Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba reported flat revenue growth on Thursday for the first time ever, as the country grappled with an economic slowdown and Covid-19 resurgences kept consumers jittery.. The company's revenue growth was flat "primarily due to a decline in China commerce segment revenue" although this was offset by growth in the cloud segment, Alibaba said.
Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing's firm is selling its stake in the parent company of fintech upstart AMTD Digital, according to a statement released Thursday, after the company enjoyed a massive rally this week.. Li's CK Group said in a statement that it holds less than four percent of AMTD Digital's parent company, AMTD Group, and has entered negotiations to sell those shares.
Chinese military exercises around Taiwan are set to disrupt one of the world's busiest shipping zones, analysts told AFP, highlighting the island's critical position in already stretched global supply chains.. "Given that much of the world's container fleet passes through that waterway, there will inevitably be disruptions to global supply chains due to the rerouting," said James Char, an associate research fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
Asian markets on Thursday tracked a Wall Street rally fuelled by healthy economic and earnings data, while there was some relief that Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan trip did not elicit a harsher response from China despite grave warnings from Beijing.. The mood in Asia was also a lot more settled after the upheaval of this week's visit to Taiwan by House Speaker Pelosi, which sparked outrage in China with warnings of stern military and economic responses.
Rescuers battled Wednesday to free around nine workers believed to be trapped in a coal mine in northern Mexico, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said.. Military personnel and rescue dogs were deployed to the scene of the accident in the state of Coahuila, Lopez Obrador said.
The Bank of England is expected Thursday to follow other major central banks with an aggressive interest rate hike to tackle surging inflation.. - Inflation 'spooks' central banks - Yet the bank predicts UK inflation will spike to 11 percent later this year -- and it was expected to lift this guidance on Thursday.
Brazil's central bank raised its benchmark interest rate for the 12th straight time Wednesday, citing an "adverse and volatile" global economy, and indicated its tightening cycle, one of the world's most aggressive, may not be over.. Since March 2021, the central bank has rapidly raised the Selic from an all-time low of two percent, which it had introduced to stimulate the pandemic-battered economy.
The directors of "Batgirl" said Wednesday they were "shocked" that the $90 million dollar superhero film had been axed by the studio and will now not be released in any format.. "As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves."
The chance to earn an annual salary of Can$100,000 (US$78,000) by tasting more than 3,500 candies, all from the comfort of your couch, sounds like a pretty sweet deal.. The main requirements include having "golden taste buds" and an "obvious sweet tooth," according to the job listing on LinkedIn. Candy Funhouse said it has received more than 100,000 candidates in two weeks.
European aircraft maker Airbus has cancelled its contract to deliver 19 A350 planes to Qatar Airways, a source close to the matter said Wednesday, amid a feud between the two aviation giants.. Airbus said that a clause in the contract for the 50 A321 planes allowed its cancellation if Qatar Airways failed to fully honour any of its other contracts, which the airline did by refusing to take delivery of A350 aircraft.
