan, and that are controllable and safe.

AMI is developing world models that learn abstract representations of real-world sensor data, ignoring unpredictable details.Action-conditioned world models allow agentic systems to predict the consequences of their actions, and to plan action sequences to accomplish a task, subject to safety guardrails.The startup’s funding round was oversubscribed its significantly, with an initial target set at €500 million . Reports indicate that commitments have climbed to at least $1.5 billion (some sources cite investor interest pushing well beyond the original ask). It’s not a fully closed $1B+ round yet, however the oversubscription means they’ve exceeded that level in pledges.

Trade Surplus In China Grows

China’s trade surplus reached USD 213.62 billion in Jan/Feb of 2026, exceeding market expectations of USD 196.6 billion and following a record surplus of USD 1.189 trillion for the same period in 2025. Exports jumped 21.8% year-on-year to USD 656.58 billion, accelerating from a 6.6% rise in December 2025 beating forecasts of a 7.1% growth. The increase was the highest growth in outbound shipments since October 2021, supported by increased global demand and a strong start to the year.

Imports also climbed rapidly by almost 20% to $442.96 billion (USD), also exceeding lower expectations of a 6.3% increase, and rising rapidly from a 5.7% increase in December. It was the fastest pace of import growth since early 2022, reflecting improved domestic demand during the festive season. China merges their January–February trade data to smooth distortions from shifting Lunar New Year timing, which historically sees slower trade activity.

Angola’s Inflation Continues Downward Trend

Angola’s annual inflation rate fell further to 13.35% in February 2026, the lowest since July 2023, from 14.56% January, helped by the ongoing stability of the kwanza. Price-growth moderated across several categories, primarily food & non-alcoholic beverages (13.55% vs 14.89% in January); alcoholic beverages & tobacco (12.27% vs 13.67%); clothing & footwear (11.61% vs 13%); health (14.24% vs 15.92%) and transportation (18.66% vs 19.07%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose by 0.52%, after a 0.68% increase in the previous month.

The recent sharp rise in global oil prices (driven by geopolitical tensions, including the US-Israel conflict with Iran escalating supply risks) has provided a positive tailwind for the Angolan Kwanza (AOA), by strengthening its FX holdings, although this has been modest and managed rather than dramatic. Angola, as Africa’s third-largest oil producer (after Nigeria and Algeria), relies on crude for around 90% of exports and a major chunk of fiscal revenues.

Currency and Fuel Price Crises in Egypt

The Egyptian pound (EGP), this week has fallen to its lowest level on record, dipping below 52 pounds to the US dollar (USD) for the first time ever on official markets.The sharp depreciation comes as foreign investors have stepped up their exit from Egypt’s local bond markets over the past week during one of the most volatile periods regional economies have seen in years.As the war pitting the United States and Israel against Iran continues to escalate, bank screens in Cairo on Sunday showed the dollar buying at 52.15 Egyptian pounds and selling at 52.25 at major lenders, including Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Bank of Alexandria and Banque Misr.

That level marks a drop of around 4.3% in a single day, and the weakest official rate ever recorded for the Egyptian currency. Yesterday, the USD/EGP exchange rate recovered some lost ground, and rose to 52.7900, up 1.27% from the previous session. Over the past month, the Egyptian Pound has weakened by -12.82%. This has contributed to a sudden Increase in fuel prices on a wide range of fuel products yesterday, as announced by the petroleum ministry. This follows as the region continues to reel from rising global ​oil and gas prices and the disruption of Middle East output from ‌the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Breaking News Shorts:  

• India’s BSE Sensex rose around 0.4% up at 77,852 in morning trade today, rebounding from two sessions of sharp losses, after Asian markets rallied and investor sentiment improved following reports that US President Trump said the Middle East war could end soon.
• Jay Graber, the current CEO of social media platform Bluesky, has decided to step down, and will transition to a new role as Bluesky’s Chief Innovation Officer. Toni Schneider, former CEO of Automattic and partner at True Ventures, has been appointed as interim CEO, while Bluesky’s board searches for a permanent chief executive.
• Stocks in Europe began the week with sharp losses, as both the STOXX 50 and the STOXX 600 fell more than 2%, dropping to their lowest levels since November 2025. The decline was driven largely by another surge in energy markets, with oil prices climbing above $100 per barrel and reigniting concerns about rising inflation. 
• China recorded a trade surplus of 213.62 USD Billion in February of 2026. Balance of Trade in China averaged 18.56 USD Billion from 1981 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 213.62 USD Billion in February of 2026 and a record low of -61.99 USD Billion in February of 2020. 
• Brent crude futures have dropped below $95 per barrel this morning after surging to nearly $120 in the previous session, as US President Donald Trump signalled that the war with Iran may be nearing its end and that the US military operation is progressing well ahead of its initial timetable raising hopes of an end to global oil supply disruptions caused by the military conflict. 

Markets by Numbers 

Currency markets indicate the US dollar retreating against major currencies today. The Greenback is trading against the Euro at 1.16158 while trading against the Pound at 1.334275. The Yen is currently trading at 157.67 to the dollar. The rand (ZAR) is currently trading at around R16.36 against the US dollar.

Commodities:  

• Gold futures have risen above the $5100 mark this morning, and currently trading 0.6% higher at around $5169.96 per ounce.  
• Copper prices are trending 0.8% higher today, with prices currently around $5.8486 per pound
• Silver futures are trending over 2% higher today, and currently trading at around $88.861 per ounce.
• Platinum futures are trending almost 1% higher this morning, and currently trading at $2190.10, While Palladium prices are trending higher this morning, and currently trading around $1696.00 per ounce.
• Brent crude oil prices have plunged since yesterday, and down by around -6.6% today, with prices currently at $92.41 with WTI trading at $87.70.50 – down by over -7%
• Cocoa futures continue its price recovery, up by 1.8% this morning, and currently trading around $3289 per ton. 
• Coffee futures are trending flat today, and trading at around $2.9712 per pound

Crypto Currencies: 

• Bitcoin prices are trending around 2.2% higher this morning, and trading at around $69966 per coin currently 
• Ether prices are also higher by around 2.5% today, and currently trading around $2042.65
• $Trumpcoin are currently trading lower at around $2.90

(All prices quoted at approximately 07H50 Central African Time) 

Africa News Briefs:

• Madagascar’s President Michael Randrianirina, who seized power via a military Coup in October 2025, dismissed his prime minister and the entire cabinet yesterday, according to a statement from his official spokesperson, Harry ⁠Laurent Rahajason. Randrianirina seized ⁠control of the ​Indian Ocean island nation ​in the wake of youth-led protests that forced out his ​predecessor, Andry Rajoelina. “The ​President will shortly proceed with the ‌appointment ⁠of a new Prime Minister, following the procedures set out by ​the constitution,” ​Harry ⁠Laurent Rahajason, director of communication of ​the Presidency, said ​in ⁠the statement.The statement did not provide an explanation ⁠for ​the dismissal.
• South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, as promised during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last month, has confirmed that 550 soldiers have been deployed to Gauteng to aid police in the fight against crime. The crime tackling operation has been named “Prosper” with the target of tackling rampant illegal mining in the province.Soldiers have also been deployed to the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape and the Free State regions of the country to fight crime. Critics have highlighted that the armed forces have no crime prevention training, nor legal status and that this is more performative than preventative.