Business and Economy



Anthropic sues Trump admin over Pentagon blacklisting

AFP - 24m ago

Anthropic filed suit Monday against the Trump administration, alleging the US government retaliated against the company …

US stocks end wild session higher as Trump says Iran war 'pretty much' over

AFP - 1h ago

Comments from President Donald Trump declaring the Middle East war "pretty much" over sent US stocks skyward at the end …

France, allies preparing bid to 'gradually' reopen Strait of Hormuz

AFP - 3h ago

France and its allies are preparing a "defensive" mission to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, President …

Shipping giant MSC halts Gulf exports amid war risks

AFP - 3h ago

Global shipping giant MSC announced Monday it was formally halting certain export shipments from the Gulf because of the …

War in the Middle East: economic impact around the world

AFP - 3h ago

Here are the latest economic events in the Middle East war on Monday:

Trump's limited options to curb Iran war oil price surge

AFP - 3h ago

US President Donald Trump is under pressure to curb oil prices sent skyrocketing by the war with Iran, but has only …

UK finance minister warns of higher inflation amid Iran war

AFP - 4h ago

UK finance minister Rachel Reeves warned on Monday the country could face rising inflation due to the fallout of the US …

Anthropic takes Trump administration to court over Pentagon row

AFP - 4h ago

Anthropic filed suit Monday against the Trump administration, alleging the US government retaliated against the AI …

Iran war sends crude prices soaring as Khamenei son takes charge

AFP - 2h ago

The Iran war sent oil prices soaring on Monday after Tehran, under new leader Mojtaba Khamanei, fired a new barrage of …

Ships brandish China-links to weave through Strait of Hormuz

AFP - 5h ago

Ships anchored in the Gulf or transiting the Strait of Hormuz are changing their tracking data to boast links to China …

Stocks slide as oil soars past $100 on Mideast war

AFP - 56m ago

Stock markets slumped as energy prices soared on Monday as supply disruptions from the Middle East war drove volatility …

G7 'not there yet' on release of oil reserves: French minister

AFP - 7h ago

France's finance minister said Monday the G7 was "not there yet" in terms of any release of strategic oil reserves as …

Iran war sends oil price soaring as Khamenei son takes charge

AFP - 2h ago

The Iran war sent oil prices spiralling above $100 a barrel on Monday after Tehran under new leader Mojtaba Khamanei …

Live Nation settles antitrust case with US Justice Dept, states object

AFP - 7h ago

Live Nation reached a tentative settlement with the US Justice Department on Monday in the federal antitrust case …

War in the Middle East: latest developments

AFP - 3h ago

Here are the latest events in the Middle East war on Monday:

UK PM Starmer says 'monitoring' economic impact of Iran war

AFP - 5h ago

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday the government was monitoring the economic fallout of the US and …

Bangladesh scraps light displays as Mideast war worsens fuel crunch

AFP - 9h ago

Bangladesh has tightened security at filling stations, sent students home and even scrapped light displays for …

Stocks tumble, oil soars past $100 on Mideast war

AFP - 2h ago

Stock markets plunged and energy prices soared on Monday as supply disruptions from the Middle East war drove volatility …

Asian economies move to limit Mideast war's impact at home

AFP - 9h ago

Faced with soaring prices and disruptions to their oil and gas supplies, Asian countries heavily dependent on fossil …

Khamenei's son takes charge as Iran war sends oil price soaring

AFP - 8h ago

Iran marked the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father as its supreme leader with a new barrage …

Equities plunge as energy prices soar on Mideast crisis

AFP - 3h ago

Stock markets plunged Monday as oil and gas prices soared on fears about supplies from the Middle East with the …

Asian equities plunge as oil soars 30% on Mideast crisis

AFP - 1h ago

Asian stock markets plunged Monday as oil prices soared 30 percent on fears about supplies from the Middle East as the …

France to host G7 finance meeting on Mideast

AFP - 16h ago

France will host a video meeting of G7 finance ministers on the Middle East crisis on Monday, as the war fuels fears for …

Trump defends Iran war decision as oil soars above $100

AFP - 15h ago

Oil prices surged above $100 a barrel for the first time in nearly four years on Sunday over worries that the spiralling …

Macron to visit Cyprus as French warships deploy to counter Iran threat

Mar 08 2026

President Emmanuel Macron will visit Cyprus on Monday, his office said, as France deploys warships to the Mediterranean …

10 vessels attacked in Hormuz Strait: analysts

Mar 08 2026

About 10 vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz have come under attack since Iran blocked the strategic waterway in …

US says it will not hit Iran energy sector

Mar 08 2026

The United States will spare Iran's energy infrastructure as it wages war with Israel against the Islamic republic, …

Young Chinese parents tighten belts as childcare costs rise

Mar 08 2026

New mother Zhang Xiaofei wanted to be financially secure before having a baby, wary of high childcare costs that have …

Sony faces $2.7 bn class action from UK PlayStation users

Mar 08 2026

Japanese entertainment giant Sony will face a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) class action lawsuit starting Tuesday in London, …

Why have 1,000 ships at times lost their GPS in the Mideast?

Mar 08 2026

The global positioning system (GPS) capabilities of cargo ships, oil tankers and other vessels stuck in the Middle East …

India's economy is booming, but uneven growth clouds ascent

Mar 08 2026

For years India's economy was driven by its vast services sector that saw millions of people working away in low-cost …

Israeli strike kills four at Beirut hotel: Lebanon

Mar 08 2026

An Israeli strike on a hotel in central Beirut killed at least four people Sunday, Lebanese officials said, underscoring …

Netanyahu vows to press Iran war as Trump honors slain US troops

Mar 08 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Saturday to prosecute the war with Iran "with all our force", declaring …

Netanyahu vows to carry on war, 'eradicate Iranian regime'

Mar 07 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Saturday to carry on the war with Iran, saying Israel had a …

Iran fires at Gulf neighbours as Trump threatens more strikes

Mar 07 2026

Iran launched waves of missile and drone attacks on its Gulf neighbours hosting US forces on Saturday and vowed no …

Women rule the roost atop the Gdansk shipyard cranes

Mar 07 2026

For the past 30 years, Halina Krauze has sat atop a 15-metre (49-foot) crane surveying the Gdansk shipyard, the …

Trump threatens to escalate bombing as Iran vows no surrender

Mar 07 2026

President Donald Trump threatened to escalate the bombing of Iran on Saturday as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian …

Iran vows no surrender as air strikes hit Tehran airport

Mar 07 2026

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed Saturday that his country would never surrender, as Israel announced a fresh …

Google gives CEO new pay deal worth up to $692 million

Mar 07 2026

The CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet could earn up to $692 million over the next three years under a new …

Israel fires 'broad-scale' strikes on Tehran as war hits 2nd week

Mar 07 2026

Israel announced a new wave of "broad-scale" strikes on Tehran on Saturday as the escalating war in the Middle East …

Rising US fuel prices risk sparking domestic wildfire for Trump

Mar 07 2026

Sean Robinson, a 54-year-old schoolteacher in the US capital Washington, did not realize how high gas prices had gotten …

Venezuela inflation hit 475% in 2025, the world's highest level

Mar 07 2026

Venezuelan inflation soared to 475 percent in 2025, the highest in the world, driven by a tightening of US sanctions in …

Oil prices surge as Mideast war rages, stocks fall on US jobs

Mar 07 2026

Crude prices surged Friday on mounting fears about oil supply disruption during the Middle East war, while equities …

Israel announces new wave of 'broad-scale' strikes on Tehran

Mar 07 2026

Israel announced a new wave of "broad-scale" strikes on Tehran on Saturday as US President Donald Trump said only Iran's …

Only Iran's 'unconditional surrender' can end war: Trump

Mar 06 2026

US President Donald Trump said Friday that only Tehran's unconditional surrender would bring an end to the escalating …

Anthropic vows court fight in Pentagon row

Mar 06 2026

Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei has said the company has "no choice" but to challenge in court the Pentagon's …

Only nine commercial ships detected crossing Hormuz Strait since Monday

Mar 06 2026

Only nine oil tankers, cargo and container ships, some of which at times concealed their position, have been recorded …

Trump says only Iran's 'unconditional surrender' can end war

Mar 06 2026

US President Donald Trump said Friday that only Tehran's unconditional surrender would bring an end to the escalating …

Only nine commercial ships detected crossing the Hormuz Strait since Monday

Mar 06 2026

Only nine oil tankers, cargo and container ships, some of which at times concealed their position, have been recorded …

Middle East war a new shock for financial markets

Mar 06 2026

The outbreak of war in the Middle East has sent shockwaves through financial markets, with energy prices soaring and …

Swiss eyeing fewer F-35 fighters, reshaping defence set-up

Mar 06 2026

Switzerland announced Friday it wanted to buy 30 US F-35A fighter jets rather than 36 after Washington hiked the price, …

Germany's Axel Springer swoops for British newspaper The Telegraph

Mar 06 2026

German media group Axel Springer said Friday it had agreed to buy right-wing British newspaper The Telegraph in a …

Leading satellite firm to hold back Gulf state images

Mar 06 2026

Planet Labs PBC, a leading provider of high resolution images taken from space, said Friday it would hold back for 96 …

Iceland proposes August 29 referendum on resuming EU membership talks

Mar 06 2026

Iceland's government on Friday proposed that a referendum be held on August 29 on resuming the country's EU membership …

US sheds jobs in February in warning sign for Trump's economy

Mar 06 2026

The United States unexpectedly lost jobs in February while unemployment edged up, government data showed Friday, piling …

Securing shipping lane from Mideast war 'challenging', say experts

Mar 06 2026

The United States and France have promised to secure oil shipping threatened by the Middle East war, but experts warn …

Oil prices climb as Mideast war rages, stocks fall on US jobs

Mar 06 2026

Crude prices surged higher Friday as oil fields in Iraq came under attack and US Donald Trump demanded Iran's …

US retail sales decline as consumer pullback deepens

Mar 06 2026

US retail sales declined by 0.2 percent in January, according to delayed government data released on Friday, missing …

War in Middle East raises stagflation fears in Europe and beyond

Mar 06 2026

Global energy prices have shot upwards after the US and Israel unleashed war in the Middle East, but just how far those …

Soaring gas prices spark renewed debate about European electricity

Mar 06 2026

A surge in natural gas prices since the Middle East war erupted has sparked renewed debate about Europe's electricity …

Mideast war escalates as fresh strikes batter Iran

Mar 06 2026

Fresh strikes rocked Iran and Lebanon Friday as Israel and the United States stepped up their attacks in the sprawling …

Iran drone strike on Azerbaijan raises fears of Mideast war spreading to Caucasus

Mar 06 2026

Iranian drone strikes on Azerbaijan have raised fears that the Middle East war could spill into the Caucasus, as Baku, …

Stocks fluctuate, oil climbs as Mideast crisis rages

Mar 06 2026

Global stock markets fluctuated and oil prices jumped Friday at the end of a volatile week's trading unleashed by the …

Mideast war is heightening uncertainty, Lufthansa warns

Mar 06 2026

German aviation giant Lufthansa warned Friday it faced a more uncertain outlook because of the unfolding Middle East …

China says 'clearly aware' of economic risks, vows to boost spending

Mar 06 2026

China's leaders are "clearly aware" of challenges facing growth, the head of the country's top economic planning body …

Mideast war enters 'next phase' as strikes hit Iran, Lebanon

Mar 06 2026

Fresh strikes rocked Iran and Lebanon on Friday, as Israel vowed to escalate to a new phase in the Middle East war that …

Most Asian equities drop as Mideast crisis rages, though oil dips

Mar 06 2026

Asian markets mostly down Friday as the war in the Middle East showed no sign of ending, though there was some reprieve …

Lufthansa warns of heightened 'uncertainty' from Mideast war

Mar 06 2026

German aviation giant Lufthansa warned Friday it faced heightened uncertainty because of the unfolding Middle East …

Equities mixed as Mideast crisis rages, though oil dips

Mar 06 2026

Asian markets were mixed Friday as the war in the Middle East showed no sign of ending, though there was some reprieve …

Italy challenges EU over key climate tool

Mar 06 2026

Italy is once again challenging the EU's green transition, pushing for an overhaul of the bloc's carbon trading scheme …

Heavy attacks hit Tehran as Israel says war in 'new phase'

Mar 06 2026

Heavy attacks were reported in Tehran on Friday after Israel said it was hitting "regime infrastructure" in a "new …

Equities mostly drop as Mideast crisis rages, though oil dips

Mar 06 2026

Most stocks in Asia fell Friday as the war in the Middle East showed no sign of ending, though there was some reprieve …

Brazil's Petrobras sees profit soar on record output

Mar 06 2026

Petrobras, Brazil's majority state-owned oil company, said Thursday that its profits nearly tripled last year thanks to …

US, Venezuela restore ties as Washington pushes for minerals access

Mar 06 2026

Venezuela and the United States are restoring diplomatic ties, the two countries announced Thursday, in a new sign of …

EU to ban plant-based 'bacon' but veggie 'burgers' survive chop

Mar 06 2026

EU member states and lawmakers agreed Thursday to ban using meat-related terms such as "steak" and "bacon" to market …

US says Venezuela to protect mining firms as diplomatic ties restored

Mar 05 2026

Venezuela has promised safe conditions for foreign mining companies keen to invest in the country, a US official said …

European, US stocks back in sell-off mode as oil prices surge

Mar 05 2026

Oil prices pushed higher while US and European stocks dropped on Thursday as investors tracked developments on the sixth …

Mideast war traps 20,000 seafarers, 15,000 cruise passengers in Gulf

Mar 05 2026

Around 20,000 seafarers and 15,000 cruise ship passengers are stuck in the Gulf because of the Middle East war, the UN's …

Oil prices rise, stocks slide as Middle East war stirs supply concerns

Mar 05 2026

Oil prices pushed higher while stocks dropped on Thursday as investors tracked developments on the sixth day of the …

Oil prices rise, stocks drop as Middle East war stirs supply concerns

Mar 05 2026

Oil prices pushed higher while stocks dropped on Thursday as investors tracked developments on the sixth day of the …

Israel tells Beirut suburb to evacuate as Mideast war spirals

Mar 05 2026

Israel issued an unprecedented evacuation warning on Thursday for the entirety of Beirut's southern suburbs, a …

Google opens AI centre as Berlin defends US tech reliance

Mar 05 2026

Google opened an AI centre Berlin on Thursday, pledging to step up innovation in the German capital, which boasts a …

Union loses fight against Tesla at German factory

Mar 05 2026

Germany's largest union Thursday accused Tesla of intimidating staff at the US carmaker's factory outside Berlin after …

Tourism on hold as Middle East war casts uncertainty

Mar 05 2026

Cancelled flights, postponed trips and a great deal of uncertainty: the war in the Middle East is casting a long shadow …

Stocks, oil climb as Middle East war stirs volatility

Mar 05 2026

Global stock markets rose and oil prices crept up further on Thursday as the Middle East war entered its sixth day, with …

Middle East war spirals with fresh strikes on Iran, Gulf

Mar 05 2026

Israel on Thursday launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, which stepped up its attacks on Gulf nations Qatar and …

Seoul leads rebound across Asian stocks, oil extends gains

Mar 05 2026

Asian equities jumped Thursday after a three-day rout sparked by the Middle East war, but concerns about an extended …

Middle East war spirals as Iran hits Kurds in Iraq

Mar 05 2026

Israel pounded Tehran with fresh strikes and Iran targeted Kurdish guerrilla groups in Iraq on Thursday as a spiralling …

China prioritises energy and diplomacy over Iran support

Mar 05 2026

China has expressed its anger over Israeli-US strikes on Iran but, despite hits to its oil imports, will not risk its …

Florida family sues Google after AI chatbot allegedly coached suicide

Mar 05 2026

The family of a Florida man who took his own life filed suit against Google on Wednesday, alleging the company's Gemini …

After oil, US moves to secure access to Venezuelan minerals

Mar 04 2026

US mining companies are lining up to invest in Venezuela, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said during a visit to Caracas …

Brazil ratifies EU-Mercosur trade deal

Mar 04 2026

Brazil's Senate on Wednesday ratified a deal between the Mercosur bloc and the European Union that creates one of the …

US, European stocks rise as oil prices steady; Asian indexes tumble

Mar 04 2026

US and European stock markets advanced Wednesday as oil prices steadied, after Asian bourses suffered deep losses amid …

US Fed warns 'economic uncertainty' weighing on consumers

Mar 04 2026

The US Federal Reserve warned Wednesday that increased economic uncertainty was impacting consumer sentiment, as …

Mideast war rekindles European fears over soaring gas prices

Mar 04 2026

With shipping through the Strait of Hormuz nearly choked off due to the Middle East war, natural gas prices have spiked …

'Nothing is working': Gulf travel turmoil hits Berlin tourism fair

Mar 04 2026

Santhosh Kanakandath still managed to fly to Berlin from Oman to represent his travel agency at the ITB Berlin tourism …

Russia to free two Hungarian-Ukrainian POWs, Putin says

Mar 04 2026

Russia will free two Ukrainian-Hungarian nationals captured while fighting for Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin said …

Bayer gets preliminary approval for weedkiller class settlement

Mar 04 2026

German agrichemical giant Bayer said Wednesday that a US judge had granted preliminary approval for a …

Adidas shares slump on outlook, Mideast war casts shadow

Mar 04 2026

Adidas's shares slumped Wednesday after its 2026 outlook disappointed investors, while the German sportswear giant said …

Ivory Coast cuts cocoa producer price by nearly 60 percent: govt

Mar 04 2026

Ivory Coast, the world's leading cocoa producer, on Wednesday cut the price paid to its growers by nearly 60 percent, …

EU seeks to stem industrial decline with 'Made in Europe' push

Mar 04 2026

The EU unveiled Wednesday new "Made in Europe" rules to bolster the bloc's industries against fierce competition from …

Stocks firm, oil steadies after sell-off on Middle East turmoil

Mar 04 2026

US and European stock markets firmed and energy prices steadied Wednesday after President Donald Trump sought to ease …