Business and Economy



Oil gains, European stocks down on uncertain Mideast peace prospects

AFP - 43m ago

Oil prices jumped, European stock markets retreated and the dollar firmed Thursday as hopes of a Middle East peace …

Samsung chip employees to get average $338,000 bonus under strike deal

AFP - 1h ago

Samsung Electronics chip employees are expected to receive average bonuses worth 509 million won ($338,000) this year, a …

EasyJet posts deeper first-half loss on Mideast war

AFP - 2h ago

British no-frills airline EasyJet said Thursday that its losses deepened in the six months to end-March after the Middle …

Ubisoft shares plunge after grim annual results

AFP - 2h ago

Shares in Ubisoft plunged more than 15 percent Thursday after the French video games giant reported disappointing annual …

Mideast war forces EU to slash eurozone 2026 growth forecast

AFP - 3h ago

The eurozone economy will expand less than expected this year, the EU said Thursday, as the Middle East war and …

Rich nations topped $100 bn climate finance goal again in 2023, 2024: OECD

AFP - 3h ago

Wealthy countries topped their $100 billion annual climate finance goal for poorer nations for the third straight year …

Asian stocks surge on Iran hopes, Samsung union talks

AFP - 2h ago

Shares surged in Seoul, Tokyo and other Asian markets on Thursday, fuelled by hopes of a Middle East peace accord and by …

Tourists in Thailand plan for coming cuts to visa-free stays

AFP - 5h ago

The backpackers on Khao San Road, a Bangkok thoroughfare famous for its wild nightlife, are waking up this week with an …

Samsung shareholders vow legal action over tentative union deal

AFP - 6h ago

A group of Samsung Electronics shareholders on Thursday vowed legal action against a tentative deal between the South …

Top UN court to rule on right to strike

AFP - 7h ago

The top United Nations court will on Thursday issue a ruling on the right to strike that both unions and employers say …

Asian stocks surge on Iran hopes and Samsung union talks

AFP - 4h ago

Shares surged in Tokyo, Seoul and other Asian markets Thursday, fuelled by hopes of a Middle East peace accord and by …

Asian stocks surge on Iran hopes and Samsung deal

AFP - 3m ago

Shares surged in Tokyo, Seoul and other Asian markets Thursday, fuelled by hopes of a Middle East peace accord and by …

Australian court upholds $465,000 fine against Elon Musk's X

AFP - 10h ago

An Australian federal court upheld on Thursday a fine against Elon Musk's X for failing to comply with child internet …

Airbnb expands into hotels, cars, groceries

AFP - 11h ago

Airbnb, facing tighter local regulations on short-term home rentals, announced Wednesday it is adding boutique hotels, …

The world built more coal power in 2025, but used less

AFP - 11h ago

The world built and commissioned more coal power in 2025, but used the polluting fuel less, with the United States the …

Musk eyes Wall Street record with SpaceX IPO

May 20 2026

Elon Musk's SpaceX rocketed toward Wall Street on Wednesday, filing plans for what could become the largest initial …

Musk's SpaceX is about to go public. Here's how it works

May 20 2026

Hundreds of companies raised a combined $70 billion by selling shares to the public in the United States last year.

SpaceX, the sprawling company targeting the stars, Mars and an IPO

May 20 2026

Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 with the lofty goal of ferrying humans to Mars and colonizing Earth's neighboring …

Musk's empire as SpaceX heads to Wall Street liftoff

May 20 2026

Elon Musk defines himself as an engineer trying to save humanity, while his critics call him a far-right showman who …

Fighting over a chicken in protest-hit La Paz

May 20 2026

In Bolivia's administrative capital La Paz, a line of shoppers surge to get their hands on one of the chickens that have …

Zuckerberg says he feels 'weight' of Meta layoffs

May 20 2026

Meta began laying off roughly 8,000 employees Wednesday -- about 10 percent of its global workforce -- as co-founder and …

Musk's SpaceX discloses filing for blockbuster IPO

May 20 2026

SpaceX's filing with US regulators was revealed Wednesday, laying out plans for what could become the largest initial …

UK eases sanctions on Russian jet fuel and diesel imports

May 20 2026

British leader Keir Starmer defended Wednesday a contentious move to ease sanctions on imports of Russian jet fuel and …

'Majority' of US Fed officials say rate hikes may be needed

May 20 2026

A majority of US Federal Reserve policymakers indicated that interest rate hikes could be needed if inflation continued …

Ubisoft counts cost of restructuring with record annual loss

May 20 2026

French games giant Ubisoft on Wednesday reported a record annual loss of almost 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) for its …

Iran says US wants to 'start new war' after Trump threat

May 20 2026

Iran's chief negotiator said Wednesday the United States wanted to restart the Middle East war after President Donald …

Opposition backlash as Macron's choice gets nod for central bank

May 20 2026

French lawmakers on Wednesday narrowly approved President Emmanuel Macron's ex-chief of staff as central bank governor, …

Mideast war drives up bond yields, budget risk

May 20 2026

The Middle East war is driving up the cost of public debt in rich countries which could jam state budgets and push …

Ubisoft reports record annual loss after game delays, cancellations

May 20 2026

French games giant Ubisoft on Wednesday reported a record annual loss of almost 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) for its …

Boss of Germany's Commerzbank cheered as she slams UniCredit advances

May 20 2026

German lender Commerzbank's boss was applauded at a shareholder meeting Wednesday as she slammed Italian bank …

Samsung union says South Korea strike on hold 'until further notice'

May 20 2026

Samsung Electronics workers' union said late Wednesday that a planned strike had been put on hold until further notice …

EU agrees to implement US trade pact after Trump threats

May 20 2026

The EU reached a deal Wednesday to implement its side of a nearly year-old trade pact with the United States, a major …

Putin, Xi hail 'unyielding' ties in talks after Trump visit

May 20 2026

President Xi Jinping hailed China and Russia's "unyielding" ties in talks with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, as the pair …

Colosseum selfies, 'Melody' toffee and trade: Modi visits Rome

May 20 2026

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met Wednesday in talks to strengthen ties …

Oil retreats, stocks rise on cautious Mideast war hopes

May 20 2026

Oil prices slid and stock markets advanced Wednesday as Iran said it had allowed around two dozen ships to transit the …

French lawmakers back Macron choice to run Bank of France

May 20 2026

French lawmakers on Wednesday narrowly approved President Emmanuel Macron's former chief of staff to govern the central …

Stellantis signs Europe joint venture with China's Dongfeng

May 20 2026

Jeep and Fiat owner Stellantis said Wednesday that it had formed a joint venture with China's Dongfeng to share …

UK inflation drops ahead of expected war-fuelled jump

May 20 2026

Britain's annual inflation rate fell more than expected in April, largely due to a drop in energy prices in the months …

War in Middle East: latest developments

May 20 2026

Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war:

Iran Guards warn of war beyond Mideast as Trump repeats threats

May 20 2026

Iran warned on Wednesday that the Middle East war would spread far beyond the region if the United States and Israel …

Samsung, union resume negotiations with minister mediating

May 20 2026

Samsung Electronics and its workers' union resumed talks Wednesday with South Korea's labour minister mediating, in a …

Asia stocks slide on inflation fears as yields surge

May 20 2026

Asian markets extended their losses Wednesday as surging bond yields and stubborn inflation concerns knocked investor …

Indonesia's Prabowo announces export controls for coal, palm oil

May 20 2026

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday announced commodity export controls to boost tax revenues as the …

Japan to sell eels bred in captivity in 'world first'

May 20 2026

Eels bred in captivity will be sold in Japanese shops for the first time, in a move that could ease eventually pressure …

Union calls strike at South Korea chip giant Samsung Electronics

May 20 2026

A planned strike at South Korean chip giant Samsung Electronics will go ahead from Thursday, its union said, after talks …

Union calls strike at S. Korea chip giant Samsung Electronics

May 20 2026

The labour union at South Korean chip giant Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it would launch a planned strike after …

Putin, Xi to underscore alliance strength after Trump visit

May 20 2026

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday, seeking to underline their …

Under Trump pressure, EU agrees to implement US trade pact

May 20 2026

EU lawmakers and member states reached a deal in the early hours of Wednesday to implement the bloc's nearly year-old …

Musk's empire as SpaceX counts down to Wall Street liftoff

May 20 2026

Elon Musk defines himself as an engineer trying to save humanity, while his critics call him a far-right showman who …

SpaceX's IPO moonshot draws some doubters on Wall Street

May 20 2026

Elon Musk wants to take SpaceX public -- and he's asking investors to believe the rocket and AI company is worth almost …

From graduation boos to voter unease: AI anxiety grows in the US

May 20 2026

Speakers promoting AI are getting booed at universities, voters are rebelling against data centers, and even AI-friendly …

New York art auctions roar back with blockbuster sales

May 19 2026

With record prices for Jackson Pollock, Constantin Brancusi and Mark Rothko, New York's spring auctions are soaring, …

Google wants its search bar to act on your behalf in AI revamp

May 19 2026

Google on Tuesday showed off new plans to turn its famous search bar into an AI assistant that can book restaurants, …

Oil dips, stocks mixed after Trump holds off on Iran attack

May 19 2026

Oil prices eased and stocks wavered on Tuesday, with investors tracking a potential deal between the United States and …

Under Trump pressure, EU seeks deal to end trade standoff

May 19 2026

The EU headed into late-night talks Tuesday seeking a deal towards implementing its nearly year-old trade pact with the …

Mango scion released on bail after arrest over father's death

May 19 2026

The eldest son of Spanish clothing empire Mango's founder Isak Andic was released on Tuesday after posting one million …

Airbus seeks to cut peripheral expenses due to Mideast war

May 19 2026

European aviation giant Airbus has asked its teams to cut "non-essential expenses" by 10 percent due to turbulence …

UK trade minister hopes Britain will rejoin EU 'in my lifetime'

May 19 2026

British trade minister Chris Bryant said Tuesday he hopes to one day see his country rejoin the European Union, in a …

EU vows help for farmers hit by Iran war fertiliser price hikes

May 19 2026

The European Union will release emergency funds to help farmers deal with soaring fertiliser costs caused by the Iran …

French govt slams 'disproportionate' Canal+ riposte to anti-Bollore petition

May 19 2026

France's government Tuesday waded into a row that has sent shockwaves through the domestic cinema industry after the …

Race to find vaccines, treatments for Ebola strain behind outbreak

May 19 2026

An escalating outbreak of a rare Ebola strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo has kicked off a race to find vaccines …

G7 finance ministers vow cooperation to face 'heightened risks'

May 19 2026

Leading global economies on Tuesday vowed multilateral cooperation to address mounting challenges to economic stability …

Power of Siberia 2: The giant gas pipeline Russia wants to build to China

May 19 2026

Russia has been pushing for years to build a new pipeline to China to deliver billions of dollars' worth of natural gas …

Mango founder's son arrested in Spain over father's death

May 19 2026

Spanish police said Tuesday they have arrested the eldest son of Mango clothing empire founder Isak Andic over his …

France says G7 finance talks 'frank, sometimes difficult'

May 19 2026

France's finance minister acknowledged Tuesday that two days of talks among leading global economies were "sometimes …

Stocks rise, oil dips after Trump holds off on Iran attack

May 19 2026

Stock markets mostly rose Tuesday as investors tracked easing oil prices and cautious optimism over a potential deal …

Germany starts sale of bailed-out energy firm Uniper

May 19 2026

Germany had started the process to sell most of its stake in energy giant Uniper, the government said Tuesday, more than …

Beijing says China, US should work together to promote AI governance

May 19 2026

China and the United States "should work together to promote the development and governance of AI", Chinese foreign …

Tech stocks retreat, oil dips after Trump holds off on Iran attack

May 19 2026

Asian markets wavered Tuesday, with tech stocks leading losses as investors tracked easing oil prices and cautious …

Germany starts sales process for bailed-out energy firm Uniper

May 19 2026

Germany had started the process to sell most of its stake in energy giant Uniper, the government said Tuesday, more than …

Stellantis joins race to build mini-EVs for Europe

May 19 2026

Stellantis, owner of the Jeep and Fiat brands, announced Tuesday that it would start building smaller, low-cost electric …

Under Trump pressure, EU eyes deal to end trade standoff

May 19 2026

The EU hopes Tuesday to strike a deal towards implementing its nearly year-old trade pact with the United States -- with …

Hanoi hits the brakes on petrol bike ban

May 19 2026

Millions of exhaust-belching motorbikes zip through Hanoi's narrow streets every day fuelling its chronic air pollution, …

Japan economy grows faster than expected in first quarter

May 19 2026

Japanese economic growth surpassed expectations at the start of 2026, official data showed on Tuesday, but Prime …

China market for Nvidia AI chips to open 'over time': Huang

May 19 2026

Nvidia boss Jensen Huang expects China to eventually open its market to high-end US chips that can train and run …

Asian markets cautious, oil dips after Trump holds off on Iran attack

May 19 2026

Asian markets were mixed Tuesday as oil prices eased on hopes of a US-Iran deal, though elevated crude levels capped …

Musk loses blockbuster OpenAI suit as jury says too late

May 19 2026

A federal jury ruled Monday that billionaire Elon Musk waited too long to sue OpenAI and its co-founders, delivering a …

India's Adani to pay $275 mn settlement to US over alleged Iran sanctions violations

May 18 2026

One of Indian billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani's companies will pay the United States $275 million to settle a …

Oil rises, global stocks mixed as markets track Iran developments

May 18 2026

Global stock markets were mixed Monday and oil prices rose while investors digested shifting developments in the Middle …

First attack on Arab nuclear site sends warning to Gulf, US

May 18 2026

The first attack targeting an Arab nuclear site has sent a symbolic warning to the United Arab Emirates and its allies, …

Hormuz tanker traffic edges higher after wartime low

May 18 2026

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was slightly higher last week, returning to levels in line with the average …

Oil rises, bond yields weigh on stocks

May 18 2026

Stock markets diverged Monday as investors worried about borrowing costs, while oil prices rose as US President Donald …

Middle East tourism pain is Europe's gain

May 18 2026

Europeans are choosing to vacation closer to home as the war in the Middle East has amplified security concerns and made …

Oil prices dip on report of US sanctions relief for Iran during talks

May 18 2026

Oil prices turned lower in afternoon trading Monday and stock markets advanced after an Iranian media report said US …

Transport protests hit Kenya over rising fuel prices

May 18 2026

Kenya's public transport system was paralysed on Monday, when protesters barricaded roads over fuel price hikes …

Ex-Google exec takes reins at under-fire BBC

May 18 2026

A former Google executive took over as the BBC's new director-general on Monday amid proposed job cuts and a $10-billion …

Ex-Google man takes reins at under-fire BBC

May 18 2026

A former Google executive took over as the BBC's new director-general on Monday amid proposed job cuts and a $10-billion …

Swatch blames shopping centres for 'problems' with star product launch

May 18 2026

Swiss watch giant Swatch said Monday insufficient organisation by shopping centres contributed to scuffles at around 20 …

Stocks drop, oil climbs after fresh Trump warning to Iran

May 18 2026

Stock markets mostly retreated and oil prices gained Monday after US President Donald Trump issued a new warning to …

Spanish court orders 55 mn euro tax refund to Shakira 

May 18 2026

A Spanish court has ordered the tax authority to refund Colombian pop star Shakira more than 55 million euros ($64 …

Ikea to cut 850 jobs at parent company

May 18 2026

Inter Ikea Group, the holding company that oversees Ikea, announced Monday that it was cutting 850 jobs, saying its …

Ryanair flags Iran war uncertainty as annual profit jumps

May 18 2026

Irish no-frills carrier Ryanair reported Monday a sharply higher annual profit but warned that the Middle East war has …

G7 finance chiefs meet to seek common stance on unstable ground

May 18 2026

Finance chiefs from the G7 industrialised nations gathered in Paris on Monday for two days of talks aimed at forging a …

Asian stocks sink, oil rises on US-Iran deadlock

May 18 2026

Asian markets lost ground on Monday, extending slides in global markets as the impasse in the war in the Middle East …

India's strategic $9 bn megaport plan for pristine island

May 18 2026

On a remote island in the Andaman Sea, bulldozers are tearing into pristine forests that are home to one of Earth's most …

China's April consumption, factory output growth slowest in years

May 18 2026

China's consumer spending and factory output grew at their slowest pace in years last month, official data showed …

Four takeaways from Musk vs OpenAI trial

May 18 2026

After three weeks of intense hearings,

Jury to decide fate of Musk's blockbuster suit against OpenAI

May 18 2026

Deliberations begin Monday in the blockbuster trial pitting Elon Musk against AI giant OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, …

Shock threat by billionaire Bollore's Canal+ group rocks French cinema

May 17 2026

The head of France's biggest film producer, Canal+, said Sunday that the group would no longer work with 600 industry …

Gucci takes over New York's Times Square for fashion show

May 17 2026

Famed Italian fashion house Gucci took over New York's iconic Times Square on Saturday for its second runway show led by …

German 'chemical town' fears impact of industrial decline

May 17 2026

Germany's industrial decline is taking a painful toll on communities that have long relied on local manufacturing titans …

India scrambles to steady rupee as oil shock bites

May 17 2026

India is scrambling to salvage a sinking rupee as surging oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict threaten to …