00:00How you got the EU is
00:05on the cusp of sealing a major trade deal with India, tell us more.
00:10The European Commission and the European Council are both in New Delhi and India really rolled out.
00:15the red carpet for them, hosting them as guests of honor at the Republic Day Parade.
00:20Today, the two sides are expected to sign a new free trade agreement at the EU.
00:25India summit on Tuesday, one that they've been negotiating since 2022 along with
00:30separate deals on investment protection and geographical indications.
00:35Even if signed, it will still have to go before the European Parliament for ratification.
00:40But it will be an important step for both the EU and India that are trying to diversify their trade.
00:45trading partners in the face of Donald Trump's unpredictable trade policies, supply disruption...
00:50...and increasing competition from China.
00:53According to Brussels, the EU is...
00:55India's largest trading partner, while New Delhi is the bloc's ninth largest.
01:00International trade in goods amounted to €120 billion in 2024.
01:05accounting for about 11% of India's total trade and 2% of the EU's.
01:10the volume has increased by some 90% over the past decade.
01:15The trade amounted to almost 60 billion in 2024.
01:18Now the Indian market is highly restricted...
01:20with significant tariffs on foreign imports to protect vital sectors like farming.
01:25And while sensitive agricultural issues have not been part of the deal, Modi's government...
01:30has reportedly agreed to cut import tariffs on EU cars from 110...
01:35to 40%.
01:36For its part, New Delhi wants to expand duty-free access.
01:40to EU markets for things like textiles and jewellery.
01:45I think the price of gold has reached another all-time high.
01:48Well, the yellow metal has blasted past...
01:50the $5,000 announced mark for the first time ever.
01:54It's eased slightly...
01:55from the day's high, but it's still staying above the $5,000 mark.
02:00So...
02:00also reached an all-time high and hit $117 an ounce earlier today.
02:05Investors and some governments have been diverting their money away from...
02:10American assets such as treasury bonds and the dollar to hedge against geopolitical...
02:15risks.
02:16Over the past year, the price of gold has surged more than 80% from below...
02:20$3,000 an ounce to now over $5,000.
02:23It's more than doubled over the past year.
02:25in the last two years.
02:26As for silver, it's gained a whopping 170% just over...
02:30the past six months.
02:31The gold to silver ratio, which indicates how many ounces of silver...
02:35can buy one ounce of gold, dropped from near 80% to below 50% just in the past.
02:40two months.
02:41And how about the stock markets, Yuka?
02:43How are they doing?
02:44Well, U.S. stocks abroad...
02:45broadly rose as investors await some big corporate earnings reports due out.
02:50this week, including from Boeing, General Motors, Meta, Microsoft and...
02:55the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 300 points, the S&P 500 rose...
03:00half a percent...
03:01and the Nasdaq also leaked out mild gains this Monday.
03:04Mining companies...
03:05USA Rare Earth skyrocketed as much as 20% at one point this Monday.
03:10and closed up eight percent...
03:12after the Commerce Department said the administration would invest...
03:15$1.6 billion into the firm.
03:18Finally, to China, where the...
03:20approach of the Lunar New Year has brought an unlikely viral trend.
03:24Well, during the...
03:25period leading up to the New Year holiday,
03:27families and friends often buy presents to wish each other...
03:30good luck.
03:312026 will be the year of the horse...
03:33and among the 12...
03:35animals in the Chinese zodiac.
03:36It symbolizes vitality, speed and energy.
03:39But...
03:40instead, this year is seeing an unexpected success of a sad-faced cuddly horse.
03:45resulting from a production error...
03:47and it's got something to do with China's working culture.
03:50Brian...
03:50Brian Quinn explains...
03:51Same doll...
03:54different mood...
03:55As the Lunar New Year approaches,
03:57Chinese shoppers are snapping up an unlikely mascot...
04:00this plush horse should be smiling...
04:03but a mix-up at the factory has turned...
04:05that smile upside-down...
04:07and created a viral sensation in the process.
04:10The crying horse came about because a worker sewed its mouth upside down by mistake.
04:15Customers say it makes sense that it suits the spirit of today's corporate slaves.
04:20In the Chinese zodiac, 2026 is the year of the horse to celebrate its arrival.
04:25On February 17th, gift givers would generally opt for an auspicious symbol.
04:30But China's domestic economy is in a prolonged slump with consumer spending.
04:35Lagging the global average by some 20% of GDP.
04:38The country's youth unemployment rate.
04:40Hit a two-year high of nearly 19% last August before easing to around.
04:4516.5% in December.
04:47Those who do find white-collar jobs often...
04:50Often find the conditions to be frown-inducing.
04:53With long hours and high stress...
04:55Commonplace.
04:55There's even a nickname for such exhausted employees.
04:59Nyo Ma.
05:00Or cow and horse.
05:02I understand.
05:04It's a kind of...
05:05emotional value that young people look for these days.
05:07When you go to work, sitting there, feeling like you...
05:10want to cry.
05:11Then when you get off work, you're immediately happy, right?
05:13Nyo Ma.
05:13I'm happy.
05:15The factory has had to add 10 new production lines to keep up with the...
05:20tens of thousands of orders flowing in daily.
05:22A fitting response for the year of the horse.
05:25Which symbolizes both progress and perseverance.
05:30Well, let's wish these are cow and horse.
05:35workers are very good new here.
05:37Yuka, thanks so much for all of that, Yuka, there.
05:40With all the day's business news.
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