Canada’s rate rise, EU online-import fee, Japan’s rate hold
Canada’s central bank lifted its key interest rate to 2.5% and says further increases may be needed, with its next decision due on 9 December. Governor Tiff Macklem warned that businesses passing higher energy costs to customers would prolong inflation. The EU is due to introduce an online-import handling fee, while Japan’s central bank held its rate at 1.25%. The European Central Bank also held its rates and said incoming data would guide its next decisions.
Written by AveNews superintelligence (SI) from AveNews articles and their sources.
Table of contents
Economy
Bank of Canada raises key interest rate to 2.5%
The Bank of Canada raised its key rate to 2.5%. It also increased its growth and inflation forecasts, with Governor Tiff Macklem warning that businesses passing higher energy costs on to customers would prolong inflation. The bank says further increases may be needed, with its next decision on 9 December.
EU to add €2 handling fee on online imports on 1 November 2026
The EU is due to introduce its import handling fee on 1 November 2026, with businesses filing customs declarations legally liable. Irish Revenue says sellers or delivery businesses may pass the cost to shoppers, collecting it at checkout or before delivery.
Bank of Japan holds rate at 1.25% and raises inflation forecasts
The Bank of Japan held its rate in an 8–1 vote, with one board member seeking an immediate increase. The bank judges borrowing conditions still supportive of economic activity.
European Central Bank holds all three key interest rates steady
The European Central Bank held its three key rates, including the deposit rate at 2.5%. It warned that rising energy prices threatened higher inflation and weaker growth, and said incoming data would guide future decisions rather than a preset rate path.
Russia’s government extends producers’ diesel export ban
Russia’s government has extended fuel producers’ export ban, keeping restrictions in place beyond their previous October expiry. Some shipments may remain exempt; Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak separately projects higher diesel exports in November.
Belarus bans 7-year ARAME and 8-year Pogreb Shio imports and sales
Belarus’s Gosstandart has prohibited the 7-year ARAME made by Armenia’s MAP and the 8-year Pogreb Shio made by Georgia’s Kvarelsky Pogreb. The regulator says the products fail technical and labeling requirements, with import and sale prohibited throughout Belarus from 31 October 2026.
European Central Bank keeps its three key interest rates unchanged
The European Central Bank kept its key rates unchanged on 29 October 2026. Lagarde cited stable underlying inflation, growing uncertainty and tighter financing conditions as reasons to pause while policymakers await additional information.
Updated since this editionCanada and the UAE sign trade deal targeting lower export tariffs
Canada and the UAE signed a trade agreement on October 27, building on two-way trade worth 3.5 billion Canadian dollars in 2025. The agreement aims to widen access for farm, manufacturing and service exports, with entry into force expected in 2027.
Indonesia cuts pipeline gas exports to Singapore by 9%
Indonesia cut pipeline gas exports to Singapore by 9%, citing domestic shortages. Indonesia says the reduction complies with existing agreements, while Singapore’s prime minister said its gas importer would take steps to protect its rights and interests.
Companies
GM app misled over 370,000 drivers, Washington state investigators allege
Washington investigators allege GM’s app told drivers they were outside Smart Driver while the company kept collecting and selling their data. The automaker’s multistate settlement requires tighter collection limits and privacy oversight.
Updated since this editionAlso this week
Economy
Bank of Japan holds rate at 1.25% and speeds up fund sales
California billionaire-tax opponents report over $379.5 million
2 ships sank near Hormuz, maritime officials said on 14 October
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Armenia’s Cabinet approved a goods-marking pilot on 29 October 2026
European gas prices topped €100 per megawatt-hour by 28 October
UK chancellor raises betting-machine tax from 20% to 25%
UK Chancellor John Healey announces bank surcharge rise from 3% to 6%
UK Chancellor John Healey reportedly scraps wealthy-applicant visa plan
UK Chancellor John Healey announced £100 energy payment on 28 October
US economy grows at a 3.4% annualized rate in the third quarter
Gulf crude exports reach 24.6 million barrels a day, Kpler says
Armenia’s parliament ratifies US transport framework
US permit bill would cut power emissions, researchers project
UK Chancellor Healey plans 20% business-rate share for mayors
US gasoline averaged about $4.25 a gallon on 28 October, auto group says
Belgium’s tax agency shuts online portal after cyberattack
Russia’s deputy premier said 3 diesel tankers were US-bound on 27 October
UK Treasury estimates £21 annual food savings from tariff cuts
UK Chancellor John Healey sets terms for first-home loans
US seafood exports rise 12% to $5.53 billion in 2025, trade office says
UK Chancellor John Healey announces pensioner tax allowance
Armenian-made exports to United Arab Emirates rise 48%, minister says
UAE deal would cover 122 service subsectors, Armenia’s economy minister says
Fitch revises France’s debt outlook to negative, keeps A+ rating
UK pledged £10 billion (about $13.4 billion) more to Ukraine on 28 October
Germany’s inflation eases to 2.8% in preliminary October estimate
UK government commits £4.7bn to Your First Home scheme
US Federal Reserve holds rates at 3.75%–4% in a 10–2 vote
Georgia’s parliament passes casino tournament law by 73–5 vote
UK commits £10 billion more to Ukraine’s economy and defence
UK government sets £13.21 hourly minimum for 21 and over from April 2027
US households pay more for fuel, flights and parcel services
Armenia’s agricultural output falls 4.8% in first nine months of 2026
South Korea’s GDP grows 1% in third-quarter advance estimate
Armenia’s top 1,000 taxpayers pay 13.9% more in first nine months
Japan’s government seeks JPY250 billion for content in 2027 budget
US beef imports reach 20% of temporary reduced-tariff allocation
Armenia’s government approves merged employment support programme
Armenia’s economic activity rises 6.9% in nine months of 2026
Ifo’s German business climate index rises to 90.2 in October
Black Sea drone attacks sink two cargo ships, killing at least two sailors
Armenia’s Finance Ministry reports AMD 27.8bn nine-month surplus
China’s ministries propose new controls on model exports
Companies
Virgin Media O2 plans thousands of job cuts, with total not finalized
Explosion at Intel’s chip plant in Israel kills two workers
Armenia’s Cabinet adopted passport and ID rules on 29 October
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Meta says it could delay business terms beyond 20 November
Nscale discloses $44.6 billion Anthropic data center contract
Streaming chief Casey Bloys names Sarah Aubrey to lead Paramount+
Microsoft expects under 5% of 60,000 eligible staff to take buyouts
Poundland files notice to appoint administrators
Xbox chief denies sale reports amid restructuring
Amazon reports negative annual free cash flow of $42.4 billion
Drought persists across 82% of England, Environment Agency says
UK unions gain right to enter workplaces and contact staff electronically
DoorDash agrees to buy Instacart for $17 billion
Skydance combines publishing and consumer-products operations
Alphabet shares fell 12.6% on 29 October in worst trading day
YouTube passes 150 million Music and Premium subscribers, including trials
Microsoft grows cloud revenue 30% as Windows PC licensing falls 27%
Finland’s regulator restricts Google’s data-centre site work
SpaceX targets 10 GW of ground-based computing capacity in 2027
Australia’s regulator examines Firmus’s failed $5 billion share offering
Intel plans commercial quantum business through Classiq purchase
Armenia adds 23 flower-export markets, ministry says
Meta plans share offerings of up to $97.5 billion
Verizon targets 10–15 million more premises for gigabit wireless broadband
UPS raises annual revenue and profit forecasts
Amazon Leo agrees to provide Apple satellite services in Globalstar deal
Anthropic says revenue per employee exceeds $6.6 million
GMO Internet pledges compensation after trading-service cyberattack
GSK proposes Belgian reorganization affecting up to 1,217 employees
Trian is said to offer $1.4 billion to take Wendy’s private
US judge dismisses Trump’s $10 billion Wall Street Journal lawsuit again
Regal and Cinemark decline Cliff Booth’s IMAX opening
ExxonMobil more than doubles quarterly earnings to $3.72 per share
Intel forecasts $15–16 billion in fourth-quarter revenue
Microsoft spends around $5 billion less on superintelligence (SI) investment
OpenAI reportedly secures about $11 billion in funding
Georgia’s parliament sets 80% foreign share for gambling tournaments
Chevron commits $7 billion to doubling Venezuela oil output
Hong Kong carrier HKT agrees to end US services by 1 September 2027
id Software loses about 50% of staff in Xbox layoffs, co-director says
Lakers owner Mark Walter agrees sale terms with Josh Kushner, sources say
Alphabet posts negative third-quarter free cash flow of $9.1 billion
Microsoft reports $18.6 billion in positive quarterly free cash flow
Hello Sunshine reportedly cuts about 30 jobs, roughly 50% of staff
Amazon spends $77.3 billion on capital projects in third quarter
US appeals court restores NFL Sunday Ticket liability verdict
Infineon plans €1.1 billion chip investment in Villach
Thrive Holdings agrees to buy ADT for about $7.6 billion
Chipmaker UMC approves $3.2 billion for Singapore and Tainan expansion
UK competition regulator opens inquiry into Meta’s content-use terms
Samsung’s quarterly revenue rises 127% to KRW 195.3 trillion
Walmart commits about $6 billion to expand Symbotic automation
Skydance sports chief David Berson names team amid six reported exits
Eutelsat commits €3.39 billion to Europe’s IRIS² satellite network
Samsung confirms record quarterly operating profit of 107.4 trillion won
Oracle sets $20 billion ceiling on planned extra funding
Volkswagen puts restructuring cost at €31bn
T-Mobile raises 2026 outlook as quarterly profit climbs 27%
Alphabet more than doubles cloud revenue but burns $9.07 billion
RedBird and Sound Ventures sign $1 billion investment partnership
Microsoft’s Azure revenue rises 48% to $33.17 billion
Shell raises quarterly buybacks to $5bn as profit doubles to $10.8bn
SK Hynix posts record quarterly results and plans more capacity spending
Broadcom announces $63 billion financing deal for Anthropic
eBay plans 9% workforce cut in its second round of 2026 layoffs
Audi plans $4 billion SUV plant and 4,500 jobs in Georgia, US, pending approval
Singapore Exchange Regulation asks seven firms for haze disclosures
SK Hynix announces a $75.4 billion shareholder-return plan
Apollo agrees to buy a minority stake in Mubadala Capital
EQT extends Kakaku.com bid to November 12 at ¥3,683 a share
Visa reports quarterly profit up 18% to $6 billion
France’s Senate passes bill to make protesters pay up to €10,000
Infosys cuts annual revenue growth forecast to 1–2%
Nvidia plans $3 billion investment in Meta’s share offering
Guidewire to buy hyperexponential for up to $2.1 billion
AMD plans $1 billion Meta investment as chip partnership expands
ASM International expects to beat 2030 sales target in 2027
Boeing delays 737 ramp to 2027, expects to miss 500-jet goal
Kazakhstan’s president launched Aktogay smelter work on October 20
PlayPower abandons Burke acquisition after lawsuit, US regulator says
Mercedes-Benz cuts 2026 core-profit forecast to about €5.8 billion
City Football Group’s top shareholder Mansour invests £100m, filings show
Coca-Cola raises its 2026 earnings forecast
Wizz Air launches direct Yerevan–Eindhoven flights, Yerevan airport says
Nvidia signs supplier deals to expand superintelligence (SI) hardware production
Armenia’s education ministry says it ended Aghbyur camp contract
US judge blocks contract restrictions tied to Alibaba lobbyists
Anthropic posts $80.7bn first-half 2026 loss in public share-sale filing
Auroch Digital plans to cut roughly 25% of its workforce
HSBC lifts pretax profit 32% to $9.6 billion as wealth revenue stays flat
Toyota recalls 228,367 US Sienna Hybrids, safety regulator says
P&G posts 4% organic sales growth, its best in 11 quarters
Reckitt lowers annual guidance as shares fall 6.3% in early trading
Nvidia plans $3 billion investment in Meta’s share offering
Microsoft says it offers voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees
Blackstone and banks announce $63 billion in Anthropic chip financing
SpaceX agrees hardware lease with about $40bn in expected payments
Lionsgate plans majority-owned venture with Steven Paul’s SP Media
EQT agrees to buy Range Resources in $12.8 billion all-stock deal
Eni signs up to $1.8bn in contracts for Cyprus’s Kronos gas field
SpaceX announces hardware lease with about $40 billion in principal payments
Temu agrees to tackle illegal goods under four-month EU deadline
Meta reports $9.89 billion settlement charge in third quarter
SpaceX closes $40 billion in chip financing, Musk says
Meiji Yasuda raises Man Group private-credit commitment to $1.3 billion
Jane Street reportedly invests $1bn in CoreWeave, commits $6bn to computing
Toyota plans $6.4 billion a year for robots and factory automation
Western Australia’s environment agency staff flagged Browse risks in 2023
Prospect and PCS suspend V&A half-term strike after pay offer
Samsung reportedly cuts Galaxy production plans by up to 30%
HSBC launches RedCoin payments for PayMe’s 3.3 million users
Revolut plans 2027 app platform for private tech investing
Brazil’s Itau agrees to buy NeoSpace AI for 2.925 billion reais
Eleveight AI plans $2 billion expansion to 40 MW by 2027
Simba faces possible licence cancellation over spectrum allegations
NextDC cuts 2027 outlook and halts new projects over power delays
Audi confirms plan for $4 billion factory in US state of Georgia
Western Australia’s government seeks refund for flawed Deloitte study
Ukrainian strikes disrupt Yandex services
Markets
Bitget says it added over $300 million to fund after $387.5 million hack
French bonds and bank shares fall after weekend unrest
Brazil’s Ibovespa fell nearly 14% on 26 October
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Anthropic discloses $2.75 million for CEO Dario Amodei’s security in 2025
Jio Platforms closed 27% above offer price in Mumbai debut on 28 October
Nasdaq falls 2.86% as technology shares lead US selloff
Japan’s Nikkei closes down 2.1% at 63,290.11
Armenia’s government bond auction sets an 8.8186% yield
Microsoft prices $25 billion US bond sale
22 companies object to OKXICE stock tokenization
South Korea’s KOSPI closes up 6.63% as SK Hynix gains 10.89%
Japan’s Nikkei falls 0.80% for third day as tech shares weigh
Index compiler MSCI proposes ending Indonesia’s emerging-market status
Jio Platforms plans a $3 billion share sale in India
Startups & Venture
Bedrock Robotics’ round reportedly values it at $4.1 billion
Upwind rejects Datadog’s acquisition approach, source says
Kalshi announces $1 billion Series G financing
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Fractile issues £577 million (about $774.9 million) in Series C shares
TBellScout owner Schuurman confirms buying Flawless’s film tools
STAN angel investors say they have invested in HarborSite
Wabi says it has raised $55 million at a $1.25 billion valuation
FuriosaAI says it closes $620 million round to expand chip production
Anthropic plans up to $3.5 billion share sale in Japan
Re:Build raises $2.1 billion for US manufacturing and startups
Disruptive announces $10 billion fund for technology and defense
Reports for this week
AveNewsTravel curbs widen as DR Congo reports its deadliest Ebola outbreak
DR Congo’s government puts Ebola deaths above 5,000, while researchers have begun enrolling participants in a trial to test protection against the Bundibugyo virus. Cyclone Arnab damaged homes, infrastructure and farmland in eastern India. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry says repeated Russian attacks are delaying electricity repairs.
Weekly report · covering
4 min57 sources
TechnologySouth Korea’s payment order requires changes to Google and Apple billing
South Korea’s regulator is requiring Google and Apple to allow external payment links and submit compliance plans within one month of receiving its orders, with changes due within three months. Binance reports $5.27 billion in net withdrawals since transactions resumed after the theft. The US cyber agency has confirmed PHP2Shell exploitation and set a remediation deadline for federal civilian agencies.
Weekly report · covering
4 min48 sources
ScienceDR Congo’s Ebola toll, Nepal flood aid, immunoglobulin safety review
DR Congo’s government puts Ebola deaths above 5,000 as researchers begin enrolling participants in a trial to test protection against the Bundibugyo virus. Nepal has secured approval for $20 million in emergency flood aid. The European Medicines Agency has opened a safety review of human normal immunoglobulins after reports of allergic reactions linked to particular batches.
Weekly report · covering
4 min73 sources
CultureCalifornia film credits hinge in part on diversity reviews
California puts the final 4% of most production credits behind diversity plans and assessments for commission review; a basic checklist remains compulsory even for productions that opt out. Japan’s government has requested roughly JPY250 billion for content-industry investment in fiscal 2027. Armenia’s national opera theatre has regained 1,050 square metres for a small concert hall.
Weekly report · covering
4 min44 sources
SportsRussian hockey ruling, women’s football funding, Antonelli’s title
The first of five ice hockey tournaments affected by the court’s order starts on 26 December 2026 in Canada; the federation says it will assess the ruling before deciding practical arrangements. FIFA raised Women’s World Cup preparation funding to $2.5 million per team. Kimi Antonelli’s third place in Mexico City secured the Formula 1 drivers’ championship.
Weekly report · covering
3 min87 sources
PoliticsSudan famine warning, Ukraine power cuts, Gaza winter aid
The US and 30 other Western states urge Sudan’s warring parties to remove barriers to aid as they warn of famine risk. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry says repeated attacks are delaying electricity repairs. Available and incoming supplies could provide partial shelter and household-item assistance to around 52,000 Gaza families.
Weekly report · covering
4 min42 sources
