World News

Leading South Korean insurers explore entry into India's $130 bn market

Any deals resulting from the talks would mark the first time that Korean insurance firms have entered the Indian insurance sector

FDA to act against companies selling 'illegal copycat drugs', chief says

Makary's comments came after online telehealth company Hims and Hers Health began offering a much cheaper $49 compounded version of Novo Nordisk's new Wegovy weight-loss pill

Trump gives his 'total endorsement' to Japan's Takaichi ahead of elections

Japan's first female PM, whose coalition is widely expected to win, according to opinion polls, is seeking a public mandate

Cash-strapped Lebanon weighs using vast gold reserves to revive economy

The government is considering using some of its gold reserves to bail out the banks and pay back depositors who got wiped out

Toyota appoints CFO Kenta Kon as new CEO in surprise leadership reshuffle

The shakeup coincides with a high-profile deal for the Toyota group, which is pushing to take Toyota Industries Corp. private in a tender offer that closes next week

Bitcoin falls, Asian shares slip as Wall Street hit by tech stock losses

Bitcoin sank to roughly half its record price, giving back all it gained since US President Donald Trump won the White House for his second term

US strike on alleged drug-trafficking boat kills two in Eastern Pacific

Thursday's strike raises the death toll from the Trump administration's strikes on alleged drug boats to 128 people

'No one should feel unsafe': Tim Cook flags immigration fear at Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook says he is 'deeply distraught' over US immigration policy and vows to lobby lawmakers, while reassuring staff, including visa and DACA workers

US tells citizens to 'leave Iran now' ahead of high-stakes nuclear talks

The US Embassy has urged American citizens to leave Iran immediately, citing internet shutdowns, security restrictions and travel disruptions as Washington and Tehran prepare for nuclear talks in Oman

Trump seeks new nuclear arms treaty with Russia as New START expires

The deal expired on Thursday, raising the possibility that US and Russia could potentially pursue new nuclear weapons unhindered by any diplomatic agreement while geopolitical tensions rise

AI race sends Big Tech's capital spending to stratospheric high of $650 bn

The ever-larger numbers - in total, an estimated 60 per cent increase from a year ago - means yet another acceleration in the wave of data centre construction taking place around the world

Russia regrets expiry of nuclear arms pact with US as Trump seeks new deal

Putin last year declared his readiness to stick to the treaty's limits for another year if Washington followed suit, but Trump has argued that he wants China to be a part of a new pact

DHS shutdown risk rises as Republicans rebuffs Democrats demands on ICE

Democrats say they will not vote for a DHS spending bill when funding runs out unless there are changes at US ICE, other federal agencies in the wake of the fatal shootings in Minneapolis

What to know about Thailand's election as growth slows, nationalism rises

There also have been accusations of shady financial influence linked to cybercrime, rampant corruption among officials ahead of the polls

Epstein e-mails reveal he helped arrange White House tour for Woody Allen

In 2015, Epstein used his connections to another friend who had been in President Barack Obama's administration to help the couple get a White House tour

US Census Bureau plans survey with citizenship question, alarming experts

Last August, Trump instructed the Commerce Department to have the Census Bureau start work on a new census that would exclude immigrants who are in the US illegally from the head count

Record discounts on Russian oil to China aim to lure demand as India wavers

Discounts for ESPO Blend, delivered from the Pacific port of Kozmino to China, widened to nearly $9 a barrel to ICE Brent this week, from $7-$8 in recent months

US announces $6 million aid for Cuba amid accusations of 'energy blockade'

The aid is largely meant for those living in Cuba's eastern region, which Hurricane Melissa slammed into late last year

Trump again repeats claim that he stopped war between India, Pakistan

Despite Trump's repeated claims, India has consistently denied any third-party intervention

Amazon misses Q4 earnings estimates despite strong sales, cloud growth

Amazon said it plans to increase capital spending to $200 billion this year from $125 billion as it sees opportunities in artificial intelligence, robots, semiconductors and satellites