Business and Economy



Russia adds Telegram founder Durov to 'terrorist' blacklist

AFP - 25m ago

Russia on Thursday added Telegram founder Pavel Durov to a blacklist of "terrorists and extremists", a day after saying …

Stocks diverge on earnings, as oil steadies

AFP - 2h ago

Global stock markets diverged Thursday as traders tracked major earnings and central bank updates, while oil prices …

AI data centre supplier Zhongji InnoLight slips on Hong Kong debut

AFP - 3h ago

Shares in Chinese data centre supplier Zhongji InnoLight briefly plunged 10 percent in its Hong Kong debut on Thursday, …

Eurozone economy grows despite Middle East war

AFP - 3h ago

The eurozone economy grew more than expected in the second quarter of 2026, data published Thursday showed, proving its …

BMW profit down a third as carmaker plans job cuts

AFP - 4h ago

Net profit at premium carmaker BMW fell over a third in the second quarter, the firm said Thursday as it prepares to cut …

Shell profit surges as Mideast war fuels oil prices

AFP - 4h ago

British energy giant Shell said Thursday that its net profit tripled to $10.8 billion in the second quarter as the …

Seoul extends losses as most Asian markets drop, oil rises again

AFP - 2h ago

South Korean stocks extended their painful retreat Thursday as a promising start gave way to more blood-letting in the …

Car maker Stellantis says back in profit in second quarter

AFP - 5h ago

Fiat and Jeep maker Stellantis said Thursday it had returned to profit in first quarter of 2026 after a dramatic loss in …

Stranded boats, out-of-work fishermen as Danube hits record lows

AFP - 7h ago

The tourist port in the Romanian town of Corabia, on the banks of the Danube river, is deserted except for a few …

Nolan's 'Odyssey' boosts sales of mythology tales in UK

AFP - 7h ago

Christopher Nolan's adaptation of "The Odyssey" has not only lured legions of fans to cinemas, but sparked huge interest …

AI data centre supplier Zhongji InnoLight tumbles on Hong Kong debut

AFP - 6h ago

Shares in Chinese data centre supplier Zhongji InnoLight tumbled more than nine percent in its Hong Kong debut on …

Samsung quarterly operating profit up 1,800% on AI boom

AFP - 9h ago

South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics posted on Thursday a massive 19-fold jump in second-quarter operating …

South Korean stocks bounce after rout, oil holds gains on Mideast woes

AFP - 4h ago

South Korean stocks enjoyed a much-needed rally Thursday after a two-day rout as chip giant Samsung reported an …

AI data centre supplier Zhongji InnoLight falls on Hong Kong debut

AFP - 1h ago

Shares in China's Zhongji InnoLight fell in the first few minutes of its Hong Kong debut Thursday, after raising at …

Samsung operating profit up 1,800% in second quarter on AI boom

AFP - 2h ago

South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics posted on Thursday a massive 19-fold jump in second-quarter operating …

Crisis-hit Cuba opens pharmacies, gas stations to private firms

AFP - 13h ago

Cuba moved to open crisis-ravaged parts of the state-run economy to private firms Wednesday, as the communist government …

Meta misses profit expectations, sticks to massive AI spending

Jul 29 2026

Facebook-parent Meta reported profits on Wednesday that fell short of Wall Street expectations, as the cost of staying …

Oil prices surge while US stocks fall as Fed keeps rates unchanged

Jul 29 2026

Wall Street stocks finished sharply lower Wednesday after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged despite …

US Fed holds interest rates steady as 'family fight' sees hawks call for hike

Jul 29 2026

The US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, with Chair Kevin Warsh lauding a "family fight" that saw …

OpenAI says rogue AI agent attack hit other companies

Jul 29 2026

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has revealed that an autonomous artificial intelligence agent which hacked a popular platform for …

US Federal Reserve holds rates steady as inflation hawks call for hike

Jul 29 2026

The US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, with surging inflation fueled by President Donald …

Russia seeks arrest of Telegram chief Durov

Jul 29 2026

Russia announced on Wednesday that it was seeking the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov over accusations of …

Campari - king of the spritz - hopes to conquer American heartland

Jul 29 2026

Whether made with Aperol, Campari or Sarti, the spritz has rapidly established itself on terraces across Europe -- with …

Air France-KLM and Lufthansa bid for Portugal's TAP airline

Jul 29 2026

Both Air France-KLM and Lufthansa said Wednesday they had submitted bids to acquire a controlling stake in TAP Air …

Profits soar at Airbus as it delivers more planes

Jul 29 2026

Airbus said Wednesday its net profit soared 47 percent in the first half of the year thanks to increased delivery of …

Tech stocks plunge further but London market hits record high

Jul 29 2026

Global stock markets largely retreated Wednesday, with South Korea's index suffering one of its steepest plunges as …

Rheinmetall shares surge after armsmaker reports record profit

Jul 29 2026

German armsmaker Rheinmetall on Wednesday reported record profit as the tank gun maker cashes in on Europe's rearmament …

US Fed expected to hold rates steady as inflation hawks circle

Jul 29 2026

The US Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday, but with surging inflation fueled by …

UBS second-quarter net profit up 17% to $2.8 billion

Jul 29 2026

Swiss banking giant UBS reported Wednesday that net profit rose 17 percent to $2.8 billion in the second quarter, driven …

BMW aims to cut 8,000 jobs by end 2027: company source

Jul 29 2026

Premium carmaker BMW is to offer almost half its German staff voluntary redundancy in a bid to cut 8,000 jobs by the end …

South Korean stocks plunge as tech rout deepens, oil rises

Jul 29 2026

South Korean stocks suffered one of their steepest plunges on Wednesday, with the blood-letting that has battered chip …

South Korean stocks collapse amid Asian tech rout

Jul 29 2026

South Korean stocks suffered one of their steepest plunges on Wednesday, with the blood-letting that has battered chip …

Hong Kong independent bookstores to close after police raid

Jul 29 2026

A Hong Kong bookshop raided by national security police this month announced on Wednesday that it would close after 50 …

UBS says second-quarter net profit up 17% to $2.8 billion

Jul 29 2026

Swiss banking giant UBS reported Wednesday that net profit rose 17 percent to $2.8 billion in the second quarter, driven …

Crude jumps on fresh Mideast flare-up, tech rout deepens

Jul 29 2026

Oil prices spiked Wednesday after a fresh flare-up of fighting in the Middle East that revived fears over supplies …

SK hynix posts 1,200% net profit boost on AI chip boom

Jul 29 2026

South Korea's SK hynix said Wednesday second-quarter net profit soared a whopping 1,242 percent year-on-year, driven by …

France needs more Canadair water bombers but building them is painfully slow

Jul 29 2026

As French firefighters struggle to contain the worst wildfires in living memory with just 12 aerial water bombers, …

Airbus completes record 24-hour flight with plane to be used by Qantas

Jul 29 2026

A specially modified Airbus A350 plane touched down in France Tuesday after a record 24-hour test flight from Australia, …

Senate advances sweeping Russia sanctions bill

Jul 29 2026

The US Senate advanced sweeping sanctions legislation targeting Russia's energy revenues Tuesday, as Ukrainian President …

FIFA says it hopes to sell $4.2bn stake in its tournaments

Jul 29 2026

FIFA said Tuesday it plans to sell a stake in the business operations of the World Cup and its other competitions …

US government bans humanoid robots manufactured abroad

Jul 29 2026

US President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday added humanoid and quadruped robots to a list of products and …

US to loosen environmental safeguards on space industry

Jul 28 2026

The United States on Tuesday said it plans to exempt its private space sector from numerous environmental regulations to …

Fires in Europe: latest developments

Jul 28 2026

Here are the main developments related to the wildfires raging in Spain and France on Tuesday.

Spain lets wildfire evacuees return but France fears flames spreading

Jul 28 2026

Spanish residents forced to flee some of the worst wildfires in living memory began returning to their homes on Tuesday …

Spain allows wildfire evacuees to return but France fears flames spreading

Jul 28 2026

Spanish residents forced to flee some of the worst wildfires in living memory began returning to their homes on Tuesday, …

AI glasses help propel EssilorLuxottica sales growth

Jul 28 2026

Sales of AI-enabled eyeglasses, which have nearly doubled since last year, helped EssilorLuxottica accelerate …

Kering sales begin to recover as Gucci improves

Jul 28 2026

Improvement at troubled Italian fashion house Gucci helped sales at Kering edge high in the second quarter, the French …

Boeing reports loss on Air Force One but sees progress in turnaround

Jul 28 2026

Boeing pointed Tuesday to broad-based revenue growth as evidence its comeback remains on track even as a $280 million …

Tech stocks tank on AI jitters, oil falls further

Jul 28 2026

A rout in tech stocks on fresh concerns over the AI boom rattled equity markets on Tuesday.

US Fed begins meeting with markets expecting steady interest rates

Jul 28 2026

The US Federal Reserve's key rate-setting committee opened a two-day meeting on Tuesday, with policymakers expected to …

British drugs group GSK targets savings after profits slide

Jul 28 2026

British pharmaceutical giant GSK on Tuesday said it was targeting future annual savings of £1.9 billion ($2.5 billion) …

Mercedes CEO urges German 'productivity offensive' as China woes hit profit

Jul 28 2026

Germany needs to cut costs and boost productivity, Mercedes-Benz boss Ola Kaellenius demanded Tuesday as he presented …

US tariffs refund boosts Philips

Jul 28 2026

Dutch healthcare technology giant Philips bolstered its earnings outlook Tuesday after obtaining 186 million euros ($211 …

Seoul, Tokyo lead fresh tech rout as most of Asia retreats

Jul 28 2026

South Korea's Kospi collapsed almost 11 percent on Tuesday as tech took a battering on another negative day for Asian …

Seoul, Tokyo lead Asian plunge as tech stocks suffer fresh rout

Jul 28 2026

South Korea's Kospi collapsed almost 11 percent on Tuesday as tech took a battering on another black day for Asian stock …

Why are tech stocks tanking?

Jul 28 2026

Investor jitters over how long the artificial intelligence spending boom will last and concern over Chinese competition …

Made by AI? EU tells firms to stick a label on it from Sunday

Jul 28 2026

Deepfakes and other AI-generated content must be labelled from Sunday, as the European Union's sweeping artificial …

IMF boss hails 'much sounder' Argentine economy under Milei

Jul 27 2026

International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva on Monday hailed Argentina's improved economic …

Oil prices slump as US and Iran pause strikes

Jul 27 2026

Oil prices tumbled Monday as the United States and Iran paused tit-for-tat strikes, helping most stock markets climb at …

Renault to face criminal trial in France over dieselgate

Jul 27 2026

Renault will face a criminal trial in France on aggravated fraud charges over accusations that devices in its diesel …

LVMH says growth accelerates in second quarter

Jul 27 2026

LVMH, the world's top luxury group, said Monday that sales growth accelerated in the second quarter as it beat analyst …

German sports carmaker Porsche to cut 5,000 jobs by 2035

Jul 27 2026

German luxury sports carmaker Porsche, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, said Monday it would cut 5,000 jobs by 2035 …

South Africa's Ramaphosa calls for African action on migration

Jul 27 2026

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called on Monday for African countries to work together to manage migration, as …

AstraZeneca profit rises on strong cancer drug sales

Jul 27 2026

British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca on Monday said net profit rose in the second quarter, driven once again by …

Oil prices sink as US and Iran pause strikes

Jul 27 2026

Global stock markets rallied and oil prices tumbled Monday as the United States and Iran paused tit-for-tat strikes, at …

Oil prices sink as US-Iran pause fuels fresh Hormuz hopes

Jul 27 2026

Oil prices tumbled on Monday as a pause in tit-for-tat strikes between the United States and Iran boosted hopes for a …

Indonesia bank chief quits, adding uncertainty to struggling economy

Jul 27 2026

Indonesia's central bank governor has resigned early, the government said Monday, deepening uncertainty as the country …

Chinese chipmaker CXMT soars 500% on debut as AI fuels shortages

Jul 27 2026

China's leading memory chipmaker CXMT became the most valuable company in the mainland after soaring more than 500 …

Iran halts strikes as Trump gives space to talks

Jul 27 2026

Iran and the United States held their fire Monday, handing Gulf shipping and the oil industry a respite from missile …

Chinese chipmaker CXMT soars more than 500% on debut

Jul 27 2026

China's leading memory chipmaker CXMT became the most valuable company in the mainland after soaring 500 percent on its …

New AI tools let readers talk to books

Jul 27 2026

Imagine a world where you could ask a book a question as you read it.

Indonesia central bank chief steps down early: govt 

Jul 27 2026

Indonesia's central bank governor has resigned early as the country battles a weakening currency and other economic woes …

Spanish wildfires intrude on holidaying foreign visitors

Jul 26 2026

Being indoors as much as possible was not the plan when Chicago attorney Thomas Fawkes, 49, arrived on holiday in Madrid …

Iran says halts Middle East attacks as US holds fire

Jul 26 2026

Iran said on Sunday it has halted retaliatory attacks against US allies in the Middle East after Washington stopped its …

US holds fire against Iran as reports emerge of stockpile concerns

Jul 26 2026

Iran passed another night without US airstrikes on Sunday, as Washington paused a war nearing its fifth month and …

As Zimbabwe's raw lithium ban pays off, ambitions grow

Jul 26 2026

Zimbabwe's first plant to process clean-energy metal lithium -- of which it is Africa's top producer -- is up and …

Vienna's venerable vineyard taverns forced to move with the times

Jul 26 2026

Hospitality veteran Clemens Keller insists that Vienna's storied "heuriger" winemakers' taverns -- which face a …

US Federal Reserve expected to hold rates steady as inflation swirls

Jul 26 2026

The US Federal Reserve is set to hold its second meeting under new chairman Kevin Warsh starting Tuesday, with markets …

Houthis target Saudi oil as new Middle East front

Jul 25 2026

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they had launched missile and drone salvos against Saudi Arabia's oil facilities …

New York's noisy food carts go electric in clean air trial

Jul 25 2026

Walk around New York and you'll likely hear the chugging of petrol generators powering the city's tens of thousands of …

US panel endorses more unproven if buzzy peptides

Jul 25 2026

A US review panel on Friday recommended loosening restrictions on all but one of a buzzy class of peptides, dismissing …

Paramount agrees to delay Warner Bros. merger 

Jul 24 2026

Paramount Skydance agreed on Friday to delay its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery while a US lawsuit …

Mixed day for global equities as oil prices retreat

Jul 24 2026

The main international oil contract Brent North Sea fell back under $100 Friday after surging past the key milestone the …

Trump tariff wall set to stay after Supreme Court blow: analysts

Jul 24 2026

Circumventing the US Supreme Court, President Donald Trump has found a way to resurrect his tariff wall in a fashion …

Canada inaugurates US border bridge after cancelling joint ceremony

Jul 24 2026

Canada quietly inaugurated a border bridge with the United States on its own on Friday, after cancelling a joint …

Trump says EU to pay 'very big price' for Google fine

Jul 24 2026

US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to hit the European Union with tariffs and a formal trade investigation …

Anthropic bets on cheaper AI with new model

Jul 24 2026

Anthropic on Friday released Claude Opus 5, a new artificial intelligence model the company says approaches the …

Stock markets recover as oil retreats

Jul 24 2026

The main international oil contract Brent North Sea fell back under $100 Friday after surging past the key milestone the …

Russia-linked refinery exposes Ireland's Ukraine dilemma

Jul 24 2026

Down a country lane on Ireland's west coast, a sign outside Europe's largest alumina refinery greets visitors in …

Iryna Terekh: the trained architect behind Ukraine's deep-strike drones

Jul 24 2026

She tours major international defence shows, negotiates with arms manufacturers and takes part in discussions on …

Autonomous fighter jets target Europe market at Farnborough airshow

Jul 24 2026

As Europe ramps up its rearmament drive, US aerospace giant Boeing is seeking a foothold in the emerging market for …

Wildberries: Russia's Amazon that became a target for Kyiv

Jul 24 2026

Ukraine has hit the warehouses of Russia's largest online retailer Wildberries -- Moscow's equivalent of Amazon -- at …

UN urges evacuation of 6,000 sailors stranded in Hormuz strait

Jul 24 2026

The United Nations on Friday called for the safe evacuation and repatriation of some 6,000 sailors stuck in a "dire …

Oil prices retreat after surge, as stock markets diverge

Jul 24 2026

The main international oil contract Brent North Sea fell back under $100 Friday after surging past the key milestone the …

Volkswagen profits skid on one-off costs, China competition

Jul 24 2026

Volkswagen said Friday that net profit fell by a third in the second quarter as the crisis-hit carmaker -- weighing up …

Stocks suffer fresh blow as markets hit by perfect storm

Jul 24 2026

Asian markets sank Friday to track a selloff on Wall Street as world markets were battered by a perfect storm of the …

US imposes new tariffs on 60 partners as Trump rebuilds trade agenda

Jul 24 2026

A new wave of US tariffs targeting 60 trading partners took effect on Friday, replacing an expiring global duty rolled …

Volkswagen profit plunges as carmaker weighs mass job cuts

Jul 24 2026

Volkswagen said Friday that its net profit plunged in the second quarter as the crisis-hit carmaker, weighing up to …

Over 80% of Mexican exports exempt from new US tariffs

Jul 24 2026

Over 80 percent of Mexican exports to the United States will be exempt from a new round of tariffs announced by …

US unveils new tariffs on 60 partners as Trump rebuilds trade agenda

Jul 24 2026

The United States said Thursday that it would impose new tariffs on 60 trading partners over forced labor concerns, …

US panel backs trendy peptides despite safety concerns

Jul 24 2026

A US review panel on Thursday recommended loosening restrictions on multiple trendy peptides, endorsing proposals that …

Trump under pressure from all sides over Chinese AI surge

Jul 24 2026

US President Donald Trump is under pressure to respond to the increasing success of Chinese AI models that many …