US and European stock markets made modest gains on Friday after days of records as concerns about the pandemic sparked a surprise collapse in US consumer confidence.

DR Congo has revived a long-standing dream of promoting the national currency and sidelining the dollar to regain control over key economic levers.

Severe droughts are drying up rivers and reservoirs vital for the production of zero-emissions hydropower in several countries around the globe, in some cases leading governments to rely more heavily on fossil fuels.

Where Covid-19 has precipitated unprecedented debt, the climate crisis could trigger defaults across a planet that a UN panel says is dangerously close to runaway warming. 

The Taliban’s rapid advance towards Kabul is not only causing concern about Afghanistan’s future but also about the impact on other countries in the region and their economies. 

The infrastructure programme, called “Gati Shakti”, will help boost productivity of industries and boost the economy, Modi said during his speech at the Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi.

US value stocks may be getting a second wind, as bets on economic strength bolster Treasury yields and lift cyclically-sensitive shares that have stagnated in recent months after a powerful rally earlier this year. 

They are best known for bike-riding, but the climate-vulnerable Dutch are leading the way for electric cars with the largest number of charging stations in Europe.

Expectations are rising that BHP Group Ltd will deliver a verdict on the future of its petroleum business next week, as it comes under increasing pressure from cuts. Its fossil fuel footprint.

Japan’s major oil refiners have recovered from last year’s steep losses with all reporting a profit for the April-June quarter, but they continue to face headwinds as Covid-19 cases spiral to record highs in the country’s fifth wave of the pandemic. 

China’s securities regulators punished 19 institutional investors as authorities tighten scrutiny over price-setting behaviours under a more liberalised listing system.

India’s largest gas importer Petronet LNG said on Saturday that some of its customers have postponed spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports due to high prices. they have provided long term supplies with more attractive term contracts. 

Olam International, the Singapore-based agricultural trading house, said Friday that it plans to list its food ingredients business on the London stock market next year.

Oil prices dipped on Friday and ended the week little changed after weathering concerns from banks and the International Energy Agency that the spread of coronavirus variants is slowing oil demand. 

China announced scores of new carbon-intensive coal and steel projects in the first half of 2021, research showed on Friday just days after a key UN report urged immediate global action to curb use of fossil fuels and prevent runaway climate change.

US consumer sentiment dropped sharply in early August to its lowest level in a decade, in a worrying sign for the economy as Americans gave faltering outlooks on everything from personal finances to inflation and employment, a survey showed on Friday. 

European Union exports to Britain rose solidly in June from May, data released by the European Union statistics office showed on Friday, contrasting with a slight drop in the bloc’s exports to the rest of the world.

India is set to allow Boeing Co’s 737 Max jets to resume flights in the country within days, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Spending on credit and debit cards in Britain rose in the week to Aug. 5 to 99 per cent of its level just before the pandemic in the week, up by 4 percentage points from the week before, according to payment data provided by the Bank of England.

The Chinese government has asked automakers to strengthen data security and store key data generated locally in the country.