Oil & Gas
Brent climbs above $116 on fears of renewed US strikes on Iran
Oil posted a third straight weekly gain as President Trump said the US 'may do it a little bit further' and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia raised supply worries.
Top stories
IMF expects Gulf economies to shrink 4.8% this year before a sharp rebound
Fed, ECB and Bank of Japan decisions headline a crowded week for markets
Meta's AI bill turns free cash flow negative and rattles investors
Houthi attacks on Saudi energy sites and airports prompt US staff withdrawal
The big picture
EquitiesAnalysisBig Tech earnings put AI spending to the test after Meta sell-off
Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon report this week as investors question whether record capital spending is turning into cash, a week after Meta's shares fell about 7 per cent.
Bangladesh set to edge past India on income per head, IMF figures show
The IMF's latest forecasts put Bangladesh's nominal GDP per person ahead of India's this year, though the lead is narrow, flips on a purchasing-power basis and is projected to reverse by 2029.
UK retail sales fall 0.4% in September as warm weather hits clothing
Shoppers held back on autumn and winter ranges, the ONS said, although sales volumes still rose 0.7 per cent across the third quarter.
China grows 4.5% in third quarter as exports mask weak home demand
Barclays to cut 5,000 jobs as it turns to AI to lower costs
The bank said about 5 per cent of its workforce would go by the end of the year, as third-quarter profit rose 13 per cent but missed some investors' expectations.
Volvo Cars cuts 2,500 jobs after swinging to a third-quarter loss
Nvidia's $164.5bn of data centre guarantees draw scrutiny as AI cloud firms wobble
The chipmaker is underwriting leases and buying spare capacity to keep demand for its processors strong, leaving it more exposed if AI customers struggle to pay.
Trump invokes Defense Production Act to expand US oil production and refining
A presidential memorandum declares petroleum essential to national defence, opening the way for federal financial support as fuel prices stay high.
US trims some Canadian goods from 50% tariff list but adds others
Seaweed, packing boxes and some plywood are exempted from the end of October, while cocoa powder, vinyl flooring and shampoo are added, ahead of the US midterms.