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Santander racks up another record quarter
Santander racks up another record quarter
by  AFP

Spanish lender Banco Santander announced Wednesday another record quarterly profit thanks to high interest rates and a growing customer base. The rise in global interest rates has been a boon for most banks, including Santander, as it has increased margins on their lending operations.

Israel-Hamas war already affecting regional economies: IMF head
Israel-Hamas war already affecting regional economies: IMF head
by  AFP

The raging war between Israel and Hamas is already battering the economies of nearby countries, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund told a Saudi investor forum on Wednesday. Georgieva spoke one day after Wall Street titans told the forum that the war could deal a heavy blow to the global economy, especially if it draws in other countries.

Japan auto show returns, playing catchup on EVs
Japan auto show returns, playing catchup on EVs
by  AFP

Tokyo's rebranded auto show returns this weekend just as China looks set to overtake Japan as the world's biggest car exporter after Toyota, Nissan and others got stuck in the electric vehicle slow lane. Just 1.7 percent of cars sold in Japan were electric in 2022, compared with around 15 percent in western Europe, 5.3 percent in the United States and nearly one in five in China.

China announces $137 bn sovereign bond issuance
China announces $137 bn sovereign bond issuance
by  AFP

China announced Tuesday it would issue sovereign bonds worth 1 trillion yuan ($137 billion), state media said, in a move seen as an attempt to shore up the economy after a sluggish post-Covid recovery. The bonds unveiled Tuesday will be distributed to local governments to support national disaster prevention and recovery, state news agency Xinhua said.

Israel-Hamas war threatens world economy, bankers tell Saudi forum
Israel-Hamas war threatens world economy, bankers tell Saudi forum
by  AFP

The Gaza war raging between Israel and Hamas could deal a heavy blow to the global economy, banking titans told a glitzy investment forum in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. "What just happened recently in Israel and Gaza ... you put all this together, I think the impact on economic development is even more serious," World Bank President Ajay Banga told the Future Investment Initiative (FII).

Spotify swings to profit as user numbers grow
Spotify swings to profit as user numbers grow
by  AFP

Music streaming giant Spotify on Tuesday said it registered 26 percent growth in active users for the third quarter as it reported a rare quarterly profit. The 26 percent growth in monthly active users compared to the third quarter a year earlier saw the total reach 574 million.