Finance news

EU CO2 regulation: Daimler Truck boss: Existence of the industry in Europe is threatened

The head of the commercial vehicle manufacturer Daimler Truck is sounding the alarm. The EU's CO2 regulation and the threat of penalties could have existential consequences for the industry. What does the manager demand?

Taiwan military gains 5,000 volunteers, but ‘real problem’ is retention

Taiwan’s volunteer force has recorded an unexpected increase of more than 5,000 personnel over the past year despite the island’s worsening demographic decline. However, lawmakers and military analysts say the growth is driven more by government pay rises than by any apparent shift in young people’s attitudes towards military service. The figures, released by the defence ministry this week, brought rare good news to an armed force grappling with chronic manpower shortages. But critics warned...

Japan wants 60 million tourists, but China isn’t sending them

Japan has found a new export industry and it doesn’t come off an assembly line. It arrives by plane, spends freely and is, increasingly, what Tokyo is banking its economic future on. Last year, 42.7 million foreign visitors arrived in the country, a record that shattered the previous year’s high by nearly 16 per cent. Now Tokyo wants to turn that surge into something more lasting: a permanent pillar of growth to rival, or even outlast, the industries that built modern Japan. To achieve that...

EU isn’t just selling aircraft to China. It’s helping strengthen a competitor

Last month, China Eastern ordered 25 A330neo jets from Airbus, which come at a catalogue price of US$9.35 billion. The airline, which operates the inaugural commercial routes of the C919, China’s home-grown passenger jet, had placed another Airbus order just three months earlier. Why is this major Chinese airline transferring billions to a European company China’s government is trying to supplant? As a widebody jet, the A330neo competes in a segment where the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of..

Chinese court holds 3 liable after man dies following all-night drinking, mahjong session

A legal ruling in China holding three individuals liable for the death of a friend following overnight drinking and gaming has ignited widespread online discussion. Three men in Urumqi, in northwestern China, were ordered by the court to compensate their friend’s family a total of over 100,000 yuan (US$15,000), after he died partying with them all night. The man, surnamed Gao, played mahjong with his two friends and the mahjong parlour’s owner, from almost 9pm to 3am the next day, in October...

Youth suicides in Hong Kong hit 10-year high: court report

Youth suicide cases confirmed by Hong Kong Coroner’s Court reached a decade-high last year, despite a 10 per cent overall decline across the population to 1,019. According to the annual coroners’ report published last month, suicide cases confirmed by the court declined across almost all age groups, except for those aged between 10 and 19. Last year, 46 adolescents aged 10 to 19 were reported to have taken their own lives, up from 34 cases in the previous year and reaching a decade high. Most of

Honda, other Japan companies in pay workers to spearhead AI use

Japan to help universities pool investments as smaller schools struggle

In Malaysia, BN’s Johor ‘blue wave’ leaves Anwar’s PH facing hard questions

Barisan Nasional’s (BN) sweeping win in Johor is expected to embolden it within Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government while forcing Pakatan Harapan (PH) into a difficult postmortem over its waning appeal on the ground. The Election Commission announced BN’s victory of 48 seats, out of 56 up for grabs, with PH managing only eight. BN’s result was better than the 40 seats it secured in the 2022 race. Analysts say the result, which came despite Anwar campaigning heavily for PH,.

Iran declares Strait of Hormuz closed, US launches new strikes

Iran on Sunday said ⁠it closed the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel travelled on an unapproved route and was struck, warning that any retaliation over the incident would be met with a “severe response”. “A vessel that had jeopardised maritime security by switching off its systems was struck and brought to a halt,” the Navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement, without giving any details about the ship. ⁠The ⁠US ⁠military said shortly after that it had launched a new...

Warning shots fired: Iran's Revolutionary Guard: Strait of Hormuz closed

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy says it has stopped a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, which is important for trade, will remain closed for the time being.

The Next Bull Market Could Be Built on Inventory Replenishment

The Middle East is once again at the center of global energy markets due to the renewed military confrontation involving Iran. Markets, however, should recognize that, unlike in previous crises, the world is entering this new phase with a significantly weaker strategic safety net. At present, crude oil prices still respond to headlines surrounding military operations, shipping incidents, and diplomatic statements. Still, it is now time that markets should no longer overlook the structural conseq

Reading the Sino-US rivalry: how a quiet literary relationship has shaped views on China

As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, it confronts a new world order dominated by its relationship with China. In this wide-ranging series, we examine the pressure points and possibilities in those ties, from hard tech to soft power. Here, Khushboo Razdan looks at how books shape public perceptions and inspire lifelong connections between the US and China even as their geopolitical rivalry intensifies. Alexander Boyd was 14 when a book about China altered the course..

Trump’s crypto windfall showcases his ability to turn loyalty into power

Like many people outside the United States, I admire much of what it represents: open debate, strong institutions, energetic politics and the belief that public power should be restrained by rules. That is why watching the US today is so extraordinary. Consider US President Donald Trump’s meme coin. Nearly a million accounts that bought the $TRUMP coin have lost money, according to a report in The New York Times based on analysis of blockchain transactions. Their collective losses have been...

Companies in Japan pay workers bonuses to spearhead AI use

Kansas Becomes Testing Ground for a Radical Nuclear Reactor Design

An unconventional approach to nuclear energy production just got one step closer to reality. A prototype reactor canister just arrived at its installation site in Kansas, where it will soon be part of a proof of concept for a first-of-its-kind underground small modular reactor system. California-based startup Deep Fission believes that by burying a small nuclear reactor deep under the ground, they can make nuclear energy cheaper and safer at a time when round-the-clock carbon-free energy is need

Taylor Swift foot US$160,000 police bill for her wedding, New York mayor says

Taylor Swift shelled out six figures to cover the cost of NYPD officers and other city resources required to protect her massive Madison Square Garden wedding to Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce earlier this month, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed. The Grammy winner “has paid already the cost of the permit that was lodged, which was over US$160,000 for that event and for the response to that event”, Mamdani said during a Friday press conference, after a reporter asked him whether...

Assassinations unleashed under Trump haunt Iran war endgame

Shortly before US President Donald Trump ended a ceasefire with Iran this week, Israeli officials presented his team with intelligence indicating Tehran was hatching new plots to kill him. It was not the first such warning. US law enforcement and intelligence agencies have tracked evidence for years of Iranian efforts to target the president, with signals only increasing since the start of the war. Their desire to target Trump and his top aides began six years ago, just outside Baghdad...

The Escalating Energy War Between California and the White House

In recent years, California has grown increasingly progressive in its energy policy, shifting away from fossil fuels toward renewable alternatives. The state has invested heavily in developing its renewable energy capacity over the last decade, in a bid to decrease reliance on oil, coal, and gas. This has helped it reduce emissions as many other U.S. states struggle to decarbonise. While the move is seen as positive by millions of Californians, President Trump is not so sure. The Trump administr

Anwar coalition suffers heavy defeat to ally in Malaysia's Johor vote

Toyota group unloads shares in dozens of companies

State party conference: AfD is planning a radical change of course in Saxony-Anhalt with a 100-day program

At the state party conference, the AfD presents an immediate program with ten points in the event of a takeover of government. At the forefront: public broadcasting – and migration.

State party conference: AfD plans radical change of course with 100-day program

The AfD is presenting an immediate program with ten points for a possible takeover of government in Saxony-Anhalt. The first steps should begin on the first day.

Runner gored in the face at Spain’s San Fermin bull run festival

A runner was gored in the face and many more were fortunate to not be seriously injured during a chaotic bull run at Spain’s San Fermin festival on Saturday. The six bulls and accompanying steers charged through crowds of thrill-seekers who packed the narrow street course in Pamplona. The huge animals knocked down bodies to the cobblestones, and stumbling runners caused several pile-ups during the two-and-a-half-minute run from the pen to the bull ring where bullfighters will kill the bulls...

Comment: AfD nationalism does not solve everyday problems

The AfD promises a radical new start for Saxony-Anhalt. But their 100-day program hardly offers any solutions to the country's specific problems.

Can Colombia’s New Government Reverse the Nation’s Oil and Gas Decline?

In a closely contested presidential election in Colombia, controversial far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella emerged victorious. After an official recount, his opponent, left-wing senator Ivan Cepeda, conceded defeat. This was a hard-fought campaign which split the community, sparking much controversy across Colombia. While debate rages over De la Espriella’s policies and ascension to power, it is clear his presidency will be a godsend for Colombia’s beaten-down, economically critical oi

The volatile AI trade marched higher, but oil kept Wall Street on edge last week

Chip stocks had a wild but strong week. Meta led our portfolio higher.

ultimatum passed: VW works council sees massive loss of trust in the workforce towards top management

The VW Group is planning a major restructuring - thousands of jobs will supposedly be eliminated worldwide. The works council demands more transparency from the board.

Polio: Polio: Probably the last user of an iron lung died

She survived polio, lived with an iron lung for decades and became a symbol of a bygone era. Martha Lillard's death marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in medical history.

US Democrat Ro Khanna ‘detained’ by Israeli settlers during West Bank visit

US Democratic lawmaker Ro Khanna said ⁠he was detained by Israeli settlers armed with US-made rifles during a West Bank visit this week that he cast as an unfiltered look at the human toll of Israeli occupation as he weighs a 2028 presidential run. Speaking with reporters on Thursday in a Palestinian village, Khanna said his group’s van was surrounded by settlers wielding M4 rifles a day earlier while touring a part of the southern West Bank where residents face frequent settler attacks. “We...