Elon Musk's merger of SpaceX and xAI forms a colossal tech entity, while **Siemens Energy commits $1 billion to boost electrical-grid equipment manufacturing in the U.S. to meet the burgeoning AI-driven power demand, paralleling Google's strategic investments in clean energy for its data centers and sparking discussions on fuel cell companies capitalizing on the strained power grid**.

• The Numbers, and Questions, Behind Musk’s Mega-Merger — The New York Times Business -
• You can see the computer age everywhere but in the construction industry — Financial Times -
• How Musk used SpaceX to rescue xAI and build a $1.25tn colossus — Financial Times -

• Tech, Media & Telecom Roundup: Market Talk — Wall Street Journal -
• Nintendo Backs Guidance as Switch 2 Sales Boost Results — Wall Street Journal -
• Siemens Energy Bets $1 Billion That A.I. Power Demand Will Last — The New York Times Business -
• Siemens Energy calls for Trump policy stability as it commits $1bn to US — Financial Times -
• Siemens Energy to Spend $1 Billion to Boost Manufacturing of Electrical-Grid Equipment — Wall Street Journal -
• FirstFT: SpaceX buys xAI in $1.25tn deal — Financial Times -
• OpenAI’s ChatGPT push triggers senior staff exits — Financial Times -
• The political cost of America’s surging electricity bills — Financial Times -
• Fuel cell groups ride AI wave as data centres strain the power grid — Financial Times -
• What Oracle Has to Lose From OpenAI and Nvidia’s Rocky Relationship — Wall Street Journal -
• Google Is Spending Big to Build a Lead in the AI Energy Race — Wall Street Journal -
• Elon Musk Merges SpaceX With His A.I. Start-Up xAI — The New York Times Business -
• SpaceX, xAI Tie Up, Forming $1.25 Trillion Company — Wall Street Journal -
• Waymo Raises $16 Billion to Fuel Global Ambitions — The New York Times Business -

**Disney names Josh D’Amaro as its new CEO, concluding a leadership transition, while PayPal replaces its CEO amid flagging earnings and unmet expectations, and Walmart achieves a significant $1 trillion market capitalization driven by booming e-commerce, showcasing major shifts and milestones in corporate performance and leadership**.

• Walmart Reaches $1 Trillion Market Cap as Its E-Commerce Booms — Wall Street Journal -
• PayPal Replaces CEO as It Flags Lower Earnings — Wall Street Journal -
• Pfizer shares dip as vaccines continue to weigh on sales — Financial Times -

• Disney Names Josh D’Amaro as Next C.E.O. — The New York Times Business -
• Disney Names Parks Chief D’Amaro as New CEO, Succeeding Iger — Wall Street Journal -
• Disney says parks chief Josh D’Amaro to succeed Bob Iger as CEO — Financial Times -
• Walmart’s market value hits $1tn — Financial Times -
• Publicis Shares Fall After Outlook Fails to Dispel AI Fears — Wall Street Journal -
• Capri Swings to a Profit as Versace Sale Offsets Revenue Drop — Wall Street Journal -
• PayPal replaces chief as board warns ‘pace of change’ not fast enough — Financial Times -
• Pfizer Sales Fall on Continued Lower Covid-19 Drug Demand — Wall Street Journal -
• Archer Daniels Profit, Revenue Fall on Biofuel Policy and Trade Uncertainty — Wall Street Journal -
• Merck Expects Slower Earnings Growth As It Spends on Acquisitions — Wall Street Journal -
• Akzo Nobel Paints Rosy Profit Picture Ahead of Axalta Tie-Up, Despite Drab Markets — Wall Street Journal -

President Trump's administration finalizes a trade deal with India, reducing tariffs and addressing oil purchases, while new US-Iran talks are anticipated amidst regional tensions, and BP faces investor demands for proof on its shift back to oil and gas, as the EU investigates Chinese subsidies to turbine makers and Ukraine continues to navigate its conflict with Russia.

• BP Investors Demand Proof That Shift Back to Oil and Gas Will Boost Returns — Wall Street Journal -
• Trump and India Call Off Their Trade War, but the Terms of Peace Are Murky — The New York Times Business -
• The transatlantic relationship: can Europe go it alone? — Financial Times -

• Witkoff to meet Netanyahu ahead of new US-Iran talks — Financial Times -
• Trump agrees to lower tariffs on India — Financial Times -
• There’s a new ‘breakout star’ in the battery storage market — Financial Times -
• EU probes turbine maker Goldwind over Chinese subsidies — Financial Times -
• Energy & Utilities Roundup: Market Talk — Wall Street Journal -
• The challenges holding back UK’s push into low-carbon hydrogen — Financial Times -
• Indian rupee records biggest one-day gain in seven years after Trump trade deal — Financial Times -
• Russia hits Ukraine energy sites as Trump truce unravels — Financial Times -
• Orsted Sells Onshore Business for $1.7 Billion After Judge Rules U.S. Wind Project Can Resume — Wall Street Journal -
• EU wrestles with competitiveness impasse as industry languishes — Financial Times -
• The real European financial threat to America — Financial Times -
• Private jet sellers rattled by Trump threats on Canadian-made aircraft — Financial Times -
• Inside Trump’s $550bn ‘shakedown’ of Japan Inc — Financial Times -
• Ukraine agrees multi-tier plan for enforcing any ceasefire with Russia — Financial Times -
• How DHS Spent $35 Billion Since Trump Retook Office — Wall Street Journal -
• Trump Unveils $12 Billion Critical Minerals Stockpile — The New York Times Business -
• Trump Announces Initial Trade Deal With India, Cutting Tariffs to 18% — The New York Times Business -

Peter Mandelson resigns from the House of Lords following revelations of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, a scandal further deepened by the release of more Epstein files detailing links to prominent figures like a top Goldman Sachs lawyer and the Clintons agreeing to testify in the ongoing congressional investigation.

• Mandelson quits House of Lords — Financial Times -
• The Famous Names in the Latest Release of Epstein Files — Wall Street Journal -
• Peter Mandelson’s lobbying firm tells clients his stake is nearly divested — Financial Times -

• Mandelson lobbied against US bank reforms on behalf of Epstein and Staley — Financial Times -
• The Epstein rot goes deep — Financial Times -
• Epstein emails reveal extensive ties with top Goldman Sachs lawyer — Financial Times -
• Mandelson row hits Starmer already at rock bottom — Financial Times -
• Clintons agree to testify in investigation by US Congress into Epstein — Financial Times -

PepsiCo announces significant price cuts on snacks like Doritos and Cheetos to address consumer affordability concerns, while Maui continues its post-fire rebuilding efforts balancing tourism and community life, and global economic warning signals are proving unreliable, with Thailand facing economic challenges and UK rental demand dropping.

• After Years of Increases, PepsiCo Pledges to Cut Prices on Snacks — The New York Times Business -
• Revisiting a Changed Maui, Nearly 3 Years After a Firestorm — The New York Times Business -
• PepsiCo to Slash Prices Up to 15% on Doritos, Cheetos and Other Snacks — Wall Street Journal -

• PepsiCo to cut prices of Doritos and Lay’s as consumers rein in snacking — Financial Times -
• The Global Economy’s Warning Signals Are Broken — The New York Times Business -
• The consumer sentiment puzzle deepens — Financial Times -
• No, the public is not irredeemably ignorant — Financial Times -
• Demand for UK rental properties drops as buying becomes more affordable — Financial Times -
• The New Key to Restaurant Success? A Simple but Clever Model. — The New York Times Business -
• How Thailand became the ‘sick man’ of Asia — Financial Times -

The Australian central bank reverses course with an interest rate increase to combat inflation, as the European Central Bank's February meeting approaches, while gold and silver prices rebound after a recent sell-off, and analysts advise close monitoring of Japan's bond yields and yen weakness for potential global market ripple effects.

• Monetary Policy Radar preview: ECB’s February meeting — Financial Times -
• Scenarios for a Warsh Fed — Financial Times -
• The Accounting Behind Music Royalties In the Streaming Era — Wall Street Journal -

• Australian central bank reverses course with interest rate increase — Financial Times -
• Gold and silver prices rebound after sell-off — Financial Times -
• Meet the fintech worth more than Revolut — Financial Times -
• Global investors need to go on Japan watch right now — Financial Times -

China bans retractable car door handles over safety concerns, Spain moves to ban social media access for those under 16, an investigation reveals Credit Suisse's wider Nazi ties, and UK's push for low-carbon hydrogen faces challenges, alongside Bolivia's shift to 'capitalism for all' reforms and discussions around the value of work beyond money.

• Investigation Finds Credit Suisse Had Wider Nazi Ties Than Previously Known — The New York Times Business -
• Spain to ban social media access for under-16s — Financial Times -
• In Trump’s Fraud Crackdown, Political Foes Face Harshest Scrutiny — The New York Times Business -

• China bans Tesla-style hidden car door handles — Financial Times -
• China Bans Retractable Door Handles on Cars as Safety Concerns Grow — Wall Street Journal -
• UBI fans must remember a job is about more than the money — Financial Times -
• Starmer seeks to push forward with delayed defence investment plan — Financial Times -
• Bolivia buries 20 years of socialism with ‘capitalism for all’ reforms — Financial Times -
• Boss of private equity group Permira quits UK for Switzerland — Financial Times -
• Iran backlash after state media mocks dead protesters — Financial Times -
• Arbitration for divorces in England and Wales doubles in 2 years — Financial Times -
• India’s ‘unspectacular’ budget overlooks needed reforms — Financial Times -
• A Solution for Crowded Cemeteries: Turn Loved Ones Into Gardening Soil — Wall Street Journal -