Markets

SAN FRANCISCO: The Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp said Wednesday (Feb 12) it now has more than two billion users around the world, as it reaffirmed its stand on the need for strong encryption to protect privacy. WhatsApp, acquired by Facebook in 2014, has grown into one of the most-used ......

BP plans deep cuts to its carbon emissions by 2050, setting one of the oil sector's most ambitious targets, as part of the biggest overhaul in the company's 111-year history by new chief executive Bernard Looney.

GENEVA: The UN has released a list of 112 companies with activities in Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal under international law, including Airbnb, Expedia and TripAdvisor. The report comes in response to a 2016 UN Human Rights Council resolution calling for a "database for all ...

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son threw cold water on Wednesday on the idea of cutting his firm's US$150 billion stake in e-commerce giant Alibaba, after prominent activist investor Elliott Management called for big buybacks.

Shareholder activists focused on climate issues vowed to press proxy battles with JPMorgan Chase & Co after getting a cold reception from the top Wall Street bank, even though Chief Executive Jamie Dimon has vowed to protect the environment.

World markets started shrugging off the worst of the coronavirus impact last week and stock markets have since reached record highs. China's announcement that new cases of the so-called COVID-19 detected on Tuesday were at their lowest since Jan 30 has only consolidated those gains.

French train maker Alstom's board will meet on Wednesday evening to decide on a possible offer for the rail business of Canada's Bombardier , a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.

Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc were on pace for their worst day ever on Wednesday, as disappointing sales numbers raised concerns on Wall Street that the retailer's turnaround would take longer and be much tougher than anticipated.

The OPEC oil cartel on Wednesday lowered its forecast for growth in global oil demand this year by nearly a fifth due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in China.

Google defended its business model on Wednesday, saying that making innovative products was at its core rather than helping rivals, as it sought to overturn a 2.4-billion-euro (US$2.6 billion) EU antitrust fine at Europe's second-highest court.