Business and Economy



Amazon shares surge as AI boom drives cloud growth

AFP - 22m ago

Amazon's share price skyrocketed by more than ten percent on Thursday after the online retail behemoth reported better …

Stocks mostly fall as investors digest Trump-Xi talks, earnings

AFP - 24m ago

Stock markets wobbled Thursday as traders digested a high-stakes meeting between the US and Chinese presidents, mixed …

Saudi chases AI ambitions with homegrown firm pitched to global investors

AFP - 3h ago

Powered by its sovereign wealth fund of nearly $1 trillion, Saudi Arabia is backing its new AI firm Humain, entering a …

Stocks diverge as investors digest Trump-Xi talks, earnings

AFP - 3h ago

Stock markets wobbled Thursday as traders digested a high-stakes meeting between the US and Chinese presidents, mixed …

UN climate fund posts record year as chief defends loans

AFP - 4h ago

The head of the UN's flagship climate fund has announced a record-breaking year for approving projects in vulnerable …

G7 to launch 'alliance' countering China's critical mineral dominance

AFP - 4h ago

G7 energy ministers meeting in Canada on Thursday planned to launch a new alliance to counter China's critical mineral …

Fentanyl, beans and Ukraine: takeaways from Trump-Xi's 'great meeting'

AFP - 5h ago

From a crippling trade conflict to the Ukraine war, here's what Beijing and Washington say was achieved during Donald …

Chinese EV giant BYD says Q3 profit down 33%

AFP - 5h ago

Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD said on Thursday its third-quarter profit had slumped by 33 percent year-on-year, …

ECB holds rates steady with eurozone more resilient

AFP - 5h ago

The European Central Bank kept interest rates unchanged again Thursday, saying inflation was in check and risks to the …

Universal says struck first licensing deal for AI music

AFP - 1h ago

A deal struck between Universal Music Group and AI music creation startup Udio marks a new chapter for a recording …

Shares in Jeep-maker Stellantis slump despite rising sales

AFP - 5h ago

Shares in Stellantis suffered a double-digit fall on Thursday as the US-European auto giant whose brands include Jeep, …

Stocks slide as investors digest Trump-Xi talks, earnings

AFP - 1h ago

Stock markets mostly retreated Thursday as traders digested a high-stakes meeting between the US and Chinese presidents, …

No GDP data released as US shutdown bites

AFP - 7h ago

A US federal data blackout deepened Thursday as a government shutdown halted the release of third quarter GDP figures, …

With inflation under control, ECB holds rates steady again

AFP - 2h ago

The European Central Bank kept interest rates unchanged Thursday but warned of an "uncertain" economic outlook amid …

Nissan says expects $1.8 bn operational loss in 2025-26

AFP - 8h ago

Struggling Japanese carmaker Nissan said it expected to suffer an operating loss of 275 billion ($1.8 billion) in its …

Italy court stalls Sicily bridge, triggers PM fury

AFP - 2h ago

Italy's government said Thursday it would address concerns over a new bridge to Sicily, after Prime Minister Giorgia …

Novo Nordisk launches bidding war with Pfizer for obesity drugmaker Metsera

AFP - 4h ago

Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, maker of weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, announced Thursday an …

Stocks fall as investors eye Trump-Xi talks, earnings

AFP - 2h ago

Stock markets fell Thursday as traders digested a high-stakes meeting between the US and Chinese presidents, mixed …

'Significant' Xi, Trump talks win cautious optimism in China

AFP - 5h ago

A rare meeting between leaders Donald Trump and Xi Jinping has succeeded in temporarily stabilising US-China relations, …

Branson's Virgin moves closer to launching Eurostar rival

AFP - 9h ago

British entrepreneur Richard Branson vowed Thursday to "shake up" cross-Channel train services after regulators approved …

Eurozone growth beats expectations in third quarter

AFP - 39m ago

The eurozone economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter of 2025, official data showed Thursday, buoyed by …

Volkswagen posts 1-billion-euro loss on tariffs, Porsche woes

AFP - 49m ago

Volkswagen reported its first quarterly loss for five years Thursday, topping one billion euros, as the German auto …

Shell's net profit jumps despite lower oil prices

AFP - 1h ago

British oil and gas giant Shell on Thursday said its net profit rose 24 percent in the third quarter as trading margins …

Asia markets fluctuate as investors examine Trump-Xi talks

AFP - 2h ago

Asian stock markets fluctuated on Thursday after a high-stakes meeting between US and Chinese leaders that resulted in …

Trump, Xi ease fight on tariffs, rare earths

AFP - 7h ago

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping agreed on Thursday to calm the trade war between China and the United States that has roiled …

Bank of Japan keeps interest rates unchanged

AFP - 6h ago

The Bank of Japan kept interest rates on hold Thursday at 0.5 percent, warning of lingering economic "high …

Asia markets fluctuate as investors mull Trump-Xi talks

AFP - 1h ago

Asian stock markets fluctuated on Thursday after a high-stakes meeting between US and Chinese leaders that resulted in …

Fentanyl, beans and Ukraine: Trump hails 'success' in talks with Xi

AFP - 2h ago

A beaming US President Donald Trump hailed his "great success" in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the South …

G7 meets on countering China's critical mineral dominance

AFP - 7h ago

Curbing China's critical mineral dominance will top the agenda at a G7 energy ministers meeting in Canada on Thursday, …

Trump hails tariff, rare earth deal with Xi

AFP - 1h ago

US President Donald Trump called the meeting Thursday with China's Xi Jinping a "great success", after the world's top …

Trump, Xi talks wrap up with outcome unclear

AFP - 1h ago

Crunch talks between US President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping focused on their trade war wrapped up in under two …

US economy in the dark as government shutdown cuts off crucial data

AFP - 8h ago

US policymakers, financial institutions and business owners have been flying blind for almost a month as a government …

Trade truce in balance as Trump meets 'tough negotiator' Xi

AFP - 37m ago

US President Donald Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping opened on Thursday their first face-to-face meeting in six …

With inflation under control, ECB to hold rates steady again

AFP - 8h ago

The European Central Bank is expected to keep interest rates unchanged for its third straight meeting Thursday with …

Asia stocks muted with all eyes on Trump-Xi meeting

AFP - 5h ago

Asian stocks were subdued Thursday morning, with investors closely watching talks between the leaders of the United …

Samsung posts 32% profit rise on-year in third quarter

AFP - 7h ago

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics posted on Thursday a 32 percent rise in profits on-year for the third …

Trump orders nuclear testing resumption ahead of Xi talks

AFP - 1h ago

President Donald Trump announced Thursday the resumption of US nuclear weapons testing, minutes ahead of his first …

'Utter madness': NZ farmers agree dairy sale to French group

AFP - 10h ago

Farmers who own New Zealand dairy cooperative Fonterra voted Thursday to sell its consumer business to French group …

Taxes, labor laws, pensions: what Milei wants to do next

AFP - 8h ago

Boosted by his victory in mid-term elections, Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei is preparing to forge ahead …

Trump, Xi to meet seeking truce in damaging trade war

AFP - 58m ago

Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will seek a truce in their bruising trade war on Thursday, with the US …

Google parent Alphabet posts first $100 bn quarter as AI fuels growth

Oct 29 2025

Google parent Alphabet reported its first-ever $100 billion quarterly revenue on Wednesday, powered by strong growth …

Boeing reports $5.4 bn loss on large hit from 777X aircraft delays

Oct 29 2025

Boeing on Wednesday reported a third-quarter loss of $5.4 billion as massive added costs from the delayed certification …

Meta shares sink as $16 bn US tax charge tanks profit

Oct 29 2025

Meta shares dove more than eight percent in after-hours trading Wednesday after the tech giant reported a US tax charge …

Divided US Fed backs second quarter-point rate cut of 2025

Oct 29 2025

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced its second quarter-point rate cut in a row to bolster the flagging labor …

Dollar rises after Fed chair says December rate cut not a given

Oct 29 2025

The dollar strengthened Wednesday while Wall Street stocks were mixed after the Federal Reserve indicated its latest …

Google parent Alphabet posts first $100 bn quarter as AI drives growth

Oct 29 2025

Google parent Alphabet reported its first-ever $100 billion quarterly revenue on Wednesday, powered by strong growth …

Uber plans San Francisco robotaxis in Waymo challenge

Oct 29 2025

Uber said Wednesday it will launch its own robotaxi service in San Francisco late next year, taking on Google-owned …

S. African president eyes better US tariff deal 'soon'

Oct 29 2025

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Wednesday that his country has advanced to "text-based" negotiations with …

US media mogul John Malone to step down as head of business empire

Oct 29 2025

Billionaire media and telecoms tycoon John Malone will step down as chairman of his multinational companies Liberty …

Stocks extend record run as trade, AI dominates

Oct 29 2025

Stock markets hit record highs Wednesday thanks to optimism over US trade deals, the AI sector and an expected …

AI chip giant Nvidia becomes world's first $5 trillion company

Oct 29 2025

AI chip juggernaut Nvidia became the world's first $5 trillion company on Wednesday, as investors remain confident that …

Markets extend record run as trade dominates

Oct 29 2025

Stock markets hit record highs Wednesday thanks to optimism over US trade deals, the AI sector and an expected …

US Fed on track to cut rates again in penultimate decision of 2025

Oct 29 2025

The US Federal Reserve is almost certain to cut interest rates for a second straight meeting on Wednesday, and could …

EU seeks 'urgent solutions' with China over chipmaker Nexperia

Oct 29 2025

The EU said Wednesday it is seeking a swift resolution to a Chinese curb on chip exports linked to a row with the …

Spain's Santander bank posts record profit

Oct 29 2025

Spanish banking giant Santander reported record profits on Wednesday for the first nine months of 2025, buoyed by strong …

Chemicals firm BASF urges EU to cut red tape as profit dips

Oct 29 2025

The boss of German chemicals giant BASF on Wednesday called for the European Union to relax carbon trading rules, as the …

Trump expects 'great meeting' with Xi

Oct 29 2025

US President Donald Trump voiced optimism Wednesday on the eve of crunch trade talks with China's Xi Jinping, while also …

Mercedes-Benz reassures on Nexperia chips as profit plunges

Oct 29 2025

German premium carmaker Mercedes-Benz sought to reassure investors Wednesday over a feared shortage of microchips as it …

Asia stocks join Wall Street records as tech bull run quickens

Oct 29 2025

Asian stock markets surged on Wednesday, matching record gains on Wall Street the previous day as investor confidence in …

UK drugmaker GSK lifts 2025 guidance despite US tariffs

Oct 29 2025

British pharmaceutical group GSK on Wednesday raised its full-year outlook after strong sales growth in its third …

Mercedes-Benz profit plunges on China slump and US tariffs

Oct 29 2025

German premium carmaker Mercedes-Benz reported plunging third-quarter profit Wednesday, hit by weak sales in China as …

Norway's energy giant Equinor falls into loss

Oct 29 2025

Norwegian energy giant Equinor said Wednesday it suffered a net loss in the third quarter as it lowered its outlook for …

Record potato harvest is no boon in fries-mad Belgium

Oct 29 2025

Fries powerhouse Belgium is in for a record potato harvest this year -- but that's hardly cause for celebration for …

Deutsche Bank posts record profit on strong trading

Oct 29 2025

Germany's largest bank Deutsche Bank posted record third-quarter profit Wednesday and beat expectations, boosted by a …

UBS beats expectations as claws backs provisions

Oct 29 2025

Swiss banking giant UBS reported third-quarter earnings that beat analyst expectations, thanks in part to clawing back …

Trump expects 'great meeting' with Xi in South Korea

Oct 29 2025

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he expected a "lot of problems" to be solved with Chinese leader Xi Jinping …

NZ raids shipping insurer over alleged sanctions busting

Oct 29 2025

New Zealand police raided a shipping insurer's offices over allegations it offered cover to tankers breaking Russian …

As US blows up drug boats, Venezuelan oil sets sail

Oct 29 2025

While the American military blows up boats it claims are transporting drugs from Venezuela, observers say tankers …

Trump heads to South Korea with all eyes on Xi meeting

Oct 29 2025

US President Donald Trump headed Wednesday for South Korea, where a key meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping could …

Microsoft holds 27% of OpenAI in revamped partnership

Oct 28 2025

Microsoft and OpenAI announced Tuesday a sweeping overhaul of their landmark artificial intelligence (AI) partnership, …

Wall Street record rally rolls on

Oct 28 2025

Wall Street stocks rose to fresh records again Tuesday as a jump in Nvidia shares added to bullishness over easing trade …

Uber partners with Nvidia to deploy 100,000 robotaxis

Oct 28 2025

Uber and Nvidia on Tuesday announced an alliance to deploy 100,000 robotaxis starting in 2027.

Apple ordered to pay French operators 39 mn euros over iPhone sales

Oct 28 2025

A French court has ordered Apple to pay around 39 million euros ($45 million) to mobile network operators over …

Why are stock markets hitting record highs?

Oct 28 2025

Why have stock markets around the world -- from Wall Street to Tokyo and from Paris to Seoul, been striking record highs …

Berlin says Rosneft subsidiaries not impacted by US sanctions

Oct 28 2025

US sanctions targeting Rosneft will not impact the Russian oil giant's German subsidiaries, the German government told …

Musk launches Grokipedia to rival 'left-biased' Wikipedia

Oct 28 2025

Elon Musk's company xAI has launched a website called Grokipedia to compete with online encyclopedia Wikipedia, which he …

Takaichi, Trump swap praise for 'new golden age' of ties

Oct 28 2025

Japan's new premier Sanae Takaichi lavished US leader Donald Trump with praise and vows of a "golden age" of ties on his …

Amazon cuts staff by 14,000

Oct 28 2025

US online retail and cloud computing giant Amazon said Tuesday that it is reducing its workforce by 14,000 posts to …

Stocks retreat after Wall Street surge

Oct 28 2025

Major European and Asian stock markets mostly fell Tuesday as they waited for further developments after Wall Street …

European court clears Norway of climate misconduct over oil licences

Oct 28 2025

The European Court of Human Rights said Tuesday that Norway did not breach its climate obligations when it awarded …

Asian markets cool as Trump hails ties on Japan trip

Oct 28 2025

Asian markets cooled off Tuesday after the previous day's surge as traders digested Donald Trump's visit to Asian ally …

HSBC profit falls in third quarter, hit by legal woes

Oct 28 2025

HSBC reported a 14 percent drop in third-quarter pre-tax profit on Tuesday, with the banking giant's bottom line weighed …

Meta and TikTok to obey Australia under-16 social media ban

Oct 28 2025

Tech giants Meta and TikTok said Tuesday they will obey Australia's under-16 social media ban but warned the landmark …

Amazon to cut 30,000 office jobs: media reports

Oct 28 2025

Amazon will lay off tens of thousands of office workers as the e-commerce and tech giant trims costs amid ramped-up …

Wall Street stocks hit fresh records on easing US-China worries

Oct 27 2025

Wall Street stocks ended at fresh records again on Monday over optimism that the US-China trade war was about to ease, …

Russia's Lukoil to sell overseas assets after US sanctions

Oct 27 2025

Russian oil giant Lukoil will sell its overseas assets, the company said late Monday, after it was hit with US sanctions …

Stock markets advance on easing US-China worries

Oct 27 2025

Stock markets rose Monday on optimism that the US-China trade war is about to ease, with a possible deal in view when …

Asian stocks rally on US-China trade progress; Europe flat

Oct 27 2025

Asian stock markets rallied Monday as investors cheered a breakthrough in US-China trade talks that set the stage for …

Asia stocks surge on US-China trade deal breakthrough

Oct 27 2025

Asian equities surged Monday as investors cheered a breakthrough in US-China trade talks that set the stage for leaders …

'Definitive solution' on Brazil-US trade within days: Lula

Oct 27 2025

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Monday a trade deal with the United States could happen within days, …

ECB to hold interest rates steady with inflation subdued

Oct 27 2025

The European Central Bank is expected to hold interest rates steady this week for its third straight meeting, with …

Australia sues Microsoft over 'misleading' AI offer

Oct 27 2025

Australia's competition watchdog accused Microsoft on Monday of misleading people into paying for its AI assistant …

'Smooth and easy': India and China resume direct flights as ties improve

Oct 27 2025

Passengers of the first direct flight between India and China in five years touched down on Monday, after Asia's giants …

Novartis acquiring US firm Avidity Biosciences for $12 bn

Oct 26 2025

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis announced Sunday it had agreed to buy Avidity Biosciences, valuing the US …

India and China resume direct flights as ties improve

Oct 26 2025

India and China resumed direct flights on Sunday after a five-year suspension, a move important both for trade and a …

US Fed will likely cut again despite economic murkiness from shutdown

Oct 26 2025

The Federal Reserve is expected to announce its second rate cut of the year on Wednesday, despite a lack of clarity over …

Nigeria refinery aims to be world's biggest with expansion

Oct 26 2025

Nigeria's Dangote oil refinery, already the largest in Africa, aims to become the biggest in the world in three years' …

US treasury secretary signals deal to ease trade war with China

Oct 26 2025

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday signalled a tentative deal with China to de-escalate their damaging, …

India and China to resume direct flights as ties improve

Oct 26 2025

India and China resume direct flights on Sunday after a five-year suspension, a move important both for trade and a …

How risky is the growth in US private credit?

Oct 26 2025

The recent bankruptcies of US companies First Brands and Tricolor have focused attention on risks associated with the …

Global race for rare earths comes to Kenya's Mrima Hill

Oct 26 2025

Division and suspicion have gripped five villages near Kenya's coast as global powers from the United States to China …

Trump makes Qatar stop en route to Asia summits, Xi talks

Oct 25 2025

Donald Trump met Saturday with Qatar's leaders to discuss the fragile truce in Gaza, stopping in the emirate on his way …