Business and Tech

Sri Lankans return to cooking with firewood as economy burns
AFP - 1h ago
As once relatively wealthy Sri Lanka suffers a dire economic crisis with shortages of everything from medicines to gas, …
Full Story »

Jordan chalks up business success from limestone riches
AFP - 1h ago
Long before whiteboards, beamers and laptops entered modern school classrooms, teachers relied on the humble, dusty, …
Full Story »

Oil rises after sell-off but euro stuck at 20-year low, equities drop
AFP - 2h ago
Oil prices rose Wednesday after suffering a painful drop the previous day, though the euro remained wedged at a 20-year …
Full Story »

US senators call for close look at TikTok
AFP - 3h ago
Leaders of the US Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday called for an investigation into whether Chinese officials …
Full Story »

Ben & Jerry's sues Unilever to block distribution in Israeli settlements
AFP - 4h ago
American ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's said Tuesday it is suing its parent company Unilever to block a move that would …
Full Story »

UK overselling Australia trade deal, British MPs warn
Jul 05 2022
The UK is overselling its free trade deal struck with Australia in the wake of Brexit, British MPs have concluded in a …
Full Story »

Euro tumbles to 20-year low against dollar amid recession fears
Jul 05 2022
European stocks sank Tuesday along with oil prices, while the euro slumped towards parity with the dollar on deepening …
Full Story »

Norway government intervenes, ending oil and gas strike
Jul 05 2022
Norway's government said Tuesday it was referring a dispute between oil and gas workers and employers to an independent …
Full Story »

Disputed Russian cargo ship still stranded off Turkish coast
Jul 05 2022
A Russian-flagged cargo ship at the centre of a fight over grain between Kyiv and Moscow remained anchored Tuesday off …
Full Story »

US court rules distributors not responsible for opioid crisis
Jul 05 2022
The three largest drug distributors in the United States have won a major court victory, with a judge ruling that they …
Full Story »

Markets slump as recession fears grip investors
Jul 05 2022
Stock markets sank and oil prices plummeted Tuesday as fears mounted that major economies will slide into recession as …
Full Story »

Ford's US car sales rise despite semiconductor crunch
Jul 05 2022
Ford reported higher US auto sales Tuesday, bucking an industry-wide trend of declines in the latest quarter amid …
Full Story »

Euro slumps as recession risk stalks eurozone
Jul 05 2022
The euro on Tuesday slumped to its lowest level since 2002 and European stock markets sank as growing recession risks …
Full Story »

Ukraine, allies map out road to reconstruction
Jul 05 2022
Ukraine and its allies agreed Tuesday to a set of principles for rebuilding the war-torn country, including the need for …
Full Story »

French music streamer Deezer flops at stock market debut
Jul 05 2022
French music streaming service Deezer's shares failed to strike the right note with investors at its Tuesday launch on …
Full Story »

Struggling SAS files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in US
Jul 05 2022
Faced with financial difficulties and a massive pilot strike, Scandinavian airline SAS said Tuesday it has filed for …
Full Story »

China mulls dipping into pork reserves to rein in costs
Jul 05 2022
Chinese authorities said Tuesday they could dip into pork reserves and ordered suppliers to slaughter more pigs in a bid …
Full Story »

Hacker claims major Chinese citizens' data theft
Jul 05 2022
A hacker claiming to have stolen personal data from hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens is now selling the …
Full Story »

Markets mostly up on talk Biden to roll back some China tariffs
Jul 05 2022
Most markets rose Tuesday on growing speculation US President Joe Biden is about to roll back some of the Trump-era …
Full Story »

I.Coast eyes cassava for its bread as wheat prices surge
Jul 05 2022
As wheat prices are driven upwards by the war in Ukraine, bakers in the West African state of Ivory Coast are starting …
Full Story »

Tunisia struggles to grow more wheat as Ukraine war bites
Jul 05 2022
Tunisian farmer Mondher Mathali surveys a sea of swaying golden wheat and revs his combine harvester, a rumbling beast …
Full Story »

US, China discuss 'severe' economic challenges, supply chains
Jul 05 2022
Top officials from the United States and China held a "candid" video call on Tuesday to discuss global economic …
Full Story »

Asian markets rise on talk Biden to roll back some China tariffs
Jul 05 2022
Asian markets rose Tuesday on growing speculation US President Joe Biden is about to roll back some of the Trump-era …
Full Story »

'Guerrilla' sales, crowdsourcing: Japan's game console crunch
Jul 05 2022
It's still dark when the line starts forming outside an electronics store in Tokyo, as desperate gamers try to snag the …
Full Story »

Mecca businesses see hajj boom ending pandemic slump
Jul 05 2022
"Business is back", exclaims Abdullah Mekhlafi at the shop where he sells prayer mats in Islam's holiest city, which is …
Full Story »

Markets react badly to Argentina economy minister appointment
Jul 04 2022
Argentina's peso fell sharply against the US dollar on the informal market Monday after the appointment of a new economy …
Full Story »

Markets react badly to new Argentina economy minister appointment
Jul 04 2022
Argentina's peso fell sharply against the US dollar in the informal market on Monday following the appointment of new …
Full Story »

Indigenous protests cost Ecuador $1 bn, central bank says
Jul 04 2022
Eighteen days of protests over the cost of living by Indigenous Ecuadorans who blocked roads and oil wells cost the …
Full Story »

Stocks mostly advance as optimism creeps back in
Jul 04 2022
European and Asian stocks mostly advanced Monday as investors tentatively regained some optimism following the heavy …
Full Story »

Kellogg's loses court challenge against UK obesity strategy
Jul 04 2022
Cereals giant Kellogg's on Monday lost a High Court challenge against new UK rules limiting the prominence of sugary …
Full Story »

UK drivers in go-slow protest over surging fuel prices
Jul 04 2022
Protesters snarled up major UK roads on Monday with a slow-moving procession of vehicles to demand government action …
Full Story »

Central African Republic dives into crypto with the Sango
Jul 04 2022
Undeterred by the turmoil hitting crypto, the Central African Republic (CAR) -- one of the poorest and most troubled …
Full Story »

European equities recover as optimism creeps back in
Jul 04 2022
Europe's stocks recovered somewhat Monday as investors tentatively regained some optimism following the heavy losses in …
Full Story »

Trial of Chinese-Canadian tycoon who disappeared in 2017 begins in China
Jul 04 2022
Canadian-Chinese tycoon Xiao Jianhua is standing trial on Monday, Ottawa's embassy in Beijing said in a statement, after …
Full Story »

Turkish inflation hits two-decade high of 78.6%
Jul 04 2022
Inflation in Turkey in June soared to an annual rate of 78.6 percent -- the highest in 24 years, according to official …
Full Story »

Stocks fluctuate as traders fret over recession
Jul 04 2022
Markets swung Monday as traders fret over a possible recession caused by central bank interest rate hikes aimed at …
Full Story »

Chinese developer Shimao misses $1 bn bond payment
Jul 04 2022
Chinese developer Shimao Group said it has failed to make payment on a $1 billion bond that matured Sunday, one of the …
Full Story »

Bezos slams Biden appeal for lower gasoline prices
Jul 03 2022
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has criticized President Joe Biden for calling on oil companies to lower sky-high gasoline …
Full Story »

Sri Lanka grinds to a halt as fuel reserves shrink
Jul 03 2022
Sri Lanka has less than a day's worth of fuel left, the energy minister said Sunday, with public transport grinding to a …
Full Story »

DR Congo drug manufacturing plan sparks safety concerns
Jul 03 2022
Sitting at his desk overlooking a pharmaceutical factory floor on the outskirts of the Congolese capital Kinshasa, Joss …
Full Story »

Mixed fortunes of celebrities who leapt on NFT craze
Jul 03 2022
Sports, film and music stars have all flocked to the NFT market to buy pictures of apes, endorse corporate partners or …
Full Story »

In mine-infested sea, Romania aims to cut Russia gas reliance
Jul 03 2022
Gas now flows to Romania from a new Black Sea platform operating in waters where mines and warships have been spotted.
Full Story »

US funds software for Russians to slip past censors
Jul 03 2022
A US-backed campaign is giving Russians access to anti-censor software to dodge Moscow's crackdown on dissent against …
Full Story »

US multinationals grapple with soaring dollar
Jul 03 2022
The rapid rise of the US dollar since the start of the year is a double-edged sword for American multinational …
Full Story »

Argentine economy minister who renegotiated IMF debt resigns
Jul 03 2022
Argentine economy minister Martin Guzman, who led debt renegotiations with the International Monetary Fund, announced …
Full Story »

Hundreds of flights axed as US kicks off long holiday weekend
Jul 02 2022
Airlines struggling to staff their planes cancelled hundreds of US flights Saturday at the start of a long and almost …
Full Story »

Tesla deliveries fall with temporary closure of China factory
Jul 02 2022
Tesla's deliveries of electric vehicles fell in the second quarter compared to the previous one due mainly to a …
Full Story »

Google to delete user location history on US abortion clinic visits
Jul 02 2022
Google announced Friday it would delete users' location history when they visit abortion clinics, domestic violence …
Full Story »

Kerry vows US to meet climate goal despite court setback
Jul 01 2022
US climate envoy John Kerry vowed Friday the United States will meet goals it submitted to the United Nations on …
Full Story »

Global stocks mixed as eurozone inflation hits record
Jul 01 2022
Wall Street stocks shrugged off early weakness to begin the second half of 2022 on a solid note Friday, but record …
Full Story »

Flights cancelled in Spain due to Ryanair, EasyJet strikes
Jul 01 2022
Fifteen flights to and from Spain were cancelled on Friday and dozens of others delayed due to the latest strike by …
Full Story »

Automakers reports lower Q2 US sales as supply chain woes persist
Jul 01 2022
General Motors, Toyota and other automakers suffered a hit to US sales in the latest quarter as supply chain woes …
Full Story »

French police bust gang selling fake Bordeaux wine
Jul 01 2022
French police have broken up a gang that had allegedly produced hundreds of thousands of bottles of fake Bordeaux wine …
Full Story »

Stocks choppy, dollar frothy
Jul 01 2022
Stock markets wobbled on Friday while the dollar shot higher against the euro and pound as investors fretted about …
Full Story »

S.Leone slashes 'zeros of shame' from banknotes
Jul 01 2022
Sierra Leone on Friday introduced a new family of banknotes, stripping three zeros off the leone, in a bid to restore …
Full Story »

GM reports lower Q2 sales as supply chain woes persist
Jul 01 2022
General Motors reported a 15 percent drop in US auto sales in the second quarter as supply chain woes continued to crimp …
Full Story »

Google to pay $90 mn in settlement with app developers
Jul 01 2022
Google will fund a $90-million settlement to small app developers who had alleged the technology giant abused its market …
Full Story »

Europe stocks steady as eurozone inflation hits record high
Jul 01 2022
European stock markets steadied Friday with traders digesting news of record-high eurozone inflation that reinforced …
Full Story »

Eurozone inflation hits record, as gas crunch looms
Jul 01 2022
Eurozone inflation accelerated to another record high in June, official data showed on Friday, as Russia's war in …
Full Story »

Amazon secure Champions League rights in UK for first time
Jul 01 2022
Amazon has secured live rights to the Champions League in the UK for the first time from 2024.
Full Story »

Japan warns on 'interests' after Russia gas project decree
Jul 01 2022
Japan's energy "interests must not be undermined", Tokyo said Friday, after Moscow issued a decree transferring …
Full Story »

Metaverse years from being global phenomenon, says pioneer
Jul 01 2022
Big brands are rushing to the metaverse but the path to profit is still unclear and mass adoption may be years away, one …
Full Story »

Crypto lending world sways under risk and turmoil
Jul 01 2022
Starting with the lofty goal of competing with traditional banks, cryptocurrency lending giants and their clients now …
Full Story »

Asian markets drop with traders gripped by recession fear
Jul 01 2022
Asian markets struggled again Friday following another selloff on Wall Street fuelled by recession fears, with warnings …
Full Story »

Bankrupt Sri Lanka's inflation jumps beyond 50%
Jul 01 2022
Sri Lanka's inflation hit a ninth consecutive record in June, official data showed Friday, rising to 54.6 percent a day …
Full Story »

World Bank creates fund to better prevent, respond to pandemics
Jul 01 2022
The World Bank's board on Thursday approved creation of a fund meant to finance investments in strengthening the fight …
Full Story »

Asian markets struggle as traders gripped by recession fear
Jul 01 2022
Asian markets struggled again Friday following another selloff on Wall Street fuelled by recession fears, with warnings …
Full Story »

Argentina's black market dollar trade: illegal but part of life
Jul 01 2022
It is hard to come by but ever-present on the mind of average Argentines: the US dollar, whose value relative to the …
Full Story »

Flight trouble: Strained US airlines face July 4 test
Jul 01 2022
US airlines are bracing customers for what will probably be another bumpy holiday weekend as the industry struggles to …
Full Story »

Stocks and oil sink on recession fears
Jun 30 2022
World stock markets mostly sank Thursday on intensifying recession fears, while oil prices receded after an OPEC …
Full Story »

US Supreme Court limits government powers to curb greenhouse gases
Jun 30 2022
The US Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the government's key environmental agency cannot issue broad limits on …
Full Story »

Washington blocks more than $1 bn in Russian oligarch's US assets
Jun 30 2022
The United States on Thursday blocked a US-based company worth more than $1 billion linked to Russian oligarch Suleiman …
Full Story »

US inflation high but stable in May as spending slows
Jun 30 2022
A key US inflation measure showed price increases held steady in the 12 months ended in May, while consumer spending …
Full Story »

Salmonella found in world's biggest chocolate plant
Jun 30 2022
Production has been halted in the world's biggest chocolate plant, run by Swiss giant Barry Callebaut in the Belgian …
Full Story »

OPEC+ stays the course on oil output boost
Jun 30 2022
Major oil producers led by Saudi Arabia and Russia stuck to a previously decided output boost on Thursday, despite calls …
Full Story »

EU and New Zealand seal 'state-of-the-art' trade deal
Jun 30 2022
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday the EU and New Zealand had sealed a free trade deal after …
Full Story »

US firefighters adapt to 'new hazards' in electric car blazes
Jun 30 2022
California firefighters ended up using a water-filled pit to douse stubborn flames in a Tesla's battery compartment …
Full Story »

Stocks sink on recession fears, oil slips
Jun 30 2022
World stock markets mostly sank Thursday on intensifying recession fears, while oil prices receded after an OPEC …
Full Story »

US prices high but stable in May, spending slows
Jun 30 2022
A key US inflation measure showed price increases held steady in the 12 months ended in May, while consumer spending …
Full Story »

Stocks sink on recession fear, oil slips before OPEC
Jun 30 2022
World stock markets mostly sank Thursday on intensifying recession fears, while oil prices receded before an OPEC output …
Full Story »

OPEC+ tipped to stay the course on oil output boost
Jun 30 2022
Major oil producers led by Saudi Arabia and Russia are expected to stick to a previously decided output boost on …
Full Story »

UK urged to cleanse 'stain' of dirty Russian money
Jun 30 2022
For all its tough talk against Russia, the UK's government is failing to enforce its promises to clean up dirty foreign …
Full Story »

Markets mostly down on recession fear, China data lends some light
Jun 30 2022
Most markets fell again Thursday as traders fear that hefty rate hikes to rein in soaring inflation will spark a …
Full Story »

Markets mostly hit by recession fear but China offers some light
Jun 30 2022
Most markets fell again Thursday as traders fear that hefty rate hikes to rein in soaring inflation will spark a …
Full Story »

Japan's Kirin offloads Myanmar beer business over coup
Jun 30 2022
Japanese drinks giant Kirin said Thursday it has agreed to a buyout of its shares in a Myanmar joint venture with a …
Full Story »

Samsung begins production of advanced 3nm chips
Jun 30 2022
Samsung Electronics became the first chipmaker in the world to mass produce advanced 3-nanometre microchips, the company …
Full Story »

Services, manufacturing rebound in China after Covid curbs eased
Jun 30 2022
China's factory and services activity picked up in June, official data showed Thursday, fuelled by the easing of …
Full Story »

Asian markets mostly down but China data offers some light
Jun 30 2022
Most Asian markets fell again Thursday as traders fear that hefty rate hikes to rein in soaring inflation will spark a …
Full Story »

Cairo's floating heritage risks being towed away by grand projects
Jun 30 2022
Dozens of vibrantly coloured floating homes have for decades dotted the banks of the River Nile, rare havens of leafy …
Full Story »

OPEC+ expected to stay course on oil output boost
Jun 30 2022
Major oil producers led by Saudi Arabia and Russia are expected to stick to a previously decided output boost at their …
Full Story »

'No progress made' on Iran nuclear talks: US State Department
Jun 30 2022
Indirect talks in Qatar's capital between Iran and the US on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal have concluded with "no …
Full Story »

US secures 105 million doses of Pfizer vaccine for fall
Jun 29 2022
The United States on Wednesday announced an agreement with Pfizer and BioNTech for 105 million doses of Covid vaccine …
Full Story »

Webb telescope: NASA to reveal deepest image ever taken of Universe
Jun 29 2022
NASA administrator Bill Nelson said Wednesday the agency will reveal the "deepest image of our Universe that has ever …
Full Story »

Recession fears weigh on European, Asian stocks
Jun 29 2022
Asian and European stock markets nursed losses Wednesday on resurgent fears that sharp interest rate hikes aimed at …
Full Story »

Subscription version of Snapchat makes its debut
Jun 29 2022
US tech firm Snap on Wednesday launched a subscription version of Snapchat as it looks to generate more money from the …
Full Story »

Recession fears haunt markets
Jun 29 2022
Asian and European stock markets nursed losses Wednesday on resurgent fears that sharp interest rate hikes, aimed at …
Full Story »

UK extends steel tariffs, breaching WTO obligations
Jun 29 2022
Britain has extended steel tariffs for another two years to protect its ailing industry, the government said Wednesday, …
Full Story »

Aquaculture drives aquatic food yields to new high
Jun 29 2022
The production of wild and farm-raised fish, shellfish and algae reached record levels in 2020, and future increases …
Full Story »

World equities slide on recession fear
Jun 29 2022
Global stock markets nursed steep losses Wednesday on resurgent fear that sharp interest rate hikes, aimed at tackling …
Full Story »

Germany plans return to debt-limit rules in 2023
Jun 29 2022
Germany will reinstate its so-called debt brake in 2023 after suspending it for three years to cope with the impact of …
Full Story »

How long will it take to get over the inflation hump?
Jun 29 2022
Inflation has surged back to levels not seen in many developed economies since the 1970s and 1980s. Economists and …
Full Story »

Equity market losses driven by recession, inflation fears
Jun 29 2022
Fears of a recession caused by sharp interest rate hikes aimed at fighting soaring inflation sent Asian and European …
Full Story »