BUSINESS

At a vast warehouse in the southern Dutch city of Roosendaal, automated cranes and driverless vehicles silently stack clothes for the French and Italian stores of retailer Primark, reducing the need for hard-to-come-by labour.

Ford Motor Co will invest an extra 149 million pounds ($180 million) to boost output of electric vehicle (EV) power units by 70% at its engine factory in northern England as the U.S.

Numerous other public and private sector staff, from lawyers to airport ground personnel, have also held strikes this year

She will travel to China next week for high-level meetings with senior Chinese officials as the International Monetary Fund continues to press for quicker progress on debt restructurings for countries in need.

Around half of all employees in the sector are from non-professional backgrounds

The dollar eased from a one-week high on Wednesday ahead of a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, while optimism over a possible loosening in China's COVID restrictions set it on course for its biggest monthly loss since late 2010.

Alibaba founder Jack Ma has been living in Tokyo for almost six months after disappearing from public view following China's crackdown on the tech sector, the Financial Times reported Wednesday, citing multiple unnamed sources.

World equity markets rallied on Wednesday lifted by hopes that inflation is peaking and a re-opening of China's economy is near, with focus turning to U.S.

Swedish fashion giant H&M on Wednesday became the first big European retailer to start layoffs by announcing 1,500 job cuts owing to softening demand as consumers cope with soaring inflation.

Credit Suisse shares and bonds took another hit on Wednesday in a sign the embattled Swiss bank is struggling to regain investor confidence ahead of a planned $2.4 billion fundraising to help pay for a major overhaul.

There were 89,600 winners in this draw. They shared the prize fund of £488,905.

The National Lottery has awarded a total of £28 million in prize winnings this month alone.

This Friday's jackpot is £112 million.

The leaders of the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization on Tuesday warned against the negative impact of deglobalization for the global economy, arguing instead for smart moves to diversify supply chains.

Deal-hungry Americans snapped up everything from toys to electronics during the five-day long Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday shopping bonanza lured by steep discounts, sales data showed.

Mastercard lost an appeal in a London court on Tuesday against a ruling in a 10 billion pound-plus ($12 billion-plus) collective action that allows the claims of around three million people who have died since the lawsuit began to continue.

The market for fan tokens, a volatile cocktail of crypto and sport, is heating up in the desert of Qatar.

Credit Suisse shares slid below 3 Swiss francs on Tuesday as investors dumped rights to subscribe to new shares in a cash call aimed at raising $2.3 billion for the loss-making bank.

Cryptocurrency lender BlockFi has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, it said on Monday, the latest crypto casualty after the firm was hurt by exposure to the spectacular collapse of the FTX exchange earlier this month.

Wage increases are usually set by collective bargaining between the Austrian Economic Chambers and unions representing different branches.

Spending on Cyber Monday, the biggest U.S. online shopping day, may hit a record $11.6 billion, according to a report, as discounts on everything from pajamas to AirPods drive shoppers to buy even under the strain of inflation.

Ireland's data privacy regulator imposed a 265 million euro ($277 million) fine on social media giant Facebook on Monday, bringing the total it has fined parent group Meta to almost 1 billion euros.

Paris' luxury-laden stock exchange is now worth more than London's. But although size matters, there are other indicators highlighting the UK capital's popularity with investors.

Services in some regions will be completely halted according to media reports.

A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever.

Louis Vuitton on Friday announced plans to open a dedicated furniture and homewares store in Shanghai, a world first for the French luxury brand as it aims to expand further into lifestyle offerings to affluent Chinese clients.

Germany's Deutsche Bank has a stark warning to European companies borrowing from U.S. lenders: They will drop you when times get tough.

Dozens of Zara shop assistants protested in Madrid on Thursday outside the global fashion giant's largest store to demand higher pay, and some workers in its home town in northwest Spain went on strike on the eve of its Black Friday sales campaign.

Numerous other public and private sector staff, from lawyers to airport ground personnel, have also held strikes this year.