Huawei defence to ask Canada court for delay in CFO’s extradition hearings

The defense team for Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, will ask a Canadian court to delay upcoming hearings in her US extradition case, the court said on Friday.
18 April 2021, 18:00 PM

World stocks at new peaks on strong China, US data

Gold prices hit a seven-week high and global stocks scaled new records on Friday after strong US and Chinese economic data bolstered expectations of a solid global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
18 April 2021, 18:00 PM

China’s Ant explores ways for Jack Ma to exit as Beijing piles pressure

Ant Group is exploring options for founder Jack Ma to divest his stake in the financial technology giant and give up control, as meetings with Chinese regulators signaled to the company that the move could help draw a line under Beijing’s scrutiny of its business, according to a source familiar with regulators’ thinking and two people with close ties to the company.
18 April 2021, 18:00 PM

‘NASA rules,’ Musk says as SpaceX wins $2.9b moon lander contract

NASA awarded billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s space company SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract to build a spacecraft to bring astronauts to the moon as early as 2024, the agency said on Friday, picking it over Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics Inc.
18 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Power companies urge Biden to implement policies to cut emissions 80pc by 2030

A group of US electricity companies wrote to President Joe Biden this week saying it will work with his administration and Congress to design a broad set of policies to reach a near-term goal of slashing the sector’s carbon emissions by 2030.
18 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Pandemic destroyed fewer US businesses than feared, Fed study shows

Fewer than 200,000 businesses in the United States may have failed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lighter toll than initially feared and one that may have had relatively little impact on unemployment, according to Federal Reserve research.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Clean crude? Oil firms use offsets to claim green barrels

In January, Occidental Petroleum announced it had accomplished something no oil company had done before: It sold a shipload of crude that it said was 100 per cent carbon-neutral.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

China’s GDP jumps record 18.3pc but post-Covid recovery seen losing steam

China’s economic recovery quickened sharply in the first quarter to record growth of 18.3 per cent from last year’s deep coronavirus slump, propelled by stronger demand at home and abroad and continued government support for smaller firms.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Potatoes produced by BADC’s contract growers going abroad

Potatoes produced by contract growers of the Bangladesh Agricultural Corporation (BADC) are now being exported to Malaysia, a development that is likely to encourage farmers to improve the quality of their produce in order to reap fair prices.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

More electrical problems found on some Boeing 737 MAX

An electrical problem that led to dozens of Boeing 737 MAX jets being suspended from service has widened after engineers found similar grounding flaws elsewhere in the cockpit, industry sources said on Friday.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

US housing starts near 15-year high; consumer sentiment rises moderately

US homebuilding surged to nearly a 15-year high in March, but soaring lumber prices amid supply constraints could limit builders’ capacity to boost production and ease a shortage of homes that is threatening to slow housing market momentum.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

In short supply: Suez snarl-up, virus hit UK gnome market

High demand during lockdown and supply problems following the Suez Canal blockage have caused a shortage of garden gnomes in Britain, the BBC reported on Thursday.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Brexit sparks $1.4tr UK assets switch to EU: study

UK banks and insurers have shifted more than $1.4 trillion to the European Union in response to Brexit, a study published Friday found.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Cheaper cellphone charges to weigh on BOJ’s inflation forecast

The Bank of Japan’s new price forecast due later this month will likely come under significant downward pressure due to cuts in cellphone charges, sources said, adding to doubts about when it will achieve its elusive 2 per cent inflation target.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Emerging central banks hike rates in March

Emerging market central banks delivered five net interest rate hikes in March, marking the end of an easing cycle which started in 2019 as central banks in the developing world grapple with rising inflation pressures.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Africa cashew nut farmers not reaping benefits

The three million African farmers who supply most of the world’s cashew nuts aren’t cashing in on the booming demand due to a lack of processing facilities, a UN body said on Friday.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

EU poised to unveil green-friendly investment list

The European Commission will next week present the first part of a “green taxonomy” list of energy sources and technology to be labelled as sustainable investments, but a question mark hangs over the inclusion of natural gas.
17 April 2021, 18:00 PM

New zinc-fortified wheat set for global expansion

Scientists at a leading global grains research institute expect to sharply ramp up new wheat varieties enriched with zinc that can boost the essential mineral for millions of poor people with deficient diets, the institute’s head told Reuters.
15 April 2021, 18:00 PM

Big businesses seek market-based approaches ahead of climate summit

Corporate executives and investors say they want world leaders at next week’s climate summit to embrace a unified and market-based approach to slashing their carbon emissions.
15 April 2021, 18:00 PM

UK economy advances despite lockdown

Britain’s economy rebounded slightly in February despite coronavirus curbs while exports of goods to the European Union recovered a bit more, data showed Tuesday, sparking optimism over the outlook.
13 April 2021, 18:00 PM