Business News Today
Major Cyber Attack in France
There has been a widely reported major cyber incident – a suspected distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on France’s national postal service, La Poste, and its banking subsidiary, La Banque Postale, which occurred on December 22, 2025. This has caused significant disruptions in France during the peak Christmas period, raising national concerns about cyber vulnerabilities in public services. Online tools for tracking, sending, or collecting parcels were down, leading to delays in mail and package distribution. La Poste handles over 2 million items daily in the pre-Christmas rush, so this affected last-minute deliveries, with some customers turned away at physical post offices. Customers could not access the La Banque Postale app or website for transactions, payment approvals, or account management. Workarounds such as SMS authentication for payments, were available, and physical card payments/ATM withdrawals remained functional.
Alphabet Buys Intersect
Alphabet announced a $4.75 billion cash acquisition of energy firm Intersect today, to secure power supplies for its expanding AI operations. The deal addresses the intense energy demands of AI data centers, a critical bottleneck for tech giants. By integrating Intersect’s expertise, Alphabet aims to sustain growth in AI development while tackling sustainability challenges. This move highlights how AI infrastructure needs are driving strategic M&A in adjacent sectors like energy, positioning Alphabet competitively against rivals investing heavily in similar capabilities.
Biren Technology Plans $623 Million Hong Kong IPO
Chinese AI chipmaker Biren Technology has filed for a Hong Kong Initial Public Offering (IPO) targeting a capital raise of up to $623 million, as reported earlier today. Despite U.S. sanctions, the funds will advance domestic AI hardware development. The listing is indicative of China’s drive for semiconductor self-sufficiency amid global tensions. Success could fuel Biren’s competition with Nvidia in AI accelerators, boosting Asia’s role in the chip supply chain.
New TB Vaccine to Boost TB Disease Fight Globally
India’s Bharat Biotech has signed a technology transfer agreement with Spain’s Biofabri for the MTBVAC tuberculosis vaccine. The move follows a successful Phase I and II trials in India showing strong safety and immunogenicity, Bharat will manufacture and distribute the vaccine globally. The partnership aims to combat TB, a leading infectious killer, especially in high-burden countries. This deal strengthens India’s biotech leadership in vaccine production and improves access to next-generation TB prevention tools for vulnerable populations worldwide.
Breaking News Shorts:
- An Amazon executive has revealed that the US technology giant has blocked more than 1,800 job applications from suspected North Korean agents. North Koreans have attempted to apply for remote working IT jobs using stolen or fake identities, Amazon’s chief security officer Stephen Schmidt announced this in a LinkedIn post.
- The Shanghai Composite index rose 0.3% to around 3,930 today, while the Shenzhen gained 0.6% to 13,410 this morning. Mainland markets extended a five-session rally to a four-week high amid renewed optimism over AI trade. Local technology stocks led the charge, tracking Wall Street’s overnight advance as major US tech firms continued to rebound from recent volatility.
- The dollar index fell toward 98 on Tuesday, its lowest since early October, amid rising expectations of more rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Markets are currently pricing in two quarter-point rate reductions in 2026, also reinforced by President Trump’s calls for lower borrowing costs.
- Silver continues an historic climb to a new all-time high of $69.67 per ounce today, as escalating geopolitical tensions continued to bolster price strength. Heightened uncertainty stemming from US enforcement actions against Venezuelan tankers and PDVSA’s ongoing struggles following a cyberattack reinforced silver’s role as a safe-haven asset. Silver is up over 140% this year.
- Gold prices climbed to a fresh record above $4,482 per ounce this morning, marking the 50th record-breaking session for 2025 – up over 8% this month and driven by expectations of looser US monetary policy and mounting geopolitical tensions. Markets are currently pricing in two quarter-point rate cuts by the Federal Reserve next year, amid signs of easing inflation and a cooling labor market.
Markets by Numbers
Currency markets indicate the US dollar marginally weaker today, with the Euro trading against the US dollar at 1.17775 while the Pound is trading at 1.34908 to the US dollar. The Yen is currently trading at 155.94 to the dollar. The rand (ZAR) is currently trading in its best form in over three-years against the dollar at around R16.70.
Commodities:
- Gold futures continues to surge to new highs today, up 0.7% today, and are currently trading around $4477 per ounce.
- Copper prices are trending marginally lower today, with prices currently around $5.4261
- Silver futures spiked upwards to hit fresh highs earlier today but have modulated slightly on profit taking, and currently trading around $69.387
- Platinum futures have jumped to new highs again today, with prices up almost 1.5% this morning alone, and up over 16% this last week, and currently trading at $2184.70, While Palladium prices are up by 0.8% this morning, , and currently trading around $1839.00 per ounce.
- Brent crude oil prices are trending lower today on supply concerns, and currently at $61.90 with WTI trading at $57.84
- Cocoa futures are slightly higher today, and currently trading around $5880 per ton.
- Coffee futures are currently trading upwards at around $3.4820 per pound
Crypto Currencies:
- Bitcoin prices are softer this morning, and trading at around $87950 per coin currently
- Ether prices are surging this morning – up over 0.7%, and are currently trading around $2980.00
- $Trumpcoin are trending lower today, and currently trading around $4.940
(All prices quoted at approximately 07H25 Central African Time)
Africa News Briefs:
- Kenya’s Nairobi County has just made headlines with a bold and controversial decision – women working for the county are now entitled to two paid days off every month for menstrual health. The policy, approved by the Nairobi City County Government, allows female employees to take time off during their period without affecting their sick leave or annual leave balance.
- Ugandan security forces have used Tear-gas on groups of crowds supporting a presidential opposition figure. Footage shows security forces dispersing crowds with tear gas at rallies for Ugandan presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, in Kampala. The pop star-turned-politician is campaigning ahead of Uganda’s January 2026 elections, as officials warn against interference.
