BUSINESS

China's top leaders pledged on Friday to step up support for the economy and oppose "unilateral bullying" in global trade in a veiled rebuke of hefty tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.

Russia's central bank kept borrowing costs at a two-decade high of 21 percent on Friday to combat rampant inflation, despite banks and businesses warning the economy was headed for a slowdown.

Claire DeCarteret, Gallup's Managing Director, said that while many companies touted perks such as ping pong tables and yoga mats, they wee missing the mark on what employees really needed -- recognition and meaningful engagement.

Tesla electric car sales in Europe plunged in the first three months of the year, industry data showed Thursday, in a fresh blow to its boss Elon Musk who has been criticised for his work in US President Donald Trump's administration.

President Donald Trump's various U-turns are leaving Americans disillusioned -- especially after he was elected on vows of guaranteeing economic prosperity.

Stock markets were mostly lower on Thursday as China poured cold water on US President Donald Trump's comments talking up the prospects of a deal to end their trade war.

Germany's economy is expected to post zero growth in 2025, outgoing Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Thursday, blaming US President Donald Trump's trade policy.

Elon Musk will significantly scale back his Trump administration work in May to focus on Tesla, the billionaire announced Tuesday as the electric vehicle maker reported a 71 percent drop in first-quarter profits.

Woolworths stores will be closed in NSW, Queensland, South Australia, and Perth. In Victoria, the Northern Territory, and the ACT, they will open at 1:00 p.m. Tasmania stores will open at 12:30 p.m., and regional WA stores will open at either 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m.

Global Recognition Awards is gaining ground as a popular option for organizations that want their team members to get noticed in a more significant way.

Gold reached $3,500 an ounce for the first time Tuesday as US President Donald Trump's tariffs and verbal assault on the Federal Reserve prompted investors to snap up the safe haven asset.

Global tax plans targeting billionaires and multinational companies are running aground, with the United States torpedoing reforms under President Donald Trump.

The World Economic Forum said on Monday that its founder Klaus Schwab has stepped down from the board, turning a page in the history of the organisation that hosts the annual meeting of wealthy, famous and influential global elites at the luxury Swiss ski resort of Davos.

As businesses push for a return to pre-pandemic norms, some leaders are using promotion prospects as a softer incentive to encourage in-office attendance.

The global economy is likely to avoid a recession despite the hit to growth from US President Donald Trump's tariff rollout, the head of the International Monetary Fund said Thursday.

Businesses are adding high surcharges to help recover rising wage costs. The extra spending estimate comes from ABS retail data, showing Aussies spend around AU$5.3 billion at cafes, restaurants, and takeaways, with an average 15% surcharge.

Woolworths has confirmed that most of its stores across Australia will shut on Good Friday. Coles supermarkets will be closed across the country on Good Friday. Kmart and Target will also shut all their stores nationwide for the day. Bunnings, Aldi, and all Westfield shopping centres will be closed on Good Friday as well.

US President Donald Trump's aggressive but fast-changing trade policy has foisted difficult questions on carmakers that they have not yet been forced to answer.

China told Washington on Wednesday to "stop threatening and blackmailing" after US President Donald Trump said it was up to Beijing to come to the negotiating table to discuss ending their trade war.

China is expected to post first-quarter growth of around five percent on Wednesday, buoyed by exporters rushing to stave off higher US tariffs but still weighed by sluggish domestic consumption, analysts say.

Stock markets rose Tuesday as auto firms were boosted by US President Donald Trump's suggestion of flexibility over steep tariffs on the sector.

South Korea on Tuesday announced plans to invest almost $5 billion extra in the country's semiconductor industry, citing "growing uncertainty" over US tariffs.

China has told its airlines to stop taking deliveries of jets from American aviation giant Boeing, a report said Tuesday, as a trade war between Beijing and the United States deepens.

Collins Foods said if they can't find a buyer within a year, they will look at other ways to shut down the Taco Bell stores.

Britain's economy grew far more than expected in February, official data showed Friday, in a rare piece of good news for the Labour government as it grapples with unpredictable US tariffs.

Vietnam and the United States agreed to start negotiations on a reciprocal trade agreement, Hanoi said on Thursday, hours after Washington delayed imposing an enormous tariff on the Southeast Asian manufacturing powerhouse.

"Coles and Woolworths have had it too good for too long and Tasmanians are paying the price," Tasmanian Greens Senator Nick McKim said. "A lack of competition means shoppers here are paying at least AU$15 more on a basket of essential groceries compared to Aldi, which adds up to hundreds of dollars a year."

India's central bank cut interest rates in the world's fifth-largest economy on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump's tariffs kicked in and policymakers warned of "challenging global economic conditions".

Adjusted to today's median values, the recent growth equals about a $230,000 increase, which is roughly half the size of earlier percentage peaks but far more significant in terms of money.