Beijing denies involvement in cyber breach at US treasury dept

China rejects accusations of its involvement in a recent cyberattack on the US Treasury

Oil holds steady in thin holiday trade

Brent crude futures ease 4 cents to $74.13 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude loses 1 cent to $70.59 a barrel

France targets 2025 budget deficit above 5% to sustain growth

To protect growth, we must amend the (budget) bill and aim for a deficit slightly above 5%, says French Finance Minister

Tech companies face tough AI copyright questions in 2025

Copyright owners accuse OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and others of using their work to train AI models without permission or payment

US adds 9th telcom to list of companies hacked by Chinese-backed Salt Typhoon cyberespionage

U.S. government guidance adds an unnamed telecom to the list of targets, following past attacks on Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen

Trump urges Supreme Court to delay TikTok divestment deadline

Trump argues that his incoming administration should have the opportunity to seek a "political resolution" to the matter

Manmohan Singh, former Indian prime minister, 1932-2024

As finance minister, he paved the way for a transformative liberalisation of the state-controlled economy

Bangladesh named The Economist’s ‘Country of the Year’ for 2024

“The winner toppled a tyrant and seems headed for something better”, The Economist

World Bank estimates China’s full year growth at 4.9% in 2024

The World Bank's latest China Economic Update raises growth projections slightly for 2024 and 2025 but warns of persistent challenges, including fragile business confidence, high local government debt, and an aging population.

Russia using bitcoin in foreign trade to counter Western sanctions, finance minister says

Sanctions have complicated Russia's trade with its major partners such as China or Turkey

Dubai stock index hits decade high

Other Gulf markets remain subdued as investors anticipate fewer rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve in the coming year

China’s CATL claims new EV chassis withstands 120-km/h frontal impact

CATL forms partnerships with automakers such as Vinfast, BAIC, and Neta to develop models based on this chassis

Taiwan blocks Uber’s $950 million Foodpanda deal over competition concerns

Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission says merger could harm market competition and raise consumer costs

Apple seeks to defend Google’s billion-dollar payments in search case

Apple does not plan to build its own search engine to compete with Alphabet's Google

Toyota marks 10th month of continuous global production decrease

Despite production challenges, global sales rise 1.7% year-on-year to 920,569 vehicles in November, setting a record for the month