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Friday newspaper round-up: Trump, Apple, Asda, Quiz, Amazon

Fri 30 January 2026 06:58 | A A A

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(Sharecast News) - Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday laying the groundwork to slap tariffs on goods from countries that provide oil to Cuba, the White House said. The order, which ratchets up Trump's pressure to topple the Communist government, declares a national emergency and establishes a process for the US secretaries of state and commerce to assess tariffs against countries that sell or otherwise provide oil to the island nation. The White House has yet to specify tariff rates for violating its new policy of blocking Cuba from buying oil. - Guardian

Apple released its first quarter earnings on Thursday, exceeding Wall Street's expectations and seeing its revenue skyrocket 16% from the same time last year. "Apple is proud to report a remarkable, record-breaking quarter, with revenue of $143.8bn," Tim Cook, the company's CEO, said in a statement. "iPhone had its best-ever quarter driven by unprecedented demand, with all-time records across every geographic segment." - Guardian

Asda has admitted that 53,000 staff were underpaid by the supermarket after its payroll systems were damaged by a botched IT upgrade. Allan Leighton, the supermarket's executive chairman, said the company had reviewed its systems and discovered errors in how it calculated workers' holiday and sick pay in the wake of an overhaul dubbed "Project Future IT". - Telegraph

Fast fashion chain Quiz is on the brink of collapse as it struggles under the weight of a barrage of taxes and other costs. The Glasgow-based retailer is understood to have filed a Notice of Intention to appoint administrators, leaving an estimated 1,000 jobs hanging in the balance at its 40 stores. - Telegraph

Amazon is reported to be in talks to invest up to $50 billion in the ChatGPT-maker OpenAI in what would be a giant bet on the much sought-after artificial intelligence startup. The discussion is still in the early stages and the final numbers have not been finalised, according to The Wall Street Journal. - The Times

The Bank of England is pursuing the sale of a leafy sports estate in southwest London amid a cost-cutting drive by the central bank. Knight Frank has been appointed to assist on a potential freehold sale of the Roehampton site, which includes grounds leased to the All England Lawn Tennis Club. - The Times

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