Business and Economy



New Pokemon titles on horizon as 30th anniversary approaches

AFP - 18m ago

Pikachu and friends are set to return to consoles in two new games next year, the Pokemon Company said Friday, as it …

OpenAI raises $110 bn in record funding round

AFP - 33m ago

OpenAI announced Friday a massive $110 billion funding round valuing the ChatGPT maker at $730 billion, with SoftBank, …

India logs 7.8 percent quarterly growth after data overhaul

AFP - 36m ago

India's economy grew at a faster pace than expected in the last quarter of 2025 driven by solid consumer spending, data …

EU will provisionally apply contested South America trade deal

AFP - 42m ago

The European Commission announced Friday it will provisionally implement a mammoth trade deal with the South American …

Stocks slide, oil jumps tracking AI and Iran

AFP - 45m ago

US and European markets mostly fell on Friday with tech stocks suffering, while oil prices jumped as a standoff between …

At Milan Fashion Week, industry's darker side goes unmentioned

AFP - 48m ago

Artisans in white coats greeted guests at the Tod's fashion show in Milan Friday, crafting the Made in Italy leather and …

'Sacrificed futures': German chemical workers protest looming job cuts

AFP - 1h ago

Waving placards reading "Broken Agreements, Sacrificed Futures", hundreds of workers from chemical titan BASF protested …

Chemical giant BASF to shift jobs from Germany to Asia

AFP - 2h ago

BASF signalled on Friday it would shift jobs from its home market of Germany to Asia, as the struggling chemical giant …

Stocks mostly rise, oil jumps tracking AI and Iran

AFP - 3h ago

Stock markets mostly rose Friday with traders relieved by the tech sector holding firm despite concerns over massive AI …

Most Asian markets rise to cap a strong week of regional tech gains

AFP - 2h ago

Markets mostly rose Friday as traders extended their buying at the end of a healthy week in Asia, where tech firms …

French prosecutors probe Al-Fayeds over sex trafficking

AFP - 7h ago

He traded on the glamour of owning Harrods, the Paris Ritz and luxury yachts, but Mohamed Al-Fayed was at the centre of …

Texas at heart of Amazon's AI push in United States

AFP - 9h ago

Tech titan Amazon is working to step out of Nvidia's shadow with custom "Trainium" chips designed specially for machine …

Tech sovereignty push to meet AI fever at Mobile World Congress

AFP - 12h ago

The giant Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade fair for telecoms kicks off for its 20th annual edition in Barcelona on …

Asian markets fluctuate after healthy week of tech gains

AFP - 4h ago

Markets stuttered Friday as traders took their foot off the pedal at the end of a healthy week in Asia, where tech firms …

Australian supermarket giant reins in AI assistant claiming to be human

AFP - 12h ago

Australian supermarket giant Woolworths has been forced to rein in an AI-powered customer service assistant after users …

Paramount poised to acquire Warner Bros. after Netflix walks away

AFP - 14h ago

Paramount Skydance, run by pro-Trump technology heir David Ellison, was poised to take control of Warner Bros. Discovery …

Anthropic says won't give US military unconditional AI use

AFP - 15h ago

AI company Anthropic said Thursday it would not give the US Defense Department unrestricted use of its technology …

Netflix walks away from Warner Bros. bid, clearing path for Paramount

Feb 26 2026

Netflix said Thursday it would not raise its takeover offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, effectively ceding the media …

Nasdaq resumes selloff as Nvidia falls despite strong results

Feb 26 2026

The tech-rich Nasdaq was back in retreat Thursday as lingering worries over the artificial intelligence boom …

Argentina, Uruguay ratify massive EU-South America trade deal

Feb 26 2026

Argentina and Uruguay on Thursday ratified a massive trade deal with the European Union that has generated enthusiasm …

Canada optimistic North American free trade pact will survive

Feb 26 2026

The Canadian official responsible for US trade voiced optimism Thursday about the future of a North American free trade …

Thieves target high-value Pokemon cards as franchise turns 30

Feb 26 2026

What began as a quiet meetup of Pokemon enthusiasts at a US store ended with an armed robbery in which masked men held …

Argentina, Uruguay ratify EU-South America trade deal

Feb 26 2026

Argentina on Thursday became the second South American country to ratify a massive trade deal with the European Union …

Uruguay becomes first country to ratify EU-South America trade deal

Feb 26 2026

Uruguay on Thursday became the first country to ratify a mammoth trade deal with the European Union, which also includes …

Stocks diverge as investors digest Nvidia earnings

Feb 26 2026

Stock markets diverged on Thursday as investors digested company earnings, including better-than-forecast but not …

Carney on route to Asia to promote Canada trade as US ties falter

Feb 26 2026

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was flying to Asia on Thursday for a three-country tour with a first stop in India, …

Bulgaria ski station becomes refuge for digital nomads

Feb 26 2026

Climate change may threaten the value of Bansko's prime ski slopes, but the Bulgarian resort has found an all-seasons …

Nvidia smashes forecasts with record quarter as AI boom rolls on

Feb 26 2026

Nvidia on Wednesday reported blockbuster quarterly results that blew past Wall Street expectations, posting record …

Stocks mixed as investors digest Nvidia earnings

Feb 26 2026

Stock markets traded mixed on Thursday as investors digested company earnings, including better-than-forecast results …

ECB books third straight annual loss

Feb 26 2026

The European Central Bank said Thursday it booked its third straight loss in 2025 due to the lingering impact of a …

Booming markets propel Hong Kong exchange's profits to record high

Feb 26 2026

Hong Kong's stock exchange reported record profits for the second consecutive year on Thursday, after the finance hub …

Stocks mostly rise as markets digest Nvidia earnings

Feb 26 2026

Stock markets mostly extended gains on Thursday as investors digested company earnings, including forecast-beating …

Automaker Stellantis posts massive loss, pivots from EV

Feb 26 2026

Troubled automaker Stellantis, behind brands like Jeep and Fiat, announced Thursday a net loss of 22.3 billion euros …

Seoul hits fresh record on mixed day for stock markets

Feb 26 2026

Seoul's Kospi index hit another record high Thursday on a mixed day for equities following a strong lead from Wall …

Seoul hits fresh record on mixed day for Asia markets

Feb 26 2026

Seoul's Kospi index hit another record high Thursday on a mixed day for Asian equities following a strong lead from Wall …

Export ban sparks rush to process lithium in Zimbabwe

Feb 26 2026

Zimbabwe's ban on raw lithium exports is forcing Chinese miners to rethink their strategy, speeding up plans to process …

Where are Southeast Asia's data centres?

Feb 26 2026

New data centres are springing up worldwide as demand soars for artificial intelligence and cloud computing, with Asia …

Where AI lives: Southeast Asia's data centre boom

Feb 26 2026

Nonstop buzzing fills a windowless Microsoft data centre near Jakarta, part of a tech construction boom sweeping …

Deal or no deal: What's the state of Trump's tariffs?

Feb 26 2026

US President Donald Trump's push to reimpose tariffs after his Supreme Court setback has raised questions about his …

Scam centres 'destroying' Cambodia's economy, PM tells AFP

Feb 26 2026

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Wednesday that scam centres were destroying his country's economy and giving …

IMF urges US to work with partners to ease trade restrictions

Feb 26 2026

The IMF on Wednesday called on the United States to work with trading partners and find ways to mutually ease trade …

Stock markets strike record highs as AI concerns ease

Feb 25 2026

Stock markets in Asia and Europe reached record highs Wednesday while Wall Street indices continued to advance on easing …

Snoop Dogg's Swansea party showcases Championship glow-up

Feb 25 2026

Frenzied fans, dreams of hitting the Premier League jackpot and "the smell of weed in the tunnel": Snoop Dogg's arrival …

Hong Kong finance chief tips up to 3.5% growth this year

Feb 25 2026

Hong Kong's finance chief tipped another year of economic growth in 2026 as he unveiled his annual budget on Wednesday …

Germany's Merz meets Xi, announces Chinese Airbus order

Feb 25 2026

China will buy up to 120 aircraft from European aviation giant Airbus, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said following …

Guinness maker Diageo cuts outlook on weak US, China demand

Feb 25 2026

Diageo, the maker of Guinness stout and Smirnoff vodka, cut its sales outlook and slashed shareholder payouts Wednesday, …

Swiss-EU deals package to be signed next week

Feb 25 2026

After years of negotiations, Switzerland and the European Union will next week sign a package of agreements aimed at …

Starved of fuel, Cubans scramble to make ends meet

Feb 25 2026

The US-imposed oil blockade on Cuba is upending the lives of everyday workers, who are switching jobs and ditching their …

Stock markets hit record highs on easing AI concerns

Feb 25 2026

Stock markets in Asia and Europe reached record highs Wednesday on easing worries about the AI sector which many see as …

Germany's Merz meets Xi in China, seeking closer ties

Feb 25 2026

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday, hoping to bolster ties with …

Aston Martin slashes staff as US tariffs hit carmakers

Feb 25 2026

British luxury carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda on Wednesday announced plans to cut up to 20 percent of its workforce after …

Tech firms lead Asian markets rally as Seoul, Tokyo hit records

Feb 25 2026

Stock markets in Seoul and Tokyo surged to record highs as tech firms led an Asia-wide rally Wednesday following a …

Somaliland pins hopes on critical mineral gold rush

Feb 25 2026

Armed with nothing but a crowbar and shovel in the hills of Somaliland, Ahmed Ibrahim hacks away at rocks where he and …

Germany's Merz arrives in China for talks on trade, security

Feb 25 2026

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz touched down in China on Wednesday, beginning his inaugural visit to his country's …

Economy not Russia is big fear on Finland's closed frontier

Feb 25 2026

A deserted cafe and petrol station near the Niirala border crossing to Russia shows how life has been on hold since …

Crime capital no more: El Salvador tourism boosted by Bukele

Feb 24 2026

A few years ago, El Tunco beach in El Salvador was crawling with gang members who robbed and extorted people at will.

Warner Bros. opens door to Paramount as bidding war heats up

Feb 24 2026

Warner Bros. Discovery said Tuesday it has received a revised acquisition proposal from Paramount Skydance, signaling …

Tech shares rebound as markets weigh AI impacts

Feb 24 2026

Tech shares bounced on Tuesday following the prior session's selloff as markets weigh the impact of artificial …

Puerto Vallarta: the Mexican paradise in flames over the killing of 'El Mencho'

Feb 24 2026

Known as a sunny tourist paradise, parts of the coastal city of Puerto Vallarta seem more like the set of a war film in …

US appeals WTO ruling in dispute by China over clean energy subsidies

Feb 24 2026

Washington announced Tuesday that it was appealing a World Trade Organization ruling that faulted it in a dispute …

Germany's Merz heads to China for talks centred on trade

Feb 24 2026

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz left Tuesday for his inaugural visit to China, long a huge market for German goods but …

Warner Bros. 'reviewing' new takeover bid from Paramount

Feb 24 2026

Warner Bros. Discovery said Tuesday it has received a revised acquisition proposal from Paramount Skydance, even as the …

US told EU it 'stands' by tariff deal: trade chief

Feb 24 2026

The EU's trade chief said Tuesday his US counterparts had told him Washington stands by a key trade deal with the bloc, …

Stocks bounce as traders assess AI fallout, tariffs

Feb 24 2026

US stocks bounced higher as investors recovered from a fresh bout of angst over AI and new US tariffs.

Post-it maker 3M on trial in Belgium over 'forever' chemicals

Feb 24 2026

Belgians living near a 3M plant called for justice Tuesday at the opening of a trial against the US multinational maker …

Novo Nordisk to slash prices of weightloss drugs in US

Feb 24 2026

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk, which is struggling with competition for its anti-obesity treatments, said Tuesday that …

UK fines Reddit nearly $20 mn over children's data failures

Feb 24 2026

Britain's data watchdog on Tuesday said it has fined online discussion site Reddit £14.5 million ($19.5 million) over …

Netflix, Prime and Disney+ face UK broadcasting regulation

Feb 24 2026

The UK government on Tuesday announced that US streaming sites Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video will have to …

Greece set new tourism record in 2025

Feb 24 2026

Greece in 2025 set new records in tourism arrivals and revenue, the country's central bank said Tuesday, continuing an …

Stocks fluctuate as traders assess AI fallout, tariffs

Feb 24 2026

Stock markets fluctuated on Tuesday as US President Donald Trump's new tariffs on imports came into effect, with …

Post-it maker 3M faces Belgian trial over 'forever' chemicals

Feb 24 2026

Hundreds of Belgians living near a 3M plant have sued the US multinational maker of Post-it and Scotch tape over …

China tightens Japanese trade restrictions as spat worsens

Feb 24 2026

China imposed export restrictions on dozens of Japanese firms on Tuesday that it said were involved in building up …

Asian markets mixed as traders weigh AI and tariffs outlook

Feb 24 2026

Equities swung in Asian trade on Tuesday as investors weighed fresh AI fears and the US Supreme Court's decision to …

China targets Japanese companies over military ties

Feb 24 2026

China imposed export restrictions on 40 Japanese companies and entities on Tuesday, citing national security concerns, …

Panama wrests control of canal ports from Hong Kong group

Feb 24 2026

Panamanian authorities have taken control of two ports on the Panama Canal from CK Hutchison after the Hong Kong-based …

YouTube exec says goal was viewer value not addiction

Feb 24 2026

A landmark social media addiction trial resumed Monday with a YouTube executive insisting that the Google-owned …

Despite drop in 2025, Russian oil exports exceed pre-war volumes: report

Feb 24 2026

While Russian oil exports dropped last year, Russia is still exporting higher volumes than before its invasion of …

US stocks tumble on tariff fog, worries over AI

Feb 23 2026

Wall Street stocks finished sharply lower on Monday following an ugly session dogged by worries over US tariff …

Panama takes control of canal ports from CK Hutchison

Feb 23 2026

Panamanian maritime authorities took control Monday of two ports on the Panama Canal from CK Hutchison after the Hong …

Stocks diverge, dollar down over Trump tariffs uncertainty

Feb 23 2026

Global equities diverged while the dollar dipped on Monday as uncertainty over Donald Trump's tariffs gripped markets …

EU puts US trade deal on ice after Supreme Court ruling

Feb 23 2026

European Union lawmakers Monday put a key trade deal with the United States on hold, demanding clarity after a Supreme …

Canada PM heads to Asia seeking new trade partners as US ties fray

Feb 23 2026

Prime Minister Mark Carney heads to Asia this week seeking to broaden international trade, part of his plan to reduce …

Italy's Enel to invest 20bn euros in renewables by 2028

Feb 23 2026

Italian power giant Enel said Monday it was boosting investment in renewables, with planned spending of 20 billion euros …

EU lawmakers to put US trade deal on hold after Supreme Court ruling

Feb 23 2026

European Union lawmakers were set Monday to freeze their approval of a key trade deal with the United States after a …

Asian stocks rally after Trump's Supreme Court tariffs blow

Feb 23 2026

Asian stocks rose while the dollar fell Monday after the US Supreme Court struck down a large part of President Donald …

South Korea and Brazil sign deals on K-beauty, trade

Feb 23 2026

Brazilians could more easily get their hands on coveted "K-beauty" products under a deal struck Monday during President …

EU 'expects' US to honour trade deal as Trump hikes tariffs

Feb 22 2026

The European Commission called Sunday for Washington to abide by the terms of the trade deal struck last year with the …

US says trade deals in force despite court ruling on tariffs

Feb 22 2026

US trade deals with the European Union, China and other partners remain in force despite the Supreme Court ruling that …

Trump hikes US global tariff rate to 15 percent

Feb 22 2026

President Donald Trump raised the global duty on imports into the United States to 15 percent on Saturday, doubling down …

Brazil's Lula urges Trump to treat all countries equally

Feb 22 2026

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged Donald Trump on Sunday to treat all countries equally after the US …

Copper, a coveted metal boosting miners

Feb 22 2026

BHP, Glencore and Teck Resources -- three mining giants whose annual results have revealed significantly increased …

Indigenous protesters occupy Cargill port terminal in Brazil

Feb 22 2026

Indigenous protesters in Brazil occupied a shipping terminal operated by US agricultural giant Cargill on Saturday, …

AI agent invasion has people trying to pick winners

Feb 22 2026

An onslaught of artificial intelligence agents that handle tasks from writing code to dispensing tax advice has the tech …

'Solar sheep' help rural Australia go green, one panel at a time

Feb 22 2026

Australian farmer Tom Warren's solar panels look like any other -- until you spot the dozens of sheep grazing and …

Trump hikes US global tariff rate to 15%

Feb 21 2026

President Donald Trump raised the global duty on imports into the United States to 15 percent on Saturday, doubling down …

Brazil, India ink critical minerals deal as leaders meet

Feb 21 2026

India and Brazil agreed to boost cooperation on critical minerals and rare earths on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra …

Global summit calls for 'secure, trustworthy and robust AI'

Feb 21 2026

Dozens of nations including the United States and China called for "secure, trustworthy and robust" artificial …

Trump imposes 10% global tariff after stinging court rebuke

Feb 21 2026

President Donald Trump imposed Friday an additional 10 percent tariff on imports into the United States after the …

Brazil, India eye critical minerals deal as leaders meet

Feb 21 2026

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva were holding talks in New Delhi …

Battered by Gaza war, Israel's tech sector in recovery mode

Feb 21 2026

Israel's vital tech sector, dragged down by the war in Gaza, is showing early signs of recovery, buoyed by a surge in …

Xbox boss Phil Spencer retires as Microsoft shakes up gaming unit

Feb 20 2026

Microsoft on Friday put out word that Xbox stalwart Phil Spencer is retiring, in a shakeup of leadership at the tech …

What's next after US Supreme Court tariff ruling?

Feb 20 2026

The Supreme Court's striking down of President Donald Trump's global tariffs, while a relief to many, heralds more …