Bezos shifts from Trump critic to supporter

Heathrow Airport in London has closed until midnight due to a significant power outage caused by a fire at a nearby electricity substation. In business news, Alimentation Couche-Tard and Seven & i are set to begin negotiations with private equity firms over thousands of stores in the U.S. This is an important step in Couche-Tard's $47 billion bid to acquire 7-Eleven. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is changing his relationship with former President Donald Trump. After previously criticizing Trump and suing the Pentagon over a blocked contract, Bezos is now aligning with Trump’s interests. Amazon even donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration and has committed funds to various Trump-related projects. While some see this as a strategic move to protect his business, others claim it reflects a shift in Bezos's views amid hostility from Democrats toward Big Tech. In Europe, retail investors are reviving interest in “meme stocks,” particularly in the small and mid-sized companies. Stocks like Eutelsat have seen significant surges as traders target hedge funds with large short positions. This surge is partly driven by increased defense spending in Europe. In a major development, cyber security firm Wiz has sold to Alphabet, Google’s parent company, for $32 billion, just months after turning down a $23 billion offer. Founder Assaf Rappaport has led the company to rapid growth, and the deal includes a hefty break fee, indicating possible regulatory hurdles ahead. In other news, Jonathan Sorrell has been appointed as the new CEO of Rathbones, following Paul Stockton's long tenure. Additionally, the UK’s largest lenders are adopting hedging strategies to manage earnings volatility.