Markets

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Thursday it plans to invest over US$7 billion in offices and data centers in the United States this year.

National Grid will buy England's largest electricity distribution business WPD from U.S.-based PPL for 7.8 billion pounds (US$10.9 billion) as it positions itself for a climate-driven transition from gas to electric power.

Shares in Germany's Volkswagen were up on Thursday and on course for a fourth daily rise and their best week ever as investors cheered its plans to overtake Tesla in the electric car market.

The European Central Bank may need some time before the recently agreed acceleration in the pace of money printing, part of its efforts to cushion the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, becomes apparent, ECB President Christine Lagarde said on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Chinese livestreaming e-commerce came under scrutiny. On Thursday, it was "deepfakes". And earlier this month, Chinese authorities imposed fines on operators of community group buying platforms.

China’s cyberspace administrator said in a statement on Thursday that it and the public security ministry met with the companies to talk about "security assessments" and potential problems with deepfakes and audio social apps. Kuaishou Technology and Xiaomi Corp also attended the meeting, it said.

THE recent sale of a digital artwork for over US$69 million has seemed to secure the position of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as the new crypto craze.

Japanese courts delivered conflicting rulings on two nuclear reactors on Wednesday, lifting an injunction on one and slapping a no-restart order on another, highlighting the fitful state of the industry's recovery 10 years after the Fukushima disaster.

Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia sees its comparable operating margin growing to 10-13per cent in 2023, it said on Thursday.

Credit Suisse executives earned 12per cent less in total aggregate compensation in 2020, the bank's annual report showed on Thursday, as bonuses were hit by legal matters, anticipated credit losses and a hit from a writedown in its asset management business.