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If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft is flawed?
In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed.
Hundreds killed, but even now we still don't know for sure who did it.
It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories.
I'm Helena Merriman and in a new BBC series I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story.
What did they miss the first time?
The History Bureau, Putin and the apartment bombs.
Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
Are U.S.-EU trade tensions about to flare up again, this time over Greenland?
It's World Business Express from the BBC World Service.
I am Bissi Adibayo.
China reports 5 GDP, but concerns remain over its future growth.
And winners crowned on and off the pitch at football's African Cup of Nations.
So leaders of European countries have reacted angrily to the threat of additional tariffs by the US.
Donald Trump says he'll first put 10 and then 25 extra import tax on nine countries, including Germany, France and the UK, as he increases the pressure on his claim for Greenland to be sold by Denmark to the United States.
Here's just some of that reaction.
Tariffs benefit no one and harm almost everyone.
American consumers are now noticing the effects of tariffs.
The absurdity that an American president is using tariffs as a threat in order to try to buy or take over Greenland.
It's absurd on a new level, so to say.
This will ultimately harm consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Swedish Finance Minister Elisabeth von Tessen and EU spokesperson Olive Gill there.
Well, finance ministers from the world's leading seven economic nations, which includes the US, are expected to meet in a specially convened meeting in the next few days.
Volker Trier is head of international trade at the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He explained what impact the extra tariffs would have.
We already experienced a very bad year 2025 when we speak about German exports to the United States, who still are our major export partner worldwide.
And our companies have experienced a decrease in export volume by almost 10% last year.
And this could even accelerate this year with new tariffs and of course also with new uncertainty in our relations to the United States.
What happened on the weekend has a new bad, negative quality in our culture, even how we trade and how we respect international order and law.
We recommend our policymaker in order to be at least more patient than Mr Trump seems to be so.
And does that mean the EU should maybe even use the anti-coercion instruments we've been hearing about?
One good thing is that last year's deal between the European Union and the United States the general tariffs of 15 on the US side and the zero tariffs on the European side to the single market exports from the United States has not gone through the European Parliament.
So we recommend the politics, the European Commission policy level, that they postpone this decision for at least some weeks and not to overreact by using instruments of the anti-coercion instrument.
It's interesting you're talking about them not overreacting using this instrument.
But I'd like to ask you this very direct question.
Would you support tariffs on the US if this drags on?
We have to observe the ongoing discussions with Mr Trump in Davos this week quite carefully and as an ultimate ratio it can come into our instruments also to retaliate with some instruments like tariffs or with an exclusion of American providers in our public procurement, for instance.
So it's a case of treading very cautiously?
Absolutely.
Yeah, it has to be well balanced.
We have to lose a lot.
We can lose a lot.
The potential is real.
The threat is great.
We have to take what happened yesterday and the last weekend in general as a wake up call, but not to overreact against the US administration.
Volker Treyer, head of international trade at the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Well, let's bring in Jane Sydenham, who's investment director at Rat Bones.
Jane, what's been market reactions to the latest Greenland tariff threats?
Well, certainly pretty much across the board in the UK and Europe markets are down a bit.
I mean not dramatically so, because I think there's a sense that, you know, maybe some sort of agreement will be reached.
But certainly there is a we have seen weakness.
But at the same time, we've also seen continuing strength in gold, which is up just about 17 percent, and silver, which continues to push ahead, which is up nearly 6 percent today.
Well, let's talk about China, which has reported a 5% GDP growth.
Are there concerns over the future there?
Yes.
I mean, you know it was a pretty good number overall, but mostly driven by significant exports, with China having the largest trade surplus ever in history of 12 trillion for last year.
Domestically, though, demand still remains very weak.
Jane Sydenham is investment director at Red Bones.
The French government is reportedly planning to take the unusual move of forcing through its budget without a parliamentary vote.
The legislation had been struck for months and forced the resignation of previous leaders.
As the country's politicians remain split on tackling France's high budget deficit,
Prime Minister Sébastien Le Corneau could however, now face a vote of no confidence in his own position.
And in Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takeuchi has announced a snap election just a couple of months since she came to power.
She became leader of the Liberal Democrat Party in October last year, but currently only holds power through a coalition.
Takeuchi will be hoping that her popularity since becoming the PM would strengthen her party's position and the ability to push through her policies.
I stake my position as Prime Minister on this decision.
I ask the people of Japan to directly judge whether they can entrust the governance of the nation to Sanae Takeuchi.
And she promised a two-year suspension of an 8 consumption tax on food and said her spending plans would create jobs, boost household spending and increase other tax revenues.
Soraya Shirai is a former Bank of Japan Policy Board member and says she's shocked by the timing.
Actually, a lot of people feel quite surprised about this possible election because she's in the leadership a little more than just two months and it's a bit too early for her to do it.
She needs to show whether her policy really works well or not.
A lot of people feel quite mixed about her economic policy, you know, because we have high inflation and she's not really trying to deal with this food price food, high prices.
Sayuri Shirai, former Bank of Japan Policy Board member there.
Now let's take you to Dakar Senegal, where there was jubilation last night after Senegal won the Men's Africa Cup of Nations football tournament, beating host Morocco.
But the competition itself has also been a big winner with a 90% increase in commercial revenue.
Rana Gosal is author of the report on the economic impact of Afghan.
This particular edition has been good for the host country Morocco, for CAF, for the African people as well.
This particular edition.
If you see the amount of commercial partners have grown over the last three editions.
It was nine in 2021.
In 2025, that reached up to 23.
And I'm sure this is only going to grow on from here.
And that's Rana Gosal, author of a report on the economic impact of Afghans speaking there.
Well, that's it on World Business Express with me, Bissi Adebayo.
Don't forget you can catch more on our top story talking about leaders of the European countries reacting to the threat of additional tariffs by the US.
And please don't forget to subscribe to get the latest search for World Business Express.
If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft is flawed?
In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed, hundreds killed.
But even now, we still don't know for sure who did it.
It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories.
I'm Helena Merriman and in a new BBC series I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story.
What did they miss the first time?
The History Bureau, Putin and the apartment bombs.
Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
