Breaking News Today – Wednesday 28 January 2026

Business News Today 

EU India Trade deal Lifts Euro against The US Dollar

The euro climbed above $1.19, its strongest level since June 2021, supported by broad dollar weakness and the recently finalized EU–India landmark trade agreement. The deal, covering a quarter of global GDP, establishes a free trade zone spanning two billion people after nearly two decades of negotiations. Brussels and New Delhi hope the pact will open new markets amid US tariffs and Chinese export controls, with the EU projecting its exports to India could double by 2032. Markets also focused on the US Federal Reserve, widely expected to keep rates unchanged, while investors watch for guidance on the timing of the next rate cut amid speculation that a more dovish successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell could be announced this week. US President Donald Trump said he was not concerned about the greenback’s recent decline, noting that it had not fallen too much.

Amazon Lay-Off Email “Sent in Error”

according to a report from BBC, US technology giant Amazon has in error informed employees of a new round of global layoffs in an email apparently sent by mistake. A draft email written by a senior vice president at Amazon Web Services, Colleen Aubrey, was included as part of a calendar invitation sent by an executive assistant to a number of Amazon workers late yesterday. In the email, Aubrey refers to a swathe of employees in the US, Canada and Costa Rica having been laid off as part of an effort to “strengthen the company.”The message, was seen by the BBC, was apparently shared by mistake, as it was quickly cancelled. An Amazon spokesman declined to comment on the matter.

Memory Chip Shortage Deepens, Prices Surge 50%+ on AI Demand

AI data-centre expansion is consuming 70% of global Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and Not AND (NAND) supply, driving prices up 47–60% in recent months and creating shortages for consumer electronics. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron report record demand but constrained capacity. Smartphone and PC makers face 7–20% cost increases, with shipment delays expected. In Africa, upstream mineral producers (DRC cobalt, SA rare earths) stand to benefit from diversification efforts, though the shortage highlights supply-chain vulnerabilities.

Trump’s Year of Disruptions

On January 20th, one year ago, Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States of America. In that one-year presidency, he has dramatically changed the face of American foreign policy. No previous presidency in the US has been as disruptive or as controversial as his “America First” approach that has disrupted almost every trade globally in some manner. Trump has passed over 230 executive orders, while exiting dozens of international climate and environmental organisations in January 2026. His administration is prioritising energy independence and lower costs over globalist green agendas.

Other key moves included making the US 2017 tax cuts permanent, capping credit card interest rates, and military actions against cartels and adversaries. These shifts have fuelled economic growth in some sectors while drawing criticism for inflation risks, strained alliances, and fiscal continuity, marking a decisive break from prior globalist frameworks. Whatever transpires in global trade this year, it is bound to be impacted by these policy shifts in some form.

Breaking News Shorts:  

• The USD/ZAR exchange rate fell to 15.8863 this morning, down 0.04% from the previous session, hitting its best level since June 2022. Over the past month, the South African Rand has strengthened 4.65%, and is up by 14.2% over the last 12 months.
• SoftBank Group Corp is reportedly in talks to make substantial further investment in OpenAI. The amount could sit as high as $30 billion in additional OpenAI stock. This cements the Japanese conglomerate’s bet on the ChatGPT owner, with its current $41 billion already invested giving SoftBank an approximate 11% stake in OpenAI.
• Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic has raised its revenue forecasts by 20% for the next several years, projecting sales to quadruple this year to as much as $18 billion and reach $55 billion next year, The Information reported on Tuesday.
• The FOMC kept the US federal funds rate unchanged at 3.50–3.75% in its first meeting of 2026, as widely expected. Chair Powell emphasised a “wait-and-see” approach, citing resilient growth, sticky inflation (core PCE still above 2%), and labor-market strength.
• US stock futures were little changed on Wednesday with the S&P 500 holding at record level as investors positioned ahead of the Federal Reserve’s latest policy decision due today, and a heavy slate of earnings from major technology firms. The Fed is widely expected to keep interest rates steady, with markets instead looking for guidance on the timing of the next rate cut 
• Gold rose above $5,235 per ounce in early trade this morning, hitting new record highs as a sharp decline in the dollar fuelled investor demand for safe-haven metals. Those moves came as US President Donald Trump said that he is not concerned about the dollar’s recent drop as it sinks to its lowest level in four years. Silver also lifted to around $115 per ounce, heading toward fresh record highs hitting a 69% growth rate in the last month alone.

Markets by Numbers 

Currency markets indicate the US dollar continuing to weaken more today, with the Euro trading against the US dollar at 1.19862 while the Pound is trading at 1.37974 to the US dollar. The Yen is currently trading at 152.59 to the dollar. The rand (ZAR) is currently trading at around R15.85 to the dollar.

Commodities:  

• Gold futures have climbed by 1.5% this morning after hitting a fresh high above $5200 today, and currently trading at around $5257.77 per ounce.  
• Copper prices have rebounded today, up over 2.2%, with prices currently around $59.763 per pound
• Silver futures continue their upward trajectory, up over 3% today, and currently trading around $155.79 per ounce.
• Platinum futures have reversed losses from yesterday and up by over 5% this morning, currently trading at $2681.50, While Palladium prices have spiked by around 4.5% this morning, and currently trading around $1968.50 per ounce.
• Brent crude oil prices are trending softer today, and currently at $67.96 with WTI trading lower at $62.79
• Cocoa futures have found further upward momentum today, and currently up 1.9% and trading around $4433 per ton. 
• Coffee futures are currently trending over 3% higher today, and trading at around $3.69 per pound

Crypto Currencies: 

• Bitcoin prices are trending upwards this morning, and trading at around $88420 per coin currently 
• Ether prices are trending higher, and are currently trading around $2933.46
• $Trumpcoin are trending lower today, and currently trading around $4.788

(All prices quoted at approximately 07H30 Central African Time) 

Africa News Briefs:

• Rwanda has taken legal action against the United Kingdom’s refusal to disburse payments under a now-scrapped, controversial agreement for Kigali to receive deported asylum seekers, according to a Rwandan official and UK media reports.Rwanda launched arbitral proceedings against the UK through the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration yesterday. It is seeking 50 million pounds ($68.8m) in compensation after the UK failed to formally terminate the controversial agreement about two years ago
• Ex-Nigerian oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, 65, is on trial in the UK for accepting bribes from industry figures interested in government contracts. According to facts revealed in a London court, more than £2m was spent at Harrods on behalf of Alison-Madueke. She is alleged to have been provided with “a life of luxury in the United Kingdom”, including the use of multimillion-pound properties, a chauffeur driven car, travel by private jet, and £100,000 in cash. Alison-Madueke has denied five counts of accepting bribes and a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery.