Financial News from AFP

  • Facebook on Wednesday became a full member of the Global Network Initiative, a non-governmental organization promoting Internet freedom and privacy rights. The announcement came one year after the world's ...

  • Europe's busiest port of Rotterdam opened a multi-billion euro extension on Wednesday, with wider and deeper basins to accomodate the world's biggest freight ships. The Maasvlakte 2 project is the largest ...

  • Bernanke testimony boosts European stocks AFP - 1 hour 15 minutes ago

    Europe's main stocks shot higher Wednesday after US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke indicated that the end was not near to its easy money policies. London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares added 0.53 ...

  • European stocks close higher AFP - 1 hour 55 minutes ago

    Europe's leading stock markets closed higher on Wednesday, with London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares adding 0.53 percent to 6,840.27 points. In Frankfurt the DAX 30 index set a fresh record high, ...

  • Chinese vice premier Wang Yang on Wednesday urged Zimbabwe to ensure peace and political stability ahead of elections this year, to safeguard economic growth. "A peaceful and stable political environment ...

  • The captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship will go on trial from July 9 for manslaughter over the January 2012 disaster in which 32 people lost their lives, an Italian judge ruled Wednesday. Francesco ...

  • US existing-home sales rose in April to the fastest pace in nearly three and a half years but were held back by tight inventory and credit, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. Sales rose ...

  • Bank of England governor Mervyn King called in May for more quantitative easing stimulus cash at his penultimate meeting, but was out-voted for the fourth month in a row, minutes showed on Wednesday. The ...

  • US stocks Wednesday jumped higher as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned against tightening monetary policy too quickly in a statement to Congress. About 40 minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial ...

  • Europe's main stock wobbled on Wednesday ahead of testimony by US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke, with sterling in focus following Bank of England minutes and mixed British data. Recovering from an ...

  • US stocks Wednesday opened slightly higher as the market looked ahead to congressional testimony by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose ...

  • AirAsia, Asia's largest low-cost carrier by fleet size, said Wednesday that first-quarter net profit fell 39 percent year-on-year due to a foreign exchange loss on borrowings. The airline said in a filing ...

  • Swiss-based global food giant Nestle said Wednesday that it had expanded its research and development operations in Singapore, amid robust Asian market growth. Nestle said that it invested almost 4.0 million ...

  • Solar Impulse, the first aircraft that can fly day and night fueled entirely by energy from the sun, embarked Wednesday on the second leg of its historic journey across the American continent. The solar-powered ...

  • Global oil prices fell on Wednesday as traders awaited the weekly US energy inventories report and a key speech from Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in July dropped ...

  • Europe's main stock markets fell on Wednesday, with London and sterling in focus following Bank of England minutes and mixed British data, and ahead of key testimony by US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke ...

  • Two US pathologists on Wednesday supported Singapore police findings that an American scientist found hanged last year in the city-state committed suicide and was not murdered as his family claims. Medical ...

  • The captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship will go on trial from July 9 for manslaughter over the January 2012 disaster in which 32 people lost their lives, an Italian judge ruled on Wednesday. Francesco ...

  • Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday despite a strong lead from Wall Street as markets awaited testimony from the US Federal Reserve chief, but Tokyo stocks finished at their highest level in five years. ...

  • Sony chief Kazuo Hirai said Wednesday the company was examining a hedge fund proposal to sell off part of its entertainment unit in a bid to boost profits in its core business. Hirai told a press conference ...

  • Oman Air has placed an order for three long-haul Airbus airliners, the European aerospace giant said on Wednesday. The order of the three A330-300 aircraft has a total catalogue value of $718.2 million ...

  • Australian children are accessing social media websites at an increasingly younger age, a new survey suggests, with one in five "tweens" admitting they have chatted to someone online they do ...

  • A Singapore company supervisor caught on video slapping a male intern is in trouble after the clip went viral on the web and sparked a public outcry. Police confirmed to AFP that a complaint had been lodged ...

  • Taiwan's United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), a leading microchip maker, Wednesday said it has spent $110 million setting up a research and development unit in Singapore. The unit will undertake ...

  • Europe's main stock markets eased slightly in opening deals on Wednesday, with London's benchmark FTSE 100 index falling 0.17 percent to 6,792.58 points. Frankfurt's DAX 30 inched down 0.05 percent to ...

  • Asian shares were mostly up Wednesday after a strong lead from Wall Street, with Tokyo stocks finishing at their highest level in five years and as markets awaited testimony from the US Federal Reserve ...

  • Tokyo stocks close up 1.60% AFP - 10 hours ago

    Tokyo stocks climbed 1.60 percent to close at their highest level in more than five years Wednesday, with investor appetite unabated due to a weak yen and record-setting levels on Wall Street. The benchmark ...

  • The yen edged down against the dollar and euro in Asia on Wednesday after Japan posted its worst ever April trade deficit, fuelling yen-negative sentiment. News that the Bank of Japan announced no fresh ...

  • About 300 Borneo tribespeople staged a protest at a world hydroelectric industry meeting in Malaysia on Wednesday to denounce dams they say are destroying forests and native ways. Officials in the Malaysian ...

  • Oil down in Asian trade AFP - 12 hours ago

    Oil was down in Asia on Wednesday as traders waited for the release of the latest energy inventory report from the United States, analysts said. Weak demand and surging crude stockpiles in the world's ...

  • The first-ever manned airplane that can fly by day or night on solar power alone was set to soar early Wednesday on the second leg of its journey across the United States. The fuel-free plane was due to ...

  • Tokyo stocks maintained early gains and were up 1.12 percent in early afternoon trade after the Bank of Japan made its widely-expected announcement of no new easing measures. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index ...

  • The Bank of Japan on Wednesday held off fresh easing measures, saying after a two-day policy meeting that a continuation of steps introduced last month would help Japan overcome deflation. The central ...

  • Asian shares were mostly up Wednesday after a strong lead from Wall Street and despite a larger than expected Japanese trade deficit as markets awaited testimony from the US Federal Reserve chief. The ...

  • A coroner's inquest into the apparent suicide of a US scientist found hanged last year in Singapore resumed Wednesday after a walkout by his family, who insist he was murdered. The case of Shane Todd took ...

  • Japan on Wednesday posted its worst April trade deficit as a weak yen ramped up import costs and helped extend the run of monthly shortfalls to the longest in more than three decades. Data from the finance ...

  • Tokyo stocks open up 0.39% AFP - 17 hours ago

    Tokyo stocks opened 0.39 percent higher on Wednesday with investor sentiment staying bullish after US shares closed at new all-time highs and despite worse-than-expected Japanese trade data. The benchmark ...

  • Japan's trade deficit expanded a worse-than-expected 70 percent on year to $8.6 billion in April, government data showed Wednesday, as a weaker yen made imports costlier. The monthly trade deficit came ...

  • US online giant Amazon has unveiled plans for a futuristic greenhouse style headquarters "where employees can work and socialize in a more natural, park-like setting." The Internet company revealed ...

  • The dollar firmed against most other major currencies except the euro Tuesday on the eve of Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke's much-anticipated testimony to Congress. The euro rose to $1.2906 around ...

  • American teenagers are sharing more information about themselves on social media sites, but taking steps to protect their privacy online, a study showed Tuesday. The new survey showed 91 percent of those ...

  • US stocks closed higher Tuesday after a strong earnings report from Home Depot and as the market anticipates Wednesday's testimony in Congress by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. The Dow Jones Industrial ...

  • Oil prices fell for the first time in five days Tuesday, the eve of Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke's highly anticipated testimony to Congress on the outlook for the US economy. The market also awaited ...

  • Croatia Airlines cabin crew on Tuesday ended their eight-day strike after agreeing to new contracts, including salary cuts, in a move to re-establish the loss-making airline's flight schedule. "Flights ...

  • Chinese vice premier on business visit to Zimbabwe AFP - Wed, May 22, 2013 1:13 AM SGT

    Chinese vice premier Wang Yang arrived in Zimbabwe on Tuesday on a business visit praising Beijing's ties with the southern African country. "Business co-operation is an important part of our friendly ...

  • Oil prices drop before Fed chief's testimony AFP - Wed, May 22, 2013 1:00 AM SGT

    World oil prices fell on Tuesday as traders looked ahead to the latest thoughts of Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke on the outlook for the US economy. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in July dropped ...

  • European stocks close higher; London beats 13-year … AFP - Wed, May 22, 2013 12:55 AM SGT

    Europe's main stock markets closed on an upbeat note on Tuesday as London recorded a new 13-year high amid stimulus policies from top world central banks and a barrage of company results, dealers said. ...

  • US, Myanmar sign trade agreement AFP - Tue, May 21, 2013 11:47 PM SGT

    The United States and Myanmar struck a trade agreement Tuesday as the former pariah state undertakes economic reforms and seeks greater US investment. The Trade and Investment Framework Agreement is aimed ...

  • NGOs denounce Malaysia hydropower meeting AFP - Tue, May 21, 2013 11:41 PM SGT

    Three dozen Malaysian NGOs on Tuesday denounced the world hydroelectric industry's decision to hold a conference in a Borneo state where dam projects have uprooted forests and native peoples. The groups, ...

  • US stocks rise on strong Home Depot earnings AFP - Tue, May 21, 2013 10:24 PM SGT

    US stocks Tuesday moved higher following a positive earnings report by Dow member The Home Depot, which cited the strong recovery in the housing market. About 30 minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial ...

Next »