For Hong Kong guide dog trainer Margaret To*, an online mothers’ support group has provided a way to cope with rising prices. Browsing regularly through the Lakesilver Moms chat group, she has found baby clothes, toys, shoes, furniture, home appliances and even a picnic cart. Most were second-hand, some practically new. “They were all free. This has kept the expenses for our family of three to just under HK$5,000 [US$642] per month,” she said. “In return, I’ve also donated unused items to the group.” To, 36, and her husband, who works in online marketing, became more careful about spending after their daughter was born 2½ years ago. For a family stretching a monthly household income of about HK$60,000, every dollar saved mattered. A big chunk – HK$30,000 – went towards
Category Archives: BUSINESS-FINANCE
Feb
Extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) are a step between hybrids and EVs, with internal combustion motors that act as generators on longer trips. The technology may help Ford get around an “unsolveable” economics problem with large EV trucks: Consumers won’t pay for the super-sized batteries they require. Ram, Scout and General Motors are also betting on EREVs. Extended-range electric vehicles will be essential to the American market, Ford CEO Jim Farley said on the company’s earnings call Wednesday. The reason is simple: “Americans love their big cars. They love their big trucks,” he said. An extended-range EV, or EREV, is a technology that bridges the gap between a conventional hybrid and an electric vehicle. These cars operate as purely electric vehicles, with all of the vehicle’s propulsion coming from electric motors.
Feb
China and the rest of the world remain thirsty for oil. That means the commodity’s central and volatile role in geopolitics continues, with decades-old realities driving economics, trade, alliances and conflicts for the countries dependent on fossil fuels. Yet, change lies ahead. Last month’s short-lived rally underscores oil’s mercurial clout. Brent crude hit a four-month high of US$82 a barrel after the United States expanded sanctions on Russia and Iran. Oil-supply news shocks continue to have an immediate and enormous impact on the global economy; other policy shifts such as tariff increases matter too. Meanwhile, after years of production cuts, Opec+ members refuse to ramp up supplies before April, if even then. US President Donald Trump wants America to “drill, baby, drill” , thereby forcing prices down to the detriment
Feb
A Chinese company, Jiuling Lithium Mining Company, says it has concluded plans to invest over $200 million in the establishment of a lithium processing factory in the Endo community in the Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. The representative of the Managing Director of the company, Xiong Jin, disclosed this to Governor Abdullahi Sule during a visit to the factory’s site in the local government on Wednesday. Jin assured the governor of the company’s commitment to building one of the largest lithium mining companies in the state. While giving specific technical details about the size of the factory, Jin mentioned that the company would pay graduates employed to work at the mining site a minimum of N500,000. The Managing Director, however, called for the state government’s support in the
Tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada that are set to take effect could hike the price of a gallon of gasoline for some drivers by as much as 70 cents and send grocery bills climbing, experts told ABC News. The Trump administration this week reiterated plans to slap 25% tariffs on all products from Canada and Mexico on Feb. 1. Those countries make up two of the three largest U.S. trading partners, government data shows. Tariffs of this magnitude would likely increase prices paid by U.S. shoppers, since importers typically pass along a share of the cost of those higher taxes to consumers, experts said. The policy could raise prices for an array of products ranging from tomatoes to tequila to auto parts. “The scary thing is the list
![A Tea farmer picking Tea at a farm in Kericho.PHOTO:[Wilberforce Okwiri,Standard]](https://i1.wp.com/cdn.standardmedia.co.ke/images/wysiwyg/images/sJQfuIwVUJjySlpUMSxoQlG1Cmgj3dQoLioDr1im.jpg?w=1000&resize=1000,500)
Jan
A Tea farmer picking Tea at a farm in Kericho.PHOTO:[Wilberforce Okwiri,Standard] For the past three years, multinational tea firms operating in Nandi, Kericho, and Bomet counties have faced persistent land invasions and illegal tea harvesting by criminal gangs. The crisis has prompted the Kenya Tea Growers Association (KTGA), which represents large-scale tea producers (LSTPs), to raise alarm over the escalating threats to the tea industry. In a statement released on January 20, KTGA chairman Silas Njibwakale expressed deep concern over recent invasions at Eastern Produce Kenya’s (EPK) tea estate in Nandi County and an attempted raid by armed individuals at Browns Sambret estate in Kericho County. “In Nandi County, organised criminal gangs have occupied crucial estate zones, including the Sitoi airstrip, crippling operations and placing lives and property at substantial
Jan
Intel co-chief executive Michelle Johnston Holthaus says the rise of DeepSeek chatbot could signal opportunity to be a disruptive player in the market for chips that power artficial intelligence. Photo: Pau BARRENA / AFPSource: AFP Intel reported a fourth-quarter loss on Tuesday, but better than expected revenue as the US chip giant continues to struggle to stake its place in the artificial intelligence revolution. The company posted a net loss of $126 million for the quarter ending December 28, compared to a profit of $2.67 billion in the same period last year. Revenue declined seven percent to $14.3 billion, which was slightly better than expected by analysts. The company’s share price rose two percent in after-hours trading following the earnings release. “While Intel’s revenue decline remains concerning, the overall results
![Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva poses for a photo after his first cabinet meeting of 2025, at the Granja do Torto country residence in Brasilia, Brazil, on January 20 [Eraldo Peres/AP Photo]](https://esbecgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Brazils-Lula-says-any-US-tariffs-would-be-reciprocated.jpg)
The Brazilian leader says he is looking for a relationship based on mutual respect after Trump threatens tariffs. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said that, if the United States imposes tariffs on his country, he will respond in kind. Speaking at a news conference in the capital Brasilia, on Thursday, Lula said his country seeks a relationship based on mutual respect. His comments came in response to US President Donald Trump’s threat of heightened tariffs. “It is very simple: If he taxes Brazilian products, there will be reciprocity,” Lula told reporters. “Trump was elected to run the US, and I was elected to run Brazil. I will respect the US and want Trump to respect Brazil. That’s all.” The comments are the latest signal that Trump’s efforts
Jan
The Federal Government has called for collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to foster economic development and growth in the country and on the African continent. Specifically, it sought partnerships with the global body on the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) to connect Nigeria to Morocco and other African countries, as well as the […] The post Nigeria, WEF seek parley on gas pipeline, tackling global threats appeared first on The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News.
Jan
A Chinese start-up said its superfast drone – capable of reaching four times the speed of sound – would make its first flight next year as military hypersonic technology trickled down to the commercial sector. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is being developed by Sichuan Lingkong Tianxing Technology Co, Ltd as part of a broader effort to develop a supersonic passenger jet, according to the company. The company announced it was developing the aircraft at a news conference in southwest China’s Chengdu on Monday. The drone bears the name Cuantianhou, which means “soaring stone monkey” – a name given to Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King , one of the best-known figures in Chinese literature and mythology. It weighs 1.5 tonnes and measures seven metres (23 feet) long
Jan
South Korea’s SK Hynix forecast sales of its high-end semiconductors used in generative artificial intelligence (AI) chipsets would double this year after reporting a record quarterly profit that surpassed its bigger rival Samsung. Shares in SK Hynix, a key supplier to AI chip giant Nvidia , however, dropped 3 per cent on Thursday as the company warned of steeper demand declines in commodity memory chips used in smartphones and computers, due to economic uncertainty and growing competition from Chinese rivals. Before the result, SK Hynix shares had jumped about 30 per cent so far this year on bullish sentiment driven by its business discussions with Nvidia, outperforming Samsung, whose shares rose 2 per cent over the same period. “Uncertainties exist for the memory chip market this year as trade protectionism
Jan
A cross section of students in Enugu State, on Wednesday, appealed for the reversal of the 50 per cent hike in tariff in telecommunication services due to prevailing socioeconomic hardship. They were of the view that telecommunication services, such as internet data service, have enhanced learning and research work; making its usage indispensable to all […] The post Telecom tariff hike will hinder learning, research, students lament appeared first on The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News.
Jan
Hong Kong’s financial chief has pledged to strengthen cooperation with other economies to bridge the “significant funding gap” in global climate change responses, after the US moved to withdraw from an international agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. During the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also met the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) minister of state for foreign trade to discuss enhancing bilateral cooperation in finance and trade. According to the Hong Kong government on Wednesday, Chan attended a breakfast meeting organised by the Giving to Amplify Earth Action launched by the forum on Monday, where he shared views on how to make effective use of finance to address various crises facing the planet. Chan highlighted that Hong Kong is a leading green
Jan
Tesla fell behind Toyota and Mercedes-Benz in “brand value,” a metric calculated by research and consulting firm Brand Finance. This metric appears to consider more of Tesla’s real-world performance and less of what the automaker has promised for the future. Its recommendation and consideration scores also fell sharply due to a lack of new models and CEO Elon Musk’s culture wars. Tesla’s trillion-dollar stock market valuation may feel like a badge of honor for fans and investors. Still, that figure is more a reflection of its artificial intelligence and robotics ambitions. A different metric tells a far less glamorous story. The automaker’s brand value has nosedived for consecutive years, falling to $43 billion at the start of this year compared to $58.3 billion a year ago, CNBC reported, citing data from
Jan
Electric vehicle registrations were down last year in Europe. Tesla, the largest solo player in the EV game, took a hard hit. The American automaker’s registration numbers fell by over 10%. There’s no getting around the fact that electric vehicle registrations went down last year in Europe. Depending on how many countries you take into consideration, EV registrations dipped between 1.3% and 5.9% in 2024 compared to 2023. That’s a stark difference to the United States and China, where EV sales were on the rise last year, so what’s going on in Europe? Let’s look at the numbers and try to figure out what happened. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), customers in the European Union registered 1,447,934 EVs last year, down 5.9% compared to 2023’s 1,538,106 cars.