AI or inequality tipped for economics Nobel
Stockholm, Sweden - The Nobel economics prize wraps up the 2025 season when it is announced on Monday, as experts...
Economy
WTO hikes 2025 trade growth outlook but tariffs to bite in 2026
The WTO raised its forecast for trade volume growth in 2025 to 2.4 percent -- up from 0.9 percent in...
Economy
Geostrategy
Trump warns of 10% additional tariff for countries aligning with BRICS’ policies
BRICS leaders on Sunday described Trump's stop-start tariff wars as "indiscriminate", damaging, and illegal, drawing a quick rebuke from the...
- The 11-nation grouping -- which also includes US allies Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia -- is concluding a two-day summit in Rio de Janeiro.
- BRICS members account for about half the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output.
Economy
US tariffs to kick in Aug 1 barring trade deals: Treasury Secretary
Washington, United States -- US tariffs will kick in on August 1 if trading partners from Taiwan to the European...
- The tariffs were part of a broader announcement in April where Trump imposed a 10 percent duty on goods from almost all trading partners.
- Countries have been pushing to strike deals that would help them avoid these elevated duties.
Economy
BRICS nations voice ‘serious concerns’ over Trump tariffs
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro from Sunday are expected to decry US President...
- Since coming to office in January, Trump has threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties.
- His latest salvo comes in the form of letters informing trading partners of new tariff rates that will soon enter into force.
Business
Meta’s AI talent war raises questions about strategy
New York, United States -- Mark Zuckerberg and Meta are spending billions to recruit top artificial intelligence talent, triggering debates...
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently complained that Meta has offered $100 million bonuses to lure engineers away from his company.
- Several OpenAI employees have accepted Meta's offers, prompting executives at the ChatGPT maker to scramble to retain their best talent.
Business
Trump metal tariffs wreak havoc on US factory
Belcamp, United States -- In the sweltering US summer, metal containers decorated with snowmen and sleighs are taking shape --...
- At Independent Can's factory in Belcamp, Maryland northeast of Baltimore, CEO Rick Huether recounts how he started working at his family's business at age 14.
- Huether, now 73, says he is determined to keep his manufacturing company afloat for generations to come. But Trump's tariffs are complicating this task.
Economy
G7 to exempt US multinationals from global minimum tax
The deal will see US companies benefit from a "side-by-side" solution under which they will only be taxed at home,...
- Nearly 140 countries struck a deal in 2021 to tax multinational companies, an agreement negotiated under the auspices of he Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- That agreement, deeply criticized by Trump, includes two "pillars," the second of which sets a minimum global tax rate of 15 percent.
Economy
World Bank announces Lebanon, Syria reconstruction projects
Beirut, Lebanon -- The World Bank announced on Wednesday it had approved $250 million to support Lebanon's post-war reconstruction and...
- Lebanon is reeling from last year's devastating war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, while Syria faces massive needs after the fall of Bashar al-Assad regime.
- The grant comes after Saudi Arabia and Qatar said they would pay off Syria's World Bank debt, and as the country's new rulers press reconstruction efforts.
Economy
US Fed chair signals no rush for rate cuts despite Trump pressure
The Fed has a duty to prevent a one-time spike in prices from becoming an "ongoing inflation problem," said Federal...
- The Fed has held the benchmark lending rate steady since its last reduction in December, bringing the level to a range between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent.
- Last week, Powell told reporters that it would make smarter decisions if it waited to understand how Trump's tariffs impact the economy.
Geostrategy
Oil slides, stocks rise as Iran-Israel ceasefire holds
The main international and US oil contracts briefly bounced off their lows as Israel and Iran accused each other of...
- Prices were also brought down by Trump saying that China could continue to buy oil from Iran, in what appeared to be relief from sanctions Washington had previously imposed.
- There was also relief that Iran has refrained from closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about one-fifth of the world's oil supply.
Geostrategy
Oil prices seesaw as investors await Iran response to US strikes
US stocks edged higher while European markets retreated and Asian equities were mixed, with markets keeping a close eye on...
- They later dipped briefly into the red and then wobbled, standing down around one percent as European markets closed.
- Iran is the world's ninth-biggest oil-producing country, exporting just under half of the 3.3 million barrels it produces per day.
AI or inequality tipped for economics Nobel
Stockholm, Sweden - The Nobel economics prize wraps up the 2025 season when it is announced on Monday, as experts...
Economy
Company News
Latest News
Stocks climb eyeing US rate cut, political turbulence
A steep downward revision to US job creation cemented expectations that the Federal Reserve would begin lowering its benchmark rate...
Business
Saudi launches Damascus area reconstruction project
Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday humanitarian projects for Syria including the removal of wartime rubble around Damascus, weeks after inking...
Economy
Key OPEC+ members to boost oil production again
Oil ministers in the V8 grouping -- comprising Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Science
Norway experiments with electric plane in real-life test
Oslo, Norway -- An electric plane took to the skies between the Norwegian airports Stavanger and Bergen on Thursday, simulating...
- The small aircraft -- an Alia built by US aircraft manufacturer Beta -- flew the 160 kilometers in a test run by the Norwegian affiliate of the transport company Bristow.
- The flight took 55 minutes and simulated a cargo flight route in southeastern Norway.
Business
Global bond selloff spreads to Japan, gold hits record high
Wall Street stocks opened mostly higher, with shares in Google parent-company Alphabet shooting up nearly seven percent after winning a...
- Yields on 30-year Japanese government bonds rose to an all-time high of 3.29 percent on Wednesday, while 20-year yields reached their highest since 1999.
- The selloff in Japanese debt mirrors widespread moves in the United States and Europe, with investors spooked over substantial piles of government debt globally.
Economy
Gold glitters to new high as Asia stocks mixed
Gold climbed to a new record Tuesday as investors sought out safe havens, while Japan's Nikkei and the Hang Seng...
- The precious metal reached $3,501.59 an ounce during early trading in Asia, soaring past its previous record of $3,500.10 in April
- The run in gold prices comes as investors weigh up a weakened US dollar and the prospect of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve