Escalating trade tensions are evident with President Trump threatening 100% tariffs on Chinese goods, despite holding out hope for a truce, following China's economic flexing and the NBA's return to China.

• Trump talks tough with China but holds out hope of truce in trade war — Financial Times -
• Donald Trump threatens extra 100% tariff as he retaliates against China — Financial Times -
• Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Chinese Goods — The New York Times Business -

• China Flexed. Trump Hit Back. So Much for the Thaw. — The New York Times Business -
• The N.B.A. Returns to China After Six Years — The New York Times Business -

Political wrangling over the US government shutdown continues, with President Trump assuring military pay amidst federal layoffs and an inflation report release, alongside negotiations on drug prices and cancellation of a major solar project.

• Trump says military will be paid during US government shutdown — Financial Times -
• Inflation Report Will Be Released Despite Shutdown — The New York Times Business -
• Trump Moves to Cancel Esmeralda 7, a Giant Solar Project — The New York Times Business -

• White House Signals Federal Layoffs Have Begun Amid Government Shutdown — The New York Times Business -
• Trump Cuts a Deal With AstraZeneca to Lower Drug Prices — The New York Times Business -

Fluctuations in financial markets are observed with a cryptocurrency "trash crash" and a "gold rush" in Manhattan, while UK consumers curb spending and European IPO markets show signs of revival, contrasting with concerns over private assets for UK retail investors and credit card reward exploitation.

• Behold the trash crash — Financial Times -
• The Gold Rush in Manhattan’s Diamond District — Wall Street Journal -
• UK consumers curb spending more than anywhere else in G7 — Financial Times -

• Searching for Meaning in the Gold Rally — The New York Times Business -
• Private equity overcomes California hurdle to expansion in US legal market — Financial Times -
• How Churners Earn Money By Regularly Signing Up for Credit Cards — The New York Times Business -
• European IPO markets show signs of revival — Financial Times -
• Aberdeen to warn government over private assets for UK retail investors — Financial Times -
• Why I have to buy doughnuts with cash — Financial Times -
• What retail investors need to know about Japan’s ‘Iron lady’ — Financial Times -
• Q&A: Are you due a share of £11bn car finance compensation? — Financial Times -

Strategic shifts within corporations include MKS Instruments focusing on chips, GSK investors anticipating new leadership, and the collapse of an auto-parts giant, alongside China's massive grid infrastructure for electric transport and challenges facing California's wine industry.

• How China Powers Its Electric Cars and High-Speed Trains — The New York Times Business -
• Investors look to new GSK boss to boost confidence in drug pipeline — Financial Times -
• MKS Instruments to offload $1bn chemicals unit to focus on chips — Financial Times -

• Behind the Collapse of an Auto-Parts Giant: $2 Billion Hole and Mysterious CEO — Wall Street Journal -
• Los Angeles Times Moves Closer to a Public Stock Offering — The New York Times Business -
• Why China Built 162 Square Miles of Solar Panels on the World’s Highest Plateau — The New York Times Business -
• Revolut’s address matters more than its CEO’s — Financial Times -
• First Brands boss weighs resigning under pressure from lenders — Financial Times -
• California’s Wine Industry Is in Crisis — Wall Street Journal -

Hamas reasserts control in Gaza following a ceasefire, while critics question US aid to Argentina and French political turmoil affects Macron's legacy, amidst broader discussions on globalization and the rise of tech autocrats.

• Hamas reasserts control and settles scores in Gaza Strip — Financial Times -
• Critics Say Select Investors Gained From US Aid to Argentina — The New York Times Business -
• Big Investors Await Windfall From Trump’s Argentina Bailout — The New York Times Business -

• Does French turmoil spell the end of Macronism? — Financial Times -
• The bitter bargain over Israeli and Palestinian bodies — Financial Times -
• A bad bet on globalisation — and the new age of tech autocrats — Financial Times -

AI's influence on shopping, WNBA's struggle with online hate speech, and evolving travel regulations for batteries highlight modern consumer life, alongside reflections on digital banking challenges and global dining trends.

• Living in the grey zone — Financial Times -
• Don’t move to Dubai — this is still the place to be — Financial Times -
• I’ve seen the future of shopping — and I’m sold on AI — Financial Times -

• Beware the forever 35-year-old face — Financial Times -
• Will Zohran Mamdani’s rise mark a new dawn for American socialism? — Financial Times -
• Barnacle bureaucracy slows European ships — Financial Times -
• How high-end restaurants went global — Financial Times -
• Where to swim on the Bosphorus: a local’s guide — Financial Times -
• How designers changed motherhood — Financial Times -
• The W.N.B.A. Gets More Attention Now. That’s Not Always a Good Thing. — The New York Times Business -
• Can I Take Batteries on a Plane? What to Know Before You Fly. — The New York Times Business -