BUSINESS

With less than 24 hours before President Donald Trump's deadline to impose sweeping tariffs on the three biggest US trading partners -- Canada, Mexico and China -- the global economy is bracing for impact.

European and Asian stock markets mostly rose Friday, the end of a week beset by volatility after China's DeepSeek unveiled an artificial intelligence model to rival those of US tech giants.

Intel reported a fourth-quarter loss on Tuesday, but better than expected revenue as the US chip giant continues to struggle to stake its place in the artificial intelligence revolution.

Apple on Thursday reported its revenue was a whopping $124.3 billion in the year-end holiday quarter, but sales growth fell shy of market expectations as the iPhone faces stiff competition, particularly in China.

British energy giant Shell on Thursday announced a 17-percent drop in annual net profit owing to weaker oil and gas prices as well as asset write-offs.

Despite US President Donald Trump's sabre-rattling, the European Central Bank is set to press on with interest rate cuts Thursday as officials increasingly voice confidence that the fight against inflation is on track.

After three interest rate cuts in a row, the US Federal Reserve is expected to take a breather on Wednesday and signal it will remain on pause until the data changes, despite pressure to cut from President Donald Trump.

Tesla is set to report earnings Wednesday for the first time since President Donald Trump -- a close ally of CEO Elon Musk -- returned to the White House.

Elon Musk's Tesla and German auto giant BMW have challenged EU import tariffs on China-made electric vehicles at the bloc's top court, the European Commission said Monday.

Indebted Chinese property giant Vanke said Monday that its CEO had resigned due to "health reasons", after state-backed media reported he had been taken away by authorities.

Europe's biggest carmakers will converge on Brussels for talks this week as the EU seeks to chart a way forward for an embattled industry struggling to cope with Chinese competition and climate rules.

Higher US tariffs under President Donald Trump could accelerate a slump in the value of China's currency, complicating recent efforts by Beijing to kickstart a rebound in its struggling economy, analysts warn.

Eurozone rate-setters are set to cut borrowing costs again this week, confident their efforts to lower inflation will remain on track despite the threat from US President Donald Trump's protectionist agenda.

Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, and streaming behemoth Spotify on Sunday announced a multi-year direct deal that will affect both recording and publishing royalty rates.

Europe should take greater risks and plough more money into artificial intelligence, Meta's chief AI scientist Yann LeCun told AFP at the World Economic Forum.

The Bank of Japan increased interest rates on Friday to their highest in 17 years and signalled more hikes to come, sending the yen higher against the dollar.

The gesture was controversial enough, but now come the sub-controversies: Elon Musk is trolling Wikipedia and encouraging its defunding after a description of his recent flourish, seen by some as a Hitler salute, appeared on the encyclopedic website.

US tech titans Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are taking a prominent place in the new Trump era, but another player from another era -- Oracle boss Larry Ellison -- is making a surprise return.

Netflix on Tuesday said it added nearly 19 million subscribers during the holiday season to finish out last year with more than 300 million subscribers.

Sales of electric cars slid last year in Europe in an otherwise stable market, data from carmakers showed Tuesday.

Bitcoin hit a record high above $109,000 on Monday as Donald Trump, who has signalled plans to deregulate the cryptocurrency sector, prepares to be sworn in as US president.

Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC on Thursday announced a better-than-expected net profit for the fourth quarter as it benefits from booming demand for AI technology.

Iraq and British oil giant BP are set to finalise a deal by early February to develop four oil fields in Kirkuk and curb gas flaring, Iraqi authorities announced Wednesday.

Beijing on Wednesday said it "firmly opposes" a US move to effectively bar Chinese technology from smart cars in the American market, saying alleged risks to national security were "without any factual basis".

Britain's annual inflation rate unexpectedly fell to 2.5 percent last month, official data showed Wednesday, easing some pressure on the Labour government faced with economic unrest.

As Donald Trump's looming return to the White House promises to boost cryptocurrencies, a German stock exchange is on a mission to anchor them firmly in the staid world of traditional finance.

Asian and European markets sank Monday after an outsized US jobs report dealt another blow to hopes for more interest rate cuts, while oil extended a rally sparked by new sanctions on Russia's energy sector.

The Ruwais LNG plant will be one of the world's lowest-carbon-intensity LNG facilities, using artificial intelligence and advanced digital technologies to enhance safety, reduce emissions and improve efficiency.

Sales of electric and hybrid vehicles jumped more than 40 percent in China last year, as demand for new energy models continues to surge and the sector remains entrenched in a gruelling price war.