Qatar Airways to launch First Class, as airline courts Airbus and Boeing for new planes

Qatar Airways is developing a First Class concept and pursuing aircraft orders from aviation giants Boeing and Airbus, as part of a broader strategic overhaul under new group CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer. “This is a new era,” Al Meer told CNBC on Thursday, unveiling changes at the airline that follow a multi-month “war room” … Read more

Abu Dhabi-backed newspaper buyout is sparking panic

Copies of The Daily Telegraph newspaper on a newsstand in a shop in London, UK, on March 12, 2024 (L), and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan speaking at COP28 on Dec. 1, 2023. Getty Images DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Mansions, university facilities, think tanks, sports teams — the U.K. is no stranger … Read more

UK economic growth, January 2024

People walk along Waterloo Bridge past the City of London skyline, the capital’s financial district, on a sunny and mild day. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images LONDON — U.K. gross domestic product grew 0.2% in January, the Office for National Statistics said Wednesday, as construction output jumped unexpectedly. The headline figure was in … Read more

When are the world’s central banks cutting rates in 2024?

Euros, U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, Russian rubles and Czech korunas lie on a table as banknotes.  Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images As inflation loosens its grip in most economies, investors are closely monitoring interest rate decisions, with markets expecting a slew of rate cuts this year. While rates in most economies are … Read more

Ikea cutting prices as inflation eases and more could be on the way

IKEA lowers prices on items worldwide. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Swedish home and furniture company Ikea has been cutting prices across a number of countries as global inflation eased, as it boosts its investments in price reductions. The company is further expanding its price cuts in 2024 across all of its markets globally, … Read more

Amtrak backs Texas Central bullet train

The U.S., despite decades of research and studies, remains without authentic high-speed rail options. Since 1987, investors have attempted to introduce bullet train service to Texas. In 2014, a group organized under the name Texas Central launched the most recent attempt to connect Dallas to Houston with a bullet train that travels more than 200 … Read more

Trump pledges to get tough with tariffs again if elected

Proclaiming that “I’m a big believer in tariffs,” former President Donald Trump on Monday indicated he’s likely to reinstitute duties on foreign goods should he win election to a second term. In a CNBC interview, Trump cited both economic and political benefits from targeting foreign goods entering the U.S. “I fully believe in them economically … Read more

China blames U.S. for bilateral tensions, reaffirms support for Palestinians

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in 2019. Mark Kauzlarich | Reuters BEIJING — China’s top diplomat slammed the U.S. for worsening bilateral tensions, while reiterating Beijing’s support for peaceful resolutions to the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine conflicts. “There is some progress in the China-U.S. bilateral relationship, but we have to point out that U.S. continues … Read more

When will European Central Bank cut rates? Markets could soon get clues

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde speaks as she presents the bank’s 2022 Annual Report to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, eastern France, on February 26, 2024.  Frederick Florin | AFP | Getty Images FRANKFURT — The European Central Bank will meet again this week amid falling inflation, a slight recovery in economic activity … Read more

Nigeria battles to halt spiraling currency crisis and rising food insecurity

IBADAN, Nigeria – Feb. 19, 2024: Demonstrators hold placards during a protest against the hike in price and hard living conditions in Ibadan on February 19, 2024. Samuel Alabi | Afp | Getty Images Nigeria is battling to contain a historic currency crisis and soaring inflation, with the International Monetary Fund on Monday warning that … Read more