Indices

London's FTSE 100 hits new high on upbeat economic data, earnings

The UK's benchmark index closed at a record high on Thursday after upbeat data underscored the economy's resilience, while a strong earnings run boosted financials. The blue-chip FTSE...

Maersk ramps up sailings via Suez Canal and the Red Sea

STORY: Maersk will resume sailings through the Red Sea and Suez Canal for one of its services this month. That was the word from the shipping group on Thursday . It marks a...

BAT South Africa to shut cigarette plant as illicit trade squeezes legal market

British American Tobacco South Africa will close its only local manufacturing facility and end domestic production by the end of 2026 due to the devastating impact of the fast-growing illicit...

China receives second Australian canola shipment, crushers remain idle

A second cargo carrying 60,000 metric tons of Australian canola arrived in China earlier this month but has not yet been processed, leaving crushers idle for the first time since 2015. ...

Boeing reaches tentative settlements in related 737 MAX crash lawsuits

Boeing has reached tentative settlements with a Canadian man who lost six relatives in the 2019 crash of an Ethiopian Air 737 MAX jet shortly after takeoff. A jury had already been...

Venezuelan oil priced at a premium to competing Canadian barrels for US Gulf Coast refiners, traders say

Venezuelan crude oil was being offered this week to U.S. Gulf Coast refiners at a premium to competing Canadian barrels, two traders said.  Venezuelan Merey-16 oil was offered for U.S....

UAE bolsters economic ties with US by joining AI supply chain program

The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday joined a U.S.-led initiative to secure AI and semiconductor supply chains, dubbed Pax Silica, further strengthening economic ties with the United States. ...

Switzerland adopts negotiating mandate for US trade deal

Switzerland's Federal Council has adopted a final negotiating mandate for talks on a legally binding trade agreement with the United States, the government said on Wednesday. The...

India's Dec quarter cotton imports soar amid duty-free import push

India's cotton imports rose 158% year on year to a record 3.1 million bales in the December quarter after New Delhi allowed duty-free imports, boosting overseas purchases, a leading industry body said...

Venezuelan oil exports to China set to drop as US blockade limits cargoes 

China's oil imports from Venezuela are expected to slump starting from February as fewer tankers have managed to leave for Caracas' top crude buyer after the U.S. claimed control of the OPEC producer,...

China's 2025 Canadian import slump to remind visiting Carney of economic stakes

China bought fewer goods from Canada last year for the first time since 2020, according to Chinese data released on the same day as the Canadian prime minister starts his China visit, in a stark...

Indonesia scraps plan to introduce B50 biodiesel this year, will raise palm oil export levy

Indonesia has scrapped plans for a mandatory B50 grade of palm oil-based diesel this year and will stick with B40 owing to technical and funding concerns, government officials said on Wednesday,...

China's trade ends 2025 with record $1.2 trillion surplus despite Trump tariff jolt

China on Wednesday reported a record trade surplus of nearly $1.2 trillion in 2025, led by booming exports to non-U.S. markets as producers looked to build global scale to fend off sustained pressure...

AfDB looks to boost ties to Arab funders to plug development finance gap

The African Development Bank held its first meeting with a group of Arab development finance institutions in Abidjan on Tuesday in an effort to attract more cash from them as Western donors retreat. ...

South Africa welcomes U.S. House approval of Africa trade programme renewal

South Africa's government on Tuesday welcomed the approval by the U.S. House of Representatives of a bill that would renew Washington's preferential trade programme for Africa for another three...

World Bank sees resilient global growth in 2026 amid tariffs but fading dynamism

The global economy is proving more resilient than expected, with 2026 GDP growth expected to improve slightly over forecasts from last June, the World Bank said on Tuesday while warning that growth is...

Trade with Iran makes Brazil a target for more US tariffs, data shows

Brazil ran a $2.9 billion trade surplus with Iran last year, government data shows, making the South American nation a potential candidate for new U.S. tariffs. U.S. President Donald...

World Bank sees resilient global growth in 2026 amid tariffs but fading dynamism

The global economy is proving more resilient than expected, with 2026 GDP growth expected to improve slightly over forecasts from last June, the World Bank said on Tuesday while warning that growth is...

Nigeria bets on $2 billion fund to boost energy transition

Nigeria is betting on green finance to drive its energy transition with the president unveiling plans for a $2 billion climate fund on Tuesday, saying oversubscribed green bonds were proof of investor...