(Bloomberg) — The US dollar traded in a tight range early Monday as uncertainty lingered after President Donald Trump lashed out at the US Supreme Court for striking down his use of emergency powers to impose so-called reciprocal tariffs.
Risk currencies such as the Mexican peso edged lower while the euro and Japanese yen inched higher. The Thai baht, which is influenced by movements in gold, fluctuated. Bitcoin fell 1.4%.
Trump said Saturday he would raise a 10% global tariff to 15% to preserve protective trade measures, stoking fresh economic turbulence after the Supreme Court ruling. The friction spilled out Sunday as Europe’s trade chief said he’ll propose halting ratification of a deal struck with the US, while India postponed talks to finalize an interim trade deal.
“We’ve got so much experience of Trump now that we don’t think he’ll take this lying down,” said Nick Twidale, chief market analyst at AT Global Markets. “The increased uncertainty and question marks around what Trump will do next outweigh any potential positives from lower tariffs and potential paybacks.”
Senior US officials said Trump’s tariff defeat at the Supreme Court won’t unravel deals negotiated with US partners.
Those deals — which the administration made with partners including China, the European Union, Japan and South Korea — remain in place, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation.
The S&P 500 added 0.7% Friday, notching its best week since Jan. 9, with optimism over the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling offsetting worries over heightened tensions between the US and Iran. An ETF tracking emerging markets hit all-time highs. The dollar slipped 0.2%, trimming its weekly advance to 0.6%.
The yield on 10-year Treasuries rose two basis points to 4.08% in a volatile session Friday following mixed growth and inflation data before the tariff ruling added uncertainties over any potential budget shortfall. Treasuries are closed in Asian trading on Monday due to a holiday in Japan.
Asian equity futures signaled a muted open in Australia, while Hong Kong shares looked set to rise, though the moves came before Trump announced the higher tariff rate. Equity markets in China remained closed for a holiday.
In commodities, traders will be focusing on the oil market as the US and Iran are set to resume talks in Geneva in search of a diplomatic solution to the latest standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Some of the main moves in markets:
Currencies
The euro rose 0.1% to $1.1798 as of 6:01 a.m. Tokyo time The Japanese yen was little changed at 154.93 per dollar The offshore yuan was little changed at 6.8996 per dollar The Australian dollar was little changed at $0.7083 Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin fell 1.4% to $67,379.68 Ether fell 2.1% to $1,941 Stocks
Hang Seng futures rose 1.7% on Friday Commodities
West Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.1% to $66.48 a barrel Spot gold rose 2.2% to $5,107.45 an ounce This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) revised its Quality of Service (QoS) benchmark in September 2025 to create a more data-centric enforcement framework and to address long-standing issues in service quality and network performance. The updated framework establishes significantly stricter requirements for both mobile and fixed internet services. A cornerstone of this framework is the new minimum 4G download speed of 10 Mbps, an increase from the 2018 benchmark of 7 Mbps, and a new minimum upload speed of 2 Mbps.
Key Takeaways
Analysis of Speedtest Intelligence® data nationwide, across all operators combined, indicates that the median download and upload speeds exceeded the BTRC’s revised minimum QoS standards. As of January 2025, Bangladesh’s median 4G download speed stood at 31.15 Mbps, with an upload speed of 12.22 Mbps, both above the regulatory minimums of 10 Mbps and 2 Mbps, respectively.
All major operators surpassed BTRC’s benchmark at both the national level and across all eight administrative divisions, as measured by median performance in Q4 2025. This reflected effective capitalization on spectrum investments and 3G phase-outs, with Banglalink and Grameenphone leading in national median download performance, reporting speeds of 31.22 Mbps and 30.69 Mbps, respectively.
Despite strong median figures, analysis of the bottom 10th percentile reveals a critical disconnect, with operators frequently failing to meet regulatory minimums for users in challenging coverage zones. All operators struggled to meet the minimum 10 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload requirement in several administrative regions, indicating that current infrastructure density is insufficient to ensure consistent service for edge users.
New quality mandates drove an immediate improvement in national median download speed
Over the 18-month period from August 2024 to January 2026, Bangladesh’s 4G network showed a slight upward trend in median performance, with 4G median download speeds rising from 27.28 Mbps to 31.15 Mbps. This 14% increase underscores the continued investment by major operators in spectrum and site rollouts, despite significant external disruptions, including severe flooding and political unrest.
All Providers Combined 4G Median Performance Trend Speedtest Intelligence® | Aug 24 – Jan 26
Following a plateau in early 2025, median download speeds showed slight improvement, increasing from 29.42 Mbps in August to 30.69 Mbps in September 2025, the month the new QoS mandate took effect. This initial uptick suggests that operators began optimizing their networks in response to the new regulations. Across all operators combined, national performance reached its highest median speed of 31.15 Mbps by January 2026, indicating regulatory pressure effectively raised the average experience for mobile users.
4G median upload speeds reported a marginal increase over the past 18 months. The median upload speed was 10.88 Mbps in August 2024 and increased to 12.22 Mbps by January 2026. This minimal change indicates that while operators expand downlink capacity to support content consumption, they have not made comparable strides in uplink capacity.
All major operators met the new performance thresholds at national level in Q4 2025
Analysis of Speedtest Intelligence® Q4 2025 data shows all major operators in Bangladesh reported median download speeds above BTRC’s 10 Mbps QoS threshold. Banglalink led the market with a median download speed of 31.22 Mbps, driven by its decision to phase out 3G services in May 2024 and refarm spectrum (take an existing frequency band and reassign it) for 4G. Grameenphone followed closely with 30.69 Mbps, supported by the acquisition of 2.6 GHz spectrum and an additional 10 MHz in the 700 MHz band to manage its extensive subscriber base. Robi and Airtel also performed strongly, recording 29.31 Mbps and 28.48 Mbps, respectively. The state-owned operator, Teletalk, cleared the benchmark with 21.38 Mbps, though it trailed the private operators by a significant margin.
All providers exceeded the 2 Mbps minimum speed on the national level for upload performance in Q4 2025. Airtel recorded the highest median upload speed at 13.30 Mbps, with Robi close behind at 13.15 Mbps. Banglalink and Grameenphone registered 11.64 Mbps and 11.23 Mbps, respectively.
Bangladesh Major Operators 4G Performance Speedtest Intelligence® | Q4 2025
Performance at the bottom 10th percentile reveals challenges
All operators exceeded the 10 Mbps 4G speed requirement across all administrative regions, based on median download speeds in Q4 2025. Banglalink demonstrated particular strength in the southern and central belts, leading in Barisal with 33.26 Mbps and in Dhaka with 31.86 Mbps. Grameenphone led in Chittagong with a speed of 36.50 Mbps and secured the top spot in Mymensingh and Rajshahi with speeds of 33.70 Mbps and 30.27 Mbps, respectively. Teletalk, despite operating with fewer resources than its private competitors, reported median download speeds above the 10 Mbps threshold in all regions, though its performance was closer to the margin in Sylhet and Mymensingh.
This strong median performance reflected the country’s year-long efforts in spectrum acquisition and network modernization. Operators successfully deployed new spectrum in the 2.3 GHz bands, increasing total network capacity. Additionally, they strategically phased out 3G services to refarm spectrum for 4G, optimizing existing assets to improve data throughput.
Based on median upload speed data, all operators met the minimum requirement of 2 Mbps upload speed across all administrative regions. Airtel and Robi consistently outperformed the larger competitors in this metric: Airtel led in Khulna with the highest median upload speed of 16.21 Mbps during Q4 2025 and also topped Dhaka with 15.07 Mbps. Robi took the top spot in Sylhet (12.36 Mbps) and Rangpur (12.09 Mbps).
4G Median Performance Across Administrative Regions in Bangladesh Speedtest Intelligence® | Q4 2025
The analysis of the bottom 10th percentile—representing the user experience at the network edge—exposes significant compliance challenges for operators across both 4G download and upload metrics. Banglalink was the most resilient in maintaining download speeds, clearing the 10 Mbps benchmark in five of eight regions, including Chittagong at 13.87 Mbps and Khulna at 13.57 Mbps. Despite its high median performance, Grameenphone failed to meet the 10 Mbps download minimum for the bottom 10th percentile samples in five regions. However, its recent spectrum acquisition is expected to help address the challenges in areas with poor network coverage. Robi and Teletalk struggled even more, with Robi missing the target in seven regions and Teletalk recording speeds as low as 2.22 Mbps in Mymensingh.
The 2 Mbps regulatory requirement also is a formidable hurdle for upload speeds in the bottom 10th percentile. Grameenphone achieved the highest compliance rate, exceeding the 2 Mbps benchmark in four regions, including Dhaka (2.45 Mbps) and Khulna (2.36 Mbps). In contrast, Banglalink and Robi meet the threshold in only two regions each, while Airtel meets the standard in only Khulna. In the Barisal administrative region, no operator met the minimum upload speed requirement based on the bottom 10th percentile performance.
4G Bottom 10th Percentile Performance Across Administrative Regions in Bangladesh Speedtest Intelligence® | Q4 2025
Ookla’s Q4 2025 data depicted a “two-speed” Bangladesh. The median 4G performance suggests a reliable experience supported by recent spectrum investments and network enhancements. However, the BTRC’s QoS benchmark serves as a minimum standard rather than an average, and by this metric, the market remains partially non-compliant. To bridge performance gaps at the network edge, operators must shift their focus from general network expansion to targeted densification, deploying additional sites in rural areas and poor coverage zones to ensure consistent service for all citizens.
Ookla retains ownership of this article including all of the intellectual property rights, data, content graphs and analysis. This article may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed or published for any commercial purpose without prior consent. Members of the press and others using the findings in this article for non-commercial purposes are welcome to publicly share and link to report information with attribution to Ookla.
About the author
Affandy Johan
Affandy Johan is the Industry Analyst at Ookla Research. He utilizes Ookla’s data to develop insightful analyses covering various factors and aspects impacting the market. Affandy has extensive experience in the telecom industry, having worked for major vendors and operators in the Asia Pacific region.
Bemarituzumab is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody designed to target fibroblast growth factor receptor 2b (FGFR2b), a biomarker identified in a subset of gastric and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinomas. Clinical development has focused on biomarker-selected, HER2-negative advanced disease, particularly in the first-line setting in combination with chemotherapy. The phase 2 FIGHT trial provides the most mature data currently available for this agent (Wainberg et al., 2024).
This clinician-focused overview summarizes the mechanism of action, clinical uses, dosing strategy, efficacy expectations, and toxicity profile based on published trial data.
Read About Gastric Cancer on OncoDaily
What Is Bemarituzumab?
Bemarituzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody selective for FGFR2b, the IIIb splice isoform of FGFR2. The FGF/FGFR pathway plays a central role in tumor cell proliferation, survival, and progression. FGFR2b overexpression has been observed in approximately 30% of HER2-negative gastric cancers and has been associated with poorer clinical outcomes (Wainberg et al., 2024).
Bemarituzumab acts through two mechanisms. First, it blocks ligand binding to FGFR2b, inhibiting downstream signaling pathways that drive tumor growth. Second, due to its afucosylated Fc structure, it enhances binding to FcγRIIIa/CD16a on natural killer cells, promoting antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against FGFR2b-expressing tumor cells (Wainberg et al., 2024).
This dual mechanism distinguishes bemarituzumab from small-molecule FGFR inhibitors and supports its development in biomarker-selected populations.
Uses in Cancer
Bemarituzumab has been evaluated in advanced gastric and GEJ adenocarcinoma in the phase 1/2 FIGHT trial (NCT03694522). Eligible patients had HER2-negative, unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease with FGFR2b overexpression determined by immunohistochemistry and/or FGFR2 gene amplification detected by circulating tumor DNA.
In the randomized phase 2 portion, bemarituzumab was combined with modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6) chemotherapy and compared with placebo plus mFOLFOX6 as first-line treatment.
The final analysis after a minimum follow-up of 24 months demonstrated numerically longer progression-free survival and overall survival with bemarituzumab plus chemotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone (Wainberg et al., 2024).
In the overall intention-to-treat population:
Median progression-free survival was 9.5 months with bemarituzumab-mFOLFOX6 versus 7.4 months with placebo-mFOLFOX6 (HR 0.72; 95% CI 0.49–1.08).
Median overall survival was 19.2 months versus 13.5 months (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.52–1.14).
Objective response rate was 48.1% versus 33.3%.
The most pronounced benefit was observed in patients with FGFR2b overexpression in at least 10% of tumor cells (2+/3+ staining by immunohistochemistry). In this subgroup:
Median progression-free survival was 14.0 months versus 7.3 months (HR 0.43; 95% CI 0.26–0.73).
Median overall survival was 24.7 months versus 11.1 months (HR 0.52; 95% CI 0.31–0.85).
The 24-month overall survival rate was 51.3% versus 21.3%.
These findings support the clinical relevance of biomarker enrichment when selecting patients for FGFR2b-targeted therapy. Ongoing phase 3 trials (NCT05052801, NCT05111626) are evaluating bemarituzumab in this setting to confirm these observations.
Dosage and Administration
In the phase 2 FIGHT trial, bemarituzumab was administered intravenously at a dose of 15 mg/kg every two weeks, with an additional 7.5 mg/kg dose on cycle 1 day 8.
All patients received standard mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy every two weeks, consisting of oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and 5-fluorouracil. Treatment continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Dose adjustments for chemotherapy were performed per protocol. Bemarituzumab discontinuation occurred in cases of treatment-emergent adverse events that did not resolve according to predefined criteria.
Side Effects and Safety Profile
Nearly all patients in both arms of the FIGHT trial experienced at least one treatment-emergent adverse event. Grade 3 or higher adverse events were reported in 82.9% of patients receiving bemarituzumab-mFOLFOX6 and 75.3% receiving placebo-mFOLFOX6 (Wainberg et al., 2024). The most clinically distinctive toxicity associated with bemarituzumab was ocular toxicity, particularly corneal adverse events.
Any-grade corneal adverse events occurred in 67.1% of patients treated with bemarituzumab compared with 10.4% in the placebo arm. Grade 3 corneal adverse events occurred in 27.6% of patients receiving bemarituzumab. Importantly, no grade 4 or serious corneal events were reported.
Corneal events led to treatment discontinuation in 31.6% of patients in the bemarituzumab arm. Median time to onset of any-grade corneal events was 16.9 weeks.
Other commonly reported adverse events included nausea, decreased neutrophil count, diarrhea, anemia, decreased appetite, constipation, vomiting, and elevations in liver enzymes. Serious adverse events occurred at similar rates between treatment arms. Fatal treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 6.6% of patients in the bemarituzumab arm and 5.2% in the placebo arm.
No new safety signals emerged with longer follow-up in the final analysis. The ocular toxicity profile has informed modifications in ongoing phase 3 trials, including strategies for earlier detection and mitigation.
Read About Gastric Cancer Remission Rate on OncoDaily
What Should Clinicians and Patients Expect?
For clinicians, bemarituzumab represents a biomarker-driven therapeutic strategy in HER2-negative advanced gastric cancer. The data suggest that patients with higher levels of FGFR2b expression derive greater benefit, emphasizing the importance of precise biomarker testing.
For patients with FGFR2b overexpression in at least 10% of tumor cells, the observed median overall survival exceeding 24 months in the phase 2 trial is notable in the context of historically limited outcomes in advanced gastric cancer.
However, expectations must also include close monitoring for ocular adverse events, particularly corneal toxicity. Early recognition and management are critical, as many events resolved or improved over time.
The phase 2 FIGHT trial was not powered for formal hypothesis testing, and confirmatory phase 3 data are required before establishing a new standard of care. Nonetheless, the magnitude and consistency of benefit in the biomarker-enriched subgroup support continued clinical development.
Conclusion
Bemarituzumab is an investigational FGFR2b-targeted monoclonal antibody evaluated in first-line HER2-negative advanced gastric and GEJ adenocarcinoma. In the randomized phase 2 FIGHT trial, bemarituzumab combined with mFOLFOX6 demonstrated numerically improved progression-free and overall survival, with the most pronounced benefit in patients with FGFR2b overexpression in at least 10% of tumor cells.
The safety profile was characterized by manageable but frequent corneal adverse events. Ongoing phase 3 studies are designed to confirm efficacy and refine toxicity management.
As biomarker-guided therapy continues to reshape gastric cancer treatment, FGFR2b targeting with bemarituzumab may represent a meaningful addition to precision oncology strategies pending confirmatory results.
(Bloomberg) — Data from Germany in the coming days will shed light on whether Europe’s largest economy is on the cusp of a meaningful revival or still being hampered by Donald Trump’s tariffs and its own chronic shortcomings.
Releases will include the premier indicator of economic mood, from the Ifo Institute, and a closer look at the nation’s fourth-quarter performance, which topped expectations. There’ll also be monthly updates on consumer sentiment and unemployment.
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Analysts reckon Ifo’s barometers of expectations and how firms view current conditions will tick up slightly on Monday, tracking improvements already seen in surveys of purchasing managers. As well as beating forecasts, those polls delivered the long-awaited news that Germany’s manufacturing sector is growing again — for the first time since 2022.
Wednesday will see Germany’s statistics office flesh out the reasons behind a 0.3% advance in gross domestic product at the end of 2025, having initially attributed the success to spending by households and the government. The Bundesbank has also cited growth in industry and notable strength in construction.
A rebound in the former is seen as crucial for Germany to shake off years of stagnating or shrinking output. As well as the PMIs, factory orders shot up in December — suggesting the large sums Germany is spending on rebuilding its infrastructure and military are starting to be felt.
An industrial revival would be welcomed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who’s struggling to convince Germans of his economic vision and facing calls from business leaders to make good on promises to slash bureaucracy and boost competitiveness.
What Bloomberg Economics Says:
“We don’t anticipate a meaningful near-term economic acceleration in Germany, forecasting growth of 0.2% in the first quarter of 2026 and 0.3% in the second quarter. Increased public spending on infrastructure and defense is expected to provide a larger boost in the second half of 2026, lifting quarterly GDP growth to 0.4%. That would leave calendar-adjusted annual growth at 0.8% in 2026, up from 0.3% in 2025.”
—Martin Ademmer, economist. For full analysis, click here
Complicating an already uncertain backdrop is the possibility that Christine Lagarde fails to serve out her term at the helm of the European Central Bank, which has brought inflation to heel and laid the groundwork for the euro zone’s own economic recovery.
An early exit by Lagarde — who’s set to speak in Washington on Monday and in the European Parliament on Thursday — could be a distraction for Merz, who may have to decide sooner than expected whether he wants to push for Germany’s first ECB president.
Elsewhere, inflation readings from Australia to the euro area to Brazil and GDP numbers from India to Canada will be in focus. Central banks in Korea and Thailand are expected to keep interest rates steady, while Israel and Nigeria may cut.
The fallout from the US Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Trump’s global trade duties will also garner attention.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Sunday that the tariff-policy defeat won’t unravel individual deals the administration has sealed with its trading partners.
Still, the European Parliament’s trade chief said he’ll propose freezing the EU’s ratification process of the trade deal with the US until they’ve received details from Washington on its trade policy.
Click here for what happened in the past week, and below is our wrap of what’s coming up in the global economy.
US and Canada
The latest report on US wholesale inflation will likely be the most closely watched in the coming week. Growth in producer prices is expected to have settled back in January after jumping at the end of last year.
February data on manufacturing activity from the Richmond Fed and consumer confidence are also on the schedule, along with weekly labor reports on private payrolls from ADP Research and unemployment claims.
Fed Governors Christopher Waller and Lisa Cook are scheduled to speak, as are regional presidents Austan Goolsbee and Raphael Bostic, among others.
Statistics Canada will release fourth-quarter GDP by expenditure, with the Bank of Canada expecting a flat reading even as industry-based data point to a contraction. US tariffs and slowing immigration continue to weigh on growth, while higher government capital spending and modestly accommodative rates are helping to offset some of that drag.
Asia
Several inflation reports will grab the spotlight in the Asia-Pacific.
Fresh off the Reserve Bank’s rate hike earlier in the month, Australia gets data Wednesday that will indicate whether elevated price gains at the end of 2025 carried over into January.
On Friday, Japan’s price data for Tokyo are likely to show that the gauge excluding fresh food slid to 2% in February, the slowest pace in more than a year. Even so, the figures won’t derail the Bank of Japan from its quest to normalize policy settings with rate hikes, as the slowdown will reflect temporary effects from utility subsidies and comparison with a fast advance a year earlier.
Also in the coming week, Sri Lanka publishes its Colombo CPI gauge for February, and Singapore releases January CPI data.
India publishes fourth-quarter GDP figures on Friday, with economists looking for a slight moderation of growth to 7.4% year on year after an 8.2% surge in the previous period.
New Zealand releases a pair of February sentiment surveys, the ANZ Business Confidence gauge on Thursday and, a day later, the ANZ Consumer Confidence index. The latter soared to its highest reading in more than four years in January.
Trade data is scheduled from Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Thailand and the Philippines.
On the policy front, China will likely hold its 1- and 5-year loan prime rates steady on Tuesday, while Bank of Thailand officials gather a day later to debate whether to follow their December rate cut with another. With the government having upgraded its growth projections for 2026, the broad consensus is for a hold, but it’s not a unanimous position.
The Bank of Korea on Thursday is expected to hold its base rate steady after essentially ending its easing cycle in recent months, with the focus falling on any hints about the policy trajectory in 2026.
Europe, Middle East, Africa
Germany, France and Spain will release preliminary inflation data for February, with Bloomberg Economics seeing energy and food prices as the main drivers.
Those numbers — due at the end of the week — come after the final reading for the euro area, which will shed light on what pushed the services measure lower in January.
A few ECB speakers are set to appear. Lagarde kicked off things on Sunday, telling CBS’s that the repercussions from the US Supreme Court’s tariff ruling could create new business disruptionsShe speaks next at an award ceremony in Washington on Monday, and faces lawmaker scrutiny in the ECON Committee of EU Parliament in Brussels on Thursday.
Lagarde’s future vice president, Croatia’s Boris Vujcic, will be in front of that same committee a day earlier as part of the formal process to assume his new role in June.
Governing Council members Martin Kocher and Primoz Dolenc are also are scheduled to speak and the ECB’s full-year results and its survey of consumers’ inflation expectations are due toward the end of the week.
In the UK, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey gives evidence on the latest Monetary Policy Report to a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, joined by colleagues Huw Pill, Megan Greene and Alan Taylor.
On the fiscal front, South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana presents his annual budget on Wednesday, a speech to be closely watched by investors for signs the government remains committed to repairing public finances. After years of strain, the budget is expected to showcase progress on fiscal consolidation, supported by stronger revenue collection and a narrower deficit.
Several rate decisions are due in the region:
On Monday, Israel’s central bank is expected to cut its benchmark by 25 basis points to 3.75%, as the shekel’s appreciation and a slowdown in annual inflation to 1.8% — below the midpoint of the 1%–3% target range — ease pressure on policymakers. Still, officials have sent mixed signals: Governor Amir Yaron said last month the bank would remain cautious on easing, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has stepped up calls for rate cuts.
A day later, Hungary decides whether to begin a long-awaited cutting cycle that would come less than two months before a closely-watched general election.
The same day, Nigerian policymakers are set to resume their easing cycle after inflation unexpectedly slowed in January. The central bank will likely lower its key rate by 100 basis points to 26%.
On Thursday, Botswana is likely to leave the policy rate unchanged at 3.5% as inflation continues to accelerate.
Latin America
Mexico kicks off a busy and telling week on Monday with final fourth-quarter output figures. While the flash readings posted last month were better than expected, they also portrayed an economy operating below its potential.
Mid-month consumer price readings on Tuesday may offer Mexican policymakers little reason to resume easing at their meeting next month, while Banxico’s quarterly inflation report is likely to sound a bit less dovish and a bit more cautious than its prior assessment in November.
Trump’s musings about pulling the US out of the USMCA trade deal sound to most observers like a negotiating tactic, but still add layers of risk and uncertainty to Mexico’s outlook.
Brazil will serve up a welter of economic reports — current account, foreign direct investment, lending, the broad-based IGP-M inflation index and the mid-month IPCA inflation reading, along with budget balances.
While the debt metrics bear watching — the year-end fiscal deficit has exceeded 8% in all three years of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s third term — the cooling of LatAm’s No. 1 economy suggests consumer price data will greenlight at least a quarter-point rate cut by the central bank next month.
December GDP-proxy figures from Argentina, especially if they suggest a continuation of November’s stall speed, may animate concerns over stagflation with consumer confidence running at a four-month low.
Peru, whose economy continues to power through the political chaos of having had five presidents in five years, is slated to post fourth-quarter and 2025 output. Based on the December GDP-proxy report published mid-month, annual GDP should come in at about 3.4% with a 0.5% quarter-on-quarter expansion.
Chile-watchers can look forward to the usual end-of-month data dump, featuring seven separate economic reports for January, with the highlight being monthly copper production — the red metal is the South American nation’s top export.
–With assistance from Monique Vanek, Robert Jameson, Alexander Weber, Beril Akman, Brian Fowler, Laura Dhillon Kane, Mark Evans and Molly Smith.
Samsung Electronics today announced the continued expansion of Galaxy AI, reinforcing its vision for a rich, open and integrated multi-agent ecosystem. Built around Samsung’s vision of AI that reduces effort and steps across everyday tasks, Galaxy AI is designed to help users get things done more naturally with greater choice, flexibility and control.
Recent insights1show that people are increasingly using multiple AI agents depending on the task as AI becomes more embedded in daily routines.
Nearly 8 in 10 users now rely on more than two types of AI agents. Reflecting this shift, Samsung is evolving Galaxy AI2to support a choice of integrated agents, enabling users to choose the experiences that best fit their needs, preferences and routines.
Galaxy AI was built to bring meaningful AI directly into the operating system through deep, framework-level connections across the device. Rather than operating within individual apps, Galaxy AI works at the system level by understanding the user’s context to support more natural interactions.
This approach reduces the need to switch between apps or repeat commands, allowing Galaxy AI to work in the background. It also enables Samsung to curate experiences from supporting services, such as Perplexity, while ensuring everything feels seamlessly integrated within the Galaxy environment.
“We’ve been committed to building an open and inclusive integrated AI ecosystem that gives users more choice, flexibility and control to get complex tasks done quickly and easily,” said Won-Joon Choi, President, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Head of the R&D Office, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics. “Galaxy AI acts as an orchestrator, bringing together different forms of AI into a single, natural, cohesive experience.”
As part of this multi-agent expansion, Samsung will introduce Perplexity as an additional AI agent on upcoming flagship Galaxy devices. Users will be able to access Perplexity through a dedicated voice wake phrase, “Hey Plex,” or via quick-access controls such as pressing and holding the side button, making contextual assistance easy to reach when needed. Deeply embedded across select Samsung apps — including Samsung Notes, Clock, Gallery, Reminder and Calendar, as well as select third-party apps — Perplexity’s AI agent enables smoother, multi-step workflows, allowing users to move seamlessly between tasks without manually managing individual apps. This system-level approach offers Galaxy users a richer and more flexible AI experience across the device.
As Samsung continues to expand its inclusive AI ecosystem, collaborating with trusted partners — the company remains focused on enabling experiences that are easy to use and available to all. Additional details about supported devices and experiences will be announced soon.
The Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini has abandoned plans to make all-electric vehicles, and will instead focus on making plug-in hybrid cars, after a drop-off in demand for EVs among its wealthy clientele.
Lamborghini unveiled its first all-electric concept car, the Lanzador, in 2023, but it is no longer planning to put it into production.
The carmaker’s chief executive, Stephan Winkelmann, told the Sunday Times that developing EVs risked becoming an “an expensive hobby” for the brand, given that the “acceptance curve” for battery-powered cars among its customer base was getting “close to zero”.
Winkelmann said the Lanzador would be replaced by a plug-in hybrid, meaning its range would consist only of plug-in hybrids by 2030. In the meantime, the company would continue to build combustion engine vehicles for “as long as possible,” he added.
Lamborghini, which is owned by Volkswagen via its subsidiary Audi, delivered a record 10,747 cars worldwide in 2025. It reported last month that its results had been buoyed by the “success of the brand’s hybridisation strategy, which has been met with enthusiasm by Lamborghini customers across the globe”.
Europe remains the company’s largest market, followed by the Americas and Asia Pacific.
It said its results were boosted by sales of its Revuelto hybrid supercar, which costs at least £450,000, and the plug-in hybrid version of its Urus SUV, with prices starting at about £210,000. These models were joined last year by the hybrid Temerario, costing upwards of £260,000, meaning that hybrid versions are now available for every model in Lamborghini’s range.
Winkelmann said that sports car lovers had failed to find a “specific emotional connection” with EVs, because they missed the noise of a car with an internal combustion engine.
“Investing heavily in full-EV development when the market and customer base are not ready would be an expensive hobby, and financially irresponsible towards shareholders, customers [and] to our employees and their families,” he said.
He added: “Plug-in hybrids offer the best of both worlds, combining the agility and low-rev boost of electric battery technology with the emotion and power output of an internal combustion engine.”
The decision to pull the plug on an all-electric vehicle marks a significant shift in the company’s green ambitions.
In 2021, Lamborghini said it intended to produce only hybrid electric supercars by 2024 and announced a €1.5bn (£1.3bn) investment in hybrid and all-electric vehicles.
TikTok is buzzing with unemployed Gen Z graduates scrambling to secure a career in the current tough job market.
But even millennials—who joined the workforce in the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis—know a thing or two about resorting to unusual tactics when job-hunting.
When Swedish-born graduate Samantha Rogers decided to move to London in 2018 without a job, she was acutely aware that it’s often who you know, not what you know, that helps open doors.
“I wanted to be proactive before moving because I’d hate being in London and not having anything lined up because it’s expensive here,” Rogers tells Fortune.
So on top of tapping the usual suspects like LinkedIn and Indeed, she logged onto her Tinder profile and added the words “seeking work opportunities” to her bio.
“For a long time Tinder offered little to no value exchange for me, but just because I didn’t find dating successful on the app, didn’t mean I couldn’t use the platform creatively for other purposes such as networking, promoting my business, or exploring new social connections,” she recalls.
“I thought, if I’m going to be on Tinder and I haven’t been successful in getting a relationship out of it so far, I might get a job—it turns out that was easier.”
Within a week several opportunities came Rogers’s way. Not only were men on the app reaching out to her with leads but they were also recommending her internally for roles.
“It got me in the door quite quickly for interviews,” she adds. “I got two interviews with recruitment consultancies and then I got one sales job.”
In the end, Rogers—who is now a PR account director and married—had so many job offers on the table that she could afford to swipe left on (or, in other words, turn down) the three from Tinder that weren’t her cup of tea.
Even though she didn’t technically land a job through Tinder, she’d still recommend unemployed women especially use the app to their advantage to find work.
“It’s obviously a very crowded marketplace and there’s so many new emerging channels all the time that may be untapped,” Rogers says.
Lines blurring between dating and networking
On the women-first dating app Bumble, users are encouraged to make the most of its 50 million-strong network.
In 2017, the app launched Bumble Biz to give hopeless romantics the chance to find both their future partner and employer in one place.
Likewise, Grindr—more commonly known as the go-to destination for LGBTQ+ people looking to hook up—has jumped on the bandwagon.
Around 25% of its users are on the app to network, according to the company.
But with the lines between dating and networking blurring, women’s inboxes have become increasingly inundated with unsolicited advances from men who are using professional platforms to pursue their peers.
Over 90% of women reported receiving at least one unwelcome message on LinkedIn in a staggering 2023 study.
“I remember that I had received multiple flirty messages by men on apps and platforms intended for anything but that,” Rogers echoes. “So I thought I would turn the tables on them and use the dating app as a platform for job seeking.”
“As women, we need to empower ourselves to not only go for more opportunities but also capitalize on any space where opportunities are available,” she adds.
Even now, after years of living in London and forging professional connections, Rogers would still consider downloading the app once more if she found herself jobless.
“But I think I’d need to let my husband know that I’m on Tinder again,” the millennial manager laughs.
Is job-hunting on dating apps appropriate?
While job-hunting on Tinder is a novel approach, don’t be surprised if your hunt for an employer isn’t well received by people scrolling through their dating apps to find love.
“Tinder is the most popular dating app in the world, dedicated to fostering meaningful personal connections, not business ones,” a spokesperson for the company told Fortune.
Trying to find a job on a platform that, as Tinder says, “people come to first and foremost to find a romantic connection” may be inefficient.
Instead of trying to find a needle in a haystack, unemployed youngsters may be better off hunting for a job in the same space where recruiters are actively looking to hire.
However, Rogers argues that the scarcity of job seekers on the app is precisely what gives unemployed professionals a competitive advantage: “Dare to try unconventional methods because chances are that other people aren’t thinking about it, so you might be more successful.”
Plus, she’s very aware that there’s a chance the men who were hooking her up with jobs on the platform may have hoped to be more than just work peers.
It’s why before attending any in-person interviews off the back of Tinder, she meticulously researched each company and where it was located “to ensure it was legit.”
“Always make sure you look into the company and make sure it actually exists, and that the interviewer works there,” Rogers advises.
Although Tinder has over 20 safety features including a “strengthened” photo verification process and antiharassment prompts, Rogers would recommend women approach job-hunting on the app with the same caution as they would when meeting a romantic interest for the first time.
“Like most girls do when dating, always text a friend or family member where you are going, what time, and update them,” she adds.
“If you want to take it a step further, you can also share your location with them or bring them along to wait outside for you.”
Are you turning to new and unusual ways to job hunt in the current tough market? Fortune wants to hear from you. Get in touch: orianna.royle@fortune.com
A version of this story originally published on Fortune.com on March 7, 2024.
The barriers to launching a company have never been lower. Cloud infrastructure is cheaper, development cycles are faster, and technical expertise, once limited to a select few, is now accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Yet, this accessibility has created a new bottleneck.
As it becomes easier to launch, more startups are competing for the same attention and capital. In that race, founders with elite networks and proximity to major hubs are often seen first, keeping startups invisible, sidelined before they even have a chance to enter the market.
Nowhere is this dynamic more apparent than in AI. Between February and May 2025, VCs poured more than $69 billion into North American AI and machine learning startups, compared with $6.4 billion in European AI ventures and $3 billion in Asia.
Even Israel, a smaller market competing with entire continents, raised approximately $15.6 billion in 2025, with a significant portion of the investments focused on AI. In a field defined by global talent, capital remains concentrated in familiar geographies and circles.
As a result, even startups that solve some of the world’s most complex problems aren’t rewarded the same opportunities simply because they aren’t based in the world’s innovation hubs. In response to this visibility gap, Deel has launched “The Pitch,” a global startup competition designed to identify, promote, and invest in leading Seed-stage founders worldwide.
Deel founder Alex Bouaziz (credit: Courtesy)
The program includes an investment pool of more than $15 million and is expected to attract more than 20,000 startups across seven countries. At the global finale in Abu Dhabi in May, Deel says up to 10 ventures could receive up to a $1 million investment each.
Deel’s competition starts in Tel Aviv with 40 Israeli startups
Deel has structured the competition into seven in-person regional finals across major tech hubs, with Tel Aviv hosting the first event on March 23, 2026. An estimated 40 Israeli finalists are expected, 15 of whom will advance to the final round.
Winners of the Tel Aviv regional final will also receive media and brand support from ReBlonde PR, a communications firm that has extensive experience with technology companies and startups across various industries.
The initiative aims to identify promising startups regardless of geographic location, giving them a direct path to investors and market attention that would otherwise be difficult to access.
It is also designed to move faster than traditional fundraising, as early-stage rounds can take months of outreach, meetings, and due diligence before founders secure backing. The Pitch is structured as a compressed, roughly three-month cycle from application to the global finale.
Applications opened on February 5, with founders asked to submit details on their startup, product, and traction. Compared with other international accelerators, Deel expects the final acceptance rate to be approximately 0.05%, making it among the most selective globally.
The additional six locations for the regional events include Dubai, Singapore, New York, Paris, London, and Berlin, with up to 100 regional-round winners receiving a $50,000 investment.
Rather than treating funding as the finish line, the program keeps founders engaged by providing access to Deel’s online startup community, where they can find investor mentorship and connect with builders facing similar early-stage challenges. The competition is supported by partners including a16z, Google, Stripe, JP Morgan, Mubadala, Ribbit Ventures, dLocal, and others.
