Qatar has signed 36 worker protection agreements with countries that provide much of its labour force, state media reported on Wednesday, weeks before the International Labour Organisation is to decide whether to investigate it for worker abuse.

A closely-watched monthly survey of German business leaders hit its highest-ever level in October, the Ifo economic institute said Wednesday, pointing to continued strong performance for Europe's largest economy.

Britain's economy picked up speed ever so slightly in the third quarter, official data showed on Wednesday, strengthening expectations for an interest rate hike next month.

The head of a government-backed Japanese bank said Wednesday he would quit in response to an internal probe that found wide-ranging misconduct involving some $2.2 billion in shady loans.

Apple, which recently said it was including wireless charging in its latest iPhone X and iPhone 8 smartphones, has acquired New Zealand firm PowerbyProxi that designs wireless power products for consumers and industry.

Visa Inc, the world's largest payments network operator, reported an 11 percent increase in fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday, driven by its purchase of Visa Europe and as more people made payments using its network.

A US jury on Monday found a former HSBC executive guilty of defrauding Cairn Energy in a $3.5 billion currency trade in 2011.

India is tightening quality controls for consumer and capital goods, officials say, a move that follows calls to curb cheap imports from China amid diplomatic tensions between the world's two most populous nations over their shared border.

Gold slipped on Wednesday as the dollar strengthened amid speculation that the next US Federal Reserve chief may be a policy hawk.

It's the prize of a lifetime -- a $5 billion investment creating 50,000 well-paid jobs that everyone wants, but only one US city will get.

Alibaba executive vice chairman Joseph Tsai said Tuesday he expects to boost US jobs by expanding the Chinese firm's e-commerce platform -- not by hiring American workers.

China will deepen economic and financial reforms and further open its markets to foreign investors as it looks to move from high-speed to high-quality growth, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.

The dollar edged higher on Wednesday, as markets awaited further news on the possible appointment of a hawk as Fed chair and progress on US tax reforms.

Catalonia's independence push is taking its toll on the region's tourism industry, with revenues and hotel bookings down since a banned October 1 secession referendum that was marred by violence.

Toyota Motor Corp on Monday said it would begin testing self-driving electric cars around 2020, which will use artificial intelligence (AI) to engage with drivers, as the company competes with tech firms to develop new vehicles.

China's internet restrictions have struck a "new blow" against foreign companies working there, Germany's ambassador said on Monday, warning that such moves could undermine Beijing's political and commercial ties with the world.

China's central bank governor said the economy could grow 7 percent in the second half of this year, accelerating from the first six months and defying widespread expectations for a slowdown.

Drugmakers and medical devices companies are drawing up plans to protect supply chains in case Britain crashes out of the European Union without a trade deal, and some small service businesses are already relocating to stay inside the bloc.

Faced with dire economic straits due to low oil prices, Saudi Arabia is gearing up for deeper production cuts ahead of its massive Aramco share offering.

HSBC has appointed John Flint as its next chief executive the bank said on Thursday, sticking with a tradition of promoting company insiders to run the firm.