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Mercedes-Benz profits plunge as German carmakers reel
Mercedes-Benz profits plunge as German carmakers reel
by  AFP

Mercedes-Benz said Thursday it planned hefty cost cuts after its 2024 profits plunged by almost a third amid a slump in China and weak electric car sales, as Germany's auto sector reels. German manufacturers all invested heavily in China in recent decades and came to rely on the world's biggest auto market for a hefty chunk of their sales and profits.

Renault revs up profitability in 2024
Renault revs up profitability in 2024
by  AFP

Renault confirmed on Thursday it defied headwinds in the car industry by boosting revenue and attaining record profitability in 2024 thanks to the success of its new line up of vehicles, although net profit sank as it scaled back its partnership with Nissan. However net profit sank to 800 million euros due to a 1.5-billion-euro loss it booked on the sale of Nissan shares.

Japan's trade minister arranging US trip: reports
Japan's trade minister arranging US trip: reports
by  AFP

Japan's trade minister is arranging a visit to the United States in coming weeks to seek exemptions from President Donald Trump's tariffs, local media said Thursday. Vehicles represented 28 percent of all Japan's exports to the United States last year.

Eyeing China and US, EU hopes clean tech boost will spark growth
Eyeing China and US, EU hopes clean tech boost will spark growth
by  AFP

How do you solve Europe's lagging economic growth and reverse its industrial decline? Europe's answer to bring its economy back to life is a battery of measures to be announced next week including boosting its clean tech sector and supporting energy-intensive industries by slashing red tape and costs.

Lights out for Indonesia civil servants as Prabowo cuts budgets
Lights out for Indonesia civil servants as Prabowo cuts budgets
by  AFP

From office lights switched off to out-of-service lifts, Indonesian civil servants are feeling the pinch after President Prabowo Subianto ordered sweeping budget cuts across government that he said will fund his big-ticket campaign pledges. But the cuts are also likely to free up funds for Prabowo's ambitious campaign pledges.

Asian markets drop as Fed flags concern over Trump policies
Asian markets drop as Fed flags concern over Trump policies
by  AFP

Asian markets turned negative Thursday amid Federal Reserve concerns that US President Donald Trump's tariffs and immigration measures could reignite inflation. The remarks come after a number of economists warned that the Republican's pledge to ramp up tariffs on trade partners while slashing taxes, regulations and immigration could fan inflation.

Heated immigration debate complicates Germany's search for workers
Heated immigration debate complicates Germany's search for workers
by  AFP

Hospital manager Kathrin Leffler says she worries Germany's tense pre-election debate on immigration will make it harder to recruit enough skilled workers from abroad to fill a growing labour shortage. - 'Immigrant complex' - Wassim Hadded, a 27-year-old nurse from Tunisia, is one of the skilled workers already tempted to Germany to fill a key role.