Paramount Skydance on Monday sued Warner Bros Discovery for more information on a rival $82.7 billion deal with Netflix, escalating a battle to take control of one of the ​most storied Hollywood studios. The David Ellison-led company also said it plans to nominate ‌directors to Warner Bros Discovery's board, in one of its most aggressive steps yet to convince shareholders that its hostile $30-per-share cash bid is superior to the $27.75-per-share cash-and-stock offer from Netflix. The CBS parent and Netflix have been in a heated battle for Warner Bros, its prized film and television studios, and its ‌extensive content library that includes "Harry Potter" and the DC Comics universe. In a letter ​to shareholders, Paramount also said it would propose an amendment to Warner Bros' bylaws that would require shareholder approval for any separation of the media giant's cable TV business - which is ‍key to the Netflix deal.

An experienced CEO was offered the top role at a well-known public company with strong perceived fundamentals. He was excited to say yes. He’d met with all the board members, several of whom he knew personally. He had years of relevant industry experience and was energized by the role’s prestige and how it would build on his skillset and previous successes while offering new challenges. But only a few months into the job, he discovered that the company had little room to maneuver in the face of unexpected headwinds and lack of flexibility due to financial pressures. “It was like being asked to run a six-minute mile—from a quarter mile behind the starting line,” he reflected later. “I didn’t have an accurate view of where we were actually beginning.”

As policymakers and corporate leaders debate the future of quarterly financial reporting in the US, a significant shift looms over how public companies communicate with investors and how they are held accountable. Beginning in 1970, the US has required its public companies to report its earnings every three months. Any previous attempts to cut this back has been met with opposition from shareholders and industry groups who argue that the changes could threaten transparency and market volatility. This time around the call to review this requirement was triggered by the Long-Term Stock Exchange, in the form of a petition to the SEC to allow public companies to report earnings semi-annually. They have argued it will lead to reduced regulation, greater long-term focus and alignment with non-US jurisdicti

Not only should corporate boards understand when to seize opportunities to grow their companies, they must also know “what to stop doing.” And their people remain the most critical “difference-maker.” So says Tony DiBenedetto, board chair for Appspace, a Tampa, Florida-based company that provides a digital workplace communication, collaboration and management platform. DiBenedetto also serves on the boards for two other Tampa-based companies: A-Lign, which provides a cybersecurity compliance platform, and Trofeo, a cloud solutions company specializing in Microsoft Azure.

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Sunday the U.S. Department of Justice has served the central bank with subpoenas and threatened it with a criminal indictment over his testimony this summer about the Fed’s building renovations. The move represents an unprecedented escalation in U.S. President Donald Trump’s battle with the Fed, an independent agency he has repeatedly attacked for not cutting its key interest rate as sharply as he prefers. The renewed fight will likely rattle financial markets Monday and could over time escalate borrowing costs for mortgages and other loans. The subpoenas relate to Powell’s testimony before the Senate Banking Committee in June, the Fed chair said, regarding the Fed’s $2.5 billion renovation of two office buildings, a project that Trump has criticized as excessive.

Après plus de vingt-cinq ans de négociations, l’Union européenne a donné son feu vert à l’accord de libre-échange avec le Mercosur vendredi, malgré la colère des agriculteurs et l’opposition de la France. La présidente de la Commission européenne, Ursula von der Leyen, a salué un «accord historique» avec l’Amérique latine, qu’elle a «hâte» de parapher. L’accord est «équilibré», alors que «l’insatisfaction des deux parties a été une réalité tout au long des négociations», a réagi Rubén Ramírez, le ministre des Affaires étrangères du Paraguay, un des quatre pays membres fondateurs. Selon le gouvernement argentin, cette signature est prévue le 17 janvier au Paraguay. Ce traité entre l’UE, l’Argentine, le Brésil, le Paraguay et l’Uruguay créerait l’une des plus grandes zones de libre-échange au monde, de plus de 700 millions de consommateurs.

Merck is in talks to acquire Revolution Medicines in a deal that could value it at around $30 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. A deal for the cancer-drug biotech could come as soon as later this month, the people said, cautioning the talks could still fall apart or another suitor could prevail. Merck has been discussing a deal valued between $28 billion and $32 billion, the people added. The Financial Times reported Thursday that Merck was discussing a deal with Revolution at that price range. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that AbbVie was in advanced talks for a deal for Revolution, which the Journal reported had also drawn interest from other suitors. AbbVie later said it “is not in discussions” with Revolution. Revolution had a market value of around $16 billion before news of the deal talks. The stock rose following the reports, giving the company a value above $20 billion as of Thursday’s close. 

President Trump said he might block Exxon Mobil from drilling in Venezuela after the company’s top executive publicly acknowledged the barriers involved in doing business in the country. “I’ll probably be inclined to keep Exxon out,” Trump said Sunday evening, speaking to reporters traveling with him aboard Air Force One. During a meeting with oil-company executives at the White House on Friday, Exxon Chief Executive Darren Woods said that Venezuela is currently “uninvestable” without significant changes to the country’s commercial frameworks, legal system and hydrocarbon laws. He expressed confidence those changes could be put in place with the Trump administration and Venezuelan government working together. “I didn’t like their response. They’re playing too cute,” Trump said Sunday of Woods’s comments, adding that other companies want to invest in Venezuela.

Reviving a campaign pledge, U.S. President Donald Trump wants a one-year, 10 per cent cap on credit card interest rates, a move that could save Americans tens of billions of dollars but drew immediate opposition from an industry that has been in his corner. Trump was not clear in his social media post Friday night whether a cap might take effect through executive action or legislation, though one Republican senator said he had spoken with the president and would work on a bill with his “full support.” Trump said he hoped it would be in place Jan. 20, one year after he took office. Strong opposition is certain from Wall Street in addition to the credit card companies, which donated heavily to his 2024 campaign and have supported Trump’s second-term agenda. Banks are making the argument that such a plan would most hurt poor people, at a time of economic concern, by curtailing or eliminating credit lines, driving them to high-cost alternatives like payday loans or pawnshops.

Le Japon donne dimanche le coup d’envoi de ce qu’il présente comme la première tentative au monde d’exploiter des terres rares en eaux profondes à 6000 mètres sous la surface, dans l’espoir de réduire sa dépendance à l’égard de la Chine pour ses approvisionnements en ces matériaux cruciaux. Le Chikyu, navire japonais de forage scientifique en grande profondeur, s’apprête à mettre le cap sur Minamitori-shima, lointaine île située dans le Pacifique, dont les eaux environnantes seraient riches en précieux minerais. Cette expédition d’essai intervient alors que la Chine, de loin le premier fournisseur mondial de terres rares, accentue la pression sur le Japon, après des propos de la première ministre, Sanae Takaichi. Celle-ci avait suggéré en novembre que Tokyo pourrait réagir militairement à une attaque contre Taïwan, île démocratique dont Pékin revendique la souveraineté.

Luxembourg-based La ​Mancha Resource Capital ‍said on Friday that its fund ‍sold part ​of its stake in gold producer Endeavour Mining for about $605-⁠million. La Mancha said it sold 8.5 million Endeavour shares, or about ‌3.5 per cent of ‍the company, in a bought-deal ‌offering priced at $71.25 ⁠per share. The ​price represents a discount of about 8 per cent to Endeavour’s previous close on the Toronto ​Stock Exchange. La Mancha said it made the sale to reduce leverage and rebalance its ⁠portfolio after the ⁠fund’s exposure to Endeavour increased ‌significantly.

Les raffineurs chinois, coupés du pétrole brut vénézuélien depuis une semaine, se tournent vers un plan B plus cher : le Canada. Selon des négociants, les Chinois magasinent au Canada depuis la destitution du président Nicolás Maduro samedi dernier. Les variétés de pétrole canadien sont considérées parmi les meilleurs substituts au pétrole brut Merey du Venezuela. Sans préciser quels raffineurs chinois ont fait les premiers contacts, les négociants ont indiqué que les acheteurs réguliers de pétrole brut vénézuélien, notamment Shandong Chambroad, Shandong Dongming et Sinochem Hongrun, doivent trouver de nouveaux fournisseurs.

With safety programs stuck on lagging metrics that fail to prevent workplace injuries and death, here is what boards must do to shift to proactive, serious incident and fatality prevention. Workplace safety programs are stuck in a rut, tracking measurements that focus on the past while failing to help prevent injuries and deaths. As the annual rate of workplace fatalities remains flat, boards must help management lead organizations toward a new approach—one that goes beyond government compliance.

A proposed one-year cap on credit card interest rates backed by U.S. President Donald Trump could reduce borrowing costs for some consumers but also limit credit availability, pressure bank profits and reshape the economics of consumer lending. Trump called for the cap on Friday, without detailing how the plan would be implemented, while Wall Street analysts said such a move would require legislation and has slim odds of getting clearance. Financial stocks from Wall Street to Canary Wharf fell on the news on Monday. Credit card debt, with rates currently averaging 19.65%, according to consumer financial services company Bankrate, compounds quickly, particularly when borrowers make only minimum payments rather than paying off balances in full. This form of borrowing, known as revolving credit, can keep consumers in debt for years as interest costs accumulate and balances decline slowly.

Healthcare executives gather for their big annual conference in San Francisco on Monday as the sector is flush with cash and set for a deals spree as patents on drugs worth almost 12 per cent of the industry’s revenues expire in the years ahead. The JPMorgan healthcare conference takes place as uncertainty recedes over President Donald Trump’s trade wars, drug pricing policy and the leadership of key regulators such as the US Food and Drug Administration. In response, the S&P biotech index, known as the XBI, has surged to a four-year high, outperforming the wider index. In addition, drugs that contribute about $180bn of revenue a year are set to go off patent in 2027 and 2028, representing almost 12 per cent of the global market, according to research firm Evaluate Pharma. More than $40bn of sales are expected to lose patent protection this year, Evaluate has estimated.

A structured annual evaluation of the external auditor helps audit committees maintain audit quality, safeguard market confidence and bolster communication between both parties. By conducting a disciplined assessment of the external auditor’s independence, technical proficiency and overall performance, audit committees reinforce a critical safeguard. A high-quality audit is a shared responsibility that depends on robust, constructive dialogue between the external auditor and the audit committee. “The evaluation and the appointment of the external auditor is one of the audit committee’s key responsibilities and it’s important to follow a consistent process year over year,” said Sara Grootwassink Lewis. As such, implementing a formalized assessment is an effective way to facilitate essential conversations and an important tool in establishing a consistent review process.

After filing for creditor protection, Montreal-based luxury fashion brand SSENSE says its co-founders will buy the company back. According to a news release issued Sunday, brothers Rami Atallah, Bassel Atallah and Firas Atallah and their strategic partner won their bid in the Court-supervised Sale and Investment Solicitation Process (SISP) conducted under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). While “the parties have entered into a definitive purchase agreement,” final sale hinges on typical closing conditions like court and regulatory approvals. The company expects the transaction to close by Feb. 14. SSENSE, founded by the Atallah brothers in 2003, sells high-end clothing and accessories both online and in-store. Last August, SSENSE claimed its lenders were trying to sell the company without its consent and filed for creditor protection.

China and the European Union said Monday they have agreed on steps toward resolving their dispute over the bloc’s imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles. A “guidance document” released by the EU on Monday gives instructions for Chinese EV manufacturers on making price offers for EV exports, including minimum import prices and other details. The EU had imposed tariffs of up to 35.3% on Chinese EV imports in 2024 following an anti-subsidy investigation. The EU said that wide variations in the types of vehicles made it necessary to set specific minimum import prices “appropriate to remove the injurious effects of the subsidization.” Chinese EV manufacturers’ plans for investments within the EU will also be considered, it said. The EU said the European Commission would assess each offer in an “objective and fair manner, following the principle of non-discrimination” and in line with World Trade Organization rules.

Heineken said Chief Executive Dolf van den Brink plans to step down at the end of May after almost six years at the helm, leaving the world’s second-largest brewer searching for a new leader at a challenging time. His departure comes as the Dutch brewer struggles with weakening demand and changing consumer preferences. Beer sales are falling and the company cut guidance twice last year in response to weak consumer sentiment. The company, home to Amstel, Red Stripe and Birra Moretti and its namesake brand, said Monday that Van den Brink would step down May 31 and that it would begin the process to appoint his successor. Heineken said the executive decided to step down in consultation with the supervisory board. Shares fell 2% in European morning trading.

Allegiant Travel reached a roughly $1.1 billion deal to buy Sun Country Airlines as budget-focused U.S. airlines struggle with stiff competition from larger rivals. The proposed cash-and-stock deal would bring together two carriers that have primarily served price-sensitive, U.S. vacation seekers at the same time that the industry has come under strain. Larger carriers such as United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have deployed their own bare-bones fares to lure bargain hunters while catering to faster-growing demand from well-heeled travelers willing to pay up for extras. Allegiant and Sun Country have been able to steer clear of some of the difficulties that have plagued the low-cost end of the airline industry by being more selective about where and when they fly.

The federal government will only have a limited regulatory say if British miner Rio Tinto ends up buying Glencore PLC of Switzerland, even though both companies have extensive operations in Canada. On Thursday, London-based Rio said it was in talks with Glencore to potentially acquire it. If the deal happens, Rio would pass BHP Group Ltd. to become the world’s biggest mining company. Rio would also consolidate its position as Canada’s biggest metals and mining company. It already has massive aluminum operations in Quebec thanks to its acquisition of Alcan Inc. in 2007. Rio also mines diamonds at the Diavik site in the Canadian Arctic, and produces iron ore in Labrador City, N.L.

Shopify Inc. has partnered with Google and Microsoft Corp. to help shoppers find and buy its merchants’ products more easily through artificial-intelligence chatbots, and is launching a new customer plan to open these AI sales to other brands. This is the latest in a slew of announcements by e-commerce companies embracing agentic AI. Shopify joins the likes of Walmart and Wayfair in signing such deals with Google. On Sunday at the National Retail Federation conference in New York, Shopify said it would soon allow merchants to sell directly through Google’s Gemini app and its AI Mode in Google Search. And just days prior, Microsoft announced that it was pushing shopping and checkout through to its own chatbot app, Microsoft Copilot, with an integration for Shopify.

Le ministre fédéral des Finances, François-Philippe Champagne, est à Washington jusqu’à lundi pour participer à des réunions portant sur le commerce et les minéraux essentiels. Dans un communiqué de presse envoyé dimanche, le gouvernement libéral indique que M. Champagne rencontrera ses homologues du G7 et « d’autres pays partageant les mêmes idées ». Il précise que M. Champagne participera à une réunion des ministres des Finances organisée par le secrétaire américain au Trésor afin de discuter des chaînes d’approvisionnement des minéraux essentiels. M. Champagne a déclaré en décembre qu’il était temps de passer à l’extraction et au raffinage des minéraux critiques au Canada, et que le pays pouvait aider l’Europe à ne plus dépendre de la Chine pour ces minéraux. Lors de la réunion à Kananaskis, en Alberta, en juin, les pays du G7 ont lancé un plan d’action et une alliance de production sur les minéraux critiques.

U.S. employment growth slowed more than expected in December amid job losses in the construction, retail and manufacturing sectors, but a decline in the unemployment rate to 4.4% suggested the labor market was not rapidly deteriorating. The Labor Department's closely watched employment report on Friday also showed solid wage growth last month, bolstering economists' expectations the Federal Reserve would leave interest rates unchanged at its January 27-28 meeting. Economists have blamed sluggish job growth on President Donald Trump's aggressive trade and immigration policies, which they say have reduced both demand for and supply of workers. Businesses are also holding back on hiring, unsure of their staffing needs as they invest heavily in artificial intelligence. The economy is experiencing a jobless expansion, with growth and worker productivity surging in the third quarter, which was partly attributed to AI.

As we continue the journey into the second half of the decade, the challenges, complexities and uncertainties facing companies proliferate, the job of serving on corporate boards grows more complex, and expectations of individual directors persistently increase. The nominating and governance committee plays the starring role in this environment, ensuring that the board is fit for purpose to best oversee and support the management team and that governance practices are optimal for the board and responsive to shareholders. With these realities in mind, we have identified two key focus areas for nominating and governance committees in 2026.