Business news
- European chip stocks surge after TSMC posts record fourth-quarter profit; ASML pops 7% - European stocks open broadly higher Thursday as traders digest the latest geopolitical news around Greenland and Iran.
- Amazon launches its 'sovereign' cloud in Europe and plots expansion - The Amazon Web Services (AWS) European Sovereign Cloud will be "physically and logically separate" from other AWS regions, the company said.
- UK economy surprises with stronger-than-expected 0.3% growth in November - The U.K. economy grew by a more-than-expected 0.3% in November, data from the Office for National Statistics showed Thursday.
- TSMC fourth-quarter profit beats estimates, soaring 35%, as AI chip demand stays strong - TSMCy delivered another estimate-beating quarter, with profit up 35% from a year ago as advanced chip orders tied to AI continued to dominate its business.
- U.S. freezes new immigrant visas for 75 countries: See the full list - The U.S. said Wednesday it will pause issuing immigrant visas to citizens of 75 countries over concerns that they may use public assistance in the future.
- Seizing Greenland risks 'monumental' fallout, ex-Iceland president warns, as Trump sharpens rhetoric - A U.S. attempt to seize Greenland by force would trigger "monumental consequences" for the Western alliance and the global order, said former Icelandic President Olafur Grimsson.
- Trip.com shares plunge over 20% as China opens antitrust probe into Asia's largest online travel firm - In a statement, Trip.com said it would "actively cooperate" with the investigation, and added its business operations remain normal.
- Iran briefly closes airspace as U.S. tensions rise, flights rerouted across region - Iran temporarily closed most of its airspace late Wednesday, forcing airlines to reroute flights as tensions with the United States escalated.
- Musk's xAI disables Grok's ability to create sexualized images of real people after backlash - X's safety account said in a social media post that no users will be able to create sexualized images of real people using Grok.
- Asia-Pacific markets trade mixed as investors await Bank of Korea decision - Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed as investors awaited a policy decision from the Bank of Korea.