Economy

Bayer says legal woes could force it to pull weedkiller
Bayer says legal woes could force it to pull weedkiller
by  AFP

German chemicals giant Bayer said Friday it could be forced to pull its Roundup weedkiller from the market if it is not able to limit simmering legal troubles. Bayer has asked investors to approve a capital increase through the issuance of new stock to cover potential legal costs related to Roundup.

China's top leaders pledge economic support as trade war rages
China's top leaders pledge economic support as trade war rages
by  AFP

China's top leaders pledged on Friday to step up support for the economy and oppose "unilateral bullying" in global trade in a veiled rebuke of hefty tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. They also said they would seek to "work with the international community to actively uphold multilateralism and oppose unilateral bullying practices", it said.

Arms maker Saab posts record sales as Europe rearms
Arms maker Saab posts record sales as Europe rearms
by  AFP

Swedish defence group Saab on Friday reported soaring quarterly earnings and record sales as European countries beef up their defence capacities amid geopolitical tensions and uncertainties.

Asia stocks rise in wake of Wall Street rally
Asia stocks rise in wake of Wall Street rally
by  AFP

Asian stocks climbed on Friday, buoyed by a rally on Wall Street, strong earnings from Google parent company Alphabet, and the prospect of diffusing tensions in US President Donald Trump's trade war. Markets were responding to strong earnings from Google parent Alphabet, which reported on Thursday a profit of $34.5 billion in the recently ended quarter.

Intel chief vows to thin ranks at US chip maker
Intel chief vows to thin ranks at US chip maker
by  AFP

New Intel chief executive Lip-Bu Tan on Thursday announced upcoming layoffs at the struggling US chip maker as White House tariffs and export restrictions muddy the market. Malaysia-born tech industry veteran Tan, who took over as Intel chief executive in March, has said it "won't be easy" to overcome challenges faced by the company.

Trump signs order to ramp up US deep-sea mining
Trump signs order to ramp up US deep-sea mining
by  AFP

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to expand US deep-sea mining for rare earth minerals in domestic and international waters, despite warnings by environmental groups.

Alphabet quarterly earnings lifted by cloud and AI
Alphabet quarterly earnings lifted by cloud and AI
by  AFP

Google parent Alphabet on Thursday reported profit of $34.5 billion in the recently ended quarter, powered by its cloud computing and artificial intelligence operations. Overall revenue at Alphabet grew 12 percent to $90.2 billion compared to the same period a year earlier, while revenue for the cloud unit grew 28 percent to $12.3 billion, according to the tech giant.

EU still far from tariff deal with US: French minister
EU still far from tariff deal with US: French minister
by  AFP

The European Union and United States are far from reaching a deal on tariffs, France's economy minister said Thursday, as the bloc seeks a way out from trade tensions with Washington. But at an IMF event Thursday, German Finance Minister Joerg Kukies said he was hopeful both sides could reach a deal before the 90-day window closed.