Business
Asian shares mixed as Wall Street gears up for an interest rate cut
Shares were mixed in Asia on Tuesday as world markets geared up for the Federal Reserve’s most anticipated meeting in years. Tokyo’s Nikkei index fell 1% to 36,203.22 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong advanced 1.3% to 17,654.79. Markets in mainland China and South Korea were closed. Australia's S&P/ASX… Read
Boeing says it's considering temporary layoffs to save cash during the strike by machinists
Boeing plans to freeze hiring and reduce travel and is considering temporary layoffs to save cash during the factory workers’ strike that began last week, the company told employees Monday. The company said moves, which include reduced spending on suppliers, were necessary because “our business is in a difficult period.”… Read
Europe's EV troubles bubble up at Brussels Audi factory
Outside an Audi factory in Brussels described by the German carmaker as the "cradle" of its electric drive, around 200 picketing workers huddled around a bonfire in the morning drizzle. The firm is considering closing the plant, a move that analysts say is symptomatic of the troubles afflicting Europe's wider… Read
Will the Federal Reserve cut interest rates fast enough to deliver a 'soft landing'?
American consumers and home buyers, business people and political leaders have been waiting for months for what the Federal Reserve is poised to announce this week: That it's cutting its key interest rate from a two-decade peak. It's likely to be just the first in a series of rate cuts… Read
Dollar briefly plunges to ¥139; lowest since July 2023
The U.S. dollar plunged to the 139 yen zone Monday in Asian trading, hitting its lowest level in over a year, amid growing expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates by half a point later this month. The U.S. currency slipped to the mid-139 yen zone, its lowest… Read
Boeing just the latest company to go head to head with unions
Aircraft assembly workers walked off the job at at Boeing factories near Seattle and elsewhere early Friday after union members voted overwhelmingly to go on strike. Boeing is just the latest business to grapple with union workers over issues including wages and benefits like health care. Here's a look at… Read
U.S. Fed expected to announce its first interest rate cut since 2020
The Federal Reserve is gearing up to announce its first interest rate cut for more than four years on Wednesday, with policymakers expected to debate how big a move to make less than two months before the U.S. presidential election. Senior officials at the U.S. central bank including Fed chair… Read
Ostrich endeavor ensuring Yoshinoya can meet demand for meat
Major Japanese fast-food chain operator Yoshinoya Holdings Co is hoping the introduction of ostrich meat will help it overcome shortages that have affected the availability of its popular beef bowls. In late August, it made some 60,000 servings of ostrich meat rice bowls available at around 400 outlets in Japan… Read
China's economy softens in August as Beijing continues to grapple with lagging demand
China’s economy softened in August, extending a slowdown in industrial activity and real estate prices as Beijing faces pressure to ramp up spending to stimulate demand. Data published by the National Bureau of Statistics Saturday showed weakening activity across industrial production, retail sales and real estate this month compared to… Read
Japan designates 7-Eleven owner 'core' industry, complicating takeover
The Japanese finance ministry on Friday designated the parent company of 7-Eleven a "core" industry, a move that could make a takeover by Canadian rival Couche-Tard more difficult. Other entities rated the same in Japan include manufacturers in the nuclear, rare earths, and chip industries, as well as cybersecurity and… Read
