Plus, Trump runs into limits of presidential power on lowering prices.

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Daily Briefing

Daily Briefing

By Kate Turton

Hello. Iran warns American allies it will strike US bases if attacked and China's customs agents are told Nvidia's H200 chips are not permitted to enter the country.

While back in the US, Trump runs into the limits of his presidential power and his latest move on the Fed may have backfired.

Today's Top News

 

Cars burn in a street during a protest over the collapse of the currency's value, in Tehran, Iran, January 8, 2026. Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

  • Tehran has warned US allies in the Middle East it will strike US bases on their soil if Washington attacks Iran, a senior Iranian official told Reuters, following President Donald Trump's threats to intervene in support of protesters.
  • The Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers will meet with US  Vice President JD Vance following weeks of threats to take control of Greenland. Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen tells the Reuters World News podcast that Trump's threats have actually pushed Greenlanders closer to Denmark.
  • Trump is expected to push ahead with his phased plan for Gaza's future by announcing the administration that will run the Palestinian territory, four Palestinian sources said.
  • The US president wields enormous power and Trump has greatly expanded his executive authority over the past year. But there is one area where he is learning the limits of presidential power - his ability to quickly lower the cost of living.
  • Syrian authorities have asked Lebanese security forces to hand over more than 200 senior officers who fled to Lebanon after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, following a Reuters investigation that showed how the neighboring country was a hub for insurgent plotting.
  • The European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU intends to split the 90 billion euro financial support approved for Ukraine into one third for its general budget and two thirds for military supplies.
  • Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to dissolve parliament next week and call a snap general election, the secretary general of her ruling party said. She is considering an election date of February 8. This is why Takaichi is gambling on an early election.
  • A train derailed in northeastern Thailand after a construction crane fell on two of its carriages, killing at least 31 people and injuring 64, the Health Ministry said.
 

Business & Markets

 

The line chart shows seasonally adjusted monthly data on US department stores sales up to March 2025.

  • High-end department store conglomerate Saks Global filed for bankruptcy protection in one of the largest retail collapses since the pandemic, barely a year after a deal that brought Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus ‌under the same roof.
  • Chinese customs authorities told customs agents this week that Nvidia's H200 artificial intelligence chips are not permitted to enter China, according to three people briefed on the matter. Elsewhere,  Beijing has told Chinese firms to stop using US and Israeli cybersecurity software, read our exclusive.
  • China bought fewer goods from Canada last year for the first time since 2020, according to Chinese data released hours before a visit by the Canadian prime minister, in a stark reminder of the economic leverage Beijing has over Ottawa.
  • A coalition of women's groups, tech watchdogs, and progressive activists is calling on Google and Apple to remove the social media site X and its related chatbot, Grok, from their app stores.
  • An app called "Are you dead" targeted at people living alone has gone viral in China, with surging downloads and widespread commentary on social media, prompting the company to introduce a subscription fee and change its name for a global audience.
  • US core inflation cooled in December, but food and energy prices keep the heat on the Fed. Listen to today's Morning Bid podcast for more.
 

Latest Trump move on Fed may have hit a tripwire, with a rally behind Powell

 

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell arrives at the US Federal Reserve. January 13, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

After years of berating Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, President Donald Trump's administration may have hit a tripwire in launching a criminal probe of the 72-year-old former investment banker.

Republican lawmakers and former top policymakers rallying to Powell's side and markets hinting at potential blowback if the president undermines the independence of the world's most important central bank.

Read more
 

And Finally...

BTS perform during the 64th Annual Grammy Awards show in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. April 3, 2022. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni 

Chart-topping K-pop boy band BTS announced it will embark on a concert tour starting in April after the release of their first new album in more than three years.

The tour launches in Goyang, South Korea on April 9 and includes 79 shows in Asia, the US and Europe through July, the group's agency said.

The band will drop their new album on March 20.

Read more