BUSINESS

Prosecutors in Paris have called for German carmaker Volkswagen to face justice in France to compensate French consumers over the Dieselgate emissions fraud scandal, according to a court filing seen by AFP on Tuesday.

Support for cryptocurrencies from US President Donald Trump or Argentine leader Javier Milei has seen investors lose billions of dollars and is damaging a sector struggling for credibility, researchers told AFP. "The entire crypto industry is being tarnished," said Claire Balva, strategy director for fintech company Deblock.

Tesla sales plunged in the European Union in the first two months of the year, auto industry figures showed Tuesday, as Elon Musk's politics and ageing models may be turning consumers away.

Samsung Electronics co-CEO Han Jong-hee, credited with boosting the South Korean tech giant's television business on the global stage, died of a heart attack Tuesday aged 63, the company said. "He died from cardiac arrest today," a Samsung spokesperson said, adding that Han was survived by his wife and three children.

South Korean auto giant Hyundai on Monday announced a multi-billion-dollar investment in the United States, including a new $5.8 billion steel plant.

Stock markets mostly rose on Monday as worries about fresh US tariffs pencilled in for next week were tempered by hopes that US President Donald Trump was considering a more targeted approach.

Major stock markets extended losses on Friday on heightened concerns over the potential fallout from US President Donald Trump's tariff agenda.

Nvidia boss Jensen Huang expressed confidence Wednesday that the artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant can handle US President Donald Trump's trade war.

European and Asian stock markets traded mixed and gold hit another record high Wednesday as trade war worries cast a shadow and geopolitical concerns returned to the fore.

The Bank of Japan left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday and warned about the economic outlook amid global uncertainty fuelled by Donald Trump's trade war.

Asian and European equity markets rallied on Tuesday following another positive day on Wall Street stoked by US data that eased recession fears, while Chinese tech firms helped propel another surge in Hong Kong.

Markets rose on Monday as investors welcomed Chinese plans to kickstart consumption in the world's number two economy, though worries about Donald Trump's tariffs war continue to cast a shadow over trading floors.

Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn reported on Friday a lower-than-expected net profit for 2024 as consumer electronic gadgets underperformed, although demand for its artificial intelligence servers remained robust.

German premium carmaker BMW warned Friday of continued challenges in 2025 from trade tensions and weak demand in China after reporting a plunge in profits last year.

The directors of Canadian convenience store giant Alimentation Couche-Tard (ACT) said on Thursday they were seeking a "friendly" buyout of 7-Eleven but lamented a lack of progress towards a deal.

Intel on Wednesday announced tech industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as its new chief executive, boosting shares of the US computer chipmaker struggling to catch up in the AI race.

Oil executives said Tuesday they are bullish on US petroleum investments in the emerging Trump era as some giants back away from renewable energy and beef up fossil fuel developments.

Asian equities mostly fell Wednesday as investors fret over Donald Trump's ever-changing trade policies amid increasing concern that his tariffs could send the US economy into recession.

South Korean automaker Kia told AFP Tuesday it had not approved an advertising campaign that featured one of its electric vehicles with a bumper sticker denigrating rival Tesla owner Elon Musk.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will buy a "brand new Tesla" to show support for his top campaign donor and advisor, Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Elon Musk said X was hit Monday by a major cyberattack, raising questions as to whether the politically divisive billionaire is being targeted or his decision to gut staff at what was once Twitter is haunting the social network.

Three former top executives from French video game giant Ubisoft, the maker of "Assassin's Creed" and "Far Cry", went on trial on Monday accused of psychologically and sexually harassing employees for nearly a decade.

The Japanese owner of 7-Eleven said Monday it had agreed to jointly explore store sell-offs with a Canadian rival to address antitrust concerns ahead of a potential merger.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday delayed some tariffs targeting Canada and Mexico, leading Ottawa to halt an upcoming wave of countermeasures -- offering a reprieve to companies and consumers after blowback on financial markets.

Indonesia approved local certificates for more than a dozen Apple products on Friday, the industry ministry said, moving the tech giant a step closer to having a ban lifted on iPhone sales in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

China's exports grew slower than expected in the first two months of the year, official data showed Friday, as a deepening trade war with the United States piles on economic malaise.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday establishing a "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve," forcefully endorsing a currency once shunned as a tool for money launderers.

After an outcry from Detroit, President Donald Trump has granted one-month tariff exemptions on most auto imports from Canada and Mexico, underscoring the continued clout of US carmakers.

Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC's plan to invest $100 billion in the United States was a "historic moment" for Taiwan-US ties, the island's President Lai Ching-te said on Thursday.