Business and Economy



Stocks rally as Trump drops Greenland tariff threats

AFP - 45m ago

Stocks rallied Thursday after President Donald Trump rowed back on threats to hit key European countries with tariffs …

'Oasis of stability': Madrid becomes luxury housing haven

AFP - 1h ago

Madrid has emerged as a coveted global luxury housing destination as Latin American and US investors fuel a real estate …

Games giant Ubisoft suffers share price collapse

AFP - 1h ago

Trading in French video game giant Ubisoft was briefly suspended Thursday following a dramatic fall in its share price, …

Stocks track Wall St rally as Trump cools tariff threats in Davos

AFP - 2h ago

Stocks rose on Thursday while safe-haven precious metals extended losses after Donald Trump rowed back on his threat to …

South Korea's economy grew just 1% in 2025, lowest in five years

AFP - 9h ago

South Korea logged its slowest growth in half a decade in 2025, the country's central bank said Thursday, while exports …

Higher heating costs add to US affordability crunch

AFP - 10h ago

Madeline Marchiano realizes that this winter’s runaway heating prices mean she can’t afford to raise her thermostat …

Trump announces Greenland 'framework', backing off force and tariffs

AFP - 11h ago

US President Donald Trump backed down Wednesday on threats to seize Greenland by force from ally Denmark, announcing a …

US stocks rise as markets cheer easing of Greenland tensions

Jan 21 2026

Stocks mostly steadied Wednesday as markets digested shifting comments from US President Donald Trump that dialed down …

Trump says agreed 'framework' for US deal over Greenland

Jan 21 2026

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he reached a framework for a permanent deal over his contentious efforts to …

Ubisoft unveils details of big restructuring bet

Jan 21 2026

Ubisoft on Wednesday ended a months-long wait for details of a restructuring the French games giant hopes will power it …

Spain train drivers call strike after deadly accidents

Jan 21 2026

Spanish train drivers on Wednesday called a three-day strike for February, plunging the country's under-scrutiny …

Who is Lisa Cook, the Fed governor Trump seeks to fire?

Jan 21 2026

Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the powerful US Federal Reserve Board of Governors, has come under the …

Huge lines, laughs and gasps as Trump lectures Davos elite

Jan 21 2026

To muted applause and not a few stony faces, US President Donald Trump took the stage before hundreds of the world's …

Trump rules out 'force' against Greenland but demands talks

Jan 21 2026

US President Donald Trump for the first time ruled out using force to take Greenland as he addressed world leaders in …

Railway safety questioned as Spain reels from twin train disasters

Jan 21 2026

Spain's railway system was under scrutiny on Wednesday after a commuter service crashed near Barcelona, days after at …

Stocks steadier as Trump rules out force to take Greenland

Jan 21 2026

Stocks mostly steadied Wednesday as US President Donald Trump said in a much-anticipated speech at Davos that he would …

France's Lactalis recalls baby formula over toxin

Jan 21 2026

French group Lactalis on Wednesday announced a recall of batches of infant formula in France and other countries …

US Treasury chief accuses Fed chair of 'politicising' central bank

Jan 21 2026

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday of "politicising" the …

Trump rules out force against Greenland but demands 'immediate' talks

Jan 21 2026

US President Donald Trump ruled out using force to take Greenland for the first time as he addressed world leaders in …

Huge lines, laughs and gasps as Trump addresses Davos elites

Jan 21 2026

It looked like a rock concert: hundreds of the world's rich and powerful stood in a massive line for a precious seat to …

Stocks steady as Trump rules out force to take Greenland

Jan 21 2026

Stocks mostly steadied Wednesday as US President Donald Trump doubled down on his demands for "immediate negotiations" …

Trump at Davos demands 'immediate' Greenland talks but rules out force

Jan 21 2026

President Donald Trump demanded immediate talks on acquiring Greenland in a hardline speech at Davos Wednesday, but said …

Trump lands in Davos to push Greenland claims

Jan 21 2026

US President Donald Trump touched down in a tense Davos on Wednesday to give an "America First" speech that will push …

EU parliament refers Mercosur trade deal to bloc's top court

Jan 21 2026

The European Union's parliament voted on Wednesday to refer a freshly signed trade deal with South American bloc …

European stocks dip ahead of Trump's Davos speech

Jan 21 2026

European stocks slipped and precious metals hit fresh highs Wednesday as investors awaited US President Donald Trump's …

Trump flies into Davos maelstrom over Greenland

Jan 21 2026

US President Donald Trump descended on Davos on Wednesday for a tense showdown with world leaders, as allies push back …

EU won't ask Big Tech to pay for telecoms overhaul

Jan 21 2026

The EU will not force the world's biggest tech companies to pay for the overhaul of Europe's telecoms infrastructure …

Burberry sales rise as China demand improves

Jan 21 2026

Burberry posted a slight rise in sales on Wednesday, as the British luxury fashion label's turnaround plan showed signs …

Botswana warns diamond oversupply to hit growth

Jan 21 2026

Botswana is sitting on nearly double its permitted diamond stockpile as weak prices and rising competition from …

Trump heads for Davos maelstrom over Greenland

Jan 21 2026

US President Donald Trump descends on Davos for a showdown with European leaders Wednesday as his bid to seize Greenland …

Stocks mixed after tariff-fuelled selloff as uncertainty boosts gold

Jan 21 2026

Equities were mixed Wednesday following a rough start to the week fuelled by Donald Trump's Greenland-linked tariff …

Philippines to end short-lived ban on Musk's Grok chatbot

Jan 21 2026

The Philippines said Wednesday it will end its ban on Elon Musk's Grok, less than a week after blocking the AI chatbot …

Dazzling Chinese AI debuts mask growing pains

Jan 21 2026

Investor confidence in Chinese AI startups is riding high, but obstacles to their long-term success range from US export …

Stocks stable after tariff-fuelled selloff but uncertainty boosts gold

Jan 21 2026

Asian equities stabilised Wednesday after a rough start to the week fuelled by Donald Trump's Greenland-linked tariff …

What growth?: Taiwan's traditional manufacturers miss out on export boom

Jan 21 2026

Taiwan's economy soared last year on skyrocketing exports of AI hardware and semiconductors, but companies in more …

Venezuela moves to boost economy, amid anguish over pace of prisoner release

Jan 21 2026

Venezuela said Tuesday it would start using revenues from a US-brokered oil sale to shore up its battered currency, as …

Netflix shares fall as revenue appears to stall

Jan 20 2026

Netflix shares fell more than five percent on Tuesday as the streaming entertainment giant said it expected revenue to …

Venezuela says $300-mn US oil sale used to prop up currency

Jan 20 2026

Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez said Tuesday that her country has received $300 million from a US sale of …

US regulator appeals Meta's court victory in monopoly case

Jan 20 2026

The US Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday it was appealing a court ruling that dismissed its antitrust case against …

World stocks sink, gold hits high on escalating trade war fears

Jan 20 2026

World stock markets lost ground on Tuesday and precious metals hit fresh peaks as rising US-EU tension stoked volatility …

Venezuela woos US oil majors with new investment czar

Jan 20 2026

Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez appointed a US-educated banker to head the country's main investment …

France PM forces part of budget through parliament without vote

Jan 20 2026

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday rammed part of the 2026 budget through parliament without a vote, …

Massive US presence makes its mark on Davos

Jan 20 2026

Overlooking the Davos promenade, a 19th-century Alpine church sports huge banners of a stern-looking eagle wrapped in an …

Eyeing China, EU moves to ban 'high-risk' foreign suppliers from telecoms networks

Jan 20 2026

The EU executive on Tuesday proposed banning third-country companies from European mobile networks if they are deemed a …

EU vows 'unflinching' response to Trump's Greenland gambit

Jan 20 2026

European leaders drew a clear line over Greenland Tuesday, vowing an "unflinching" response to Washington's threats even …

Global tourism hit new record level in 2025 despite 'weak' US results: UN

Jan 20 2026

Global tourism hit a new record level in 2025 despite a dip in arrivals in North America due to "weak results" in the …

Thousands of farmers protest EU, Mercosur trade deal ahead of vote

Jan 20 2026

Thousands of farmers driving tractors and waving flags descended Tuesday on the European parliament in Strasbourg in …

Valentino taught us to respect women, says partner

Jan 20 2026

Italian designer Valentino Garavani loved creating outfits that made women beautiful, his partner Giancarlo Giammetti …

Global tourism hit new record level in 2025: UN

Jan 20 2026

Global tourism hit a new record level in 2025 with 1.52 billion international tourist arrivals recorded worldwide, …

European stocks sink, gold hits high on escalating tariff fears

Jan 20 2026

European stock markets slid further Tuesday, while precious metals hit fresh peaks on fears of a US-EU trade war fuelled …

Bessent says Europe dumping US debt over Greenland would 'defy logic'

Jan 20 2026

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday rejected the idea that European governments could aggressively sell …

Trump tariff threat 'poison' for Germany's fragile recovery

Jan 20 2026

US President Donald Trump's latest tariff threat against Europe over Greenland has hit its top economy Germany just as …

Equities sink, gold and silver hit records as Greenland fears mount

Jan 20 2026

Asian markets extended losses Tuesday, while precious metals hit fresh peaks on fears of a US-EU trade war fuelled by …

Tourists hit record in Japan, despite plunge from China

Jan 20 2026

A record number of tourists flocked to Japan in 2025, officials said Tuesday, despite a steep fall in Chinese visitors …

EU wants to keep Chinese suppliers out of critical infrastructure

Jan 20 2026

The EU is expected on Tuesday to unveil plans to keep "high-risk" Chinese suppliers away from European critical …

Inside China's buzzing AI scene year after DeepSeek shock

Jan 20 2026

Before DeepSeek shook up the tech world and put Chinese artificial intelligence on the map, Wu Chenglin's own startup …

Asian markets sink, silver hits record as Greenland fears mount

Jan 20 2026

Asian markets extended losses Tuesday and silver hit a fresh peak on fears of a US-EU trade war fuelled by Donald …

Public media in Europe under unprecedented strain

Jan 19 2026

Public media in Europe is facing a series of new threats including scrutiny by a resurgent far right, budget cuts, and …

France PM to force budget into law, concedes 'partial failure'

Jan 19 2026

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed on Monday he would ram his budget bill through parliament without a …

Ex-OPEC president in UK court ahead of corruption trial

Jan 19 2026

Former OPEC president Diezani Alison-Madueke appeared in a London court on Monday, ahead of her full trial on bribery …

Trump tariff threat has global investors running for cover

Jan 19 2026

International investors bought heavily into precious metals while switching out of stocks Monday in a flight to safety …

Ivory Coast faces unusual pile-up of cocoa at export hubs

Jan 19 2026

At a warehouse in western Ivory Coast the backlog of cocoa beans waiting to be shipped has grown so big the storage site …

Russians agree to sell sanctioned Serbian oil firm

Jan 19 2026

Serbia's energy minister said Monday that the Russian majority owners of the country's largest oil firm, which is under …

Germany brings back electric car subsidies to boost market

Jan 19 2026

Germany on Monday reintroduced electric car subsidies as it seeks to accelerate the transition to less polluting …

Europe wants to 'avoid escalation' on Trump tariff threat: Merz

Jan 19 2026

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday said Europe wants to "avoid escalation" over US President Donald Trump's …

Gold hits peak, stocks sink on new Trump tariff threat

Jan 19 2026

Gold and silver prices hit record highs and stock markets slid Monday as investors sought safety after US President …

China's 2025 economic growth among slowest in decades

Jan 19 2026

China's economy grew at one of the slowest rates in decades last year, according to official data released Monday, as …

Europe readying steps against Trump tariff 'blackmail' on Greenland: Berlin

Jan 19 2026

Europe is preparing countermeasures against US President Donald Trump's "blackmail" after he threatened tariffs against …

What is the EU's anti-coercion 'bazooka' it could use against US?

Jan 19 2026

Calls are growing louder for the European Union to deploy its powerful "anti-coercion instrument" in response to US …

Gold, silver hit peaks and stocks sink on new US-EU trade fears

Jan 19 2026

Gold and silver hit record highs on Monday while equity markets fell after Donald Trump revived trade war fears by …

Gold, silver hit peaks and stocks struggle on new US-EU trade fears

Jan 19 2026

Gold and silver hit record highs on Monday while most equity markets fell after Donald Trump revived trade war fears by …

China's Buddha artisans carve out a living from dying trade

Jan 19 2026

In a dimly lit workshop in eastern China, craftsman Zhang measured and shaped a block of wood into a foot as dozens of …

Gold, silver hit records and stocks fall as Trump fans trade fears

Jan 19 2026

Gold and silver hit record highs Monday while most equity markets fell after Donald Trump revived trade war fears by …

China says economy grew 5% last year, among slowest in decades

Jan 19 2026

China's economy expanded five percent in 2025, Beijing said Monday, one of its slowest rates of growth in decades as it …

Surging billionaire wealth a political threat, Oxfam warns as Davos opens

Jan 19 2026

The collective wealth of the planet's billionaires soared to a record level in 2025, charity Oxfam reported Monday, …

'Bring it on': UK's Labour readies for EU reset fight

Jan 18 2026

Britain's so-called Brexit wars dominated parliament for years. Now the Labour government is bracing for new battles as …

EU, Mercosur bloc ink major trade deal, reject 'tariffs' and 'isolation'

Jan 17 2026

South American and European Union officials on Saturday signed a major trade deal, which they hailed as sending a …

South American bloc to ink long-awaited trade deal with EU

Jan 17 2026

The South American trade bloc Mercosur and the European Union will sign on Saturday a deal 25 years in the making to …

'We don't want to lose him': Trump says of aide tipped to head Fed

Jan 16 2026

US President Donald Trump signaled Friday that he would be reluctant to lose his economic adviser Kevin Hassett, a top …

Brazil, EU hail trade deal as victory for multilateralism

Jan 16 2026

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday hailed a trade deal between the …

OpenAI introducing ads to ChatGPT

Jan 16 2026

OpenAI announced Friday it will begin testing advertisements on ChatGPT in the coming weeks, as the wildly popular …

China, Canada reach 'landmark' deal on tariffs, visas

Jan 16 2026

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on a raft of measures from trade to tourism …

One year on, it's all about Trump. But for how long?

Jan 16 2026

On a sunny January morning in Florida, Donald Trump went shopping for marble and onyx for his new White House ballroom. …

Russian inflation drops sharply in 2025

Jan 16 2026

Russian annual inflation fell sharply in 2025, data from the state statistics agency showed on Friday, as central bank …

France PM edges closer to forcing budget through without a vote

Jan 16 2026

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Friday inched closer to forcing his budget bill through parliament without a …

'Was hoping for more': Trump support slips one year in

Jan 16 2026

Michelle Sims hesitated when asked if she still backed Donald Trump one year into his presidency. "Yeah -- to a certain …

Stock markets take breather at end of turbulent week

Jan 16 2026

Stock markets mostly retrenched on Friday at the end of a week jam-packed with geopolitical developments, content to …

France PM to pass budget without a vote

Jan 16 2026

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu was on Friday desperately planning how to survive a likely no-confidence vote if …

Stock markets slip with trade deals in focus

Jan 16 2026

Major stock markets in Europe and Asia mostly fell along with the dollar Friday as focus returned to trade deals and the …

France says parliament approval of budget 'impossible'

Jan 16 2026

France's government has halted budget discussions in parliament and is expected to announce Friday a way forward after …

Asian stocks mixed after bumper TSMC results

Jan 16 2026

Asian markets were mixed Friday after Taiwanese chipmaking titan TSMC posted a big profit jump, bolstering confidence in …

US strikes deal with Taiwan to cut tariffs, boost chip investment

Jan 16 2026

Taiwan vowed Friday to remain the world's "most important" AI chipmaker, after reaching a trade deal with the United …

Fraudsters flee Cambodia's 'scam city' after accused boss taken down

Jan 16 2026

Hundreds of people dragged away suitcases, computer monitors, pets and furniture as they fled a suspected Cambodian …

China's 2025 economic growth likely slowest in decades: analysts

Jan 16 2026

China's economy likely grew last year at its weakest rate in three decades, outside of the pandemic, according to an AFP …

US says reached deal with Taiwan to lower tariffs, boost investments

Jan 16 2026

The United States said Thursday that it has signed a deal with Taiwan to reduce tariffs on goods from the democratic …

Venezuela's Machado says she 'presented' Trump with Nobel medal

Jan 16 2026

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said Thursday she "presented" her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Donald …

Venezuelan interim leader vows oil sector reform after Maduro ouster

Jan 15 2026

Venezuela's interim president on Thursday announced pending legal reforms to the country's critical fossil fuel sector, …

US court clears Norway's Equinor to resume wind project halted by Trump

Jan 15 2026

A US judge on Thursday authorized work to resume on a New York offshore wind project that had been suspended under an …

Oil prices slump after Trump eases concerns over Iran

Jan 15 2026

Oil prices tumbled Thursday after US President Donald Trump moderated his rhetoric on Iran, while US stocks bounced back …

Long-awaited EU-Mercosur trade pact set for signing

Jan 15 2026

The European Union and South American bloc Mercosur are set to sign an agreement Saturday, more than 25 years in the …

Fury over Grok sexualized images despite new restrictions

Jan 15 2026

Global outrage persisted Thursday over sexualized deepfakes created by Elon Musk's AI tool Grok, even after his social …

Niger faces dilemma over uranium shipment stuck at airport

Jan 15 2026

A huge uranium shipment that left northern Niger in late November has been stuck for weeks at Niamey airport.