World

Trump declares US economy ‘rocketing’ as factories run 24/7
USA, World

Trump declares US economy ‘rocketing’ as factories run 24/7

President Donald Trump claimed US economy to be 'rocketing' due to the revival of manufacturing, he justified his non-enforcement of electric vehicle regulations and even predicted increased use of robotics in dealing with labor shortages. Auto sector expansion cited as key growth driver During the interview, Trump indicated that the expansion of production in all major automobile companies was the reason for economic strength, ANI citing tom a forein media said. Trump stated, “If you went around this plant, like I have, they just announced they’re going to 24 hours. This is a Ford plant, but GM’s the same, Stellantis is the same.” Unprecedented pace of factory expansion nationwide The president pointed out that there were all over-the-clock working factories in the US,...
Trump claims victory on US economy despite many Americans’ cost of living concerns
USA, World

Trump claims victory on US economy despite many Americans’ cost of living concerns

In speech, president delivers triumph assessment, claiming US prices are down despite official data showing otherwise Donald Trump claimed victory on the economy after 12 months back in office on Tuesday, declaring it to be the “greatest first year in history” as many Americans express alarm over the cost of living. In a stream-of-consciousness speech at the Detroit Economic Club, the US president delivered his gold-tinted view of how the economy has fared on his watch. Prices were down, he claimed, despite official data showing otherwise, and productivity was “smashing expectations”. Even as he touted achievements during the first year of his second term, Trump has started to acknowledge concerns over affordability across the US, with November’s midterm elections creeping cl...
Equinor challenges US order to suspend Empire Wind project
USA, World

Equinor challenges US order to suspend Empire Wind project

Norwegian energy group Equinor said on Friday it had filed a civil suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging a U.S. Department of the Interior order to suspend its Empire Wind project. "As part of that case, Empire plans to seek a preliminary injunction and allow construction to continue while the litigation proceeds," Equinor added. Last week, the Trump administration suspended leases for five large offshore wind projects that are under construction off the U.S. East Coast over what it called national security concerns, sending shares of offshore wind companies plunging. The suspension was the latest blow for offshore wind developers that have faced repeated disruptions to their multi-billion-dollar projects under U.S. President Donald Trump, w...
European factory activity ends 2025 in deeper contraction but Asia shines on improved demand
Asia, World

European factory activity ends 2025 in deeper contraction but Asia shines on improved demand

Euro zone manufacturing activity shrank further in December but Asia's factory powerhouses closed 2025 on a firmer footing backed by a rebound in export orders and growing demand for artificial intelligence, private surveys showed.Factory activity in the common currency bloc slid into deeper contraction last month as production decreased for the first time in 10 months on further declines in new orders. The HCOB Eurozone Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global, fell to 48.8 in December from 49.6 in November. It was the lowest reading in nine months and below the 50 level that separates growth from contraction for the second straight month.Surveys highlighted a broad-based decline in activity in the 20-nation euro zone.Germany, the bloc's largest e...
Meta to Buy Chinese-Founded AI Startup Seen as ‘Next DeepSeek’
Asia, China, World

Meta to Buy Chinese-Founded AI Startup Seen as ‘Next DeepSeek’

US tech giant Meta has announced plans to takeover Manus, a Chinese-founded artificial intelligence startup hailed earlier this year as “the next DeepSeek”. The news on Monday (US time) comes as Meta ramps up moves to integrate advanced AI across its platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook and more. Financial terms of its transaction with Manus were not revealed, but a source with direct knowledge of the matter said the deal values the Singapore-based firm at between $2 billion and $3 billion. Meta has said Manus will cut ties with China after it has been acquired, according to Nikkei. So, China’s response to the takeover may be interesting, given Beijing’s desire to bolster its tech and artificial intelligence capacity. Manus did not immediately reply to a request for ...
How PM Modi is fast-tracking reforms to shield economy from US tariffs
Asia, World

How PM Modi is fast-tracking reforms to shield economy from US tariffs

PM Modi's push for far-reaching policy reforms comes as his government accelerates trade talks with several partners, including the European Union, to offset US President Donald Trump's 50% tariff blow. The winter session of the Parliament witnessed the Narendra Modi government passing a number of key bills – some of them meant for far-reaching policy reforms, making it one of its most active final parliamentary sessions in recent years. Ten new Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha, of which eight were passed by both Houses and two sent for further scrutiny by a Standing Committee. The key bills included the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): Viksit Bharat – G RAM G Bill 2025, the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Tra...
US Pursuit of Third Oil Tanker Intensifies Venezuela Blockade
USA, World

US Pursuit of Third Oil Tanker Intensifies Venezuela Blockade

The US’s pursuit of a third oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela has intensified a blockade that the Trump administration hopes will cut off a vital economic lifeline for the country and isolate the government of President Nicolás Maduro. The US’s pursuit of a third oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela has intensified a blockade that the Trump administration hopes will cut off a vital economic lifeline for the country and isolate the government of President Nicolás Maduro. The US Coast Guard chased the US-sanctioned Bella 1 on Sunday as it was en route to Venezuela. It boarded Centuries, a ship owned by a Hong Kong-based entity, on Saturday — the first non-sanctioned vessel to be targeted. Another very large crude carrier, the Skipper, was intercepted on Dec. 10.  The moves...
<strong>Plata Arranges Financing for Up to US$500 Million by Nomura</strong>
USA, World

Plata Arranges Financing for Up to US$500 Million by Nomura

Plata, the Mexican financial technology company, has secured a new financing of up to US$500 million arranged by Nomura Securities International, Inc. ("Nomura") It is the largest funding to date for a Mexican digital financial services company. The transaction also sets an important precedent: it marks the first time a Japanese top-tier investment bank participates in a financing of this scale within Mexico's digital financial sector, reflecting the growing international interest in Plata and in Mexico's financial system. The announcement comes as Plata continues to work towards launching operations as a bank, after having received its banking license authorization in December 2024. The company embarked on this extremely rigorous process ...
France calls new U.S. security doctrine ‘brutal clarification’
USA, World

France calls new U.S. security doctrine ‘brutal clarification’

Europe must accelerate its rearmament in ‍response ‌to a stark shift in U.S. military doctrine, a ⁠French government official said ‌on Tuesday, calling Washington's new security strategy "an extremely brutal clarification" of its ideological posture. The U.S. National Security Strategy, made ⁠public last week, caused shock across Europe, with a broadside that ​said the continent was facing "civilisation erasure" ‌and that U.S. policy ⁠should include "cultivating resistance" within the European Union. "The new American security strategy is an extremely brutal clarification of ​the United States' ideological posture," Junior Army Minister Alice Rufo told lawmakers at the National Assembly's weekly question-and-answer session. "We live in a world of carnivores, ​Europe ‍is no is...
Supreme Court may scrap campaign finance limit challenged by Trump, GOP
USA, World

Supreme Court may scrap campaign finance limit challenged by Trump, GOP

The Supreme Court seems likely to eliminate one of the remaining checks on money in politics, a decision in line with recent rulings favoring First Amendment free speech rights over fears about potential corruption. In a challenge involving Vice President JD Vance, the court considered on Dec. 9 whether to scrap a rule aimed at preventing wealthy donors from bypassing limits on what they can give candidates by funneling money through political parties. The rule was passed in 1974 as part of Congress' response to the Watergate scandal and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2001. During two hours of oral arguments, the court’s conservatives did not attack the GOP’s argument that the law and the campaign finance landscape have changed since 2001. "The coordinated party spending l...