Samsung’s profit falls as smartphones get cheaper

SEOUL: Declining smartphone prices hit profit at Samsung Electronics Co. for a second straight quarter. The consumer technology heavyweight said on Tuesday that it expects operating income of about 8.4 trillion won... Read more »

EU banking union gets final approval from MEPs

MEPs have backed rules for a banking safety net to minimise the risk of further EU taxpayer-funded bailouts. A new European authority will have the power to wind up or restructure failing... Read more »

Citigroup profit rises from troubled assets

Citigroup Inc reported a better-than-expected quarterly net profit as a smaller loss on its troubled assets made up for weakness in its core trading and lending businesses, pushing up the bank’s shares... Read more »

Amazon offers employees $5,000 to quit

Amazon is offering its warehouse employees up to $5,000 to quit their jobs, even as the company is in the process of adding workers and locations. he “Pay to Quit” program, which... Read more »

Royal Bank of Scotland says will pay government 01.5bn

The bank has agreed to pay the Treasury the equivalent of $2.5 billion or 1.8 billion euro’s. LONDON (AFP) – Britain s state-rescued Royal Bank of Scotland will pay the government 1.5 billion... Read more »

Kickstarter’s successful and ridiculous projects

IF you’ve ever had an idea or invention you think could make you a fortune but have no capital to get it started there’s a way the internet can help. Kickstarter is... Read more »

Toyota recalls 6.4 million cars worldwide

Toyota announced five recalls on Wednesday, affecting a total of 6.39 million vehicles globally. The recalls cover 27 Toyota (TM) models — including Camry, Corolla, Matrix and Highlander — the Pontiac Vibe and the Subaru... Read more »

US economy adds 192,000 jobs in March

The US added 192,000 new jobs in March, in line with expectations, as the unemployment rate held steady at 6.7%. Severe weather over the winter did not prevent the monthly average for... Read more »

Google pays fine for Italy privacy breach

Internet giant Google has paid a one-million-euro ($A1.5 million) fine in relation to privacy breaches in Italy, the country’s privacy watchdog says. The US-based company came under fire in 2010 over its... Read more »

Angela Merkel approves Germany’s first minimum wage

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has approved the country’s first minimum wage, at 8.50 euros an hour (£7; $11.75), to start in 2015. At the moment, the country is one of seven in... Read more »

Mark Zuckerberg made $US3.3 billion in 2013

IMAGINE if you made so much money every single minute of your day you could afford to take a yearly salary of $1. That’s Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s reality. He reaped... Read more »

Chinese tycoon bids for Britain’s House of Fraser: Report

LONDON: Chinese businessman Yuan Yafei has launched a surprise takeover bid for British department store chain House of Fraser worth £450 million ($748 million, 544 million), media reports said on Sunday.  Sanpower, a Nanjing-based conglomerate run... Read more »

Microsoft’s Office apps for iPad ushers in new era

SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft has released an iPad version of its popular Office software suite, a breakthrough heralding a new era under a CEO who promises to focus more on the devices that... Read more »

Google partners with Ray-ban, Oakley for Google Glass

SAN FRANCISCO, MARCH 25:  Google Inc has partnered with Luxottica SpA, the makers of Ray-Ban and Oakley sunglasses, to bring a high fashion sensibility to its high-tech wearable computer, Google glass. “Luxottica... Read more »

Beijing condemns US over ‘spying on Huawei’

Beijing demands explanation over leaked documents apparently detailing NSA spying operation on Chinese telecom giant. Beijing has called for a clear explanation from Washington over a report that the US National Security Agency (NSA) infiltrated servers at... Read more »

Russian shares fall sharply on Western sanctions

Russian shares fell sharply on Friday as investors weighed the impact of western sanctions over Ukraine. The MICEX index, which is priced in roubles fell as much as 3% and the RTS,... Read more »

Oil mixed; US price falls below $100 on stronger dollar

NEW YORK: US oil prices slid below $100 a barrel on Thursday as the dollar strengthened on raised expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike sooner than previously thought. New York´s... Read more »

Tokyo stocks open 1.50 percent higher

TOKYO: Tokyo stocks opened 1.50 percent higher on Tuesday after US shares rose despite international tensions over Crimea. The Nikkei-225 index was up 213.74 points to 14,491.41 at the start. US stocks... Read more »

Oil prices ease ahead of Yellen testimony

SINGAPORE: Oil prices eased in Asian trade Thursday as investors await congressional testimony by the US central bank chief for fresh clues about the state of the world´s biggest economy, analysts said.... Read more »

Pakistan to hold 3G,4G auctions in April:Finance minister

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will hold long-awaited auctions for 3G and 4G telecoms licences this April, the finance minister said on Friday, a step that could help boost the cash-strapped country’s foreign reserves. A... Read more »

Asian shares mixed after soft US data

HONG KONG: Asia’s markets were mixed on Wednesday as traders were left unimpressed by a weak batch of US economic indicators, although early losses were pared in Tokyo as the dollar staged... Read more »

Oil prices up ahead of US stockpiles

SINGAPORE: Oil prices edged higher in Asian trade Wednesday as dealers await the latest US crude stockpiles data for clues about demand in the world´s biggest economy at the tail-end of a... Read more »

WhatsApp to add free voice calls

BARCELONA: WhatsApp, the world’s biggest mobile messaging service, is to add a voice call service for its 450 million customers, laying down a new challenge to telecom network operators just days after... Read more »

HSBC profits tick higher in 2013 helped by cost cuts

HSBC has reported a 9% rise in profit for last year, boosted by cost cuts as it restructured the business. Reported pre-tax profit was $22.6bn (£13.6bn), compared with $20.6bn in 2012, the... Read more »