
Europe-US ties get a lift as inflation eases markets
At Munich, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged European unity, while January CPI cooled (2.4% YoY, core 2.5%), providing some market relief but leaving major indices mixed; Japan’s GDP expanded 0.1% in Q4, avoiding a technical recession; Chainalysis reports an 85% jump in cryptocurrency payments linked to suspected human-trafficking networks in 2025; TikTok’s U.S. joint venture sees its user base stabilize; the dollar’s safe-haven allure wanes amid AI-stock risk, signaling more AI-driven volatility ahead with markets bracing for the AI Impact Summit in India.


