NewsAFP NewsFed poised to signal pause in US interest rate hikes
The US Federal Reserve will wade into a charged political atmosphere on Wednesday, with another interest rate hike likely but accompanied by a strong sign it will hold off on further increases. The Fed opened the second day of its highly anticipated policy meeting but the outcome is perhaps the most
NewsAFP NewsUK unveils immigration curbs as EU prepares for no-deal Brexit
Britain published proposals Wednesday for EU immigration curbs after Brexit as business groups warned the UK economy was not ready for the country to crash out of the bloc with no divorce deal in place. The proposals include a temporary work visa system similar to "guest worker" systems in
NewsAFP NewsWith eye on China, Germany shields strategic firms against takeovers
Germany toughened rules Wednesday for non-EU share purchases or acquisitions of companies that are part of its critical infrastructure, amid growing disquiet about takeovers by Chinese firms. The new rules allow the government greater review powers in the defence, high-tech and infrastructure sectors
TechReutersChip gear makers take a beating after Micron's dour forecast
Shares of chip gear makers fell after a tepid forecast by U.S.-based Micron Technology Inc exacerbated fears that a two-year chip boom was fizzling due to sluggish demand from makers of smartphones, PCs and servers. The industry is suffering from a supply glut as output, including from South Korean
NewsReutersAnother EU referendum could rip UK society apart, warns biggest union
LONDON (Reuters) - Another referendum on European Union membership risks tearing British society apart and would undermine support for a possible future Labour government, the leader of Unite, Britain's biggest trade union, Len McCluskey said on Wednesday.
TechReutersHuawei to spend $2 billion over five years in cybersecurity push
(This version of the December 18th story corrects chairman's last name to Hu in 11th, 14th and last paragraphs) By Sijia Jiang HONG KONG (Reuters) - Huawei Technologies [HWT.UL] on Tuesday said it would spend $2 billion over the next 5 years to focus on cybersecurity by adding more people and upgrading
TechReutersUber and other taxi firms to pay London congestion charge
Private hire firms had been exempt from the Congestion Charge but regulator Transport for London (TfL) is seeking to cut down the number of vehicles on the British capital city's roads, which has surged partly due to burgeoning taxi apps. TfL's revenues have also been hit in recent years by
TechReutersFacebook says preferential data access was with user permission
Facebook Inc said it did not give some companies access to people's data without their permission, after the New York Times reported on Tuesday that the social network allowed some large technology companies greater access to user data. The paper reported that Facebook allowed Microsoft's Bing
FinanceReutersTruckmaker Volvo sells 75 percent of connected car unit to VW
BERLIN/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Volvo has agreed to sell 75.1 percent of WirelessCar, a digital service developer specializing in connected driving, to Volkswagen (VW) for 1.1 billion Swedish crowns ($121.5 million), the Swedish truckmaker said on Wednesday. The deal will allow Volvo to focus on commercial
EntertainmentReuters'Pineapple leather' offers vegan fashion alternative
Carmen Hijosa has created Piñatex, a textile woven from the long fibres in the fruit's discarded leaves that she hopes will give the fashion industry a sustainable alternative to leather. Hijosa, who founded the company Ananas Anam to market Piñatex, works with pineapple farmers in the Philippines
TechReutersSaudi starts work with SoftBank on 200 gigawatt solar plan: minister
Saudi Arabia has already started implementing an agreement with SoftBank Group's Vision Fund to provide 200 gigawatts of solar power in the kingdom, energy minister Khalid al-Falih said at a post-budget event. The kingdom's Public Investment Fund agreed to invest $45 billion in the giant tech
NewsReutersEU court claims final word on Berlusconi's stake in Mediolanum
The European Union's top court will have the final word on whether Silvio Berlusconi can keep his 30 percent stake in Banca Mediolanum despite a conviction for tax fraud, it said on Wednesday. The ruling lengthens the odds on a court victory for Berlusconi as EU judges have a track record of ruling
NewsAFP NewsThird Canadian detained in China: report
A third Canadian citizen has been detained in China, a Canadian newspaper reported Wednesday, amid a diplomatic spat between Beijing and Ottawa over the arrest of a Chinese telecom executive. Canada's foreign ministry said it was "aware of a Canadian citizen" having been detained, according
NewsAFP NewsSoftBank mobile unit in record IPO but market debut flops
Japanese technology giant SoftBank celebrated the world's second-biggest IPO for its mobile unit Wednesday but the newly traded shares endured a torrid time in their debut session, plunging nearly 15 percent. A spokesman for the firm confirmed it had raised around 2.65 trillion yen ($23.5 billion
TechReutersSoftBank Corp sees no tech impact from not using Huawei gear
SoftBank Corp does not expect any technology impact if it does not use 5G network gear from Chinese tech giant Huawei [HWT.UL] and had found the same level of quality from other vendors, an executive said at a press conference on Wednesday. SoftBank Corp's shares tumbled more than 14 percent on
NewsAFP NewsGSK, Pfizer to merge consumer healthcare units
Pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer on Wednesday announced a merger of their consumer healthcare units that produce over-the-counter medicines. GSK said it would have a 68-percent controlling equity interest in the joint venture that will have combined sales of about £9.8 billion ($12.7
NewsAFP NewsFrench ex-minister suspected of taking advantage of office
France's former culture minister Fleur Pellerin is suspected of having improperly taken advantage of ties she developed with a South Korean web giant she dealt with while in office, an official report found Wednesday. Pellerin had established links with one of South Korea's leading internet
TechReutersGerman security office warned German firms about Chinese hacking: report
Germany's Office for Information Security (BSI) has issued warnings to several German firms named by the United States as possible victims of hacking attacks, a newspaper reported, adding that Chinese activity against German firms had increased. Cyber experts have long warned that Germany - with
TechReutersGerman security office warned German firms about Chinese hacking: report
Germany's Office for Information Security (BSI) has issued warnings to several German firms named by the United States as possible victims of hacking attacks, a newspaper reported, adding that Chinese activity against German firms had increased. Cyber experts have long warned that Germany - with
NewsReutersElon Musk unveils his first Los Angeles-area tunnel
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk made a brief public appearance late on Tuesday to unveil the first tunnel completed by the underground transit venture he launched two years ago as an ambitious remedy to Los Angeles' infamously heavy traffic. In a 30-minute presentation carried by live webcast
TechReutersElon Musk unveils his first Los Angeles-area tunnel
In a 30-minute presentation carried by live webcast, Musk touted the newly finished 1.14-mile (1.83 km) tunnel segment as a breakthrough in low-cost, fast-digging technology being pioneered by his nascent tunneling firm, the Boring Company. The new tunnel was excavated along a path that runs not through
TechReutersMicron sales, profit miss estimates as chip glut hurts prices
Micron said it expected industry output, including from South Korean rivals Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and SK Hynix , to outstrip demand from the makers of phones, PCs and servers, pushing down Micron chip prices. Samsung had already warned of a slowdown in demand and drop in chip prices, flagging
NewsAFP NewsHow Germany will turn lights out at last black coal mine
After more than 150 years, Germany's last black coal mine will close in the Ruhr region, posing a gigantic geological and environmental challenge to the former industrial heartland. Mining company RAG, in charge of clean-up at the site, has nearly finished removing tonnes of steel, equipment and
NewsAFP NewsEnd of an era as Germany's last black coal mine closes
Germany will close its last black coal mine on Friday, turning the page on two centuries of mining history in the Ruhr region that helped fuel the country's post-war "economic miracle". Although the end of the Prosper-Haniel colliery near the western town of Bottrop comes as polluting
NewsAFP NewsGerman govt plans to relax rules to attract foreign workers
Worker-starved Germany plans to ease immigration rules to attract foreign jobseekers and replenish its fast ageing workforce, despite mounting public resistance against new arrivals. Germany's first ever immigration law, to be agreed by Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet on Wednesday, is eagerly