Flash Briefing: Mick Davis back mining; Samsung hit worse than Apple; WeWork $6bn cash injection aborted; Amazon world's most valuable.

IN TODAY’S GLOBAL HEADLINES… Apple’s global smartphone rival Samsung came up even shorter in the three months to end December, indicating this morning its revenues fell 11% and operating income was down by a quarter. Japanese New Economy venture capital group Softbank has cancelled a proposed $16bn deal with shared office space provider WeWork. A recent rebound in the share price of online retailing giant Amazon has made it the most valuable listed company on earth. In South African-related news, Xstrata founder Mick Davis, who has been occupying himself of late as the CEO of Britain’s ruling Conservative Party, is quietly expanding his interest in mining.